Lightning SportBike Magazine

issue #54

TOP 5 FASTEST BIKES OF ALL TIME

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E N A E D N ER R D I U L F MBAECSOO S S E G A SUCC I N M ON www.LightningMagazine.coml

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In this issue....

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Mason Deane tell-all on how to become a pro rider.

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The top 10 fastest sport bikes of all time!

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Johnson & Wales open house information

BUY SELL TRADE Find your perfect car by looking from home.

Go online NOW to www.lowriders.com

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Tips on becoming

a successful rider Interview w/ experienced driver Mason Deane

Featured Motorcycle Deane is often seen sporting his custom gold and carbon plated 1996 Suzuki GSXR750 SRAD.

Today we will be ex-

ploring some of the most commonly, overlooked tips and questions for new & old riders alike in this weeks article. Mason has been riding for over 22 years now and is a certified MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) instructor. He loves riding fast as much as your neighborhood Harley rider with a varsity jacket, but he always remains safe and vigilant when on the road. I asked fellow instructors, Harley bikers, and first-year riders what they would like to see me ask him, & these are the key factors I have broken the answers down to.

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1. Why do you all wave to each other?

This question is heard from those who

would not even sit on a bike but is still questioned by even the most advanced of riders. We wave because it means we are watching for one another, if you have ever seen a motorcycle crash the first person to the rider will always be a fellow rider when apparent. Harley guys don’t wave to the green- vested businessman on his $20,000 BMW motorcycle, but they would be the first to pull over if they saw him lying on the ground. Bikers make a pact the day they first roll that throttle, you’re watching everyone else’s back too.

Bikers make a pact the day they first roll that throttle, you’re watching everyone else’s back too. - Mason Deane 2. How do I stop dumping (releasing) my clutch too fast and stalling my bike?

The clutch on most motorcycles is the on

the left-hand side of your handlebars and uses a swinging action to engage a gear when you shift. The clutch works like a deep breath, you take a sharp breath in (bring the clutch to your hand against handlebar), Hold it (Shift up or down as needed), release slowly and proceed (slowly let the clutch out of your hand while pulling the throttle back slowly), repeat as needed. It really is that simple and then your riding a bike, not stalling at every intersection like it’s a driver’s ed instruction with manual.

3. How to stop from falling over.

Easier said then done on this one, but it

really is quite simple. The bike uses kinetic force and physics to maintain a stable position when riding a bike. In Lehman’s terms, when your pulling the throttle back, the bike is designed to stay upright and continue going forward, not fall sideways.

The first drop we usually see is someone coming to a stop too quick and with their feet stuck straight down. Next time your rolling to the white line, squeeze your break in numerals of 20 until its fully back and only put your feet to the ground when you are at a slow crawl. Use your legs to brace the bike in your thigh and apply light pressure to your domaint foot, congrats, your holding that 800lb bike up.

4. Where do I look when riding?

When your cruising at 60 mph’s floating

above the ground about 6 inches with nothing else around you, don’t tell me your looking down at the pavement your going to taste. The secret to riding, is to ride with awareness, your observing every aspect of the world around you before it even hears your 2-1 exhaust screaming up their quiet street. You should see the dog in the yard about 4 houses ahead, the jogger waiting impatiently at the crosswalk 100 feet ahead, and you should absolutely know there is a blacked-out Dodge Durango hauling up your taillight right now. This sounds like a lot but think of it like when you played hide-and-seek as a kid, except your invisible and everyone is “it”.

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5. Where is the best place to ride fast?

A racetrack or a certified dragstrip, those are the two places you should really let that voice in the back your helmet tell you that you can be in Fast & the Furious. Anyone with a bike will tell you about that one time they had a straight-away on a 70 degree day at sunset with no one in-sight and they let it rip. That is true (it’s a lot of fun), but it’s also the fastest way to sit in the back of a squad car or lying back in a hospital gurney. Speed is for the professional’s and the guys in full leather suits with a death wish riding in the hills of California on Youtube.

Enjoy the ride and whatever makes you happy on your bike, but don’t risk the lives of others for your adrenaline rush.

6. I got my permit, put together my grandfather’s 1978 Honda cb750, and borrowed my friend’s bike helmet. I’m good to go, right?

Hell no! A lot of old riders are go ing to give a speech about the MSF courses, the importance of gear, and tell you the statistics of young riders who fall. All that must be asked is, are you good to go? Yes, a DOT certified helmet is as important as proper riding boots, but it is not nearly important as the mental state of the rider. Someone who jumps a mile when they just hit the ignition is not riding next to me on a group ride. The person with steady movements and confidence in their abilities is the one to right of me on I90, does not matter if they’re young or 6

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Riding truly is the secret friendship club we all say it’s not

- Mason

Deane

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old.

Now if your sitting back in your chair thinking, what the clutch is he talking about? Riding truly is the secret friendship club we all say it’s not, but it also depends on where you are. To shift like a pro, let out the clutch slowly like a spring-loaded hand strengthener and give the throttle maybe a little more love. Try not to put your feet down 2 seconds before your stop, & practice this while looking straight ahead but get used to keeping your head on a swivel when on the road. Please, enjoy the open road, but also be safe and as always Ride Lightning. www.LightningMagazine.coml

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5 Suzuki Hayabusa

4 Honda CBR 1100XX

The Hayabusa hasa top speed of 194 mph. Despite this being the slowest bike on the list it is not the cheapest and is $13,500 brand new.

The top speed of this bike is 194mph for the years 2012-present day. With a 1,137 cc liquid cooled 4-stroke engine. As a little less of a pricey bike the CBR goes for only $11,500.

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TOP 5

Fastest Sport Bikes of LIGHTNING

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1 Dodge tomahawk

With a top speed of 420mph the 2003-2006 Dodge Tomahawk has a 8.3 L V10 engine. The Tomahawk is also known as the supercar of bikes

2 Kawasaki Ninja H2R

The 2015-present Kawasaki Ninja’s offer a top speed of 249mph. This bike features a supercharged 998 cc inline-4 DOHC engine that was made for speed.

3 MTT Y2K Turbine Superbike

For the years 2000-2005 the top speed of this beast of a bike is 227mph. The engine features a RollsRoyce 250 C18 turboshaft. With this engine, it makes the bike a whopping $200,000 if you want it to be yours.

f all time

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Become a Wildcat!

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Take a student-led campus tour, sit in on an Admissions presentation and take part in program-specific breakout sessions. Then join us for our Wildcat Wrap-Up for a chance to meet with students, faculty, Admissions and other university personnel.

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