Frightened

I lost my confidence in handling corners these days. It's either braking too late or too early, or overspeeding the corner. My weight-shifting has also turned rather slow these days, I kinda lack the balls to do a fast bend... I lost the concentration in hitting the apex.

Perhaps something is bothering me, partially because of the foot pegs. The foot pegs are eating into the rubber due to the abrasion on the road floor, I will be dead if my dad finds out. But it is mainly matters of the heart that's bothering me. So I guess I won't be writing anymore new entries till I regain my confidence on the road. I'm beginning to feel that my bike is just a transport.

Thanks to those who have supported this blog... I'll be back.

Bittersweet Revenge

Event dated 16th July, 2004.
 
Was already running late to meet up with Shix and Weikang for dinner, but I always had this thing against 2B sportsbike (below200 cc, e.g Kawasaki KIPS, Honda CBR150RR, Repsol, Aprilia 125). Came my chance there was this Kawasaki KIPS, raving through the streets of Woodlands neighbourhood. Though not equivalent, inferior I would say, compared to other sportbikes of its class.
 
We both came to a halt at the junction of Woodlands Ave 1 and Ave 2. Infront of us, is a half-mile stretch of open and straight asphalt. The officially known most accident prone road, Woodlands Ave 2.
 
Green. I held my throttle, for I know true riders only unleash on the corners. A high-speed corner is available at end of the stretch leading into the expressway. Considerations of cornering abilities flashed through my mind like a MotoGP deja vu. I knew no phantom is outrunning a sports class in a corner.
 
Just as milliseconds passed, the KIPS roared past from the right. I was 10 metres away from the filter.
 
Brake or not... Brake or not... Brake or not... I saw lights flashed up.
 
Brake... NOT. I full-throttled towards the corner, knowing that I would have no chance of outrunning the KIPS if I braked like he did. My footpeg was grinding the floor at 110 around the corner, and it didn't take more than 3 seconds to tail the KIPS. I tilted to the outerline and overtook the KIPS. In a glimpse, the KIPS had alittle astonishment by the overtaking.
 
My revenge since the earlier days being outran by these bikes on the straight. Some say I should have gotten a sportsbike... But sportsbike just isn't my cup of tea, plus, they look damn off. They're all over the streets, especially owned by ah bengs. I hate stereotyping, and I hate being stereotyped.

I Lost

Dear readers, I'm not almighty and there are times that I DO LOSE. Or outran by fellow motorcyclists or drivers.

Events dated at least 8 months ago.

1. Kawasaki 150
I'm not exactly sure that model is, but the engine makes use of the Kawasaki Integrated Power System(KIPS)(?). Not sure of the definition. Anyway, yeah. It's quite a fast bike. I thought I could have outran it when I was travelling at 130+. I think the rider let it on purpose for me to overtake it, and overtook me from the back after it slowed down. Pretty impressive for a 150cc. I guess it had the same engine to that of a Kawasaki KIPS sports bike. It's not sold in Singapore i think, it was Malaysia registered.

2. Pan European
One of my favourite bikes, the Honda Pan European ST1100 touring bike. It has a pretty large frame. Also if i'm not wrong, a V4 DOHC engine, 1100cc. It was down from Thomson Road all the way reaching Marymount. Despite its heavy body, the rider was skilled enough to manoeuvre it in and out of the dense traffic. It didn't take long for him to shake me off its tails. I got no idea in the first place why I went after him... Haha. I just want to take more glances at my beloved bike.

3. Aprilia 125
Cut it short, BKE. I was chasing this Aprilia 125 from the back. When the rider began to sense my presence, it full-throttled and left me in smoke. I think the rider un-restricted the power valve... Thus unsealed the power band in higher rpms.

4. Nissan Cefiro
It was a downhiller from the BKE speed cam spot. Right after the Speed cam, the Cefiro flashed at me. Ofcourse being the normal me, I would step up the gas and throw the vehicle away. The Cefiro ofcourse managed to keep and tailgate me. I moved out to the slower lane and got back right on its ass after it overtook me. I flashed back at the Cefiro. The Cefiro pulled away... I think it was at least at 160.

5. Mercedes E200 Kompressor
All I can say about this car is, fast. It was at the exit from BKE Woodlands into Diary Farm Road. I exited the corner at 120 and went past the Mercs which was moving off from idling at green light. The mercs didn't take more than 15 secs to appear in my mirrors and stayed in it. And just as I was about to think if it runs, it overtook me and left me out of sights. Estimated at 180 when it left my sight. I don't mind having a Mercs next time... Haha.

That's all for now. I will put up more if I can think of or if I happen to be outran. : ) But I guess that's all at the moment.

Clutchless Shifting

Just to share something that I tried when racing the Scrambler today. It was clutchless shifting.

Initially I thought it would be efficient as it doesn't require pulling in of clutch thus no power loss occurs during the shift. But then I realised it was wrong. Clutchless shifting allows the time-possession by not pulling the clutch, but it wastes power due to the technique used.

Clutchless shifting is done when the engine is revved up high, and closing in the throttle in a split second to allow the rpm to drop and kick in the gear. But by dropping the throttle, engine-brake occurs, deceleration happens. Plus shifting by disengaging the clutch allows the rider to maintain the engine revolution, while shifting the gears, and putting the wheels back into transmission at the power band.

Plus, experienced riders can change gear by disengaging clutch fast enough not to incur time-loss.

Scrambling Fire

Event dated 15th July, 2004, 4pm.

It was a pretty tiring day, woke up early morning to get to Singapore Poly to finish up some project. Pretty low budget project though, so gave the client shit... Haha. It was about 4pm after Kobo and I finished some buns and drinks, I gave Kobo a ride home. Due to the long day I had, I just wanted a smooth ride thus I was riding very slow and safely. Plus, I was carrying a pillion.

Things were going fine till we reached the intersection where the fire station between the Bukit Timah Road and Bukit Batok Avenue resides. At green, this scrambler hard throttled and caused a big deal of noise pollution... Being slightly curious, I pushed the bike just to see how fast it went. The scrambler was held up by a U-turning vehicle on the dual lane, and there was an incoming vehicle to his left. I full throttled and rolled past the traffic from the edge of the left lane and left the scrambler behind me.

We came to a stop between cars at the T-junction of Bukit Timah Road and Hume Ave. The restlessness of the scrambler behind was making me irritated. I could hear vague explosions of throttling from behind me... No tiredness was pulling me away from the adrenaline rush.

Green light.

The race was inevitable.

But somehow the thought of carrying a pillion held me back from full-throttling the vehicle, I prayed for the Scrambler rider to not overtake me and provoke my inner-competitive senses.

"BAAAAAAAA!!!". Went the scrambler from my right. I wasn't surprised at the acceleration of a lighter-frame, close-ratio gear box. I down-shifted the gear and throttling the bike at its power band. Slowly I closed in on the scrambler, just as I guessed, the scrambler was taken off its top speed due to the close-ratio gearing. We both swerved into a slight bend before the junction exit at Hill View Ave. The scrambler was taking an inferior line, I was forced to push into the scrambler inorder to possess a wider angle. We were 10 cms apart. The scrambler lacked both balls and skills to outdo in the corner. I exited the bend at a much faster speed and threw the scrambler in my mirrors.

The stretch of road was intensively dense due to constructions on both sides of the road, we entered into a stretch of slow and heavy traffic. After a couple of meters, both of us were held up behind a cement-truck. But it didn't take long before I spotted an opportunity to cut out of the congestion. I raced through the construction safety barriers, swinging out of the two-laner at 130. I was losing sight of the scrambler in the mirrors. I outran the Scrambler in a construction area with a pillion.

After I went away from the main road turning into Bukit Panjang, the scrambler finally caught up and went seperate ways. I'm glad Kobo wasn't affected by the ride... :P

New Record

Nothing too big a deal actually, but I broke a personal record. It was at the 2 laner Dairy Farm Road(DF) at Bukit Timah road into BKE. I haven't been able to break the 90km/h barrier clearing the corner into the sliproad towards Woodlands BKE from DF. But I did it today.

Hardcore riders may think this is nothing, and with a bike like Super 4 is enough to do any 100s into a filter-like corner. But mine is a phantom... Kinda happy at this achievement... LoL. Sorry to the fellow riders if I made a big fuss out of it.

The weather is kinda good. I came down 130+ from the long stretch of usually mobile-cams infested DF Road. Upon reaching the split into the sliproad, I setup my position to the far right of the 2 lanes. Going left. At about 10m away from the turning-line, I heated up the brakes, the bike was slowed down to a 90. Braking-shifted the bike from the 6th to the 4th gear. Tilting the body in a fast maneouvere, crouching to allow better aerodynamics, knee down to act like a racer... It hasn't been so perfect for a long time. Little turning angle was wasted at the weight shift, as I see myself sliding across the apex of the curve, I knew it was the time for my right hand to do some work.

The throttle grip was twisted to the lock, ecstacy of the roar from engine at 4th gear was never felt before at this corner. At the exit of the corner, I saw my speedo hitting about 110. I knew I broke new grounds. The line taken was perfect, so was the weight shifting.

By the time I emerged from the slope, I was at about 120. Charging down at about 140. This is the first time I hit above 140 ever since the change of engine oil. Probably due to the wear of the oil. The weather felt really good today, there was little wind against me.

Cornering Frenzy

Event dated 7th July 2004.

Disclaimer please read the previous post. Screw it if you know.

Heard of the Nissan Skyline, GTR? Or the Nissan Sunny? I just saw a hybrid, the Nissan Sunnyline GTR35 V-Spec 3, LoL. You are a nutter if you believed the earlier sentence. The new Nissan Sunnyline GTR35 is basically a Sunny driven like a Skyline, obviously you can't do that. But I just met one who tried to push his Sunny in the corners like the skyline... Wahaha.

Those who have watched Initial-D knows how Takumi drives the 85 like the 86, but too bad the one I saw ain't no Takumi. It happened when I was going home, around the Marsiling area.

It was a familiar road in vicinity to the Causeway Point after my filter from Woodlands Ave 2 leading from the SLE. I could sense a blue Sunny beside me driving alittle too hard, from the way it moved and stopped. Doesn't look any pro to me due to the hard vibrations on the springs. Right after the intersection at the Woodlands Ave 3, the Sunny throttled hard down the slight gradient on the road. Just as the blue Sunny was about to pass the junction, a white Civic Type R slotted in from the filter. Just as I was about to wonder if the Sunny dared to overtake the Type R at the risk of provoking* it, the Sunny just swung out to the right and overtook it.

(*the word provoking is used here because, a Type R can outrun a Sunny anytime, anywhere, as long as the driver likes. i hope that is common sense)

The Type R seems to be a neutral lawful party, just stayed behind and allowed to be overtaken. At the moment when the Sunny revved past the Type R, curiosity spurred me... How fast can it turn? Not saying that he was fast on the straight, just a normal saloon. But he looks as if he's doing some GT championship, or... Need For Speed Underground, Reality version?

I churned the petrol and followed the Sunny. Coincidentally, the Sunny was taking the same route which I was supposed to go home. Looks like heaven is arranging an unofficial race for me. First corner coming up, a left at the junction. The Sunny took a really bad line, I knew it was going to screw up... it went in too fast. Think the Sunny driver's hands weren't moving fast enough as well, he took an understeer around the corner. I estimated a lane's space is enough for me to take a line that allows my bike to full throttle on the apex of the curve. I was right on the Sunny's tails. My exit speed was much faster than the Sunny, began to feel the Sunny slow.

The Sunny began to feel my presence on the straight road, he sped up. I managed to keep up because of his poor cornering. The next corner was coming up, another lefty as well. I realised he slowed down more than the previous corner he took, I guess he began to feel the limitations of both his driving and the car. This time the hands were fast, but if only it was a Skyline. The side Gs exceeded the suspension and tyre grip tolerance, the rear flung out abit and the tyres screeched in agony. I'm glad he didn't hit the divider. I kept some distance behind the Sunny, cause I knew the Sunny would screw up again. Taking an even better line this time, setting up for the line on the far right to the 2nd lane. Half throttling out at the apex, not a perfect curve, but manage to put the Sunny in my mirrors. More foot pegs wasted.

I suspect the driver had quite a scare, I hope he learnt. Not that he needs a Skyline or Silvia, but at least tune the stabs, and drive more. Look, my intention is not to show how good I am, I'm just curious how good he drives. Most drivers here are fast on the straights, but buang at the corners. Please drive safely, for you and your family.

London Cab Fucker

London cabs, you know? Taxis with big tops... What the hell. Taxi drivers are all bastards aren't they? I mean most... Before I go,

- DISCLAIMER -
All blog entries created in this blog are purely FICTIONAL and for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES only. Any resemblance, recognition or deja vu, is purely coincidental. If any content appears explicit to you, then close your eyes and shut off the damn browser.

Oh yeah, back to taxis... yeah even though my dad was once a taxi driver, yeah, taxi drivers are still bastards, mostly.

Event dated ... I can't remember. The day after I got my bike repaired.

Bad mood was clouding over me, the engine oil screwed up everything. I will stick to my Mobil ONE upon the next 2k km mileage. The C-----l 20W-50 4T SUCKS BIG TIME, the acceleration is worse than that of a tortoise... I can't believe this shit, and it's giving me stiff gear shifts. I feel damn sick of this stupid bike now.

Back from town on BKE towards woodlands, haven't had a good day since the service. Bad weather and traffic is adding on my agony, not to mention bad drivers. Of all times, this london cabby had to appear and spark off the fire inside me. I wonder if he had a problem with me or the traffic.

As I was aligning nearer to the lane divider while there was no signaling intention to change the lane(bikers have this habit of travelling aligned to the lane dividers as they will overtake between congested traffic anytime), I waited patiently behind this white car(think it was a Sunny or Lancer) to shift out as it signalled its intention to move out from the 1st lane left to the slower. As the white car shifts out from its lane, I budged the bike intending to move around and overtake it from its right. Just when I was about to move, this fucked up london cab behind me sped up and squeezed me from the tight space which was about half a lane, between me and the expressway railing. In the midst of the overtaking.

I was like... "what the fuck, that could have killed me!". Infuriated ofcourse, is he dying to speed or speeding to die?! What's the hurry man, it's not as he could be any faster than me in that congested traffic. Heated up, I rolled on the throttle and overtook the cabby and went right infront of the cabby, travelling in the middle of the lane. Just to make sure there's no more room for the cabby to overtake from either spaces. Out of my surprise, the cabby flashed at me, despite there were cars infront of me. I guess he was trying to tell me, "fuck off". I sort of get the hint. I jammed the brakes.

I think I gave the driver a little surprise, because I could see his light beams flickering up and down, its traction was pressing hard on the suspensions because of the immediate brakings... haha. Think he got pissed and started horning at me, they sounded more like mosquito buzzes though. I slowed down all the way from about 100km/h to about 60km/h on the 1st lane of the expressway, could feel the desperation of the damned london cab. Stretches of cars behind began to sound their horns in harmony... Think it was time to move off anyway.

Despite that the bike lost some engine power from the inferior lubrication, I still managed to pull away. I think the cab tried to catch up, but was held behind by the traffic.

-Morale of the Story-
Don't fuck around with bikers, they're small, that doesn't mean you have a hold over them. All road users should treat each other without discrimination, whether it being a pedesterian, cyclist, skateboards, motorcyclists, or whatever. It's only a matter of time where you get your desserts if you lay down your dirty tracks everywhere. Because there's always someone righteous and fiercer, if not, there's always TP(Traffic Police).