help me explain to my wife.

To the OP: you are restoring bike for your wife that is arguably not a good choice for a new rider (or woman). All of your questions are fancy ways of dancing around this point. In brute honesty she would be far more successful learning on a newer bike in the 250cc range and would benefit from not learning how to ride like you (or near you).

An old XJ 700 is a heavy bike with a surprising amount of power for a new rider. A lighter less powerful bike with better brakes would certainly be helpful.

Riding like a maniac and challenging every other bike to race whether in daylight, night, or in the middle of nowhere is not well thought out on public streets. Ever. Spilled diesel fuel or coolant can be anywhere and is always a threat on the street. Deer happen.

Challenging others to push their limits and luck is also nuts. Let them ride their ride- why contribute towards them having a wreck? You challenged a "child" on a Buell to race you while you were carrying a passenger and then chewed him out for being stupid? Pot to kettle: You're black!

When you really want to learn how awesome your skills and bike are take them to the track or strip. Until then mellow out and don't put your wife's life on the line trying to prove something to her, yourself, or a stranger. There's too many variables you can't know or control to do it on the public roads- even in Arkansas at night in the middle of nowhere.

Not every person is sensible or reasonable enough to control a powerful bike: you maybe need to consider if riding a 700 cc inline 4 is a good choice for you.

 

Thanks to every one that replied. Once I sent this to my wife to read she suddenly put all the pieces of what I have been telling her together. She was quite surprised no one asked any questions about why on anything. And yes taking off hard with her on the back may have been stupid but have you never punched it hard to make your wife squeel and have fun? And the child is one of my cousins. There are no tracks around here and none of the local airports let my group use them. I thought that the mention of rules and for fits would have made clear that this a group activity planned in advance. And I may be slamming on some of the kids to hard but I am a bit bitter about not being in the sport touring class and am down with the street bikes and cruisers since I am not flying my brick anymore.

And yes I am riding this bike hard, as hard as I safely can. And I am seriously impressed with the power it makes for such a small engine. It is my daily driver until my wife can safely ride it. That it is to big for her as a beginner is true, but this is what she wanted not the rebel I wanted to get for her.

 

Nobody asked "WHY" because there's nothing to ask "WHY" about. We didn't see any reason to ask "WHY". We already got the answers to that question......

As far as the "mention of rules and for fits would have made clear that this a group activity planned in advance" is concerned-----I went back and read through the whole thread again, and I'm just not seeing that anywhere, so it's not really clear, at least to me.

Bitter about not being in the sport-touring class? Well, then get a bike that IS is that class.

I hope you ride more sensibly on the road, and I hope your wife takes a Motorcycle Safety Course first.

d

 

From what you've described, you're NOT riding safely whatsoever. By your own admission you're behaving like a typical squid in a hurry to get to the scene of his own wreck.

Two-up or solo, knock it off. People see behavior such as yours and assume we all act that way. You give us all a bad name with your antics.

 

Rmcrow,
You should try to understand that the majority of the people here honestly want what is best for you and the people on the road around you.

It appears that you are allowing your ego to blind you from some really good advice. So you are troubling yourself by putting energy into justifying your actions that (from how you have described them) are flirting with disaster.

If you read the posts by some of the older members here with an open mind you will find that they are wise (like Wizards). At times their words may seem blunt and perhaps borderline mean, but I sincerely believe that their words come from a very good place and should be heeded.

Especially since those same people are the very ones that will be of great assistance in keeping your 30+ year old bike running proficiently.

 

SEEM blunt? You're being unnecessarily diplomatic.

I've personally stopped just short of calling him a flaming a-hole; I hope it was more than seemingly blunt. I don't know how much more blunt you can get than

"KNOCK IT OFF."