UTMC

So, last night on my way home from a friend's house, I happened to "have" to speed up to get away from an erratic SUV driver who couldn't maintain a constant speed to save his life (big surprise, I know), when I exited 6th Ave west onto I-70. Generally speaking, people take this exit (safely traveled by any motorcycle at 65MPH) between 40-55MPH. Strangely, I followed a car easily cruising the overpass at 70. "Ooh!" I gingerly exclaimed in my helmet, "This aughtta be good!"

I catch up slightly and realize I'm following a new Nissan 350Z who, like me, is looking for the best lane to take transitioning onto C-470.



I follow, thinking, "Okay, time to get outta my way, cuz I love these turns!" Then I realize that he is not breaking but instead speeding up where I generally start cursing into my helmet as I see brake lights in the fast lane and I barely lean in for the first of the two sweepers. Zowie! He wants to play! Of course, being the toe-dragging speed monkey that I am, I sped up right along with him!



Before I know it, we're both cruising through the second turn at what I estimate being 85MPH (I know, Bandit12, that's not fast for you, but on concrete, with fully inflated tires, and in the dark, and I was not about to look at my speedo), a turn I can take on a good day in a normal riding position at 75. There I was, maintaining at a constant distance from the tail of the blue-halogen-headlit sportscar all the way through the turn and then some.

Some time down the road after we both mellowed for the straights, he slowed to let me pass. I gave him the thumbs up and smiled as I took a slight lead, though neither of us vying for position. As luck would have it, as we passed the Morrison Road exit, he, too, was headed up the canyon! He let me take the lead but followed at a safe distance. I took it easy going up the canyon (a pretty constant 70, for me) and either he took it really easy, or the Z doesn't do the tight turns as well. We ultimately caught up to a traffic cluster and had to slow for the last mile before my turn. As I signaled and pulled into my turn lane, he flashed his brights and I waved. Hmph! Cool!

I still wonder if he noticed that I'm a girl! (Wearing my bulky cordura First Gear and my tailbag strapped to the luggage bars - it's a little harder to tell!)

Sounds like fun! It's aways nice to come across someone that isn't an idiot but just enjoys a spirited ride/drive.

Didn't he notice your girlish swishes through the curves? Or your curves through the curves? Sorry that's probably sexist right?

I had a similar experience with a kid and his girlfriend in a hyper honda down in Salt River canyon in AZ. He was behind me as we hit the canyon and all I could hear all the way down and back up the other side were his tires as he tried to stay with me. I was totally in the zone and lost in riding it as smooth as I could. Even when I hit the 20mph hairpin with my boots scrappin' all I could hear was his tires squeeling trying to keep up. When I got to the top and pulled over to turn around he pulled over and jumped out with a worried ass look. "Hey man you ok? The bike didn't break or anything did it? I saw you pull over...didn't see any smoke or nuthin..Man what the hell is that thing..." My response..."Nope, going back the other way " His response "Fuck YA! My girl's got her camera, she wants to know if she can take pics if she can..." The hairpin at the bottom, is even faster when your going the other way...