Fast riding

[SethTiger]

I went for a ride last sunday. I was riding with a guy who had a sportbike.
We were on the freeway for maybe 25 min.  This guy wanted to ride from 75 to 80 mph.  I really had a hard time keeping up. Dont get me wrong, I like to roll the tiger up to fast speeds sometimes but not for more than a few seconds. The wind was quite uncomfortable, and frankly a little scary with large trucks and traffic.

I am most comfortable at speeds from 50 to 60mph on rural roads.
What do you guys think?  Can anyone relate to what I am saying?

[jwray76]

I think you are experiencing some bad wind buffeting off of the screen. The bike should be rock solid for cruising at those speeds.

[JetdocX]

I think any fucking idiot can go fast in a straight line.  Find some twisty roads.

[Bixxer Bob]

I can go real fast on my Blackbird (up to really stupid speeds) - it has a double bubble screen which creates a still pocket of air behind it at any speed.  It's a really comfortable place to be.

I can go real fast on my Tiger (easily the speeds you are talking about) - it has a Skidmarx high screen which really only keeps the bugs off.  The buffeting is something I've not ever really paid any attention to as I started off on naked, screenless bikes.  Keeping up with sports bikes in those days developed the neck msucles really quickly. The gusting from side winds and trucks is something you just get used to the more miles you do.  You learn to anticipate the gusts coming, especially the invisible bow-wave from a big truck going the opposite direction, or riding through the bow-wave of a truck you're overtaking.  Thinking about it, I spend a fair amount of time in boats and it's the same principle - the waves, be they air or water, occur in the same places.  Perhaps I was taking that knowledge for granted.

Only time I've ever been really bothered by wind was on a friend's Triumph Legend which had a LAPD-style screen mounted on the handlebars.  At anything above 50mph it acted like a sail and tried to steer the bike for me.

[BigMark]

I can go real fast in a straight line and fall off in the corners.   :lol:


Seriously i am surprised you struggle at 80mph. Maybe a new screen or just some more miles are needed?

Not knowing your history i dont want to make any judgements but i do remember some years back on my bike test when they took me on a major dual carriageway I thought "Jesus, I don't like this much" but now I do around 500 - 1000 miles in 24 hours on the euro highways at speeds averaging that with no probs.

[ArcticTiger]

Riding a bike should be pleasant, fun and safe. Ride the way YOU feel most comfortable and up to YOUR riding skills. If your sportbike buddy does not respect you for this, then he is not a real friend. Let the idiots go. Maybe you will be the one that arrives first..... :!:

[Mustang]

Riding a bike should be pleasant, fun and safe. Ride the way YOU feel most comfortable and up to YOUR riding skills.

 

[BONANZA]

Riding a bike should be pleasant, fun and safe. Ride the way YOU feel most comfortable and up to YOUR riding skills. If your sportbike buddy does not respect you for this, then he is not a real friend. Let the idiots go. Maybe you will be the one that arrives first..... :!:

I couldnt agree more. If that is how you feel then more riding on your own might be in order.

[Nick Calne]

For what it's worth, i think motorbikes are about doing what you want, when you want. Speed, or not included.

[daveb]

its not how fast you ride to get there its how you get there.

A couple of months ago I went for a ride out with 20 other machines, some of the guys were fast riders some were slow riders.

The Fasties were setting the route, but when they got too far ahead they would wait for the rest to catch up and point then in direction of the intended route. then they would over take and wait again.

It worked fairly well. We lost 2 or 3 machines as someone changed the route at the last minute. but they eventually found us. it was a good days riding around south / mid Wales, think I covered about 150 miles that day.

Others I have been out with were the Triumph guys, we all rode at the same speed and stuck together, this was another great days riding.

[NeilD]

agree with all the above ref doing your own thing, however cruising 75-80 should be comfortable on a Tiger (well on my Steamer anyway), so wonder if there is something that can be sorted to make it so for the original poster, if indeed he wants to... ?

[Chris Canning]

Put me in the BB camp,I've never had the slightest problem with buffeting,all our Tiger gets used for is long distance,if it ain't going 500 miles down the road we use something else,but god knows how many 500/700 mile days we've done and one 1000 miler,normally cruise between 90/110 and thats two up.

Going off at a tangent,ride in group??,i'd rather have my toe nails pulled out with a pair of pliers,occasionally we'll travel with friends abroad,normally there'll be a couple of miles between us(aleast) they don't like it either,we can talk about the ride in the hotel at night.

[SethTiger]

Thanks for all your replies.
I live in rural area and very rarely go on freeway, so almost no experience with tiger on expressway.  Still dont like much.
Maybe I dont have a lot of experience.I bought tiger 10 years ago and only have about 9000 mile on it.

But it seems to me that riding motorcycle are pretty dangerous anyway,but I like it . So why not be safe.

I think I will ride as close to the speed limit as I can.

[JetdocX]

Another thing to consider is helmet sizing.  Is your helmet too big?  That can cause you a whole FWIW, my Steamer feels really good at about 85mph up to about 120 when the front wheel starts doing scary stuff. 8)

[SethTiger]

Hey Jetdocx, You might be on to something.
I measure 56 and I am wearing a medium. A medium is 57 to 58.
I will look into that.