I've got a sports car, don't hate me.

[pingvin]

Old thread, I know, but haven't noticed it till now.

It's strange how few sports cars there are in the alps. It should be the perfect place for Porsches, Ferraris, Evo's, WRX's, M3s and other fast cars...but there are very few. And when you see a Ferrari it's normally a white haired guy with a younger girl as passenger...and just following the traffic

(Of course that's the one place a bike always will have an advantage compared to any car, passing traffic.)

But still, where are they, the sports car drivers? Just showing off in the cities? Good then to see that there are some drivers using the roads as they are meant for . On the other hand, the fewer vehicles, the more space for me

[sjw]

Alps on R6 in July :

Pyrenees in September in new Exige:

[pingvin]

Alps on R6 in July

Furka east Nice bike. And car.

So the big question: What's most fun? If you had only 1 week in the alps, would you take the bike or the car?

[sjw]

Furka east ?

Nope, Klausenpass looking east

So the big question: What's most fun? If you had only 1 week in the alps, would you take the bike or the car?

Hhhmmmm, now that IS a difficult question.

Bike:
Most Fun overall
Ability to cut through traffic
Cheaper Sea crossing
More mpg (cant believe I wrote that)
Just me, my bike, the road, the views, a mate

Car:
Easier to live with
Roof if it rains
Luggage space (but not a lot in the Lotus)
Safer (slightly)
Easier to munch motorway miles if reqd
Bigger group to go with
Draws a bigger audience

I hope to do both every year, now Ive got more time on my hands.
2008:
Classic Le Mans (Exige) July
Alpine Tour (R6) June
Alpine Tour (Exige) September if SWMBO will let me go on 3 trips !

[pingvin]

Car:
Easier to live with . Yes, that's why I have a car for normal use
Roof if it rains. That's why I'm a fair weather rider
Luggage space (but not a lot in the Lotus). OK, good point. And you need less clothes as well.
Safer (slightly). OK, no discussion
Easier to munch motorway miles if reqd. That's why I take the ferry all the way to Germany and AutoZug all the way through Germany
Bigger group to go with. Well, we were 37 bikes on a 5-day trip in Norway this summer and 22 last year in the Alps. Pretty cool looking down the hairpins and see bikes everywhere down the hill.
Draws a bigger audience. To be honest, that's bottom of my priority. Though it must be said that it's nice getting comments on my bike

Next big question. The never ending discussion: What's fastes? What would you be fastest on over Klausen pass in ligh traffic (heavy traffic and the bike would win), your R6 or your Lotus?

[Mark]

Draws a bigger audience

This is important?
There are easier ways to go about that...

[BourneToRide]

Next big question. The never ending discussion: What's fastest?

A Honda XX chased by a ZX6R

[ludwig]

uphill : bike will win , because of acceleration out of hairpins .
downhill : car will win , because it can brake later and slide trough the hairpins .

[sjw]

Roof if it rains. That's why I'm a fair weather rider

I am also a fair weather biker, but my meterological skills are poor, and I ALWAYS get wet

Bigger group to go with. Well, we were 37 bikes on a 5-day trip in Norway this summer and 22 last year in the Alps. Pretty cool looking down the hairpins and see bikes everywhere down the hill.

I grant you that, but for me there is usually only two of us on a tour, and I doubt I could find hotel rooms for 22 without booking first

What's fastest? R6 or your Lotus?

You have not seen my riding abilities, for me the car is probably fastest

[pingvin]

You have not seen my riding abilities, for me the car is probably fastest

Someone said that it's a lot easier to get 90% out of a car than 90% out of a bike and I think that's very true. But the challenge of mastering the skill of riding a bike is an important part of biking for me

I'm pretty sure I would be faster with a really fast car, at least on a road I didn't know that well. But a car that good would cost 4 times what a fast bike costs.

BUT what makes the bike faster in the end is the ability to get passed traffic

[Motorcycle Pete]

It's strange how few sports cars there are in the alps. It should be the perfect place for Porsches, Ferraris, Evo's, WRX's, M3s and other fast cars...but there are very few.

You make a good point. On my first trip to Italy 5 years ago, I somehow expected to see a Ferrari on every city block.... and even on the Autobahn in Germany, I mostly see Porsches and the faster flavors of Mercedes (nice cars, but not exotica).

I, btw, having experimented now with sustained 200kph, am happy to "poke along" in the "slow" lane at 130-140 kph....when I see those headlights (often two vehicles, bumper to bumper) coming up on me at 230 kph plus...I defer to their insanity, and basically get out of the way (and pray they don't sneeze, coming past)!

I suspect the reality is that the number of true "exotic cars", in the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus sense, is exceedingly small....am I right? Most Italians drive something sensible like a Fiat! I don't mean this in a disparaging way, at all; just a bit of a "reality check" for those of us who fantasize about all the exotic sports cars out there!

Also, I'm sure that A) lots of folks/blokes who own exotic sports cars are busy, working at high-powered jobs, to pay for them and B) when they drive, they move exceedingly fast! As a result, much like wolves and roadrunners, they are hard to spot.....

(Super) bikes will always beat cars, off the line, in acceleration (ok, I mean "street legal" cars, Rocket, Jet, Funny cars excepted). A high end sports car, with proper suspension and tires, will pretty much always beat a bike in the corners (it's physics). That of course, does NOT imply they are having more fun!

Just my humble opinion, is all.....

We ride bikes because they are fun, right? I believe that's true, whether it's a Vespa or a Superbike....I presume the sports car drivers feel the same?

[Motorcycle Pete]

Furka east ?

Nope, Klausenpass looking east

Well written, sjw, and thanks for the tip- Klausenpass is now on my list!

[dom180]

Welcome.
Last Summer I was at the top of the Iseran (I think) and a blue Lotus Elise rolled up and stopped under the monument. He leapt out, snapped a photo of the car and signpost with his camera, leapt back in and roared off. Lasted about 15 seconds. I think he was collecting.

I have a blue Elise and I do this! I have two versions of Herman's Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps book. (The latest one is brilliant with maps/relief background and great pics).

So far I have bagged well over 100 of John's passes - but there are lots more to do.

[guzzirider]

I used to own a Series 1 Elise in mustard yellow and she was my main transport for 5 years.

I find biking abroad very much a social thing, where I enjoy riding with a group of friends and it just would not be the same for me if I went on 4 wheels, with a group of other cars- can't give a logical reason for that, its just the way it is.

Saying that, the Elise is a superb car, especially in stripped down form without any toys or silly air con- best fun on 4 wheels you can have. The guys at Lotus who designed it were bikers.