TOYJ
Well-known member
And when you get comfortable enough to do the full wave, try not to do it while at a stop light, in gear, and stall because you release the clutch
Lol, that's exactly when it happened that's why I couldn't wave back!
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Riding Advice
- Thread starter TOYJ
- Start date
Lol, that's exactly when it happened that's why I couldn't wave back!
That part is key. Push yourself a little bit each time you ride, you'll get more comfortable in no time at all.
Sabex
Well-known member
TOYJ
Well-known member
It was awesome riding to work today! The cold on my legs was a bit of a surprise but it was fun nonetheless. I took the "flat" route home after work. Riding is definitely becoming more fun and I'm enjoying it a lot more. I plan to ride to work as much as possible next week weather permitting but I believe the weather next week is supposed to be like it was today. Woohoo!
Speed
What you have going on is based on your Sence of Speed, not your actual speed.
Sence of speed is tied to your vision more than anything else. The Further up and ahead you look the lower your sence of speed (How fast it feels like you are going) The more you look close in front of you the faster it feels like you are going. Since you learned in a parking lot, you never really looked very far ahead and most likely were not told to look up and farther ahead. Now you are riding in a residential area and again because there is nothing to see far ahead you are not looking far ahead.
Even when teaching in a parking lot one of the things I work on the students to do (In both basic and advanced classes) is look farther ahead and up. Look at the trees in the distance etc. Not only does this reduce the sence of speed and the studetns ride faster it also reduces the fear the studetns have. It also works to decrease the stopping distance as well.
You need to train yourself to look up and farther ahead.
What you have going on is based on your Sence of Speed, not your actual speed.
Sence of speed is tied to your vision more than anything else. The Further up and ahead you look the lower your sence of speed (How fast it feels like you are going) The more you look close in front of you the faster it feels like you are going. Since you learned in a parking lot, you never really looked very far ahead and most likely were not told to look up and farther ahead. Now you are riding in a residential area and again because there is nothing to see far ahead you are not looking far ahead.
Even when teaching in a parking lot one of the things I work on the students to do (In both basic and advanced classes) is look farther ahead and up. Look at the trees in the distance etc. Not only does this reduce the sence of speed and the studetns ride faster it also reduces the fear the studetns have. It also works to decrease the stopping distance as well.
You need to train yourself to look up and farther ahead.
Also, I assume that in your training course you were taught about target fixation. Looking further ahead will give you time to snap out of it. Remember that you have to watch where you are going but you also go where you are watching! If you see a pothole or other obstruction look beside it to the spot that you WANT to ride over. if you look at the obstruction then you'll hit it for sure.
Speaking of potholes, do you really think it is a good idea to be waving (i.e. taking your hands off the bars) when you live in a province with pisspoor roads? Even with years of experience i don't do it. Save the comraderie for Tim's parking lot or L&L.
Also down in your area watch for the wet streetcar tracks and even wet road markings like the lines painted on the road.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy riding until your so old that you need viagra.
Very true but to different degree's and it will also be a factor in where you want to go, concentration etc. A good example is turn in points (The point on the road where you actually Want the motorcycle to start it's turn. For more experianced riders it is important to know this point, turn your head to look thru the turn while still driving straight until you reach said point. In other words you turn your head and look throught the turn prior to turning the bike.
Also think about this if you went where you looked everytime you turned your head to see the sights you would drive off the road. The reason we do not is that we have already seen and memorized the path in front of us and can usually continue forward despite looking to the side. What you may notice is that if you did not "Locate" the turn in point or your forward path and commite it to memory prior to looking through the turn or at the sights your bike will start to go in the direction you are looking anf (In a corner) you will turn early or while driving straight when you look back forward you will notice you have veered off of your original path in the general direction you were sight seeing.
Three questions (kinda psychological):
1. Would you be as afraid/cautious if you were on a bicycle?
2. Think of relative speed - if you were in an area with heavy, slow traffic, would you feel comfortable passing the cars, going 10-20kph faster on a bicycle?
3. Would you take your hands off the bars of a bicycle to wave? Have you ever ridden with no hands?
Just curious.
1. Would you be as afraid/cautious if you were on a bicycle?
2. Think of relative speed - if you were in an area with heavy, slow traffic, would you feel comfortable passing the cars, going 10-20kph faster on a bicycle?
3. Would you take your hands off the bars of a bicycle to wave? Have you ever ridden with no hands?
Just curious.
Red_Liner740
Well-known member
One other issue of perceived speed is the bike power and gearing....
the 250 is geared really high....So there you are, revving away, banging gears like a mad man thinking that if you were in a car you'd be going well above a 100km/h only to look down and see 40km/h....Threw me way off the first time i rode my g/fs zzr250 (previous gen of your 08 250R)....i was used to my VTR1000 long gears (100km/h in first) and only having to be in 2nd or 3rd to cruise at 50km/h so to sit there in 6th gear at 5000 rpm and only cruise at 60 or 70 felt wrong....you have to retrain your ears away from what sounds right in a car to what sounds right on a high revving bike
the 250 is geared really high....So there you are, revving away, banging gears like a mad man thinking that if you were in a car you'd be going well above a 100km/h only to look down and see 40km/h....Threw me way off the first time i rode my g/fs zzr250 (previous gen of your 08 250R)....i was used to my VTR1000 long gears (100km/h in first) and only having to be in 2nd or 3rd to cruise at 50km/h so to sit there in 6th gear at 5000 rpm and only cruise at 60 or 70 felt wrong....you have to retrain your ears away from what sounds right in a car to what sounds right on a high revving bike
Doing 45k on a side street isn't that 'slow'... Small confined areas will make you feel like you are going faster than you are.
Make sure you venture out of the parking lots and side streets to larger, open roads. Bayview extension is not too far from you and can be a good 'practice'
Make sure you venture out of the parking lots and side streets to larger, open roads. Bayview extension is not too far from you and can be a good 'practice'
PLau
Well-known member
Yuup, On my 125, I would prolly run out of revs (13k+) in first going 30 km/h. At this point, I can't really imagine how its like hitting 100km/h in first on a bigger bike as I'd have to be in 4th(at really high revs) or 5th to hit that speed.
Red_Liner740
Well-known member
well, anything past half throttle is instant slap of the tank in your chest as the V-twins torque is crazy at low/mid rpms, you're fighting to keep the wheel down, hitting second brings it back up and once again you're fighting to bring it back down...that is if you want to accelerate hard...if you just wanna bomb along, you short shift into second and use the low end torque to just slingshot you forward...lol
my 08 gsxr 750 was geared even higher....150km/h in first....ridiculous, but the power delivery was much different....it was gutless at low rpm and just keeps accelerating harder and harder and towards redline it starts to lift the wheel up.
PLau
Well-known member
Lol I'm always in the half-full throttle range when accelerating from a light. I want a bigger bike but as a student I'm so very poor
Kinda hard to keep up with traffic on the highways sometimes on up-hills on long rides.I know someone who switches between a 600 and 125 and have no idea how he can handle the change especially on the track.
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TOYJ
Well-known member
Hey sorry all, I haven't been getting the notifications that people have responded to this thread and I just happened to be checking it.
1) I'm not sure. I haven't ridden a bike in a long time. I don't think I would be as cautious on a bicycle because I'd be riding on the side of the road instead of in the left tire track.
2) I'm pretty cautious right now because I am a new rider. When I ride to and from work in the HOV lane I usually stop behind a bus and wait until it starts moving again unless there are no cars coming up behind in the other lanes.
3) I would take my hands off a bicycle and waive and I have ridden with no hands. The reason I'm don't do it on a motorcycle right now is because again, I'm new but I also don't know how it will behave if I take my hand off. Actually that's not true, I waived back to a couple of riders last week. I watched a few riders who waived at me the first few times and then tried it myself. I'm pretty conscious of my surroundings and the road surface when I do waive though just in case I'm about to go over a pot hole or manhole cover.
TOYJ
Well-known member
I'm actually really looking forward to next season when I can ride for the entire season. I bought my bike at the end of August and got it plated in September so I've only been able to ride it for a couple of weeks. Like I said it's starting to become more fun and I'm building more confidence but now it's almost time to store it for the winter.
I want to build a solid foundation on the fundamentals of riding and then work on riding in different weather conditions. I've avoided riding in the rain and although I know I can layer up now that it's colder I think it's time to store it in the next week or so and look forward to next season.
I want to build a solid foundation on the fundamentals of riding and then work on riding in different weather conditions. I've avoided riding in the rain and although I know I can layer up now that it's colder I think it's time to store it in the next week or so and look forward to next season.
My first ride was from Orangeville to Ajax. No problems until after I stopped at Royal. Then I crashed. Still made it over 100 km though.
Try not to panic in a super busy intersection like I did.
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