Post by 1quikvento on Sept 12, 2011 15:22:58 GMT -5
I am not one to race any vehicle on the street or provoke one anywhere besides the race track,But I found myself in the perfect opportunity that if I didnt try, it would mean a long and boring night.
Saturday night here in Myrtle Beach was a very calm, and very cool time to be out on the scooter. It was nearing 10:00pm and probably around 70-72 degrees outside. Market Commons is an area that was just built on an old air force base, where people go to shop around the 100+ retail stores,visit the movie theater, or eat at some of the nicest restaurants the area has to offer.
I usually drive thru at evenings because at any given time, you can catch the nicest cars roaming around. Not to mention all the local girls walking around with their shopping bags and pretty summer time skirts. And the way the out of town girls dress...well, you can tell they're from out of town. They dont mind the friendly cat-calls either.
On this particular evening though, the Common streets were filled with this menacing sound of what I thought was a crotch rocket gang. And I stopped for a cig, and noticed a black shadow flying by the adjacent buildings. Every time a street came up it would stop, then zip off again, not quite stopping for the stop signs.
At the exact same time I was about to properly extinguish my Marlboro Menthol, this guy on a black moped with wide open exhaust whizzes by me about a block down. I thought I saw him kick a leg out to keep his balance while taking the turn that was ahead, which I took as a signal that the way he was driving said he meant business. Whatever he was doing flying thru there, he caught my attention. By the time I stomped out my stogie, flipped the kill switch and headed down Farrow Parkway to catch up to him, he had already gotten to the 45mph section and was headed toward the final light before it crossed over Hwy. 17 and turned into 707.
I didnt give up. There wasnt any other vehicles on the road ahead of or behind me. I gave it a little more tuck and forged on full throttle. I came around the two bends before the light and there he was sitting at the light in the right lane. Now I had to make a decision. Should I stay in my lane and pull up behind him and just "caravan" along with him down 707? Or should I pull up next to him in the other lane and do what I see other bikers do.
Ive never been neck to neck with another scooter before. Especially at 10 pm with no one else in sight. It was kinda eerie actually because theres always people coming and going in that area. Besides a few cars north bound on 17, it was me and him.
So I pulled into the left lane right next to him.This is what was making all that noise?? I thought to myself. While I was looking over his rental scooter, he looks over at me and catches me. So I say the first thing that comes to my mind," Hey, is that thing a Hemi?" He laughs and said that since he bought it, he upgraded to a 80cc kit and did this, and did that, and blah blah blah, it might as well be a Hemi. Then he says" I used to have one of those leo da vinci pipes, but i get more power from this straight pipe I made". Hence the answer to my question earlier. And then his final words- " Wanna run em"?
I didnt say anything. I just smiled a little, put on my goggles, and revved it up at him. He acknowledged my agreement with his own bwahhh, bwahhh, blurb-b-b-b, blahhhh. LOL.
Now dont forget- this all goes down in a matter of minutes. The light we're waiting for cycles roughly every 4 1/2 minutes. He took up most of that gloating about his rental racer.
Light turns green and I got the better reaction time. We get to the other side of 17 to the beginning of 707 and my peripherals catch him gaining on me, but doesnt pass me. From 20 to 40 mph he goes from three lengths back, to two scooter lengths, to his front tire meeting my back tire. Then my power band kicks back in. I saw 40mph on my garmin turn to 45 and looked back. He was struggling. Looked down again. 48.5 mph. Had to jump into his lane cuz I was coming up on a car. In my rear view It looked like he might have been catching up and I looked at my garmin to see I was doing 52.5. The speed limit on that road was 40mph, and that was .5 mph faster than Ive ever gone. So I got a bit nervous and turned into the next developement and shut my scooter off.
What an adrenaline rush!! Its been awhile since Ive "let go" like that. I knew I was speeding, and I wanted to go faster. IT felt GOOD...Then my back started to cramp up like it sometimes does after a good adrenaline rush, and I lit a cig and saw a car turn in and come towards me.
Old guy poked his head out the window, and thanked me for a good show and said great job. He said he used to race his 80 something Honda Hobbit and I brought back some old memories of his. Good memories.
He drove off with a big smile and I scooted off back to the Commons to hang out wit my buddy and some girls. It turned out to be the best night of the summer.
Saturday night here in Myrtle Beach was a very calm, and very cool time to be out on the scooter. It was nearing 10:00pm and probably around 70-72 degrees outside. Market Commons is an area that was just built on an old air force base, where people go to shop around the 100+ retail stores,visit the movie theater, or eat at some of the nicest restaurants the area has to offer.
I usually drive thru at evenings because at any given time, you can catch the nicest cars roaming around. Not to mention all the local girls walking around with their shopping bags and pretty summer time skirts. And the way the out of town girls dress...well, you can tell they're from out of town. They dont mind the friendly cat-calls either.
On this particular evening though, the Common streets were filled with this menacing sound of what I thought was a crotch rocket gang. And I stopped for a cig, and noticed a black shadow flying by the adjacent buildings. Every time a street came up it would stop, then zip off again, not quite stopping for the stop signs.
At the exact same time I was about to properly extinguish my Marlboro Menthol, this guy on a black moped with wide open exhaust whizzes by me about a block down. I thought I saw him kick a leg out to keep his balance while taking the turn that was ahead, which I took as a signal that the way he was driving said he meant business. Whatever he was doing flying thru there, he caught my attention. By the time I stomped out my stogie, flipped the kill switch and headed down Farrow Parkway to catch up to him, he had already gotten to the 45mph section and was headed toward the final light before it crossed over Hwy. 17 and turned into 707.
I didnt give up. There wasnt any other vehicles on the road ahead of or behind me. I gave it a little more tuck and forged on full throttle. I came around the two bends before the light and there he was sitting at the light in the right lane. Now I had to make a decision. Should I stay in my lane and pull up behind him and just "caravan" along with him down 707? Or should I pull up next to him in the other lane and do what I see other bikers do.
Ive never been neck to neck with another scooter before. Especially at 10 pm with no one else in sight. It was kinda eerie actually because theres always people coming and going in that area. Besides a few cars north bound on 17, it was me and him.
So I pulled into the left lane right next to him.This is what was making all that noise?? I thought to myself. While I was looking over his rental scooter, he looks over at me and catches me. So I say the first thing that comes to my mind," Hey, is that thing a Hemi?" He laughs and said that since he bought it, he upgraded to a 80cc kit and did this, and did that, and blah blah blah, it might as well be a Hemi. Then he says" I used to have one of those leo da vinci pipes, but i get more power from this straight pipe I made". Hence the answer to my question earlier. And then his final words- " Wanna run em"?
I didnt say anything. I just smiled a little, put on my goggles, and revved it up at him. He acknowledged my agreement with his own bwahhh, bwahhh, blurb-b-b-b, blahhhh. LOL.
Now dont forget- this all goes down in a matter of minutes. The light we're waiting for cycles roughly every 4 1/2 minutes. He took up most of that gloating about his rental racer.
Light turns green and I got the better reaction time. We get to the other side of 17 to the beginning of 707 and my peripherals catch him gaining on me, but doesnt pass me. From 20 to 40 mph he goes from three lengths back, to two scooter lengths, to his front tire meeting my back tire. Then my power band kicks back in. I saw 40mph on my garmin turn to 45 and looked back. He was struggling. Looked down again. 48.5 mph. Had to jump into his lane cuz I was coming up on a car. In my rear view It looked like he might have been catching up and I looked at my garmin to see I was doing 52.5. The speed limit on that road was 40mph, and that was .5 mph faster than Ive ever gone. So I got a bit nervous and turned into the next developement and shut my scooter off.
What an adrenaline rush!! Its been awhile since Ive "let go" like that. I knew I was speeding, and I wanted to go faster. IT felt GOOD...Then my back started to cramp up like it sometimes does after a good adrenaline rush, and I lit a cig and saw a car turn in and come towards me.
Old guy poked his head out the window, and thanked me for a good show and said great job. He said he used to race his 80 something Honda Hobbit and I brought back some old memories of his. Good memories.
He drove off with a big smile and I scooted off back to the Commons to hang out wit my buddy and some girls. It turned out to be the best night of the summer.
Now that's a really great read. You have an excellent ability to weave a tale. 
As you described the race I was just picturing the 10 minute drag race scene like The Fast & The Furious... throttle twisting, pull of the slide, fuel atomozing, passing the reeds... until inevitably blue fire shoots from the silencer. 
Kickin' ass!
