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car drivers trying to race with you...

13K views 133 replies 74 participants last post by  dookie99dookie  
#1 ·
Many times when I'm stopped at a light, the guy in the car beside me tries to race me on green. Though mostly I have no intention, I always launch off faster, not to prove anything but my bike just has a better acceleration than his sedan. But then when I'm nearing top gear he passes me doing over 65 or 70 and satisfying his ego. To be safe & not get a ticket I dont do over 60ish on 50 limit.

Just wondering if you guys come across such situations, & how you handle it?
 
#13 ·
Happened to me the other day with a 50ish year old guy in a SL500. He took off at one light, laughing since he "beat" me. He tried to get me to race me again at the second light but he was soon stuck behind a slower car. He then tailed me after it became a one lane through some curvy roads where I'm definately not comfortable going fast, (Its only been 3 weeks since my MSF).
I miss my temp tags on the bike, it seemed people gave me a little more distance, as if they assumed since the bike was new, I was new rider.
 
#22 ·
Happened to me the other day with a 50ish year old guy in a SL500. He took off at one light, laughing since he "beat" me. He tried to get me to race me again at the second light but he was soon stuck behind a slower car. He then tailed me after it became a one lane through some curvy roads where I'm definately not comfortable going fast, (Its only been 3 weeks since my MSF).
I miss my temp tags on the bike, it seemed people gave me a little more distance, as if they assumed since the bike was new, I was new rider.
Kudos to you for riding within your limits and not letting some asshat dictate how you ride. ride safe.
 
#15 ·
Happened to me the other day...

First light I accellerate as normal pass him up then he paces me.
Second light I accidentally miss shifting into second and pop a bunny hop.
Third light I say fugg it.
I get in full drag position - tucked with feet out on tips behind me revving to redline.
Light goes green and I just sit up and putt slowly at about 10mph as he ZOOMS off.

I got a kick out of it, dont know if he noticed or not that he made a fool of himself but it was funny to me.
 
#16 ·
interesting thing I have noticed is these are NOT the high schoolers or teens in modified cars/loud mufflers who are more likely to race.

These are your normal dudes, who wouldn't normally race. But just because they saw a motorcycle, they feel the need to prove they are good enough or something like that...
 
#29 ·
I actually get challenged by a lot of high school/college kids in fart can civics and things like that (live next to a college town, maybe that's why).

The funnier thing to me is that I keep getting challenged by pickup trucks. Not even those lowered, modified ones, just somebody's Ranger or F150 or Tundra or whatever. I won't usually race them unless I need to get away from them (kids seem to find it hilarious to swing into your lane right next to you if you won't race them), but WTH? You want to race me in your _truck_? Really?
 
#17 ·
I just ride normally. There have been a few situations where a person was really getting on my nerves (speeding up and slowing down, to the point that it made me uncomfortable) and in those cases I will do what I have to to keep away from them.

I imagine it frustrates people when they have to speed and weave and all I have to do is lane split at the next light.
 
#18 ·
Wow, interesting timing. I had this exact thing happen last night, and while I know it shouldn't, it still ticked me off.

I was at a stop light waiting to get onto the freeway on-ramp, next to me was a Ford GT. I don't race people, but I do accelerate fast from stops. He took that as a challenge and sped up, finally catching up and passing me right at the point where two lanes merge into one (at which point I had already reached highway speeds, so I wasn't accelerating anymore), almost cutting me off.

Woopie-freaking-do, you just beat the guy who didn't even know we were racing! Go high-five yourself. *******.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I've seen this from the other side. A year or two before I got my first motorcycle I was riding in my friends car. We had some sport bike next to us at a stop light, and when the light turned green we nailed it. My friend was getting excited, "omg, we're just as fast as that sport bike!", so he looks over at him...and then the biker looks over, realizes the car next to him is trying to race, and suddenly disappears in the distance.
 
#24 ·
finally catching up and passing me right at the point where two lanes merge into one (at which point I had already reached highway speeds, so I wasn't accelerating anymore), almost cutting me off.

Woopie-freaking-do, you just beat the guy who didn't even know we were racing! Go high-five yourself. *******.
That is how it is with me always. I always leave stops fast, in the car, or on the bike. I get a kick out of the people that give me the look when they finally catch up and pass me after I have stopped accelerating.
 
#21 ·
I carry a chain, road rash stylz yo.
 
#23 ·
Happened to me last year with a middle-aged man in his new Dodge Viper. I was stopped at a light with my visor up. He pulls over and starts revving his engine.

So I pull my visor back down as if preparing to race, but I knew I was going to take off normally. Light turns green and he takes off like a bat out of hell. I was trying to take off slowly, but too slow that I stalled it. LOL

By the time I got it started and going again, he was about 2 blocks down the street. :p
 
#25 ·
Meh, My approach.....Get them all fired up at the light, rev the engine, tuck down and stair at the light and back at them. Then when the light turns green take off so he is ahead of me a bit and let him get further ahead slowly but still staying at a decent pace. I get him a few car lengths in front of me and then race around. If there are any cops ahead he takes the heat from the laser, I slow down faster then he can. Blues go after him and I breeze right by.

I always love the the speed freaks on the highway. Just follow them a quarter mile behind at ninty.
 
#26 ·
it's ridiculous, and a waste of gas. Even most cruisers are faster than 80% of cars out there, and there are very few cars that come from the factory running low 12's, honestly.

I never really got challenged on the SV but it seems that every turbo civic thinks that because "FWD RULEZ THE HIGHWAYZ YO" their 6psi turbo swap is going to eat me alive from a 60mph roll.

Not worth going to jail for, given that I know how well the highway out near me is patrolled. ;)

Usually I watch them get on it and laugh as they slowly walk away while I maintain speed.
 
#27 ·
It is fun launching off of lights, I have an aggressive tendency to filter up to a light as well- but its really just a way I make sure that when traffic does start moving again, I'm not being tailed by a herd of cars, and ride in a big gap in traffic.

Though on the heavier roadways in Jacksonville, I do notice that some people try to keep up with me, but riding a bike that does low 9's in a spirited way make people try to hotdog me, but since I launch from the light until I hit the speed limit, I always get people that end up flying past me like I was racing but I just let them pass- If they're going faster than me, they're speeding.

I don't make eye contact with drivers next to me, I'm too busy fidgeting with my music or something, or checking traffic, or for girls.

A LEO pulled over a guy that tried to get fast and furious on me once (in a Chevy Tahoe!).
 
#28 ·
so save your trashing i know i shouldnt do this and i should ride safe and not do wheelies and all that crap so dont rag me but im just telling what i did hte other day. guy in his low twenties pulled up next to me in a trans am with his HOT girlfreind in the passenger seat. he revs so i pinged it off the rev limitor. when the light turned green i slowly left leaving him beat me to the next light. lifted my visor and he had his window down and i said dang that things quicker than i thought. i said ill try to get you this light and his response...NOT A CHANCE ILL KILL YOU..when the light turned green i got to twenty and pulled the front end up and rode it to 91 mph shifting through gears pullin on him the whole way like no other. he caught back up later while i was at the gas station getting gas and i said where were you i thought youd beat me i was taking it easy and he just put his head down tucked his tiny balls between his legs and went in the gas station. pretty funny and fun to me but oh well. i dont do it often though if hardlyever i know im faster so let them think theyre cool i know id kill them
 
#30 ·
Had a new Mustang (not sure what type) try to race me from about forty a couple of weeks ago. I was going the speed limit and I saw him coming up behind me somewhat quickly. He then proceeds to whip around me in an aggressive manner. As he gets about mid-door to me, I go ahead and roll on some throttle (not too much at all) and pretty much instantly catch up to his speed and start to pass. At this point I notice he is still accellerating, so I go ahead and open her up a little bit, which of course causes me to zip past him like he is standing still. As I start slowing down, I realise this dude is still trying to race me, even though his car might as well be an 86 Ford Fiesta, as it stands no chance. I give it some more gas and blow past him again, at which point we both start to slow down and he merges in the lane behind me. People who think their stock sport cars are fast always make me chuckle.