OzSTOC
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Totgas on February 28, 2014, 10:10:48 PM
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I'm sure that nobody has calculated this and it's rather sad that I have.
I purchased an ex-police ST1100 4 years ago exactly, last week. Shortly after doing so I experienced what other riders on white ST's have experienced - which I like to call macro perception.
This is where a great number of the population take a cursory glance at the bike and mistakenly think the bike is still on active duty.
Apart from the waves from other police vehicles a great number of the general population move over to let me pass, give way when they don't need to and change their minds about changing lanes in front of me. Of course there are the ones that slow down to a ridiculous speed and hold you up, but as a general rule they are few and far between. The bulk of my fellow commuters fall into the first category.
I commute to work every day, about 50kms one way, along a fairly congested freeway in Brisbane. One particular impressive morning I counted 25 cars that moved over to let me pass. So this got me thinking; For the following month I teamed up with another rider who lives close to me and works in the same building as myself and we timed our rides to and from work each day. He rides a grey Yamaha TMD900.
Consistently I arrived at work or back home by at least 5 minutes sooner than him. The only day he beat me was the day I had a puncture. Now you might say that different riders ride at a different pace and I know I can push the bike hard at times, however there are also days when I ride along and smell the daisies, as it were. I don't believe I was competitive during that month which would have skewed the results and that wasn't the purpose of the exercise. And yes the traffic was particularly heavy that month which appears to be an ever increasing trend.
So now to the point of this post;
If I have saved 10 minutes each day by riding a white ST1100, then in the last four years I have saved 10 days of my life to spend on better things. Only thing is, that those 10 days have probably been spent riding my bike - but not in a sea of cars.
Ask yourself this - what value you would put on ten days of your life? o:)
A.
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I think what your experience shows applies to other white coloured bikes as well.
Years ago we had the CX500 Turbo which is a sort of creamy white colour and we had a similar experience (even riding two up) when we lived back in Adelaide. I suppose looking in a rear view mirror you could mistake it for a police bike if you weren't into bikes that much.
(http://www.imghostr.net/images/2019/04/24/9a1e83ec65ad4247eeb817f321bca38f.jpg)
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I have the same experience every day, even noticed that the radar gun wasnt pointed at me as well.
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Can only agree !
I've recently upgraded from a 1995 ex-police ST1100 to a new shiny blue 2000 model, see the post "the inspection".
In the many years I owned the white ST1100 I rarely had any of the usual type problems of cars making right hand turns in front, tailgating etc.
In the short period I've owned the blue ST1100 it is as though I've doned an invisibilty cloak and other road users are not able to/choose not to see me!
Really a strange feeling as from the saddle nothing appears to have changed and I now have to be right on the ball once more in ensuring that I'm going to get my fair share of the road.
Cheers,
Mal
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Another reason I have been thinking white is right.....but then again I dont yet have my STeed..... still hunting.
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Just the reason why "White is right".
Nice to have a bit of an edge. :wht11
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Maybe I should paint my :blu13 :grin
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Definitely not a Myth, I experience the same every time i ride my :wht11.
You get noticed more quickly and as alans1100 stated, 2up doesnt seem to change this.
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I concur, and they're faster as well!! :grin :wht13
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I concur, and they're faster as well!! :grin :wht13
What he said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wht11
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Yes White is right :wht13 :thumb
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I've been saying that for a long time. I love seeing the bonnet bob of cars coming out of an intersection as they think, "S#*+! That's a Cop bike!"
10 years of my life? Guess it'd have been spent taking a 10 minute longer ride home every day.
Oh, and if they're not faster, the Police speedo is more accurate so you know what speed you are actually doing.
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I love my :wht11 for all the reasons above .....
Twice now I have been waved through RBTs while vehicle in front and behind have been pulled in.... I wave, chuckle, and then carry on.
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Seems a lot of white noise in here :grin :grin
:slvr13
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Just because you're on the dark - or rather grey - side of the force Sicman
:wht11 RULES!!
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:blu13 :slvr13 :rd13 :13Candy :blk13-------------------------- :wht13 ha ha!
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Woops, sorry Shiney! :grin
:slvr13 :rd13 :13Candy :blk13 :blu13-------------------------- :wht13
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Woops, sorry Shiney! :grin
:slvr13 :rd13 :13Candy :blk13 :blu13-------------------------- :wht13
Much better :grin
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Woops, sorry Shiney! :grin
:slvr13 :rd13 :13Candy :blk13 :blu13-------------------------- :wht13 :wht11
Much better :grin
:like :like
Even better now .....
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Woops, sorry Shiney! :grin
:slvr13 :rd13 :13Candy :blk13 :wht13............ :blu13
Much better :grin
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Even better now .....
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Oh what a pity, seems you've been overtaken again....
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O'dear, there's one in every club! :cuss