Steering the wrong way?

[WARainMan]

Just my 2 cents worth...

Though I used to ride, it's been 20 years. I'm very tempted to jump back on the bike right now, but I've promised myself not to ride again until I complete the MSF course (Sept 20-21).

In the meantime, I'm reading everything I can (i.e. Proficient Motorcycling, Motorcycling Excellence, this forum, etc.) so I can establish a solid foundation built on correct principles. Then I expect the course to confirm and solidify everything I've learned so far, and teach me much more.

Patience is difficult; I wanna hit the streets NOW. But I also recognize the importance of doing it right.

Of course, this is just one man's approach

[Kal]

An uncle of mine (experienced rider since he was a child) has been teaching me the basics of motorcycling. First I got used to the clutch and shifting on a small dirt bike, and now he is teaching me on not-oft-travelled country roads on his CBR 600 F4. He taught me to countersteer, but he didn't use the word, he just told me how to do it, which is what led me to ask if what I was doing was counter-steering and if that was what it was/is. I am quite inexperienced and it is indeed my first several times riding though. And I'm sure you didn't intend to insult. Anyways, thanks again everyone for all the great answers!

Without being funny I doubt your Uncle learned to ride on a 90+bhp machine.

There are worse bikes to learn on, like the CBR600RR, but not many. This is no insult to you but as a rider the deck is stacked against you. As a learner rider it is stacked further against you. A sportsbike stacks it even further.

[GhostRider]

I don't doubt the deck is stacked pretty high against me, but that has also been true for many areas of life for me for more than a few years, and I've managed to persevere through that. God bless and be willing, I will persevere through this learning period and bring myself to become a responsible and safe rider.

[Kal]

You don't undertstand.

[torxim]

enough ripping on him...


yes, it is inadvisable to learn on the bike his uncle has, but by no means does this mean that it is impossible. he discovered countersteering, but didn't know the terminology for it, there is no crime for this. i rode for 3 weeks before my MSF course with a friend of mine (albeit on a gs500e) and I went into the course with open ears thinking that everything I had already learned / taught myself could be wrong. I ended out passing the msf course with the highest 'score' in my group, with the instructor commenting on how he thought I did an excellent job.


@ GhostRider:
-be careful, don't open the throttle up fully, wear full gear, most importantly: read all you can about proper motorcycling techniques. and have fun