Ducati Monster Forum

So since I put the bike in the ditch, I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong. I think I've come to the conclusion that I've developed too much confidence and feel that every corner needs to be approached aggressively. This is not a smart way to think especially where I ride. Most of the driveways are gravel, and it finds it way on to the street. Making the curves some what of a death trap. Now, I have little confidence and that is also dangerous. Maybe this is just a time issue. Or maybe I still have not grown up enough. (41, it better happen soon.)

It happens to a lot of people.  How long have you been riding (time, miles)?  Have you ridden at the track?

How long have you been riding? There's a big peak in the instances of riders having accidents when they first start, and around the 2 year mark. At that two year mark, folks hit a level of confidence and pick up speed, but don't have the long ingrained skills to protect them as well as someone with more miles under their tires. Sounds a bit like you just became part of that statistic.

As far as your current lack of confidence - that's really really natural. Something scary just happened to you, it's normal to be gun shy about that activity. But now, it's up to you. Do you let the fear rule you? Or do you embrace it and use it as a learning experience?

Sounds like you're on the road to the latter. You've already deiced that it was your over confidence that was the root cause - so why not use that introspection to help guide you. Get back out there, but reign the speed in a bit, take a bit more time and use that slower pace to work on your skills. A touch of extra time can let you really look over the road and plot a good line - as opposed to just rolling by gut feeling and reaction. By slowing up a bit, but working on your technique you'll find you're more relaxed and might soon realize you're faster than you were at the time of your accident, while still using safer lines and being a smoother more relaxed rider.

One random trick I use to help reenforce my skills is to talk to myself and narrate what I should be doing. 

Now would be a good time to study safe riding techniques.  My favorite is Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling, but I've also learned good things by reading Total Control and A Twist Of The Wrist II (don't bother with the first book).

Once my emphasis changed from trying to go faster to trying to avoid any "panic reactions" while riding, I got a bit faster anyway with much more confidence.  My goal is to ride with no need for unanticipated corrections, having picked the correct line and speed for all corners and having anticipated all potential hazards early enough to easily deal with them.  On rare occasions I'll still have to use the brakes in a corner, or have to do something to avoid an animal, gravel, or other vehicle, but those instances are rare now.

So go read Proficient Motorcycling and see if it helps.

Its not too much confidence, its just having too much blind faith.

 If you ride like you know every road is going to be clear of debris, your going to lose control of your bike eventually.

 If you ride like you know no cars are out there, your going to get hit by one.

 With that in mind, if you keep your speed down and keep your head fresh and ride defensively, you shouldnt have any issues. That means a taking a lap around the road to make sure there are no debris fields before you start picking up speed, or keeping the bike at a speed where you can safely deal with present dangers, and coming into a turn late so you can see the road before you commit to a line.

And overall just making good decisions on where you want your bike to end up.

I think you really need to hit up the track. Really i use to find places to ride and all that, then i went down in the twisties (twice) and it really hasnt been the same since then.

Then i started doing trackdays ( i already did 2 of them in 1 week :P) and i dont feel the need to go out there and try to go fast anymore, i'd ride twisties just to ride with buddies and hangout.

I bought my first bike (Virago 750) about 15 years ago and rode for about 2 years after financial issuse made me give it up. Then in 2000, I bought my first Monster rode for 4 years and was (in my opinion) a pretty good rider. Logged a total of +10000 miles between the two. Currently I ride an 08' which I purchased new in 3/08. I have 9k on this one. For the most part I'm a mature rider. I never wheelie and dont drop a knee in "all" the corners. Problem lies in the twistie's. Now as I enter turns, I have that "not sure" feeling and I've been catching my line out of wack as I'm most likely thinking too much before I enter the turn. This is not something that I'm going to give up, as I enjoy it way too much. I think I'm just going to have to get over that incident and relax. I do wish to get some track time and that is on my list of to do's.

Well, it definitely sounds like you've got pretty good experience and it's not typical newb overconfidence.

I think the track time would definitely do you good (a track school even better than a track day).   For many people (as for He Man), getting to ride 'all out' at the track helps keep you from feeling the need to do it on the street.

It will take time to get over any incident, don't force yourself too fast, just keeping it easy.

One thing that we often have a tendency to do or to teach is to expect to work on too many things at once.  Our brains can't really process it.  Instead, work on one thing at a time.  If you want to work on lines, just go really slowly (so that speed is not an issue), don't worry about body positioning, just focus on lines.  When you want to work on body positioning, don't worry about the lines.  And so on.  Your brain will eventually put it together but not when you try to do too much at once.

I agree that track time will help improve street confidence.  It might actually slow you down because you realize riding fast on the street is not that cool anymore!  But a good riding school will definitely improve your understanding of body position, lean angle, trail braking, line, etc. that will at the very least make you more competent, if not confident.

I don't know that confidence is your trouble, I think its more 'aggression'.

Knowing you can blow around a corner at high speed is confidence. Doing it in traffic is aggression. Keep your confidence, drop your aggression, and keep the rubber-side on the asphalt :)

Well said!!