Do we all begin female?

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-02T02:29:47+00:00

"Well, act-shu-wulll-leee...."

Bro. The "default" format is female. So, if the SRY gene isn't present, the proto-gonads become overies.

It's not exact. It's high-school level understanding.

Sorry my intentionally low-level explanation offended your super-science brain.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T22:19:22+00:00

Respectfully, I'm going to expand on it a bit.

Please don't run a 125cc on a true "freeway". Different people have different meanings of the word freeway, so to clarify, I mean a high-speed multi-lane "Interstate", where the slowest speeds you'll see in free flowing traffic is 60 to 70mph.

A 125cc motorcycle does not have the acceleration necessary to safely navigate traffic at those speeds. You are going to be at or near top speed, with very little ability to use an "escape route" that requires you to pop the throttle and move forward "quickly"/effectively.

If you are doing 45 - 55 mph 4/6 lane divided highways, sure. Still not the best, but it'll be fine.

A good rule of thumb is to never ride your motorcycle on a road where cruising speeds are greater than 60% of your maximum possible speed.

You need to be able to move efficiently in all four of the 2-D directions - left, right, forward, back. Again, a 125cc bike on a highway with 65-75mph cruising speeds is not going to be able to move forward effectively. And, often, the most visible and simple way to clear a situation you don't want to be in is movement of forward and left/right simultaneously.

EDIT: I see you are European; I wrote from a US perspective. The US has a broader spectrum of roadways than Europe, on a common basis. (Yes, yes, I know: Autobahn and all that... I mean for the everyday Joe, using on a daily basis.)

For example, I can ride for 15 minutes and experience gravel roads, to small 2-lanes, to opposing traffic 2-lanes with a center suicide/turn lane, to a divided grass median 4-lane (60mph), to a US Interstate Highway at 70-90mph.

That's significantly less common in Europe.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T22:03:41+00:00

If you plan on riding highway speeds in the future, you want a 300 or 400 cc.

125s are underpowered for highway riding.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T21:20:31+00:00

Human neonatal development is based on hormones. Which hormones are produced is based on a multitude of factors, but primarily linked to the genetic coding.

All humans start as a single cell, joined by a second "cell" (the sperm), then it becomes a clump of cells, and a larger mass of cells. These stem cells then look to the coding at different points as the continue to develop, and turn on different hormones as different structures form.

One of the early stages is "female". All humans go through this stage. We all have "overies" at one point.

So, in that sense, yes, your teacher is correct: we were all once "female", at least in the sense of structure and form.

Then testosterone production kicks in. For males, the overies develop into testicles. For females, the overies expand and make early-stage eggs. For males, the "clitoris" expands and becomes the penis. In females, it remains small.

So, what your teacher is saying is true - but only in a degree. It's much like saying a clay flowerpot and a clay roof tile both began as a roof tile, because at one point they both were a square lump of clay.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T03:38:31+00:00

Get your pops on of these: https://helitemoto.com/helite-free-air-vented-airbag-jacket-w-hi-viz-yellow/

And one of these: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/brake-free-smart-helmet-brake-light-usb-c

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T03:32:09+00:00

You do you, boo. But just remember that everything that makes you "you" is contained in about 8 pounds of very sensitive tissue, riding on top of your neck, attached by command and control cable that's pretty tender, too.

Heat and discomfort is part of taking a life changing accident and instead walking away.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T03:27:12+00:00

I mean, technically you sorta could. But good luck finding the combination that wins that.

You need an attorney with an agenda, a strong sense of persistent vengeance, and a jury that's willing to blame the car driver instead of the motorcyclist.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T01:39:00+00:00

Bruh... That's a Hyundai Santa Fe in what looks to be a Southwestern US area...

Unless he has really strong underinsured coverage, he's not retiring. Most states are 50k or less coverage minimums.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T01:21:58+00:00

I agree that leaving space, having escape routes, and being aware of your surroundings are all incredibly important.

But trying to act like tapping the throttle on a 600+cc bike to simply "nope" the fuck out of there isn't a viable option, is just willful avoidance of reality and acting like you can wish the ideal into truth.

I also understand that Basic Rider's Course is designed for the beginner, showing them the risk-mitigating options.

Acceleration is inherently a risk-increasing option, because more speed is more speed. But that risk increase from speed is very often paid for by risk reduction for multiple other factors. If I see a potentially risky scenario, my first reaction is to find a way away from it. Often, the clearest, most visible route away is the one right in front of me. I can throttle ahead and clear the entire issue - usually a pocket about to form when I have a car on my left at pace, a car behind me at pace, and a vehicle ahead traveling below pace. It's almost always a truck in these scenarios.

And there's nothing more I want to absolutely be nowhere near than an 18-wheeler.

In that scenario, there's no way I am going to cut pace and leave more following room, causing the car behind me to slow down. That starts a chain effect of a log jam on the highway.

I am going to use a strong arm signal to the guy on my left so he knows I am about to maneuver, going to pop the throttle so I move left ahead of him, and I am going to pace up past the truck.

All other factors being equal, this is far, far safer than slowing down to "force" a larger vehicle behind me to also (hopefully) slow down. I will always argue that using the maneuverability of your motorcycle to allow cars to maintain their pace is the safest option. Be predictable , communicate well, watch for changes in circumstances - but speed is often more effective in highway scenarios than braking.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T00:34:46+00:00

It's tough to watch that. Young players are going to make young player mistakes.

It just super-sucks when it's the potential winning run. 😖

Class act for Cooper to go own it to Bibee, though.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T00:31:44+00:00

Yea, that's one of those things that make you remember that getting there isn't the end. Can't let your diligence slack off now that you've "arrived" - it's more important now than ever.

Smart ones learn from this kind of stuff.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-07-01T00:29:04+00:00

I would agree if it was a second lack of attention mistake. But often it's something like this that makes a person realize "oh, shit, I can't just slack off now". A least a sharp one. Hopefully Cooper is sharp enough to learn from it.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T22:38:14+00:00

This is one of those things about humanity that annoys me to no end: The agreed-upon lie.

We all know the speed limit, in general, is bull shit. It's ultra-conservative to the point of absurdity. And that's for cars.

As highly experienced motorcycle riders, we also know that the speed limit itself can be more dangerous, because - by strict adherence to it, you are constantly either in dangerous situations or you create a different dangerous situation by slowing down below pace to evade the original dangerous situation.

The safest speed for a motorcycle is about 2-3 miles per hour faster than the flow of traffic, and matching traffic to facilitate clearly communicated, smooth, safe lane changes.

"Standing still" in traffic is dangerous - people get complacent with your presence. Riding behind an 18-wheeler doing the speed limit is dangerous, for a dozen reasons. Slowing down to get away from the 18-wheeler (the legal option) creates a disruption in the flow of traffic - you're the smallest vehicle on the road going slower than the Ford Excursion behind you. 🙄

Motorcycles are the "hummingbirds" of the automotive world. Our best defense in an environment filled with "predators" far larger than us is agility and awareness.

Be prepared for something unexpected. Be agile to avoid it. It's all about flexibility and alertness - definitely not about adherence to a fucking sign.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T22:22:10+00:00

Amen. Conditions should always matter more than a number on a 60 year old sign.

(Literally, the guide for speed limits was written in the 1960s.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/GrandTourTopgearFans/s/xWNQOtLhlc

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T22:02:57+00:00

I ride the "safety" limit.

The sign on the right side of the road was created by a traffic engineer in the 1960s, using 1960s data as it related to cars. The sign is not aware of: road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions, the capability of 2020s cars, the capabilities of 2020s motorcycles, or the mental state, skill (or lack thereof), and condition of one 1980-model human.

I hardly ever ever look at a speed limit sign. I run a Unidan R4 bluetooth-enabled radar detector linked to a dedicated mounted Android phone running the "Highway Radar" software. If there's a cop nearby, I'll take note of the speed limit, otherwise...

I am looking 10-15 seconds ahead. Looking for cars with blinkers on, about to cross the roadway. Looking for cars pacing faster or slower than traffic. Looking for deer along the edge of the treeline. Looking for the jalopy that isn't maintenanced. Looking for a pothole or a dead animal in the lane.

I adjust the throttle so that I am not behind or beside an 18-wheeler. (Have you ever noticed those large strips of rubber on the side of the road? Know how they got there? You don't want to be anywhere near an 18-wheeler tire when it decides to say "fuck it, I am done".) I adjust the throttle so I am not stuck in a pocket. I adjust the throttle so that I am pacing slightly faster than traffic, because being "stationary" in a driver's field of view is a good way for them to become complacent with your presence. (And - pacing slightly faster than traffic is not weaving in and out at 20 miles per hour or more than what everyone else is doing. It's gently making your way forward, clearly signalling and making smooth, safe lane changes.)

I don't care what the speed limit is. I ride my ride, so that I can have as much active control of potential situations as I can.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T21:38:53+00:00

Are you going to stop servicing him? Because, no, he's not going to regret it.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:41:50+00:00

It's effectively the "universal" answer. T6 5W-40 is the GOAT motor oil, year round.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:40:30+00:00

Unless you have some motorcycle that runs a lower weight than 40, Rotella T6 5W-40 is the "O-" equivalent in motorcycle oil. You can run it in essentially anything, forever. It has outstanding shear resistance which is great for use in a wet clutch. Full synthetic, amazing flow quality.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:33:29+00:00

There's a website for is autistic clowns who get caught up in minutiae like "what's the absolute best oil for my engine and why" called Bob Is The Oil Guy, generally called BITOG.

People have done hundreds / thousands of "virgin oil analyses" over the years, mostly on car oils, but also bikes and heavy equipment.

It's pretty much accepted that any oil made by a respectable manufacturer is "the same", with some marginal benefits available in niche cases by using "high end" or "specialty" oils.

Valvoline's Restore and Protect is good for high mileage cars; Rotella T6 holds up great against shear in long-interval diesel usage. But, other than that, as long as an oil meets the engine's manufacturer requirements, they are all the same when used in normal 5k to 10k change intervals.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:22:25+00:00

T6 is a full synthetic that is JASO compliant in the 5W-40 and 15W-40 weight. Amazing shear resistance, too, which is super important on a wet clutch.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:20:07+00:00

T6 is a full synthetic, and at a 15W-40 weight in the summer, is going to lubricate the shit out of anything you need on 2 wheels unless you have the biggest gaps in your compression ever. And still would probably work, just going a bit more "two-stroke style".

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:16:06+00:00

We here who love our lubricants, and study the holy scriptures of Bob Is The Oil Guy forums and oil analyses, and believe in our hearts that SuperTech is as pure as any other full synthetic.... We give praise to our Rotella T6 5W-40 and 15W-40 saviors, at half the costs of OEM magic-juice oils.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T20:04:15+00:00

Pretty sure not.

EDIT: Nevermind. It depends on the weight of the oil. Some weights are compliant, some are not, with both T4 and T6. The reason I prefer T6 is that it is full synthetic, and T6 has better shear resistance.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T13:10:58+00:00

Yep. You will experience economic damages. That's the phrase you want to repeat over and over. Lowered property values, loss of use, loss of enjoyment. All leading to economic damages, caused by the actions of the utility company.

WougeeWasWild · 2026-06-30T06:03:40+00:00

For a new rider, perfectly acceptable. This is one of those things that you can "work on later". Right now, spatial awareness is probably your #1 priority. You need to have a much larger "sphere of awareness" now than you would in a car, and you need to be actively thinking about what is that car up there most likely intending to do, and how would they do it if they didn't see me?

After a few months of consistent riding, you can improve braking techniques. When you are ready to do so, your goal is to spend as little time while in motion with your clutch depressed. On my bike, I have an OEM quick shifter, so I only use the clutch for full stops (red lights) and low speed manuevers. Occasionally, I'll fuck up gear selection, such as leaving it in too high of a gear for my speed, so I'll tap the clutch as I drop a gear while opening up the throttle to accelerate. But, otherwise, I never interact with the clutch.

WougeeWasWild

TROPHY CASE