[vito]

I'm not sure why hitting triple digits on the bike is called "hitting the ton", but I find I really get an adrenaline rush when I push the Goldwing to 100 mph or more. Fortunately for me I have a stretch of two lane country road not too far from where I live where the road is open and straight for a pretty long stretch, with basically no where for John Law to hide and wait, and usually zero traffic on this road when I go there. It doesn't take long to get the speed up from 65 mph or so to 100 or 105 on the speedo, and I usually just stay at this speed for a few seconds, but that is enough to get the thrill of speed. I know that as I get older I am supposed to take it easier on the speed than when I was a young and impetuous rider, but in truth, most of the bikes I owned in my earlier days could not reach 100 or not do so without a long, long stretch of open road. When I owned a sport tourer years ago I used to routinely "hit the ton" but with the cruisers that I owned it was not very do-able most of the time. I tend to believe that its a good exercise for getting the heart to pump a little harder and faster, but without breaking a sweat, so "hitting the ton" is actually part of my "living healthy" program. That is, as long as a deer doesn't run out in front of me or something like that. And even at a 100 mph, the bike stays smooth and steady and not a whiff of vibration in the mirrors. Pretty cool.

 

[vito]

Eye, this has nothing to do with impressing anyone. It's just about the rush of speed. My fastest ever doesn't even match the average speed of the winner of the Isle of Man TT race, but that doesn't diminish the thrill it gives to me. Maybe if I had access to a racetrack and went into triple digits routinely the thrill would wear off, as it likely does for anyone that races. But when I do it, its both a brief special moment in my riding, and always a bit of a risk. Even on quiet country roads there is always the chance that a deer, or a cow, or a dog will jump out in front of me, and that's likely the end of my story.

The funny thing is that perception of speed is not the same as true speed. Yesterday I had the chance to take several demo rides. Hitting 80 or 85 with the new Goldwing, or with the Indian Scout (what a weird position to sit in on that bike but a fun ride) was no big deal. But hitting 65 on a Rebel 500 felt like I was flying! My regular ride, a Goldwing is smooth and comfortable, which is great and just what I wanted, but it sure doesn't give me a rush even when doing 80 or more on the Interstate just keeping up with crazy Chicago drivers. So to get that rush I have to push the needle a bit higher than I normally go. It sure keeps my blood pumping and makes me feel a lot less than my 75 years.

 

[vito]

You need to get out of the city to ride. If i couldn’t get to country roads i’d Probably trade in my Goldwing for a scooter.