Stupid is as stupid does

Motorcycle riders often swap stories about stupid stunts pulled by drivers of "cagers" (cars), ranging from pulling out in front of oncoming traffic without looking to coming around a curve in the wrong lane to venturing into a lane occupied by a motorcycle and then acting pissed when you blast them with a horn.

Bike riders can be stupid too. A recent post about adding performance to my Sportster 1200 Low with Screaming Eagle upgrades brought a rash of commentary from street racers who claim they have "put down" bikes like mine in races from stoplight to stoplight or in speed chases on the open road.

I have nothing against racing -- on the race track. I've competed in SCCA racing, winning a national class championship. I've driven ARCA stock cars at 190 plus at Daytona and competed in both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

But I don't race on the streets. Anyone who does is, in my opinion, an idiot. I've lost count of the times that I've been cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway at the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour and had a Ninja or similar bike blast by me in a no-passing zone.  The other day, I was running at 55 miles per hour on U.S. 221 near Bent Mountain the other day when a nutcase on a BMW bike flew by running at least 90.

I served as chief steward of the Drivers' Education Program for the Potomac Region Porsche Club for a number of years and oversaw the drivers who honed their high-speed driving skills at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. On the way back from the track one Sunday afternoon, I saw one of our club members driving at high speed and in a reckless manner on the Dulles Toll Road in Northern Virginia. I picked up my cell phone and called the State Police. They nailed him for running 115 miles per hour on Interstate 66 a few minutes later. He lost his license. He deserved to. Anyone who drives like a manac on a public road puts not only themselves but others at risk.

I'm not impressed by speed demons who brag about running 100 mph plus on the Blue Ridge Parkway or even an empty Interstate at 4 in the morning. Stupidity is not limited to those who driver cagers.