after my accident last year on my 695

[EvilSteve]

^^ Good advice. 

[the_Journeyman]

I fought the same battle.  After a high speed lowside in a left-hander, 3 years later I can rail a right hander but still park it in a left hander.  I finally figured out that as I entered a left hander, I would cut my eyes for just a split second and were I would land if I crashed again.  Once I broke myself of that habit, all was well and I could ride normally.  I'm still a bit slower in a left hander, but I'm improving my form correctly now ~

JM

[tangueroHondo]

I just wanna say, I'm lovin' this thread.  Thanks to all.

[NORCAL510]

get out in the dirt, ride an mx course or trails.  you learn a lot about riding in nasty conditions. and if you fall, it's usually not too bad as long as you're geared up.

[That Nice Guy Beck!]

ok so i tried to take this one corner today that always gets me, anyway i went in too fast instead of leaning and LOOKING ahead I looked at the corner/double yellow line and STABBED my front brake out of panic and skidded over the solid yellow, thank god no cars otherwise id be posting from hell. anyway I suck i need a track lesson, some days im great some days i suck big ones today i sucked a big one.

[ICON]

Here's my riding advice: do what you want.

I constantly re-evaluate my goals and reasons for riding.  There were periods where I raced, there were periods where I didn't ride in the street, and there were periods where I was doing trackdays only.  There even was a period where I didn't think I really wanted to ride ever again, but that didn't last long.

If you want to ride, you'll ride and the fear will eventually get less and go away.  What you cannot do is trick yourself into riding if it's not really what you want.  Be honest with yourself.  Maybe you need to take a break.

So there.  Know that you're not getting back on simply because you think that it's your only option.  Own your decision to ride or not to ride again.  Then go do whatever it is you want to do.

-R.

RST--- Well said.     When I crashed my friends (stock 620) I was pushing the hell out of the suspension and bottomed it out pretty bad. Took me some time to figure it out, BUT I forced myself to hit the Canyon the very next day. I was hurting physically, but I wanted to get back on that bike before the mental games set in. It was a good crash too. Messed up both my elbows, but I was sporting leathers. I remember feeling the way you do when I was riding my 996 and pulled into a gas station when the bike fell under me as I went over one of those metal plates they pump the gas in. I did not ride for a month after that. I had issues with my right turns after that experience.

Take your time, take a break if need be. RST said it well.  Glad your ok friend.

[mihama01]

A few things I have learnt about crashes. (This is personal stuff mostly, lot of it is obvious)

1) Don't crash. It really hurts and you never recover 100% if you break something. I still feel it every day on various parts of the body. Right arm, ankle, knee, ribs etc etc....

2) By the time you realise, "my God I am going to crash" it is too late, a large % of the time there is just nothing you can do. This is same as many things in life. Do not get yourself into that situation in the first place. Always think the worst case. What if there is a stationary car parked just over the brow of that blind crest? Should I be doing 110mph here?

3) Be aware when learning, there is a mismatch between ability and confidence, confidence always rises before ability. Therefore most dangerous time is about your second or third track day or the end of the day, riding with faster friends.

4) When that "my God I am going to crash"  feeling hits, concentrate on saving it. Look where it is clear not at the danger. You go where you look. i.e. look at the open space in front of the car not the car itself. This is especially difficult if your mate in front has just wiped out and is sliding on his arse down the road. You watch him thinking "thats gotta hurt" and pretty soon you are following him off the road. 

5) Be aware of your physical condition, for me this affects my mental ability when riding fast. You can ride fast when tired, but you may not be able to get out of a "situation" successfully

6) Be aware in a "situation" of the balance of physical laws against your mindset. So may people think they will crash, so they do when in reality they just manufactured the whole incident in their heads. Another rider may just calmy ride through the situation.

7) When you turn off your conscious brain, you ride instinctively. You have two options, make sure your instinctive riding is correct, or never turn off.  (relates to 5 above)

Couple of examples for me, always looking over my shoulder when changing lanes, you just do it without thinking and has saved me on many Occasions. Or (4) above which I cannot do instinctively and have to make myself do.

8 ) Crashing on the road and racetrack are different. Covered in leather and crashing at high speed I felt like a balloon full of water being sloshed in all directions. Not physical scuffs just a lot of bending and rearrangement into unnatural positions. Crashing on the road in Jeans at slower speeds, lots of scraped off skin and friction burns. Neither is very nice.

Stay safe [moto]

[tangueroHondo]

2) .... Do not get yourself into that situation in the first place. Always think the worst case. What if there is a stationary car parked just over the brow of that blind crest? Should I be doing 110mph here?

+1

Sandy spot in the middle of the corner, pot holes, oil slicks, stationary cars parked over brows of blind crests; all part of the real world we drive in.  Gotta ride accordingly.  Takes some of the fun out of it, but that's how you live to ride another day.