Of course the majority of us will agree. But there's always the exceptions. There's always someone who's gotta ride like a jackass, and do wheelies in a school zone, or split lanes and weave in and out of traffic. Because of people like this, our sport will always have a bad rap.
But these types of people are not limited only to sport bikes. How many times have you seen some asshole in a Subaru WRX driving like a crazy person, thinking he's cool cause his car has a turbo?
My point is, we can only do what's right for ourselves. We can only preach so much, because if someone is gonna be a squid, there's usually nothing you can do to stop them. It usually takes a life-threatening wreck to make them realize they are riding like an idiot. But, in the meantime, people like you and I, who ride with full gear all the time, respect the laws, and don't endanger other people, will still get a bad rap because unfortunately, we are grouped in with all other sport bike riders. And the idiots doing wheelies on public streets are more noticeable than those of us obeying the laws, so they tend to stick out in the minds of cagers, who then form an opinion about the sport on the whole.
I suggest a National Squid Intervention Day. On this day, I want everyone to confront that friend of yours who you know rides like an ass. Tell him that he's giving us all a bad rap, and that he's putting himself in harm's way. Tell him that you're only bringing it up because you care about him, and his safety, and that you really wish he would ride more responsibly.
I'm guessing you won't get more than a middle finger in your face, but if we can convert one Squid out of a thousand... that's one step closer to sport bikers having a better reputation.
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