Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Was anyone else nervous as a beginning rider on "open" 2 lane highways with more traffic? I'm assuming that it will get better with time and practice. On less traveled country roads with less traffic, it doesn't bother me--even at 50-55 mph. But, if I'm on a 2 lane state highway, as I was tonight, traveling at 60-62 mph with more traffic, I was nervous and started to tighten up on the handlebars, etc. I did maintain my speed throughout the segment that I was on, until I turned off onto a small country road. I've only been riding for 1 year and my wife and I did take the MSF course last June. I'm much better on the 750 Shadow that I just bought 2 weeks ago than I was on the CRF230L dual sport bike that I traded in. That bike was very nerve-wracking on the highway because of its light weight and instability at higher speeds.

Hopefully, I get over it with time. Did anyone else have this problem and have it subside over time?

Give it time keep your head on a swivel and be as ready for anything as you can it'll get easier.

taxman1965 wrote:Hopefully, I get over it with time. Did anyone else have this problem and have it subside over time?

Yes and yes.

My first motorcycle was a Triumph Bonneville. It has a very flat seat, and at speed it felt like the wind blast was going to blow me straight off the back of the bike!

I'm in my 9th year of riding now, having done about 85,000 miles of street riding on a variety of bikes. I commute by motorcycle every non-raining, non-snowing day, 31 miles to work, half of which is on I-295 with an average speed at rush hour of 80 mph in heavy traffic.

You get used to it.....

Good...thanks for the help. A buddy of mine, who got me into motorcycling in the first place, knew a fellow from where he works who never did---and still doesn't--ride on the highway. It almost seems like I was told that he never did get the nerve to do it, so he sticks to back roads. I don't want that to happen to me, so despite my feeling uncomfortable at present, I'm going to keep practicing. I'd like to try it at a speed that I feel comfortable with then slowly increase my speed and get used to that. Trouble is, the 2 lane highway where I would practice tends to be busy with traffic that doesn't tolerate anything below 60 mph and they tend to tailgate, which makes me even more nervous. I may have to try it on a Sunday morning when there's less traffic.

Never bothered me too much, time and miles will help most. Hard to beat experience. Then by the time you get good and comfortable with it you'll find yourself getting old and skipping the freeways and Interstates taking the slower back roads mostly anyway. LOL

The heavier bike the better for me. The wind gusts scare you on the highway at 70 or 80.

I prefer a heavier bike for the same reason.

I'm much more comfortable on a restricted access two or four-lane highway than I am on a town or country road. Everybody is going the same direction and nobody is pulling out of a driveway or intersection right in front of you. I get hyper-alert entering an intersection.

I can see why anyone would feel more comfortable on a open highway vs a country road. I guess it's the sensation of speed that freaked me out yesterday, and I ended up thinking too much about what could happen if there was a blowout, if I lost control, etc. Plus, there were tar snakes all over the road, running perpendicular to my bike. Not a very good feeling.....

Possibly two things affecting you: sensation of speed, and proximity to traffic. You can work on them separately. Speed is the easier one.

Find an interstate or similar access-controlled multi-lane freeway. Freeways are important, because everyone is going the same way, and nobody is going to cut you off from an intersection. Make sure your bike is in good shape, proper tire inflation, no steering issues, etc. Pick a time when traffic is light (early Sunday morning), on a windless day. Get on the freeway and accelerate to a medium cruising speed (55-60 mph). Keep everything in your body from your waist up light and loose - no death grip on the bars. Keep your point of vision up - this is important. You should be scanning out 1/10 to 1/4 mile ahead of you. It helps minimize the sensation of speed and also alerts you to any developing traffic situation. As you gain comfort, slowly increase your speed. If your bike is of reasonable size and weight (not a 250cc dual sport), it will feel quite "planted" when going straight at speed. Consider - there's two powerful gyroscopes (your wheels) helping stabilize it.

Don't know what kind of helmet you use, but I personally find a full-face almost mandatory for comfort at highway speeds. Bugs and pebbles hurt at 70 mph. YMMV.

jstark47 wrote:Possibly two things affecting you: sensation of speed, and proximity to traffic. You can work on them separately. Speed is the easier one.

Find an interstate or similar access-controlled multi-lane freeway. Freeways are important, because everyone is going the same way, and nobody is going to cut you off from an intersection. Make sure your bike is in good shape, proper tire inflation, no steering issues, etc. Pick a time when traffic is light (early Sunday morning), on a windless day. Get on the freeway and accelerate to a medium cruising speed (55-60 mph). Keep everything in your body from your waist up light and loose - no death grip on the bars. Keep your point of vision up - this is important. You should be scanning out 1/10 to 1/4 mile ahead of you. It helps minimize the sensation of speed and also alerts you to any developing traffic situation. As you gain comfort, slowly increase your speed. If your bike is of reasonable size and weight (not a 250cc dual sport), it will feel quite "planted" when going straight at speed. Consider - there's two powerful gyroscopes (your wheels) helping stabilize it.

Don't know what kind of helmet you use, but I personally find a full-face almost mandatory for comfort at highway speeds. Bugs and pebbles hurt at 70 mph. YMMV.

You're probably spot-on with your suggestion---I think it's definitely the two things combined. Now, tonight, I went for another ride on another open stretch of 2 lane highway with less traffic than last night and I was fine. I started out by traveling between 50-55 mph and I was fine, so I moved it up to a steady 55. I was still fine, so I moved it up to 60, then back down to 55 and I had no problems at all. I even moved up to 65 and was still fine...but there wasn't as much traffic tonight either, so I think that helped. It's probably the combination of the two that's making me unsure.

I will try your suggestions. My bike is a 750 Shadow, which is around 560 lbs I believe--a far cry from the 267 lb Honda CRF230L that I traded in. That thing was horrible on 2 lane highways...especially if I met a tractor trailer. I avoided highways with that thing if I could.

I do have a question---I've heard of guys suggesting that I keep my legs tight to the bike and keep my upper torso loose and relaxed, as you suggested. What does hugging my legs to the bike do for me? Stabilize it?