Ducati Monster Forum

its nearly the beginning of the riding season; not just any, but my first, an i'm a little freaked out. i've been asking around an' there are differing opinions on the subject of "crash avoidance". some say you are going to go down...a lot; its inevitable. period. but there are about as many who claim they have never crashed and still others who say that if they did crash it was the result of some calculated risk, a foolish mistake, or circumstances beyond their control. i even had a dream where i had to avoid some hazard and nearly came to a complete stop...then tipped rite the f#@k over. forgot to put my feet down. something i've heard about, but never thought could really happen. in the the dream i thought "so this is how it happens". in my previous life i had a similar thought during a near fatal overdose.

so where does that leave me? obviously, i can't keep some idiot in a car doing something stupid. i can, however, do my best to spot them before they spot me, or don'tspot me, i should say. but what else can i do? i mean i am of course concerned for my own safety and well-being and all that, but i also like my bike. i've (perhaps foolishly some might suggest) done a few things to it already. ; a cf belly fairing; my exhaust is currently off to a JetHot coater; and thinking they look cool as hell and would help make me more visible and better able to communicate my intentions i added bar end signals and mirrors. that's just the start. crazy as it sounz, given the choice between some minor injury that i would eventually recover from and turning my signals and mirrors into expensive handlebar sliders i most certainly would take the former. but what can i do?

here's a few of ideas:

once i get the bike back and the weather begins to cooperate my intention is to find some large open areas of tarmac (closed businesses, schools, etc.) and just spend literally hours familiarizing myself with the controls; turning, stopping, and maneuvering (especially at low speed).

take plenty of early AM back-road rides like before traffic (watch for deer); not to push it or go fast, but to gain confidence in the machine and get comfortable turning at speed. altho the physics and logic of riding on the sides of the tires seem sound enuff, the whole concept is still messing with my head.

i also intend to plan my commute and ride times and routes so that i will have to deal with the minimum hassle cuz i can see how easy it could be to be distracted or get pressured into doing something stupid by some prick yelling or honking or whatever else. situation like that i'm just gonna try an keep a cool head and play my own game.


i am enrolled in the motorcycle safety course for early april.

well, that's as much as i've been able to come up with on my own. any advice, pointers, cautionary tails, or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

last year was my first year riding, i hadnt really planned on owning a bike and never even had a desire to. My o5 620 kind of just fell into my lap and knew i HAD to learn to ride it. I had never ridden a bike so I was a bit nervous. right away i got on and had no problem using the clutch and it felt pretty nice testing it out in my driveway. I decided not to take the course as I didnt really have any cash. I took a written test and passed it and they gave me 30 days to practice before the riding test. The following 30 days I rode everyday every chance i had. no parking lots or anything just streets and twisty and just rode. took the riding test and passed no problem. I never felt to afraid on the bike and just focused on my riding position, braking, throttle control, and mostly trying to get my cornering down on the back roads. obviously you have to always be aware of whats going on around you and be ready for anything but dont let it overwhelm you or your not thinking about getting any better as a rider. sorry for the long post...bike looks good btw.

in general, calming down, relaxing, and not thinking about crashing is one of the easiest ways to not crash imo

i'm basically in the same boat as you jc, its my second year riding, and what i found is that not worrying is the best way to go about it... which is not to say that you shouldnt always be aware of what's going on.

whenever i'm riding, i always tell myself that i should only be thinking of one thing... riding.  and at all times, staying relaxed on the bike.  arms not tensed up, legs and core doing most of the work of holding onto the bike, and always scanning ahead of me for any issues that might come up.  and anytime i find myself thinking of something other than riding, i give myself a mental headshake and refocus.

also... i avoided commuting on my bike till 6-8 months of solid riding passed.  commuting hours are the times when the roads are the most full of distracted drivers, and after a day of work, when i find myself to be the most fatigued and distracted.  i spent nights/weekends riding casually till i felt comfortable enough to deal with all the issues that come up during the commuting hours... and even now, i only do it on a irregular basis.  i would suggest that if you are this worried, you might want to hold off on it too.

either way, once you get a couple of more miles under your belt, i'm sure you'll relax just fine :)  and pay attention in the msf course, and reading a couple of good riding books wouldn't hurt either ;)

that being said i got my bike with just over 6k on it and now it has over 13k and i didnt get my bike till mid summer. a week after i got my license i went on a group ride here with a couple other members and founders. a bit intimidating to say the least! Looking forward to this season as now i have full gear and my bike is all modded up!

Being nervous and anxious as a new rider is natural.

It's not how you want to be when you are riding however.

One thing that I did that really helped me a lot is read the book by Keith Code " A Twist of the Wrist ."

He might even have 2 out , 1 and 2 .

He addresses  all aspects of the things that most all riders do wrong that 'cause crashes and what to do as far as how to ride , the skills of riding that will enhance your ability to be a better rider and avoid the most common reasons for crashing.

It's in fairly large type so it's fast reading and it's easy to understand.

As you put into practice what you have read you will gain confidence and with that comes an ease so that you will feel more comfortable on the bike.

Just remember...never let your focus be taken from the road in front and up to 1/8th mile in front of you...not for a second.

Losing your focus is one of the fastest ways to lose your bike and crash !

Best of luck and read that book.

Dolph     :)

Of course you're nervous - human nature.
That doesn't mean you're not going to be good.

Practice and pay attention.

[moto]

Step 1. Grab chopsticks

Step 2. Catch Flys

what everyone else said was good stuff too.

RULE #1 = RELAX...a tensed up rider is a danger to themself...whether it be yoga or finding your chi or getting a blowjob, do whatever it is you need to do to be relaxed before you get on the bike and maintain that whilst mounted and riding.

RULE #2 = Your thoughts are going to be a direct input to exactly what you are going to do. MSF and many other books and riding folks will tell you this. It is more exampled in your actions, and so if you think negative or of things that are "going" to happen, then more than likely they will. Be actively aware, but don't dwell on what might happen as you'll miss the opportunity of learn on how to avoid from keeping it from happening.

suggestion #1 - take those bar end mirrors and signals off for your 1st few months, because if you are afraid you are going to drop the bike, then you will and those will be crushed and it will annoy the shit out of you and cost you $$$. Put on a set of the old Mickey Mouse mirrors and some regular visable turn signals. They work, they are effective, and most of all, they are cheap and easy to put on or take off and generally out of the way of crash damage when low speed things occur.

No offense to Keith Code and his books, but some of his concepts are much more geared to someone that has the basic dynamics down and is aiming at various track riding techniques. I think AFTER you take the MSF course, you might want to read Total Control by Lee Parks and follow it by Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch. Everyone has there preference or teaching style when it comes to learning, and mine just didn't jibe with KC's TOTW books. YMMV of course.

From reading your post, it sounds like you are doing things the right way. Better to start out learning real slow than riding past your limitations imo. Besides you'll have the whole summer and the rest of your life to hone your skills. Last year was my first year as well and I too was very cautious and still am. Just take it easy but always stay focused when on the bike. The MSF will help for sure. I took the course to get my license and they start from the beginning and by the end of the course there was way more confidence. You will be just fine!! Great looking bike by the way!!  [thumbsup]

Regarding books...

For a rank beginner (we all were), I suggest "Proficient Motorcycling" by Hough;    lots of good solid advice on basic rider skills and behavior.  "Total Control" by Lee Parks;  covers a lot of what Code does but much clearer for a newbie and easier to digest.  Code's Twist of the wrist vol 2 is much better than vol 1 for street orientation, but I think best left until you have a few thousand miles under your helmet.

I started riding when I was 45 so I am learning all the things most of you learned when you were young and fearless.  One of the big things that was alluded to in the previous posts was thinking positively.  I coach an Olympic smallbore rifle program and one of the things I NEVER allow is negative talk about performance or techniques.

This may sound simplistic but instead of thinking "don't crash" think "be smooth and in control".   Also, every time I get on the bike, I think about something I am going to try to do better during my ride, whether it is shifting smoother, or looking through my turns better or something.  Visualize yourself performing your riding activities excellently over and over in your head before you ride and your subconscious will make the likelihood of good performance more likely.  

When you are out riding and things happen to make you scared or uncomfortable, (and it will), force yourself to think positively about what you want to happen.  Instead of thinking "O-Crap!"  think "Be Smooth", it will help your performance and break the downward mental spiral that can lead up to a failure.
I'll take my Tony Robbins hat off now.

^^^^^^^^^^  Good advice Warren!!!

as dolph says,

you have to maintain focus on your riding at hand.  that includes but it not limited to always scanning ahead and your mirrors and behind you using your mirros and such and knowing about your environment where you are.  that includes where other cars are everything, its a lot to do but you have to do it from the minute you are on the road.  one way to practive this awarness skill is to ride a bicycle on public roads, not hwys but roads with cars it teaches you to constantly be aware of everythgign around you, the skills in some ways cross over to motorcycle riding, not 100% but a lot of it is the same especially the road awareness part.

I learned late, as well (33). I ordered the bike before I took the MSF course, and knew that the course would tell me a LOT about if I could ride a motorcycle (with NO previous riding experience).

The class was great for technique, and just the how-to's... plus the seat time on a smaller bike made me realize I could do this.

When the bike arrived at the dealer, I had a friend ride it to my parents house. My idea was to store it there, and use the many miles of suburban neighborhood roads where they live be my training ground for the bike. The Monster was DRASTICALLY different from the little 125 training bike, so the first ride wasn't the best. But, after many miles on well groomed neighborhood roads with little to no cars, I got more and more comfortable. I went through all of the things I learned in the MSF class... shifting, braking, turning... plus I was able to practice hills.

First time in traffic was a little anxious again, but the practicing in neighborhoods helped me get through the anxiety pretty quickly.

First time in freeways was, again, anxious. But that too passed in quick order.

Take it easy until your MSF class, then just get some seat time in. You'll gain confidence with every mile you clock.

thanks all. keep it coming; i'm feeling betterer already. [thumbsup] most ppl i know who ride seem to have been practically born into it so it is nice to know others have started later in life as have i (i am 38).

i mentioned the c-word. i live and work in the suburbs and my "commute" is less than 15 mins in very light traffic (no freeways or inner city chaos). id like to read all those books but i cant afford them (anyone know how i can plug into the matrix and download a program for a 2001 M900?). seriously tho, if i read only 1, which should it be? i have, however, been cruizing the Riding Techniques thread.

did the bicycle thing too, in a nice little town called anoka where im pretty sure there exists a community of ppl who support a conspiracy to rid the streets of skate boarders and BMXers. of course they try to make it look like an accident. you learn to look thru things; scan fences, shrubbery, parked cars, or whatever, for movement behind.

alot of the advice sounds kinda zen. in a fun little read called The Life-Giving Sword, written by a contemporary of Musashi, there is a passage about seeing vs perception where the idea of chugan, or looking in stolen glances comes into play. "the dragonfly avoids the shrike by looking in stolen glances". look everywhere; do not let your mind be detained by any one thing, but see everything. that is going to be my mantra.

1nce i get my monster back and if winter ever ends, i'd like to hook up with some others in the MN metro to play a little follow the leader so i can just think about my riding rather than where the f im going.

ps: ur all pretty smart for a bunch of DMFers ;D thanx again 

I read twist of the wrist 2 after i got the basics down pretty well. I think it helped me with cornering more than anything, I also watched the video....don't recommend you watch it with anyone else around or you will be distracted by the uncomfortable feeling the two guys in it give you. worst acting ever not to mention all the homoerotic undertones.

i took up riding in my early 30s.  i found the MSF course went a long way towards making me relaxed with the whole thing.  you wouldn't think a handful of hours in the saddle over a weekend would make much difference, but when the class was over, i didn't want to give up the bike! 

i agree with what others have said regarding focus.  you can't let your mind wander at all, and you (should) develop a sort of mind-reading ability where you are able to anticipate moves that other drivers will make.  you take note of who's driving aggressively, who's driving slowly, who's texting, who's looking in their mirrors, etc. 

you're approaching it thoughtfully.  you'll do great  [thumbsup]

Quote from: jc.cyberdemon on March 03, 2011, 02:45:10 PM
I read twist of the wrist 2 after i got the basics down pretty well. I think it helped me with cornering more than anything, I also watched the video....don't recommend you watch it with anyone else around or you will be distracted by the uncomfortable feeling the two guys in it give you. worst acting ever not to mention all the homoerotic undertones.

unfortunate title, horrible acting, homoerotic undertones, uncomfortable feeling?  [thumbsup] sounz like every "movie for guys who like movies". can it be worse than that danny trejo/jean-claud van damme foot massage in desert heat?  [puke] seriously, it happened.

Quote from: Rawr01 on March 03, 2011, 03:44:32 PM
unfortunate title, horrible acting, homoerotic undertones, uncomfortable feeling?  [thumbsup] sounz like every "movie for guys who like movies". can it be worse than that danny trejo/jean-claud van damme foot massage in desert heat?  [puke] seriously, it happened.

i guess youd just have to watch it....

in terms of the books, i know that some libraries stock them...

i would take the list of books mentioned here (they are all known as the go to books for riding) and go to your local library and see if they can order them for you.  a lot of libraries have the ability to get requested books in if you're willing to wait for a bit ;)

Quote from: Rawr01 on March 03, 2011, 02:18:52 PM
seriously tho, if i read only 1, which should it be?  

"Proficient Motorcycling" by David Hough. It is the best street skills book out IMO.

Less than $20 new, and it looks like you can get used ones much cheaper.
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536 (http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536)

My 8th year (years do not matter, milage do), never went down and not planning to.  But I dress like I will ; so no t-shirt even if it's 45C outside.  I just try to relax and avoid jumping on the brakes.  But if you're not a little bit scare when you pull the bike out of your garage then you should grab your car.  It's normal.  Being cocky wont get you anywhere.  I did some track days and now I pratice mountain bike.  Helped me a lot.  Everybody can drive at 200km/h, but not everyone can stop properly.  Gear up and go practice your skills at a lone spot.


Have a nice season !!!  btw I know a LOT of 300k miles rider or so who never hit the ground ...  [coffee]

Quote from: zooom on March 03, 2011, 06:13:36 AM
RULE #1 = RELAX...a tensed up rider is a danger to themself...whether it be yoga or finding your chi or getting a blowjob, do whatever it is you need to do to be relaxed before you get on the bike and maintain that whilst mounted and riding.

RULE #2 = Your thoughts are going to be a direct input to exactly what you are going to do. MSF and many other books and riding folks will tell you this. It is more exampled in your actions, and so if you think negative or of things that are "going" to happen, then more than likely they will. Be actively aware, but don't dwell on what might happen as you'll miss the opportunity of learn on how to avoid from keeping it from happening.

suggestion #1 - take those bar end mirrors and signals off for your 1st few months, because if you are afraid you are going to drop the bike, then you will and those will be crushed and it will annoy the shit out of you and cost you $$$. Put on a set of the old Mickey Mouse mirrors and some regular visible turn signals. They work, they are effective, and most of all, they are cheap and easy to put on or take off and generally out of the way of crash damage when low speed things occur.

No offense to Keith Code and his books, but some of by Nick Ienatsch. Everyone has there preference or teaching style when it comes to learning, and mine just didn't jibe with KC's TOTW books. YMMV of course.

One of Keith Code's main topics for discussion which I found especially fundimental to avoiding one of the most common forms of crashing for all riders once they start riding out in the twisties is the issue of Target Fixation .

When a Rider goes into a corner may be too fast or feels uncomfortable about going through corners and looks at the area in the corner they fear most...which is then where they end up , since your bike most of the time goes where you are looking.

Keith talks about overcoming out natural responses which are most often wrong when we get into riding situatatios where as inexperienced riders we tend to " panic " instead of use the skills he teaches.

I think all new motorcycle riders would benefit from his wisdom , not just experienced ones .

Dolph      [moto]

  In My Opinion, go out, beg, borrow, or steal a small displacement enduro/duel sport bike, find a muddy grass field after a rain, and ride the dog snot out of it!!  take hard corners, slam on the brakes front and rear, FEEL IT!!. Fall down a few times, with good gear of course,and understand what happens when You input the commands. it is the only true way Anyone will ever understand the dynamics of riding a Motorcycle. Those of Us who were born on a bike have already been through this, and most of Us still learn every ride new ways to do things properly. the reading of books is a good thing, only after You understand what the bike is about, what it is telling You, and I read several every Spring to refresh My memory. By doing this You are teaching Yourself and saving time, money and bodily injury,it's cheap to replace levers and bars on a cheap bike, not so on the street, with other obstacles and such.Time is a great teacher, but not all of Us have it, so accelerate the process, safely of course. Good luck in Your learning process, and slow and smooth is the way to start...

Understanding target fixation and building skills to avoid it is pretty important and is something I work on constantly.  A simple drill I do when riding - I look for a spot or mark on the road ahead.  If you continue looking at the spot as you approach, you will almost always hit it.  Once I find the spot ahead, I force my vision on the path I need to avoid hitting the spot.  Its a simple drill that you can do all the time and it builds the habit to look where you want the bike to go, not at the obstacle you are trying to avoid.  It saved my bacon last year when I encountered some turkeys in the road while riding too fast - my eyes automatically when to the path between the birds instead of locking on one of them - I saw feathers go under each hand but I avoided the collision thanks to building that habit by that simple drill. 

Best advice I ever heard was avoid high-traffic times on the road and high traffic intersections until you are more familiar with your controls.

Newbs end up in accidents for a lot of reasons, but the one thing I've heard is that you forgot where the brake was or stalled the bike forgetting to clutch when braking etc.

You want to give yourself time for everything to become a subconscious act.  You need to be able to focus on the road without having to wonder which gear you're in.

Take it slow.

I agree about avoiding the high traffic situations until most of the physical functions of riding the bike are muscle memory instead of conscious action.  I still don't like riding in traffic.  I am fortunate here - when I go for my 50 mile spin in the evening, I may see 10 cars.  See more deer and turkeys than cars.

Here's my 2 cents worth:

It really seems like you're over thinking things and freaking yourself out. Don't listen to what others say about accidents. Just accept that (like anything you do for the first time) there's a magrin of risk involved. If you drop the bike, you drop the bike - so what - just pick it back up and get right back on it. Don't let pride or fear hinder riding. Riding can be quite a liberating expierence.

Be sure to do like others have said and relax. When you're ready to roll sitting on the bike and all geared up, take a big deep breath (with the visor open) and let all of your stresses go. It's good to be aware of other vehicles on the road, but try not to ride thinking that someone is targeting you!

One thing that I didn't see was if you had taken an MSF course? If not, you really should.

Also, you should check out Lee Parks Total Control course - it's worth every penny:

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=37078.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=37078.0)

[thumbsup]

Quote from: WarrenJ on March 04, 2011, 10:41:14 AM
I agree about avoiding the high traffic situations until most of the physical functions of riding the bike are muscle memory instead of conscious action.  I still don't like riding in traffic.  I am fortunate here - when I go for my 50 mile spin in the evening, I may see 10 cars.  See more deer and turkeys than cars.

Deer and turkey can be less predictable than cars.  Around me it's old ladies, soccer moms, 80 year old korean men and drunk rednecks in beat up F150s, so basically the bottom of the barrel in terms of driving ability.

Quote from: ducatiz on March 04, 2011, 11:20:02 AM
Deer and turkey can be less predictable than cars.  Around me it's old ladies, soccer moms, 80 year old korean men and drunk rednecks in beat up F150s, so basically the bottom of the barrel in terms of driving ability.

you forgot about the illegals with no insurance piled in to their Toyota pick-ups in a way that they can't see their mirrors or you...

Quote from: KRJ on March 03, 2011, 10:04:20 PM

  In My Opinion, go out, beg, borrow, or steal a small displacement enduro/duel sport bike, find a muddy grass field after a rain, and ride the dog snot out of it!!  take hard corners, slam on the brakes front and rear, FEEL IT!!. Fall down a few times, with good gear of course,and understand what happens when You input the commands. it is the only true way Anyone will ever understand the dynamics of riding a Motorcycle. Those of Us who were born on a bike have already been through this, and most of Us still learn every ride new ways to do things properly. the reading of books is a good thing, only after You understand what the bike is about, what it is telling You, and I read several every Spring to refresh My memory. By doing this You are teaching Yourself and saving time, money and bodily injury,it's cheap to replace levers and bars on a cheap bike, not so on the street, with other obstacles and such.Time is a great teacher, but not all of Us have it, so accelerate the process, safely of course. Good luck in Your learning process, and slow and smooth is the way to start...

Best advice right here! I grew up on dirtbikes riding on trails and muddy fields and laid it down plenty of times -- once you get used to that feeling of the bike sliding all over the place and how to control it in a safe environment, you can apply it to the street. Just ride like every driver is out to kill you and assume and prepare for cagers to make the wrong move and you'll be fine.

(http://motorcyclesmack.com/motorcycle-pix/u6/bikes/Motorcycle-Family-Car.jpg)

Quote from: Rawr01 on March 03, 2011, 02:18:52 PM
id like to read all those books but i cant afford them. seriously tho, if i read only 1, which should it be? i have, however, been cruizing the Riding Techniques thread.

This is a tough one ... most of the books carry much of the same information but are written and presented differently - the different styles will suit some more than others but it also depends on exactly what you are trying to gleen from them. Of the books that I have read, I tend to generally agree with the previous posts (but you will have to excuse my memory a little).

I don't see a problem with you reading up before you start riding ... but after some practical come back and read through it again. Your first read will give you the 'vibe' and your second read will allow you to properly understand and then develop.

'Proficient Motorcycling' is probably more street focussed and will help more with the crash avoidance you mentioned. However to me it seemed very wordy (it is a thick book) which made it a little harder to get through ... probably the reason I haven't got to his second book yet.

In terms of understanding the dynamics 'Total Control' and 'Sport Riding Techniques' are both excellent  - my pick of the books I have read. They are both easy to understand and convey a lot of information in a clear and concise way.

'Smooth Riding' was another book that was a little better and easy to follow. Though personally I didn't agree with a couple of things he was pushing pretty hard which turned me off a little.

'Twist of the Wrist' from memory seems even more track focussed, I thought 'Twist of the Wrist II' was better. But neither are particularly easy to read. To my simple mind the writing style is too complicated and a little confusing which saw me re-reading paragraphs to try and understand. The Superbike School though which teaches the book's theory is bloody good ... but expensive - to get full benefit though I would recommend a considerable amount of time on the bike first.

But you can tell you are a little more ... ummm ... 'mature' because you are still considering a book. The youngsters would already be sitting down watching the homoerotic DVD [laugh]

Good luck.

You can't be too aware when riding in traffic. It's automatic, idiots will scare the shit out of you.

Look thru the turns. You bike will follow your eyes.
I find it remarkable how well it works. And how often I catch myself admiring the curves twisting past my bike. Look up dammit!

busted my cherry today ;D

riding is a good word. its pretty much a passive activity. tell the bike what to do and it does it and ur going with. be careful what you tell it to do cuz it has no conscience or will or instinct for self presevation. it just goes.

controlling the bike is pretty intuitive. i wanted someone to tell me how to turn a bike and was incredibly frustrated that nobody could. now i get why. i just got done doing it. bunches. and i couldn't explain how with a gun to my head. i might say just lean or it comes naturally or something else equally vague.

as far as situational awareness goes, scanning and mirror checks are already second nature for me. i drove for MANY years without a license; accidents had far greater consequences for me than for a licensed driver. happily, those days are behind me now. good habits die hard tho; looking at cars, checking their speed (slowing or accelerating?), what lane are they in, etc.

i've always preferred to drive a manual over an auto ever since learning, so shifting and gear selection was also a non-issue. being as its sequential there's not a whole lot of opportunity for error. finding neutral was kinda iffy tho. i don't know if th@'s peculiar to this type of gearbox, or just something i will get used to.

what i did wrong: i keep leaving my signal on! in cars signals are automatic; not on bikes tho. the dumbest thing i did? stopped in gear. i was coasting to a green light for a right turn when it turned red. i knew i was suppose to do SOMEthing; so i squeezed the brake. oops. other than th@ everything went totally fine. turns out those dash lights actually ARE good for something!

the experience was incredible and this bike is amazing. definetly a very powerful machine and surprisingly easy to control. but then i have absolutely nothing to compare it to. my first bike has a 900cc motor, performance clutch, speedymoto springs, and a rilly rilly good tire, so i guess the bar has been set high. i just went out and banged around the neighborhood side streets and kept widening my circle, venturing further and further out. some busier streets, moderate traffic. i did get followed by a cop for a bit which was a little nerve racking. overall, it was a blast tho. seriously, a blast. i completely lost track of time; one of the two times out i'd ridden 30 miles in about an hour....i'm not even sure how.

a word about dummies. they are REAL and they really are trying to kill you. i had a guy almost swerve into my lane from my left. i cut right, down shifted, grabbed some throttle, and put a couple car lengths between us pretty much instantly, but you wanna know what he was looking at? my bike! he was literally looking directly AT my bike. all BS aside, it doesn't matter whether they see you or not, ppl just do goofy sh*t.

* i wore all my gear. full face helmet, armored jacket, boots and gloves. oh, and i will be taking the MSF course next week.

  Right on, like I said, Time is a teacher, Experiance cannot be explained. Riding season is coming soon,Ride Safe and enjoy, learning every minuite....

make sure you get some practice in on stopping and getting going on uphills... aka, the uphill stoplight.

first time it happened to me i stalled three times before i got it going...  i kept on trying to use my front brake instead of my rear.  they told me how to do it in my msf, but never understood how annoying it could be till it happened.

and in case you dont know, you have to hold your rear brake down to stay stopped on a uphill for a light.  it lets you free up your hands to get the throttle/clutch going.

I am coming on my third season of riding.  I had some very limited experience on dirt, and pssed my motorcylce test 10 years earlier after dubbing around on a Harley for 20 minutes right before hte test.

After one ride with a friend, i decided to buy an S2R 1000 from another friend, and took my first solo ride 120 miles from NH to Boston in 40 degree weather in jeans and fleece gloves.  Needless to say i learned a lot about aot of things (particulary shriveled nuts) on that 4 hour ordeal.

I also started commuting the next day.  Many woudl say this is stupid - but the one thing i had in great measure is respect for the bike, caution, humility and a total, borderline irrational fear of getting hit, falling, etc.

Looking back on 6,000 miles here are a couple observations from a new rider to a new rider:
1. RELAX.  you are not going to help anything by being tense.  you cannot hold a bike up by clenching the grips, straining your neck, or being tense.  This was the hardest thing for me to get over.
2. BE METHODOICAL.  Everything is going to be new to you.  Putting a blinker on.  hitting the brakes, merging, limited vision by a helmet, the noise, parking, smells etc.  The more you can get into a routine the better i think you are.  A little mistake in a car can result in a dent.  A little mistake on a motorcycle can be less fun.  I have done some stupid things when rushing, like forget to strap on my helmet, forget to put a foot down, etc.  Last summer I missed a shift at 90 mph. Little mistake that could have been baaad â€" pretty humbling.
3. Be ALERT 100% of the time.  No excuses, no drinking, no distractions.  when in doubt drive your car.
4. STOP WORRYING.  I got so worried about hitting a dog, getting hit, low-siding, high-siding, tank slappers, skidding etc., that I forget to just ride and have some fun.  The times I feel like I am riding safest and am most alert are usually when I am warm, relaxed and not worrying. 
5. DON'T GET OVERCONFIDENT.
6. HAVE FUN.

Also, the more you can read the better as many others have said. 

Hope this is helpful to you as a fellow new rider.

Tim

Quote from: WhiteStripe on March 31, 2011, 08:47:01 AM
3. Be ALERT 100% of the time.  No excuses, no drinking, no distractions.  when in doubt drive your car.

Might I suggest when in doubt ... find another mode of transport where you are not in control lest you become part of the problem.

Nobody needs another inattentive, distracted driver on the road [cheeky]

What if before you got your 1st car , people said " you know you with being a new driver , you will probably get in an accident ."

You would have similar thoughts and may be dreams of a an accident.

I have ridden Motorcycles off and on for over 45 years.

I've had 3 crashes in my 45 years of Motorcycle experience. ( all on a  '07 Ducati  S4Rs )

All in the past 4 years , mainly my fault.

I had never owned a Sportbike before.

I didn't know squat about riding skills for riding fast on curvy roads.

I have learned a WHOLE lot about riding fast on curvy, twisty roads here in the past 2 years.

The last crash I had was nothing to do with riding skills and more to do with a Dumbass hillbilly pickup truck driver and me not willing to play his game so I was as much at fault I guess as he was .

Anyway, back to to the new driver, new car scenario.

My question would be , " would you not drive a car for fear of getting in an accident  ? "

Your answer might be  " yes ."

I doubt that , I feel that reason and logic should tell you in both situations that YOU control most of what happens on the motorcycle as in a car.

If you just have a positive attitude believe in the fact that most people drive and ride safely each day and you , if you don't push the envelope of your skill level will do just fine.

We can't as you already know control what the other guy is going to do, but the most important thing that you must always remember is to keep your head in the game 100 % of the time you are on that bike seat.

No exceptions.

You are alike Radar Screen taking in all input your Eyes can gather.

You see what is in front of you and as far ahead of you as you can , your peripheral vision will take in what is going on to your sides , your ears will not be as important certainly as your eyes since you should be wearing earplugs to protect your hearing .

You will get used to them in no time.

You DON'T want to be sitting around and hearing a field full of chirping Crickets for not wearing hearing protection.

That's what it like to me for all the years I rode and DIDN'T wear earplugs. I wear them now ..and have for the last 4 years
Being paranoid about crashing is doing your Psyche more harm now then a tip over...besides, you may be one of the riders who never crashes.

If it gets too bad...buy a Harley with Crash Bars , most everyone I see riding them including me for years generally rode about the speed limit.

They don't call them " Cruisers " for nothing.

I feel you will be OK.

Truth be known, I'm having my own anxiety issues about riding this new season

I haven't ridden since mid November and here we are , already into April.

Alibeit , the weather has been cold and Snowy au until just yesterday but a lot of rain forecast in the long range forecast ..I don't ride in the rain ..if I cn

Dolph    [moto]

What I found helped was a bit of advice given to me by an experienced rider on another forum. When you feel anxious on the bike especially going through bends, on gravel, wet roads, and strong winds instead of death gripping the bars, death grip the tank with your thighs and let your arms and shoulders relax. Gripping the tank gives you that bit of confidence where you feel planted to the bike without locking your upper body up which needs to be relaxed. Here was his post =

"Crosswinds, wet roads and gravel are the two things that tend to spook most riders, inexperienced a little more than experienced.

Experienced riders always say to "Relax the upper body." or "Relax your grip on the bars." They are absolutely right.  But they usually don't say why and they almost never tell you how.

Why?

Whenever the bike is being moved around under us, we want to be in better contact with the bike so we don't lose it. The automatic tendency is to tense up and grip the bars harder. That's exactly the wrong thing to do. But why? Because the harder you grip the bars, the more steering inputs you make. So every movement of the bike that causes your upper body to move gets translated into a steering input. This exaggerates every movement of the bike into an even bigger move. If you keep it up, pretty soon you can set up a totally scary weave. All caused by your steering inputs as your upper body gets moved around, either by wind buffeting both your body and the bike or the natural tendency of a bike on gravel to try to "hunt".

How?

That's the important question. Turns out it's pretty easy. Just grip the tank really hard with your knees. If the bike is moving about pretty good, just try to put dents into the sides of the tank with your knees. (You can't, but try to anyway.) This will allow you to maintain good solid contact with the bike while relaxing your upper body and your grip on the bars. It also helps if you lean forward a little from your normal riding position. If you do this while gripping tight with your knees, relaxing your upper body and lightening your grip, you can relax and let the bike move around.

If you never develop this riding technique you will never get really comfortable with riding in buffeting crosswinds or on gravel. If you work on it you will start to trust it and get way more comfortable.

For those who wonder where I'm coming from, I started riding in 1965, back when if you wanted to go anywhere there was about a 50% chance you had to take some gravel roads on at least part of the trip. I taught the Canada Safety Council rider training course (kind of like the MSF course) for ten years.  I wish I had a buck for every student who came back to thank me for that single riding tip in helping them get confident and make their riding so much more pleasant in conditions that had them completely spooked.

So just remember, when the bike starts to move under you, squeeze with the knees, relax everything from the hips up and stop fighting the bike.

Now go find a nice gravel road or windy bridge to practice on until it becomes more instinctive than the death grip on the bars. "

Quote from: Rawr01 on March 30, 2011, 09:28:06 PM
i had a guy almost swerve into my lane from my left. ...... but you wanna know what he was looking at? my bike! he was literally looking directly AT my bike. 

this is a fine example why you look where you are going and you will make it there...in this case, it was someone else looking at you and went right at you....but in general, you look where you are going into a turn or forward and that is exactly where you will go...

Quote from: Twizted on April 04, 2011, 04:34:32 AM
What I found helped was a bit of advice given to me by an experienced rider on another forum. When you feel anxious on the bike especially going through bends, on gravel, wet roads, and strong winds instead of death gripping the bars, death grip the tank with your thighs and let your arms and shoulders relax. Gripping the tank gives you that bit of confidence where you feel planted to the bike without locking your upper body up which needs to be relaxed. 

I have heard and learned the exact same thing a long time ago and learned the trick of when I feel or think I am tense, to flap my elbows like a chicken....it shouldn't upset your bike at all when doing it whether you are going 15mph or 115mph if you are loose in the arms and holding the bike with your legs...

i'm officially not freaking out. i've ridden about 150 in the last.few days. my first day was, well i described it in an earlier post. the second day waz a little more exciting. took it out and got up to freeway speeds for the first time. tested the physics a little on a ramp. then had to do my first merge: choose a gap. there was one i could slow down for. another i had to speed.up for. some1 on my ass so i chose the latter. bang bang bang (70? 80? idk. eyes on the road), mirror check, head check, merge to the waaay left. light turned yellow and i thought of going thru it but i smelled [bacon]. mirror check, bang bang bang, 0. niiiice officer. now go away.
get to my friends house and i'm dripping some oil. okay, its coming of the filter so its not tooooo serious....
the rout i took home was slower, albeit curvier. not sure what my logic was there. thought slower speed would keep engine temp down er sumpin. duh, its air cooled. i noticed aLOT of smoke at stops, but the sight glass still showed oil so i kept on my way. noticed it step out on some curves which i attributed to sand, but noticed it a little squirrely in the straights too after shifts. hrmmmmm, ok, maybe some oil on the tire?
i make it home and pull. in the garage and its pissing oil. get off look around. the tire is covered in oil.

(http://i1030.photobucket.com/albums/y367/Rawr2001/2011-04-02213100.jpg)

so i pull the filter to have a look, completely smooshing it in the process so there goes the loose filter theory. fml. stranger still, the gasket lookt fine. i put it back on. huh, the gasket is lying there on the floor. thought that was on the filter? and oh, looky, its broken.... so off with the filter again. nope, gasket was still there. two gaskets, weird. somebody goofed and it wasn't me.

(http://i1030.photobucket.com/albums/y367/Rawr2001/2011-04-02213319.jpg)
the culprit

needles to say, some colorful emails were sent, with photos, and replies were promptly received. i then replaced the original filter, refilled the oil, and ran it on the stand for a few min then checked for leakage. there was none. cleaned up the tire and Amoral'd it and was back on my way... ;D jk. no Armorall.

then today the plan was to ride about 15 miles from my home to my folks house then follow my step dad to the shop in the city. it rained alot last nite and the humidity was high so the roads stayed wet. the first part of the trip i felt her slip a little. what i did? the best way to explain it is i continued doing whatever i was doing, i just did a little bit less. did.i mention it was 39°? thats fehrenheit. then comes part two. i cant go on freeways on account of i'm not fully licensed so we ended up going to the other extreme: narrow and curvey parkways with lotsa puddles, potholes, stop signs, and idiots comin rite atcha.... then all the sudden we're in downtown . more of the same plus stop lights and oneways and even worser idiots. i swear, ppl who gawk at bikes are even more dangerous than ppl who dont even see em. oh yeah, and all that stopping, starting, shifting, and signalling? my hands were painfully numb for most of this trip. so, that's my first 150 miles, in a nutshell.

none of these are complaints. i have learned alot in a short time and had many opportunities to put some of the advice i have gotten to good use. as far as the oil change snafu, it was a mistake and it was handled very professionally so if ur going to recommend i have someone's ass in a sling pls dont bother. nobody got hurt and if i would have layed it down on the way home likely only the bike would have been damaged which very well might have been to my great benefit. i digress.

WOW!  i am glad you are ok.  That coudl have sucked.
Have fun!!!!

 :o Looks like that could have ended up real nasty. Glad you didn't go down. What did the person who performed the oil change have to say for themselves?

i haven't spoke with that person and since i choose to continue my relationship with the shop i haven't requested their name. like i said, the situation was handled very professionally and if that is any indication i am pretty confident that he has been highly incentivised (i dont care if its not a real word) not to repeat that mistake. nuff said. i do understand that it was a serious situation, and i'm sure there are differing opinions on how i should have handled it, but i dont want it detract from the other stuff i posted about these past few days' experiences. any input, feedback or opinion on the rest of it?

Does your bike have an after market clutch slave cylinder? The one I installed on mine makes it so much easier on the hand in traffic. I think mine is an MPL brand one.

Quote from: Rawr01 on April 04, 2011, 02:29:29 PM
  i cant go on freeways on account of i'm not fully licensed

either your liscenced or your not...there is no partial....a learners permit is not a liscense...it is permission to be on a roadway WITH another liscenced rider...otherwise, you are an unliscenced rider..period!

Quote from: Rawr01 on April 04, 2011, 02:29:29 PM
  and all that stopping, starting, shifting, and signalling? my hands were painfully numb for most of this trip. 

you are leaning on your hands to a degree, I'll bet, which weights pressure and decreases bloodflow in various pressure points which increases numbness, unless you were just riding with it being so cold with gloves that weren't protective enough from the elements.

Quote from: zooom on April 05, 2011, 05:53:26 AM
either your liscenced or your not...there is no partial....a learners permit is not a liscense...it is permission to be on a roadway WITH another liscenced rider...otherwise, you are an unliscenced rider..period!

In our fair state, a learners permit gets you all privileges of a licensed rider except permission to carry a passenger. No escort required. And I'm not even in New Hampshire!

To OP, sounds like you have a fairly mature approach to the whole endeavor, good luck.
Be patient getting comfortable on longer rides, my old bones took a few months to get acclimated.

why are you picking on me?

Quote from: zooom on April 05, 2011, 05:53:26 AM
either your liscenced or your not...there is no partial....a learners permit is not a liscense...it is permission to be on a roadway WITH another liscenced rider...otherwise, you are an unliscenced rider..period!

you are leaning on your hands to a degree, I'll bet, which weights pressure and decreases bloodflow in various pressure points which increases numbness, unless you were just riding with it being so cold with gloves that weren't protective enough from the elements.

PERMIT: in minnesota a permit (yes, i know its called a permit. was just having fun with words) means you must wear a helmet, cannot carry passengers, ride more than 30 min after sunset, or on freeways. if there's light and stop signs you can ride on it regardless of the posted speed limit.

LEANING ON HANDS: if the discomfort was due to my body position or weight distribution it might have occured to me to adjust it. as stated in my post, it was 39 degrees and damp. the gloves i was wearing were an Alpinestars model called the Ventilator. if i had a choice i would have worn Gortex (which my boots are), but these are my only gloves.

as i said, i am not complaining, just posting my experiences for the benefit of others in my situation who may have shared some of my anxiety. the whole point i guess that i was trying to make is that i have logged my first miles as a new rider under less than ideal conditions and have been doing pretty f'n well IMHO. and been having a blast inspite of it.

Quote from: Twizted on April 05, 2011, 12:29:49 AM
Does your bike have an after market clutch slave cylinder? The one I installed on mine makes it so much easier on the hand in traffic. I think mine is an MPL brand one.

nope. not yet at least. definetly something to look into. also thinking of adjustable levers. and i gotta raise my shift lever a bit.

did you adjust your levers to fit your body position yet?  dunno if you have or havent yet, but its one thing that i had to find out about after my first couple of rides due to wrist pain after the rides.  sounds like your hands were numb due to the cold though, but making sure that your levers are far down enough to be in line with your fingers when they are fully extended will help out a lot.

Quote from: Rawr01 on April 05, 2011, 09:22:58 AM
why are you picking on me?

I am not picking on you....but you say things like this....

Quote from: Rawr01 on March 30, 2011, 09:28:06 PM
   i drove for MANY years without a license; accidents had far greater consequences for me than for a licensed driver. 

and

Quote from: Rawr01 on April 04, 2011, 02:29:29 PM
..... on account of i'm not fully licensed ...

NOW, I will admit, I was a bit harsh in my response basing on how my experience with how the DC/MD/VA laws are written in regards to a rider with a permit, because they are not allowed to ride solo...they can ride along side another fully liscensed rider, but in riding by themselves with only a permit, they are considered as straight up unliscensed riders...I did not realize Minnesota was different in that regard and for that I apologize...but when seeing a streak of repetative behavior that tends towards the less than legal, I tend to be a bit harsh in my response because it is guys around here that do similar things and often are the buttheads that bring a high profile of enforcement with the LEO's due to it and their actions surrounding those circumstances

yep, did all of that. levers are fine. honestly, i usually just hold the clutch in rather than bother with neutral while i am waiting for lights. if my hand gets tired i switch into neutral, but i've held the clutch thru some pretty long lights and it hasnt been an issue. body position not an issue either. i have clip-ons below the tripl, i'm only 155 lbs with lots of upper-body strength and my back hasnt been even a little sore, not even after my 2 hr chilly morning ride. i keep my elbows tucked in and on a plane withe my bars/grips, and sometimes i rest a little weight on the tank; in this position i feel i have the greatest control. as far as the death grip, my grip is such that i can manage the brake and throttle simultaneously. no vibration either. i have bar end signals and mirrors which seem to dampen any resonance. even at speed (80ish) there is no felt vibration and the image in the mirror is not the least bit IZ_. i havent had to adjust the mirrors yet either, if thats any indication.

the reason for my hands being "painfully numb" was they were just cold, that's all. not fatigue. i've made a snowball before so i so i know the difference. the solution is obvious: goretex gloves. maybe next season. rite now i'm just looking forward to the nicer weather and enjoying the bike. [moto]

Zooom:

i drove wo a license bc getting it back was prohibitively expensive and i was being a bonehead. but read between the lines: the potential consequences of even a parking lot fb that wasnt even my fault made me learn to be a better, safer, less aggressive and more defensive driver.

i am 100% legal now: license, full coverage insurance, and will have my mc endorsement on monday after completion of MSF course, which began last nite.

License or not, be careful and enjoy [thumbsup]

think you mixed me up with zooom ;)

and yeah, it's suggested to keep it in gear at all lights too... i rarely pop it into neutral.  they'll cover it in the msf course, but for me... i mentioned it in the "how many mirrors do you use" thread, i'm paranoid about a truck/car plowing into me from behind at a light.  about when i started riding, there were a rash of incidents like that... and that freaked the hell out of me.  look for some and there are videos of it happening

when it's in gear, you at least have a small chance of getting away if you're paying attention to your mirrors.

yep. i fixt it. kinda thought maybe he is a policeman? hey, i admitted to having broken the law. anyone can take issue with that. point is i dont do that anymore and i still have the skills and instincts i developed when i did.

and double yep. ppl rear-end cars all the frkn time. why not motorcycles? i got a pair of 50mm bar end blindsights (one aimed to my left side for the merge, the other covering my tail. my idea). i may upgrade to 1 or 2 lanesplitters which are much wider. i stand slightly when i do my shoulder/head checks too, but still can barely see my six. i track everything i pass, if i lose some one i look for them, at least til im confident they are really gone.

Quote from: Rawr01 on April 06, 2011, 08:02:05 AM
yep. i fixt it. kinda thought maybe he is a policeman? 

NOPE...not a cop.

Quote from: Rawr01 on April 06, 2011, 08:02:05 AM
and double yep. ppl rear-end cars all the frkn time. why not motorcycles? i got a pair of 50mm bar end blindsights (one aimed to my left side for the merge, the other covering my tail. my idea). i may upgrade to 1 or 2 lanesplitters which are much wider. i stand slightly when i do my shoulder/head checks too, but still can barely see my six. i track everything i pass, if i lose some one i look for them, at least til im confident they are really gone.

I offer a suggestion for some other piece of equipment to add to safeguard your six then....

http://www.bugeyes.com/ (http://www.bugeyes.com/)

Quote from: zooom on April 06, 2011, 01:16:29 PM

I offer a suggestion for some other piece of equipment to add to safeguard your six then....

http://www.bugeyes.com/ (http://www.bugeyes.com/)

those are cool... or maybe they're not. i can't decide. i got my mirrors set up pretty good now tho. if i look in my right mirror, which covers my right side and my six, then turn my head to my left and see nothing there, whatever i missed is directly dead center of my left mirror. i tested it during my rides tracking traffic behind me and havnt spotted anything that wasnt in the mirrors; still do head checks tho. its a process. like i said, may get myself a lanesplitter for the right side. we'll see.