How long before you were comfortable riding on the highway? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

How long before you were comfortable riding on the highway?

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It took me a month to really get comfortable on highways - and even now I avoid the 400 series around the GTA - mainly cause the traffic.
It might help if you do your first highway ride with experienced riders that you know and trust. Let someone else lead and follow their example. If you can get a few people out with you you'll be more visible and maybe more comfortable. Just an idea
Good luck
 
I've been riding about 3 months and I've yet to ride on a 400 series highway. I've done 80 km/h rural highways and ridden along the 90 km/h sections of Highway 35, but frankly, my bike just isn't fast enough / geared high enough to go on the highway comfortably (I ride an old GS400). Even going 100 km/h, the engine is revving pretty fast, and it takes some concerted downshifting and throttle twisting to get to 110+, which is as fast as you should be going on the highway if you don't want to piss off the people behind you.

If I had a faster bike, I don't think it'd be a problem. But frankly, I'd only go on the highway for the sake of getting to more interesting roads that are farther away, so it's not too big an issue.
 
I was comfortable about 6 years before I actually rode on the highway. It's different for everybody. I had no issues topping my bike out(167 indicated), with a passenger, at midnight, on a beginner license, the first month on the QEW, on my GS400E, at 16.
 
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dpmachine said:
it takes some concerted downshifting and throttle twisting to get to 110+, which is as fast as you should be going on the highway if you don't want to piss off the people behind you.
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My old GS400E would cruise all day at 130. Turn your throttle, the bike has a redline and it's meant to rev.
 
My entire break-in period was spent with downtown city riding (1,600). Then I ventured out to the rural highways/country roads (80-100 km posted limits). By about 2,000 km, I went on the 401 and DVP.

I promised myself that I would get comfortable with my clutch work and engine braking before I would hop on the highways.

I still enjoy my highway runs really early in the mornings on weekends due to very light traffic. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.
 
You have around 4 years before you need to. Many highways suck. Highway 5 isn't too bad, 2 is o.k. D.V.P. is terrible. Gardiner is the worst since you are literally high. 511 is awesome, but there is talk of straightening it.

It was a few months for me, since I never really needed to take a highway. One day early in the morning going to a ride I was late and blasted along the Gardiner. I usually take the Lakeshore, since it's often faster and always less stressful.
 
anth1414 said:
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.
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+1

I was very comfortable until I dropped my bike on the DVP as well 60 days riding and 30 days after the M2. I rebuilt my confidence slowly afterwards.
 
Nothing like stop and go traffic on a highway to test your low speed skills, and you're stuck until the next exit if you don't have them.
 
Baggsy said:
Nothing like stop and go traffic on a highway to test your low speed skills, and you're stuck until the next exit if you don't have them.
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+1

You learn alot about yourself and how much BS you can tolerate when you're feathering the clutch in traffic on a 30 degree summer day.

It took me about a week and a half or so before I gathered up the courage to go onto the 401. It was awesome...and windy!
 
I never had any hesitation about riding on the highway, or even the city. I am not reckless and was not in my youth, I just was never intimidated by traffic or the speed. I new to respect it, and be aware. Everyone is different obviously, move at your own pace... just please do at least the speed limit.
 
I think I need to get a little more comfortable/confident on my bike, hell I still barely look at my speedo cause I'm too busy eyeballing everything else. If my bike was a little bigger/faster I'd probably feel more confidence quicker as far as highway riding goes. I know I gotta get comfortable with highways if I'm ever gonna get out of the city, even to Port Credit.
 
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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2 weeks after riding.

Was having a bad day, gf ****** me off. Rode up extremely north, got sick of flies hitting my helmet. Went back south and figured "meh, I'm ****** off, I wanna go fast" so went onto the 401. Merging into 404, some dick decided to slam the brakes infront of me because some ****** on the right didn't merge (or had no balls) when he had plenty of room. I ended up stalling the bike e-braking because I pulled in clutch, slammed both brakes. Nearly had a heart attack.

After that, I'm no longer scared of highway riding lol
 
Back in 1982, well before text messaging and loosing your lisence for 50 over, "we" just jumped on the chance to push our bikes to their limit. There was no fear or traffic for that matter 30 years ago. To answer th OP's question - got comfortable in minutes.Today's world is full of cars, the risk of accidents greater than when I was learning - so go at your own pace - keep your eyes opened and be ready to save your *** at all times.Early Sunday morning with no traffic is a good place to start.
 
The highways bore/bother me - straight lines and every ****** is using it at the same time. All the above posts offer great advice. Wait until you feel you are ready to give it a shot, you will know when you are ready. Then try going on for short spell, a couple of interchanges and get a feel for what is going on. Hyper awareness is needed.

IMHO, Yamasaki without the bacon does not equal one Yetti, third person schtick or otherwise.
 
Lynart said:
2 weeks after riding...
I ended up stalling the bike e-braking because I pulled in clutch, slammed both brakes. Nearly had a heart attack.

After that, I'm no longer scared of highway riding lol
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How do you stall by pulling in the clutch? Did you mean leaving the clutch released?

SeaBreez said:
Back in 1982, well before text messaging and loosing your lisence for 50 over, "we" just jumped on the chance to push our bikes to their limit. There was no fear or traffic for that matter 30 years ago. To answer th OP's question - got comfortable in minutes.Today's world is full of cars, the risk of accidents greater than when I was learning - so go at your own pace - keep your eyes opened and be ready to save your *** at all times.Early Sunday morning with no traffic is a good place to start.
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Back in '82 there weren't as many vehicles on the road. Some of the roads were curvier, now they've gone and straightened things out so people can save a few seconds here and there, the problem is that highways are straight and boring now. I wonder if more people are running off the road now because of everything being so monotonous.
 
Soon as I got my Honda cbr 600RR and got it plated went on highway and led a group to Burrito Boyz...
They didn't know it was my 1st day on the bike until I told them AFTER :lmao: look on their faces were :confused1: and they thought I rode for at least a while....

still ride with the same peeps today :)
 
First season and I don't need to take the highways very much so I'm still working on it. The buffeting makes me nervous still but it just makes me pay more attention to my surroundings. I hit the highways in town when I'm out riding for practice though so I can get more comfortable with it.

In general I would prefer to not take highways (400 series) if I can get where I want without them as they are often loaded with cars and they aren't as much fun as other lower speed roads. Twists and turns and better scenery.
 
Comfortable and being on it were two different scenarios.

The day I picked up my 1st bike (GS500), the guy lived in Mississauga and I lived in downtown. Had to ride the bike across the 401, down the 427 and over the Gardiner. Thankfully it was on a Sunday and traffic wasn't busy.

First time super comfortable came about 2 months later when I had to head to Walkerton. Weather was beautiful so rather than renting a car for the journey, rode there and back (not the same day though).
 
Riding on a hwy is easier than residential IMHO.

Everyone's going one way, lane changes are pretty smooth for the most part, you can see well into the distance and dont' have to contend with trafficlights and cross traffic etc.

But if you dont' have a feel for riding and reacting, then it still can be very dangerous. Ridign at a steady pace can numb you and the distance you need to slow down decreases very quickly. IE at pace, it seems slow, but once things start happening, events speed up very very fast.

Do plenty of residential riding, and I don't mean on a mainstreet. Forcing yoruself to be in areas that force you to do plenty of clutching, stopping, shifting, and starting, plus forcing you to become more aware and force yoruself to take in more info cosntantly, that's where your experience will come from...not cruising on a hwy or on a mainstreet (not so much in comparison to residential)...

Once you're comfy with residential, hwy should be a piece of cake more or less. - not saying go ahead, you'll be fine, but just saying it's probably easier than you think and nothign really to be afraid of.
 
JFD said:
Do plenty of residential riding, and I don't mean on a mainstreet. Forcing yoruself to be in areas that force you to do plenty of clutching, stopping, shifting, and starting, plus forcing you to become more aware and force yoruself to take in more info cosntantly, that's where your experience will come from...not cruising on a hwy or on a mainstreet (not so much in comparison to residential)...
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Agreed. Since I'm still learning when I go out for rides just to ride I mix up city, residential and quieter, more open rural roads on my route. Get practice on everything.
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