Posted: Apr 9th, '06, 19:57
Well Dave, you are not likely to see too many others, there's only a half dozen or so production ones in existance I beleive ......
It strikes me that there is a lot of hot air over nothing here - I too read the original post and deemed it a rather generic slant, tarring all sports-bike riders with the same brush based on the latest of an obvious serious of incidents involving our haples hero. There again, if one's motor bicycling skills are so good, said hapless hero was no doubt making full use of his (no doubt superiorilly (sp
) placed) mirrors and thus able to (rightly or wrongly) move to one side and avoid the potential contact caused by aforesaid sports-bike riders ineptitude.
Following the near contact incident, the fact that you passed them is slightly irrelevant - they may have been having discourse on their correct route following the (one presumes) junction the traffic was cueing for. Our Voyager rider, knowing what direction he wished to follow, was thus able to make better progress at that point - just as you would have had they pulled over for fuel, a ciggy stop, or a cup of coffee....... You don't mention if they passed you (Mr FJS) again further down the road - one would assume that if they didn't, my first hypothesis could be correct
As for Ego boost, why do you ride (drive?) the vehicle that you do - is it because it represents an engineering pinacle? I doubt it. Is it because it is different, makes people look twice, has people pointing fingers? I bet whilst you may not want to admit it, there is (just a little) bit of that isn't there ?
When FF's were pushed most publicly (ad-infinitum by the likes of Malcolm Newell, the DiFazio's, Paul Blezard, Royce Creasey, etc.,) in the late 70's / early 80's they were up against bikes running 100/19 and 130/17 tyres on spindly little 36 or 38mm tele-hydraulic forks. Things have moved a long way since then - engineering skills have improved, as has production metalurgy, and thus quirky engineering backwaters such as the quasar/voyager are created... I've never had the privelge (
) of riding either Quasar or Voyager, but I did once have a go on a Foale Q2, and found it oddly disconcerting. I also happen to know of someone who has recently aquired one (as does Age if he keeps his eye's open 
).
Anyhooo, I digress, the point I was trying to make, Mr FJS, is that you had an unfortunate incident. We all do now and again. Last year a car hit mine so hard it pushed me 80' down the road even though I had my foot on the brake and the handbrake was on. Likewise I have unfortunately been the cause of accidents in the past. No one is blameless, but I do try to refrain from sterotyping those that impinge upon me. Not all teenagers are unintelectual, spotty, hoody-wearing ne'er-do-wells, not all BMW riders are beardy Sam Brown wearing pipe smokers, not all Sports-bike riders are inconsiderate.
Have a Nice Day - I have, whilst out riding my bike (not sure if it's still considered a sports-bike nowadays
) 
It strikes me that there is a lot of hot air over nothing here - I too read the original post and deemed it a rather generic slant, tarring all sports-bike riders with the same brush based on the latest of an obvious serious of incidents involving our haples hero. There again, if one's motor bicycling skills are so good, said hapless hero was no doubt making full use of his (no doubt superiorilly (sp
) placed) mirrors and thus able to (rightly or wrongly) move to one side and avoid the potential contact caused by aforesaid sports-bike riders ineptitude.Following the near contact incident, the fact that you passed them is slightly irrelevant - they may have been having discourse on their correct route following the (one presumes) junction the traffic was cueing for. Our Voyager rider, knowing what direction he wished to follow, was thus able to make better progress at that point - just as you would have had they pulled over for fuel, a ciggy stop, or a cup of coffee....... You don't mention if they passed you (Mr FJS) again further down the road - one would assume that if they didn't, my first hypothesis could be correct
As for Ego boost, why do you ride (drive?) the vehicle that you do - is it because it represents an engineering pinacle? I doubt it. Is it because it is different, makes people look twice, has people pointing fingers? I bet whilst you may not want to admit it, there is (just a little) bit of that isn't there ?
When FF's were pushed most publicly (ad-infinitum by the likes of Malcolm Newell, the DiFazio's, Paul Blezard, Royce Creasey, etc.,) in the late 70's / early 80's they were up against bikes running 100/19 and 130/17 tyres on spindly little 36 or 38mm tele-hydraulic forks. Things have moved a long way since then - engineering skills have improved, as has production metalurgy, and thus quirky engineering backwaters such as the quasar/voyager are created... I've never had the privelge (
) of riding either Quasar or Voyager, but I did once have a go on a Foale Q2, and found it oddly disconcerting. I also happen to know of someone who has recently aquired one (as does Age if he keeps his eye's open ). Anyhooo, I digress, the point I was trying to make, Mr FJS, is that you had an unfortunate incident. We all do now and again. Last year a car hit mine so hard it pushed me 80' down the road even though I had my foot on the brake and the handbrake was on. Likewise I have unfortunately been the cause of accidents in the past. No one is blameless, but I do try to refrain from sterotyping those that impinge upon me. Not all teenagers are unintelectual, spotty, hoody-wearing ne'er-do-wells, not all BMW riders are beardy Sam Brown wearing pipe smokers, not all Sports-bike riders are inconsiderate.
Have a Nice Day - I have, whilst out riding my bike (not sure if it's still considered a sports-bike nowadays
) 
