Personal Expirience for Newbies

Let me add another law of sport riding to Chris's list.

Ride ahead of your motorcycle. Dont let your motorcycle ride ahead of you. When you get in over your head you have abandoned the helm and are letting the bike take the lead.

Not to be confused with "scanning" your environment, which is another good technique,
this technique can best be described as keeping your eyes far enough ahead to SEE, PROCESS and REACT to as much of THE TURN that is coming up as possible. (**NOT** the road surface 3 feet in front of your bike!!!)

An example of NOT doing this is "target fixation", as when you are heavy into a turn and suddenly you notice the turn is alot more sharp than you had initially expected, and lookout, a guard rail getting closer and closer.... The technique? Forget about that guard rail and LOOK to where you WANT to go. (around the turn).. you WILL go to what you look at. look at the guard rail and yer there.

This technique, when properly applied, will keep your mind and control well "ahead" of the bike as it flys through the twisties.. YOU are controlling the bike, the bike is not controlling you.

*****If you are hot into a corner, CANT see it, and DONT KNOW the particular road, you ARE setting yourself up for some very probable asphault surfing****

In my first few years of riding I had one pretty destructive accident and several CLOSE calls because of target fixation. I learned the hard way.

Anyone care to help explain this concept more feel free... It is a great one and it will undoubtedly save your hide one day if you ride hard.

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Fear Green.

[This message has been edited by GreenNinja (edited August 16, 2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tristan:
Hey, I've got some good advice- buy yourself a new 600, ride it for a few months, then wreck it (a low-side at 20-30 mph should do it). Voila! now you're ready for that 900+ sportbike you really wanted in the first place!
Sorry Brutha, I couldn't resist.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Seriously man, that hurt. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming there was no ill-intent there. The lack of smilies leads me to believe otherwise, but like I said, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

BTW: It was my third street bike and I didn't lowside, I highsided @40mph. Hell, I wish I had lowsided...might still have a ride.

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~Nick
2000 CBR600F4 -
Lost to the Blacktop God. 4,699 miles in under 3 mos. $8,300 worth of damage to my one and only baby. On the brighter side: Can you say 929rr???

[This message has been edited by CBR Brutha (edited August 16, 2000).]

WeLL everybody..i am pretty well a newbie to sportbike ridingmyself.. and have been riding almost everyday for the past three months.. im 21 and today was the first day i dropped my biike~!.. well.. dropped is about right.. i was turning around in the dirt at muholland hwy on latiago canyon rd..off kanaan dume.. and juss as i came to a stop, i went to grab the brake, and turn to talk to my freind. But i guess the bike was still a little cocked over and thass roight .. it went over at about a 1.5 mph.. i didnt' even fall over.. juss got right off the bike... it happened so fass i dint' even realize what happened.. anyways.. my point is you can lay a bike down anywhere, anytime, and its no fun.. i was lucky...not everybody is so fortunate.. so be careful and dress properly.. and juss for the records.. i was wearing a leather agv jacket and gloves.. wit some jeans on.. glad i didnt' have to use them today..


jos F

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Some day, i'll ride like all the famed riders of today.. for i will be the rider of tommorrow.. , cuz as of today.. i have only three months of riding everyday experience under my n*tS..

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Aril, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Spitfire:
That was just so beautiful...{a crying smilie would work here, but I don't know where to find one}

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here ya go!!



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Joe
1999 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, 4,100 miles, Vance and Hines Titanium slip on, synthetics, more to come soon!!!


1988 Mustang GT

Dave's tips for the week:

I'll second the one about look where you want to go. You see stories about motorcyclists (and cage drivers too) frequently embedding themselves in lamp-post etc. On corners these are few and far between. You generally have to be trying or real unlucky to hit one. If you fixate on it, you will hit it!

Respect wet roads.

Always leave yourself a way out. One day I came flying around a corner, only to find that just around the bend was a tractor going about 20kph (which is practically standing still), and an oncomming car. This situation almost ended in tears, but luck was with me, and I managed to avoid both, but lesson learned.

Watch out for those cage drivers. If they are slowing down, if they are driving slowly, its usually for a reason (like they are about to pull a U-turn infront of you (this one has happened to me - and it didn't look pretty, wrote off the bike and all, not to mention broke my arm).

Lastly: don't stop learning. That licence you hold in your hand does not say 'your motorcycle learning phase is over'. It's a licence to learn!

Keep the rubber side down guys!


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Dave
CBR600F3

Here's a couple for the newbs. Don't nail the throttle as soon as the light turns green. Wait a second,---- make sure the other cars are going to stop before you bolt out into the intersection. Be extra cautious through the intersection THEN (if conditions allow) Nail It..
An extra sec. or two could save your ass.
Also, when riding in traffic I try to position myself where I can see the person next to me's face in their side mirror, Then I can see them and they can see me. If I don't get eye contact from them, sometimes I will goose the throttle a bit and jump up beside them so they see me and then fall back into position. Don't EVER ride in another vehicles blind spot.

Another thing I have become very aware off recently is when you are approaching a stop light and for whatever reason there is only 2 cars in your lane and 15 (or whatever) in the lane next to you. Be very cautious when passing those cars because any one of them could bolt out all of the sudden with little or no warning in order to gain a more desirable position for the green light. (we've all done it)
If you get into the habit of doing these lttle things EVERYTIME, pretty soon it becomes second nature and you don't really even think about it anymore. You "Just Do It"

- DON'T FORGET...EVERYONE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU!-

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Dave FZR1

"Master....Master... where's the dreams that I've been after

Master...Master...You promised only lies

[This message has been edited by ratsalad (edited August 19, 2000).]