Recently, there was a post on biketalk asking where all the good roads were. Apparently, this person was from eastern MA and couldn't find any roads which were weren't devoid of potholes, crazy cages and deviant traffic. I had responded that I knew of several in western MA, giving RT numbers, speeds, and my personal highlights traveling these places. I had posted that there is a time and a place for everything and that " Vance and Hines has no friends at 6:30 AM ". Over time, that statement has given rise to several thoughts which I hope to put to rest in this article.
What is personal responsibility? Is the RF900R rider which just out braked 4 autos into a steep downhill left with a blind exit being responsible? Is that same rider, out at 6:30 AM doing 96 MPH on a deserted back road being responsible? Is the Porsche 911SC driver doing 105MPH in the fast lane at rush hour on the pike being responsible? Is it anyone's damn business what any one of them do? I think that each probably has a thought that is most likely " you worry about you, I'll worry about me". Is this right? I don't think it is. One of the statements in the Sportriders of New England page is that it was started in order to provide an atmosphere in which you wouldn't become a highway statistic. While we can't guarantee that it won't happen, we are also relying on the fact that you will act responsibly while riding with the group. You are a person of free will, but you also live with others entitled to the same rights and freedoms. Without a little built-in checks and balance, nothing would be safe and it would be a free for all on the roadways.

The first rider on the RF900R is not acting responsible. He is not only endangering himself but also the cars he was passing plus the ones he possibly can't see because the exit is blind. He has nothing to gain from this stunt and only pushes the image of motorcycling that much farther down that chasm. Is the 911SC driver acting responsibly? Probably not. While on a good day highway speed on the pike is 75-80 MPH, his speed is a good 25-30 MPH faster than his surrounding traffic. This is a situation which only has the potential to get worse. In both these instances, both operators , although very capable on their respective machines, put the surrounding operators in jeopardy and for no good cause. No one gains from the inevitable fallout surrounding these two instances, which is undoubtedly played out every day on our freeways. Now, how about the RF900R running at a good pace at 6:30AM in the middle of nowhere? Is he being responsible? Yes or no?

He isn't and he is. First of all, he is probably throwing most of the DMV handbook out the window with this riding style. Almost every vehicle law will probably be broken and he deserves what he gets, right? Technically, this is correct. He should be following the rules of the road or, as I stated before, a free for all would ensue. However, he feels he is being responsible because he is riding a quiet bike ( the people will not be wakened by his jaunt ), the road is deserted of traffic and no one else will get hurt if something does happen. This rider feels that he has made a conscious effort to limit his and his fellow citizens impact upon his pending actions. If, while sliding the rear of the RF out of a slow corner the bike suddenly hooks up and launches him over the high side, neither him nor the machine will become a speed bump or projectile for a fellow motorist. He has accepted responsibility for his actions and good, bad or indifferent he will have to live with the result for the rest of his life.

We have all had occasion to ride our bikes a little faster than normal on the street or possibly engage in a knock-down drag-out road race on a secluded mountain road. Most of us have probably seen or at least heard of the end result of some of these events. In most instances, the rider/driver did not pay attention to his surroundings. He or she did not take the time to say " I really want to test myself today but is this really the right place? " or " Am I really as good as my fellow riders? Do I want to take that chance? " These are questions which we MUST pose to ourselves.

Sportriders was started by Aaron and myself because of what we saw and experienced on the street and the potential of the Internet to meet others of similar viewpoint. Ken has brought with him a more mature perspective plus a similarity in thought. A responsible rider and a responsible driver can enjoy their respective mounts on the street every day, providing they do it in a place and at a time which the surroundings warrant . My name is Dave and I am a Sportrider, but I am also a responsible motorcyclist.

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