[Dano]

Check this site out. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47102-2000Aug17.html

In a nutshell, the article talks about how fast sport bikes are and as usual, the negative activity that goes along with owning these kinds of bikes. As usual, the article contains a quote from some random asshole who makes us all look like idiots. With idiots like this representing sportbike riders, I can see why the media loves us. This crap has got to come to an end. Anyone else agree?

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I guess I was reading the RPM gauge officer.

 

[Spitfire]

For some reason, I couldn't load the picture, but I skimmed through the article.

QUOTE:

"It's become fashionable," Gunn said. "It's in style. Motorcycles are hot. They're sexy."

Funny, that's not why I bought my bike.

Seems to me that the entire article is making all of us out to be squids.

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[FZR400Tony]

i'm disappointed that they didn't at least talk to people like marrc or nesba or teampromotion and discussed safe alteratives to speeding through the 395 tunnels, which i'd bet is a blast. but it doesn't sell papers.

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Tony

the views and opinions expressed by tony (cbrf2boy) are the ramblings of a total idiot. sbw.com, it's administrators, moderators, and members don't necessarily agree with and are not responsible for anything this idiot has to say.

for more ramblings try cbrf2boy

[This message has been edited by cbrf2boy (edited August 18, 2000).]

 

[arif CBRF4]

tony i agree! they should have spoken with nesba or someone. for those of you who dont know the DC Sportbike Assoc. (which was quoted in the article) is notorious for their squidly activities. they are the east coast version of the vegas extremes. not good

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arif

 

[hy_syde]

hey now,

i frequent the DCSR site and know a lot of those guys... the President of the club "GC" set that interview up with te reporter to try and give a positive and respnsible side to our sport.

Unfortunately, you can't control what someone prints, and the article in whole ended up backfiring. Trust me, the DCSR guys do ride hard and fast at times, but they are like what was portrayed.

It's just that the reporter has to sell papers, and hooligan crotch rockets sounds a lot better than safety minder sportriders...

not to mention that the article quoted a bunch sloe @ss old ppl riding GOLD WINGS!!!!



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FASTER THAN A SPEEDING TICKET!!!

Austin Sportbike Board

 

[GSXR750]

I'm upset that the author thinks that a Suzuki Bandit is a fast and mean race bike. I suppose he forgot to list Katana and Buell Blast as well!

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[FZR400Tony]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by arif CBRF4:
tony i agree! they should have spoken with nesba or someone. for those of you who dont know the DC Sportbike Assoc. (which was quoted in the article) is notorious for their squidly activities. they are the east coast version of the vegas extremes. not good

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arif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


you all can do something to support the post checking with a track organization next time, e-mail [email protected] and tell them how you feel. i did.


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Tony

the views and opinions expressed by tony (cbrf2boy) are the ramblings of a total idiot. sbw.com, it's administrators, moderators, and members don't necessarily agree with and are not responsible for anything this idiot has to say.

for more ramblings try cbrf2boy

 

[arif CBRF4]

i should have been a little clearer about my earlier statement which might have come across as stereotyping. it was not my intention to bash the DC riders assoc.

however i know a few members who have that squidly attitude. that surely does not describe the entire association. i am sure that being a large organization it gets its fair share of squids and responsible members.

unfortunately, the only ones that i met happened to be the squidly type and that has kept me away from the organization so far. i agree i should look further into it and find the right kind.

sorry if i upset any members from the organization.

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arif

 

[Rug Burn]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GSXR750:
I'm upset that the author thinks that a Suzuki Bandit is a fast and mean race bike. I suppose he forgot to list Katana and Buell Blast as well!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Obviously, you've never rode a Buell Blast, that thing screams Seriously, has anyone out there ever seen one on the road, know a friend of a friend whose 2nd cousin's sister bought one....anything?

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"If everything's coming your way-
you're in the wrong lane"

Clark

[This message has been edited by RUG BURN (edited August 18, 2000).]

 

[rponiarski]

I read the article and it is biased, pretty normal in the newspaper business these days. Sometimes it seems the truth comes after the need to sell newspapers.

Anyway, speed isn't a bad thing, just different from the older biker, cruiser image. Changing that isn't a bad thing either...



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Richard M. Poniarski
'00 Kawasaki ZR-7
AMA #674623
NY S666C
ZR7OA #3

 

[BBQ Dave]

Screw the media!!!! I married a TV reporter, probably the last reporter that votes republican and is a christian, and she can pi$$ me off as much in person as she did on tv!!

They are all a bunch of liberal a$$holes out to sell a story or make one that will sell commericals.

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Dave

600 Bandit

 

[motociclista]

Well, as we all sit here agreeing that news stories about sport bikes universally suck, let's think a little deeper. Here's a writer who probably knew nothing about motorcycles and had a couple of days at most to research and write the article. No, it's not a comprehensive book showing all sides of motorcycling, but in my 20 years of riding I have to say the majority of people on bikes don't know much about safety, don't wear proper gear and do stupid and dangerous things more often than they should. I saw very little in the article that I could say was untrue.

The writer learned more about motorcycles in a couple of days than you guys who say it's all about selling newspapers have learned about the media business. Explain to me, who's the person who has ESP and walks down the street past a newspaper stand and suddenly thinks, hmmmm, that newspaper has an article on crazed sportbikers on page C2. I think I'll buy it!

The author doesn't know motorcycles as well as us, but he knows them better than a lot of posters here know journalism.

Flame on!

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[BBQ Dave]

Motociclista - "flame on" - I agree there are not enough people who sit on a bike and twist the throttle who know enough about safety, proper gear, and riding than there should be. However, if you want to argue over journlism (among others) have at it. I stand by what I said. Its not a single case of ESP but a history attracting an audience.

There are a few subjects I will not be blasted at and journalism is one. Been there and hated it. Futhermore, my wife has managed a radio station, was a tv news reporter for years, wrote for newspapers for years, and has a masters degree in journalism/mass communications. News really is all about profits and market shares. Regardles of the subject they cover, it is sensationalized and hyped to gain attention.

Have at it if you want and call me a hick for living in WV (presently), but I have been an army officer stationed in 4 counties; fough more wars; lived in more states than you have been to; was a sergeant before before that, earned a MS (working on #2), and not to mention doing the journalim thing prior to that.

You nor anyone else will ever convince anyone that tv nor print or radio news is nothing more than a business selling advertisements to make a profit. Yes there were a few acurate comments but it was indeed one-sided overall. "Flame one",

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Dave

600 Bandit

[This message has been edited by BBQ Dave (edited August 18, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by BBQ Dave (edited August 18, 2000).]

 

[El Diablo]

let's face it. a lot of people who ride sportbikes are reckless wheelie mongers. there really is no way one can exercise the full potential of a modern sportbike on public roads without exceeding traffic laws. there are lots of posers on race-replicas - sportbikes are sexy. there are lots of wrecked sportbikes just this year alone. you can't avoid internet message boards that occasionally post threads discussing best techniques to pull wheelies and stoppies. I'll even admit to having pulled idiot stunts on the street at some time or other. Many sport riders talk about Deal's Gap as if it's a competition road course. let's not kid ourselves; the bad image given sportbikes is not totally unwarranted.

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--2000 VTR1000F Super Hawk

 

[jk6672]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by El Diablo:
Many sport riders talk about Deal's Gap as if it's a competition road course. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You mean it's not a cometition road course Damn! I was going to go compete there when I move to the east coast in Jan

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John

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -Albert Einstein

 

[motociclista]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BBQ Dave:


Have at it if you want and call me a hick for living in WV (presently), but I have been an army officer stationed in 4 counties; fough more wars; lived in more states than you have been to; was a sergeant before before that, earned a MS (working on #2), and not to mention doing the journalim thing prior to that.

You nor anyone else will ever convince anyone that tv nor print or radio news is nothing more than a business selling advertisements to make a profit. Yes there were a few acurate comments but it was indeed one-sided overall. "Flame one",

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Making a few (incorrect) assumptions BBQ Dave?

I'm not going to call you a hick because you live in West Virginia, especially since I was born and raised there. You haven't lived in more states than I've been to unless you've lived in 45. And you're absolutely right that the news business is a business like any other, intended to make a profit.

What I don't think most of us here see clearly is that although we may be conscientious, responsible riders for the most part, most riders are not.

And beyond that, look through this site and see how many posts are about going 100-plus mph on public roads, popping wheelies, crashing bikes, etc. Then we complain because the media portray us as speed-loving thrill junkies. Well, where's the lie in that?

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[Dano]

For what it's worth, I am pretty sure that anyone who owns a sportbike has ridden it like a jackass at some point or another. I am gulity of this myself. The difference is where you choose to ride like a jackass. If you ask me, there is a huge difference between riding a wheelie on a back road with no traffic versus riding a wheelie on a highway. Anytime we ride fast, careless, or pull wheelies in plain view of the public, we only open ourselves to this kind of negative publicity. How can you hold the media responsible for writing a negative article if they see some guy sitting on his gas tank with his legs over the fairing doing 80? Another point that is NOT in our favor are some of these videos that are on TV. If you didn't know better, you would think that the only reason people buy bikes are to do wheelies, burnouts, and you can basically sit anywhere on the bike you choose. Personally, if I see another of these videos, I am going to puke. Just my two cents.

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I guess I was reading the RPM gauge officer.

 

[Ted900]

Unfortunately, I don't think there is much that can be done to change sportbiking's negative public image. As long as there are riders pulling idiotic moves on the street, the average person is gonna think we are all idiots. I don't think people remember riders they may see who ride responsibly, all that sticks out in their mind is rider who passed them at one hundred miles an hour on the double yellow. As soon as I tell nonmotorcyclists that I ride a sportbike, they look at me like I'm an idiot. It's embarrassing sometimes. Not that I really care what they think. I try to explain that people also drive cars like jerks and that you can ride a sportbike responsibly, but it doesn't seem to matter.

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[RACER X]

well guy's...

i'm a newbie to this sportbike stuff...i do know that 2 guys crashed this weekend. due to the fact that 1 guy was doing a wheelie and bascially ran the other guy over. they were hanging out at James Coney Island in Houston. and going to the regular spot for show-n-crash. Last week 1 guy crashed in the parking lot of JCI. the next day 1 guy looped it...at the show spot, right as the cops came to break it up. there were probably over 200+ bikes hanging out sat night. when a large group 40+ riders were gonna take-off to a local street drag strip....i declined, i wasn't gonna be 100+mph w/ 40-70 squids on the freeway.. we left later in a small group of 5.

whether we like it or not, that reporter wrote alot about what he saw. we may not like it, because maybe it does expose some truths about who we are. i'm no better...i was there. not doing wheelies or stoppie...but, i watched.

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'00 VFR800fi
TBR full, high and right

 

[Spitfire]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dano:
For what it's worth, I am pretty sure that anyone who owns a sportbike has ridden it like a jackass at some point or another.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

With the exception of those prissy Honda owners who are too wimpy to do so.

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