Spectators. An anecdote: On Tuesday, a coworker, who has heard about my motorcycle exploits on a certain on-ramp, said "I'll be watching for you when you leave today." It was cold and raining, not a great day for riding, let alone any high-speed shenanegans, but I couldn't disappoint could I? I picked a good gap in the traffic, and put the spurs to my Daytona. I was pretty deep into 4th gear (way fast), before I started slowing for the merge. This is when the "fun" began... as I clamped down on the brakes, I felt the front tire start to slip, and when I reacted, the rear started sliding. I knew conditions were shitty, but with my cold tires on a wet ramp, it was like a bobsled track. I thought "I'll feel pretty fucking stupid if I chuck my bike into traffic..." The end of the ramp has a bend to it, but I still was carrying a lot of speed. I wasn't confident I could take the turn at speed, so I kept it upright and stayed heavy on the brakes, running out onto the shoulder before shedding enough speed. Just before the grass I leaned it over, spotted an opening in the traffic, and merged, breathing a well-deserved sigh of relief. The upside: my audience thought it looked pretty cool. Totally worth it. :-b