A happy birthday love-note filled with photos and behind-the-scenes goodness from my time with the fastest woman on earth, Jessi Combs.
Happy Birthday to Jessi Combs
Sport Bikes Are Amazing
Q. I’m through and through a chopper/cafe kind of guy, but isn’t riding a sportbike like opening your eyes for the first time? Power wheelies for days, the bike hangs tough no matter how hard you turn into corners, and they sound like a Formula 1 car, not to mention the top end that screams to 17,000 RPM.
A. Calling it an eye opener is spot on! I remember being pretty nervous when I was throwin’ a leg over the CBR 600RR (the first sport bike I rode).
As you can see in the photo above (observe the nervous laughter)… I was nervous enough I probably could have peed myself… Not pee-myself-scared, but pee-myself-EXCITED! The entire feeling is different in the face-down-ass-up kind of positioning the ergonomics put you in. But after say, a half block… I felt completely comfortable and amazed at the capabilities of the bike (not to mention the confidence I had in those capabilities) unlike many older bikes.
Especially because at the time I had never experienced a bike with good brakes, only decent drum brakes and half assed discs. Also they’re heavily reliant on front brake rather than rear brakes, which was different than the Maxim as well. It was like night and day. The Honda was seriously about 200 lbs lighter than my Maxim, too. The CBR is ~360lbs, Maxim is ~550 lbs of beastly metal, angry if you tip it more than 20 degrees to the left or right. Although I made it bend to my will, fighting my way through corners. I once had a friend tell me, “I can tell you wish you were riding a sport bike.” Chicken strips? Psha. Sport bikes are amazing.
Why I love sport bikes- let me count the ways!
I want to reiterate that I too am a vintage/classic gal. I actually remember making “ewww” sounds regarding the visuals of sport bikes that my friends loved so much. I will always like the look of old school classics to new cars, and I will always like the look of a zippy little 70’s CB or KZ more than a brand new sport bike. That being said, I’m not saying I wouldn’t rail the sport bike around the track or street, or that sport bikes don’t have their place in the motorcycling industry!
Once I’m able- I’ll be keeping a sweet sport bike and a classic cruiser in my garage. Okay, maybe not a cruiser… but you get the idea.
Posted on February 4, 2012 in Blog by Alicia Mariah Elfving