Don't know about the rest of you out there butmy experience is thatif you get flagged down/stopped by The Man - be it a cop, ranger, property owner, whatever - it usually spells trouble. Which is why what happened to me yesterday was a happy surprise.

There is a new subdivision not two miles down the road from my house. All the site work was completed over a year ago, just in time for the real estate crash. Several hundred acres, large homesites and several miles of brand new roads, and the only thing going on out there is the construction of two model homes. In other words, a great place to get some seat time on asphalt while you get familiar with a new ride.

Was out there yesterday with a friend of mine, a newb in the truest sense of the word. Her first bike ever,new Yammy TW200, good ride for a beginner IMO, less than 100 miles on the clock. We came around a corner doing about 40 and here comes an early 80's F-150 with Bubba at the wheel. I mean a pure-D Florida Cracker, complete withStetson and gun rack. I recognized him as the maintenance man/property overseer from some earlier trips out there.

He waves me over to the truck and I pull up to find him on his cell, which he hangs up. Just know that I'mabout to get my marching orders, the lecture on private property (which it is as a gated community, even though the gates are open 9-5 7 days a week so people can check out lots, and the roads are not county maintained/owned). His first words to me are "glad to see you out here riding.... Could'veknocked me over with a feather. Turns out thatthere have been some kids on quads tear assing around on some peoples 200K homesites and all he wants from me is to impart some words of wisdom should I run into them when I'm ridingout there. Along the lines of "if they get caught they're going to jail". That was it, and have a nice day.

I can't ever remember someone stopping to tell me that not only was my presence tolerated but I'm welcome any time. More often it's the attitudelike the attitude of the State Park Ranger I'd seen earlier that day. Just wanted to ride around our local park. He took one look at the KLX and the first thing he told me was that I could onlyride it one the roads in the park. No duh, like I'm going to terrorize the hikers on the footpaths.

I think most people just don't know what to make of dual sport bikes. All they see is the dirt bike half and figure whoever is in the saddle is just out to make a nuisance of himself. Never occurs to them is could be some middle aged law abiding citizen just out for a fun ride. No doubt there are a few crazies in our ranks who give the rest of us a bad name...

 

I have been pulled over like 4 times because it was " a dirt bike on the street" then they see the lights... lol... but i have only been stopped by 1 property owner and he was furious... tried explaining we were lost and trying to find our way out, he wasnt hearing it, when he asked for my liscense i laughed and hit the starter and i was off.... Could have ended badly.

 

What's wrong with being a Cracker, complete with Stetson and gun rack?



WD

 

Sounds familiar. A long time ago I stumbled acrossa guy walking his dog who was angry at me for riding my old '84 KDX200 on public land. He had his say then when I tried to ride away he grabbed my handlebars which didn't succeed at stopping me. He then winged his soda can at me which hit the back shoulder of my chest protector as I was riding away. That can was almost full. I felt the mass of it as it connected with me. I was so pissed off at that point that I turned around and confronted him. I told him that I was gonna kill his dog. I wasn't serious of course, I was just pissed and belligerant.

That guy was a total ***** but I let him get to me. I paid taxes for that land the same as he did; and I'd been riding those trails since I got my Suzuki DS80 which was my first bike. I haven't been kicked out of many riding placesbut the few times I've been asked to leave, people have always been polite and ridiculously nice about it. This particular incident occured on property that didn't belong to this fool. I've never experienced anything like that before or since. Just goes to show that eventually you're gonna run into some real jerks out there.

Mike

 

Not a thing, Highlands county is full of 'em and they are good, solid folks with a healthy dose of common sense. Didn't mean for that to sound derogatory at all, was just looking to conjure up the appropriate image of someone who wouldn't stand for any B/S.

 

Out here where i live the Crackers, complete with Stetson and gun rack are the kewl ones? The Metro-Sexual types wearing birkenstock sandals drinking green tea on the trails are the ones that scare me?



admitted saltine,

WD

 

Any way to fix the'problem on this forum or should I just stop using contranctions?

M

 

In over 30 years of riding I haven't had too many problems.

But I remember a few years back, me and a mate were riding through the bush and came to a tee junction.
We opted to turn left.
Big mistake.
It turned out to be some ones driveway, and we ended up right next to his house.
The guy went off his trolley[:@]
I thought he was going to hit us for sure.
My friend Rob is a big lad who never takes a backward step so it would have been interesting if he did choose to fight.
But, the truth is, I would be pissed as well if some trail bikes were riding in my yard.[:@]

We stopped and talked it through as we had done this by mistake.
We didn't see his "huge" signs at the start of his driveway as we entered off a small trail half way along.
We shook hands and left it at that.

We now avoid that whole area as there a quite a few private houses and they don't need the grief.
There's plenty more land.
Fo now at least.

 

I haven't had too many problems. If a trail ends up at a house, I turn around fast and if it is "posted" I stay out.

 

I'm a Rock 'n' Roll Cracker ![:-]