Not quite noob, definately not advanced

[BaoQingTian]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to see where I can find the books. I could probably set up some cones in the parking lot at the community college where they do the MSF. If anyone else has anything to say, please feel free to post.

[flynrider]

While greater skills are always good to have in your back pocket, a reading of your original post makes me think that no amount of cornering tricks would have helped much. You made an error in judgement when you entered the turn with excessive speed. If you increased bank to the point where your peg was scraping, that's pretty much all you can do. Unless you attend the Verm riding school, you'll find that sticking your knee out will not tighten your turn. Decreasing the bank angle increases your turn radius no matter where your knee is.

Attending an ERC or even a racing class will improve your overall skills (which is a good thing), but in the scenario you described, you were pretty much screwed at the point you entered the turn. General riding experience will help most. You'll learn good things like not to depend on those helpful yellow signs marking a turn. Hopefully this last spill has taught you not to go 20 mph over the posted speed if you're not familiar with the road ahead.

An old flight instructor of mine once described the learning process as two bags. You start with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The key is to fill up the experience bag before the luck bag is empty.

[BaoQingTian]

Yeah, the curve was completely obscured by vegetation until I was right up on it. I had pretty much chalked it up to poor judgement (I was also angry when I was riding which I also discovered is not a good thing) When I mentioned it to a riding friend here at work, he said that perhaps some more advanced skills would have helped. Maybe, maybe not. Personally, I think you're right flynrider- I was going to go down due to my speed and it was just a question of how and where. If I had been going the posted speed limit, I could have slowed down more for the turn in time and probably handled it. Lesson learned I hope.

It really did get me to thinking about what other skills I should be working on though. Like you said it may not have helped me in the situation I was in, but perhaps it will help me in the future. Also, I liked what you said about the luck/experience bags- I'll remember that one. And I'll also pick up a few books.

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone- I was a bit worried about posting because I know what happened was a lapse of my judgement and I was afraid everyone would just rag on that instead of offering some helpful, positive suggestions. However, I wasn't disappointed. Thanks!

[Sev]

Sticking closer to the posted speed limit is out of the question I suppose?

Especially on a road you don't know..

i dunno about where you guys live but the PSLs here looks like they are made for trucks.

a better advice would be to take it easy on unfamiliar roads. since like what happened to you... not all turns are marked. it really sucks when 10 and 15mph turns aren't marked especially when they are in the middle of higher speed turns.

You just repeated what CajunBass said. Take it easy (posted speed limity) on the road your first time through, so you don't wind up neck deep with your feet tied together. I've encountered stuff like this before. I was lucky enough to be taking it easy on an unfamiliar road so I didn't end up piling myself into a concrete barrier in a hairpin.

[VermilionX]

You just repeated what CajunBass said.

not really... taking it easy and sticking to the PSL does not mean the same thing to me.

[Sev]

Then you need to learn English.

[VermilionX]

Then you need to learn English.

going by the PSL is crawling.

crawling is different from taking it easy.

[Sev]

Your ignorance is showing.