frusterated & scared to ride

[FlysWithEagles]

My guess is either A)You got a little "trigger happy" with the brakes while turning or B)you hit an oil spot or gravel etc....

But, like the others said, it would be nice to know more about what happened.

[blues2cruise]

Instead of taking the whole MSF course again.....you could hire a private instructor for some one on one instruction. That will help immensely.

[Brackstone]

Instead of taking the whole MSF course again.....you could hire a private instructor for some one on one instruction. That will help immensely.

I agree,

Also don't they have diagrams online somewhere that show you the MSF practice courses? You could just get some tennis balls and cut them in half and setup a range if you have a buddy that would be willing to help you.

I think I've said this twice over the weekend, but at the risk of sounding cliche "Fear is healthy as long as it doesn't paralyze you".

Like Thumper said don't force yourself but don't run away either.

[olebiker]

I am with thumper on this one. The worst thing you can do is stop riding. If you do it will grow in your mind and only get worse. It could end up with you saying no more. I would suggest that you find an experienced rider to FOLLOW you around a bit and see if that person can spot any problems. It could be as simple as antifreeze or oil on the road. And one more question what were you wearing that you got road rash? You don't need to answer but think about it.

[storysunfolding]

Also don't they have diagrams online somewhere that show you the MSF practice courses?.

Not practice courses but suggested after the MSF practice exercises. At the end of this booklet

http://msf-usa.org/downloads/Riding_Tips.pdf

[sv-wolf]

Instead of taking the whole MSF course again.....you could hire a private instructor for some one on one instruction. That will help immensely.

I think that is a great idea. I'd shop around, talk to a couple of instructors, explain your reason for wanting further tuition and find someone who gives you a sympathetic response. Make sure you feel comfortable with them and then go for it.

What do you think? Would it be good to have someone you could trust to help you through this?

Whatever you do, don't start to beat yourself up about it. It is a perfectly sane response to feel anxious and scared about riding after a spill. It just means that your survival equipment is in place and working well. Congratulate yourself on wanting to protect yourself from it happening again unnecessarily.

I'd keep riding for now, if you can - if only up and down your road. Stay pretty much within your safety zone though. Maybe, find a short route with some easy turns that you know you have done safely and easily and ride that once a day. Build your confidence back up slowly and securely.

If you did hit some gravel or diesel or oil then that's unfortunate, but build the knowlege into your skills. You'll be sure to watch out for them in future - as we all need to. It's a pity you had to have this experience but since you have you can use it positively and that, in itself, will considerably lower the risk of the problem recurring.

[RhadamYgg]

I some how ended up behind the bike. I did roll a couple times. I'm not sure what I did wrong, it was probably a combination of things.

Sounds like a low-side - maybe a little too heavy on the rear brake, possibly loose ground sand on the road where you braked.

I think the key here would be to reduce your speed before entering a turn. This includes downshifting as well. But if you do go in to a turn in the 'wrong' gear or too high a gear it shouldn't matter too much on that bike.

Just remember that you have a limited amount of traction while turning so you want to minimize braking/downshifting.

RhadamYgg

[Ninja250grl]

I definitly feel better now hearing everyones thoughts. I am going to take it slow, ride with an experienced rider and just practice practice practice. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to reply back. Really appreciate it and I will definitly keep everyone posted. So glad I joined this forum, everyone I've told hasn't given me any positive feedback. so thanks guys:)

[Lion_Lady]

I hope you've still got your Riders Handbook from the MSF class. If so, then pull it out and give it a read. It should help to review what you learned on the range.

I suggest that you spend some time - short rides only - going thru the exercises you did on the range. Should help to boost your confidence.

As an instructor, it does worry me that you have no idea what happened. . . you made a left turn. Did you start out from a stop, or were you travelling and turned?

I guess you weren't wearing protective gear. Get yourself some riding pants. A jacket is nice, but most folks end up with worse rash on their legs.

P

[Ninja250grl]

I will definitly do that. Yes I was making a left turn while I was traveling. I had my jacket on but I was wearing jeans so I need to invest in some pants