How long before you were comfortable riding on the highway? | GTAMotorcycle.com

How long before you were comfortable riding on the highway?

FemmeFatale

FemmeFatale

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So I am new rider and everytime I go out my confidence is building and I am getting more and more comfortable.

So to those of you who ride the highway, how long was it before you guys actually felt comfortable doing so??
 
FemmeFatale said:
So I am new rider and everytime I go out my confidence is building and I am getting more and more comfortable.

So to those of you who ride the highway, how long was it before you guys actually felt comfortable doing so??
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i felt more comfortable after my dvp smash compared to before. lol

i thought i was comfortable, until situations arise that you try your best to avoid.

as a general rule..... if you are ok at higher speeds (80-100), shifting smoothly, push steering and continuously looking around you....id say you are comfortable.

if you are still stalling at lights...... braking through turns....scared to go over the speed limit, nervous around other cars and fixated with what ever is ahead of you....id say you might not be ready.

some people it could be weeks....some people it could be years.

it is different for everyone. only you can know how you feel on the bike.

gradually get onto the hiway. even for 1 exit. at least you can get a feel for the speed adjustment and let your adrenaline kick in with out having to worry about switching lanes.
 
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Nobody can assess your comfort level but yourself.

I rode around with an M1 for about a month, so in that first month I felt comfortable to jump on the highway immediately after getting the M2. You need to be comfortable with your brakes and with your push steering... especially under stressful situations which require quick reactions.
 
I'd say a lot will depend on what you're riding. A 250 will be a little bit more jumpy on the highway than a heavier bike with wider tires I think.

I do ride a 250 my self. I started taking the highway at night in areas where there are good line of sight and light poles work so you have no problem with seeing what's ahead of you. Try that a could of time. Get the feel for the speed. And then just go from there.
 
FemmeFatale said:
So I am new rider and everytime I go out my confidence is building and I am getting more and more comfortable.

So to those of you who ride the highway, how long was it before you guys actually felt comfortable doing so??
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Mr.YamaSaki rode the highways the second day. He finds it safer than surface roads.
 
The day I got my licence. The highways are much safer than cities. Every intersection, where vehicles meet and/or cross eachother's paths from opposing directions with speed differentials, means a potential for death. At least on the highway, vehicles have more room, and the rider has a better field of vision without so much in his way. Offers more time to prepare for the next move.
I do my best not to city ride.

Anyone else suspect that Yamasaki is indeed the Yetti? Who else talks about themselves in 3rd person all the time?
 
omnivore said:
Anyone else suspect that Yamasaki is indeed the Yetti? Who else talks about themselves in 3rd person all the time?
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Yetti was killed in the tsunami this past year.

To OP- It took me officially 1 week. Once I dragged my first knee around the off ramp I was good to go. :p
 
It took me 2 months before I felt comfortable to ride on highway.
 
Mr.YamaSaki said:
Mr.YamaSaki rode the highways the second day. He finds it safer than surface roads.
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Except when there are tons of tar snakes, but yeah, generally I feel safer on the highway.
 
I went on as soon as I was legally able. I had no idea what I was doing (i had no previous driving experience) I didnt know what lane to be in, it was scary. But, you need to ride on the highway to get the feeling you're after. Its not really motorcycling going to stop light to stoplight in the city IMO. You need open road and lots of it.
 
Depends on the bike as well.
I'd been off riding for a decade plus and took a bit to get comfortable with the buffeting.
Moved to a bigger ride and helped.
Middle lane is usually safest and staying with traffic until you are comfortable and avoid rush hour - speeds and drivers are insane in some areas.

Generally slabs are easy riding when traffic is not heavy.

Cross winds and big trucks can shake you up.
 
Second week of riding I rode in the highway.. I was peer preassured but I find it easier than always stopping at stop lights. You'll learn quick!
 
Lonelyrider said:
It took me 2 months before I felt comfortable to ride on highway.
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yeah, that's about right for me too.

I don't know if this was wise or not, but to get comfortable, I deliberately went on the highway when there was lots of congestion. That kept the speeds down, and allowed me to get comfortable with the surroundings.

Alternatively, you can go during off-peak hours (ex. 427 North on a sunday night). I did this as well.
 
Bout 2 weeks for me. I just worked my way up to the speeds. Week one regular city streets, week 2 Bayview Extension, week 3 DVP, week 4 400 series. During week 4 I took a trip to Perth and back to initiate myself. The trip was hella fun and taught me more about my bike and handling it than all my saddle time prior.
 
its relatively straight forward (literally).. It will be at your discretion the amount of comfort and fear you can handle. I'm cool with highways but I'm always fearful of bad drivers and flying debris which is synonymous with highway riding.
 
I haven't done it yet and it's mostly intimidation. I've seen how people drive their cars on the highway, crazy. Too, I haven't gotten accustomed to the amount my Honda twin vibrates at speed.
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