first time out

Message

dean owens · Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:24 am

well, after having my bike for more than a month and having my liscense for more than 2 weeks i finally got to get out on the road. i just got back. it was quite fun (bit of an understatement). i do feel like i'm about to throw up from my first ride preride gitters, but other than that everything is good.

i still obviously have some stuff to work on. i kept forgetting to scrub off speed before entering a turn. well, i took some off, but i think it would have been easier to take a little more off.

and i need to work on just turning. i ended up going about 20 miles on a road when i was only going to go about 5 because there was a truck behind me and i didn't know how slow (and what gear to drop into) before turning - what would be safe for turning and not getting run over. it was cool though. i was on a country road so i actually got to get up to 60mph which i didn't think i would do today. and that actually wasn't that hard.

well, i'm going back out to get lunch with my wife. just wanted to share.

btw, glad i'm wearing a fullfaced helmet. bugs bugs everywhere.

Scott58 · #2 Unread post by **Scott58** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:35 am

Find a big parking lot on an early sunday morning.

Flipper · #3 Unread post by **Flipper** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 6:14 am

dean,

Thanks for sharing your ride.
That first time out is an unforgettable experience.
I've been riding for 10 months and still get preride jitters.

Did you take the MSF? If not, you really should.

Turning and entering corners on a motorcycle is something you need be taught how to do. It is not an intuitive thing.

Get up early on Saturdays and Sundays so you can practice without traffic around you. If someone behind you makes you uncomfortable, pull over and let them by. Learning to control your ego is important when you ride a bike.
Take it slow and practice going into corners in first gear until you feel very comfortable with it before trying it faster.

Take your time and don't think that since you are licensed you are ready to ride. You are just at the beginning and there are many levels of proficiency.

It seem the more I ride, the more I realize what a total newbie I am.

That little baby girl in your avatar is beautiful. Ride safe and keep her in mind.

Flipper

dean owens · Sat Jun 30, 2007 9:34 am

Flipper wrote:dean,

Thanks for sharing your ride.
That first time out is an unforgettable experience.
I've been riding for 10 months and still get preride jitters.

Did you take the MSF? If not, you really should.

Turning and entering corners on a motorcycle is something you need be taught how to do. It is not an intuitive thing.

yeah, i took the class a few weeks ago. that class was actually really helpful. there were a few times that i kept hearing my instructors say "PUSH" as i was going through some curves.

Flipper wrote: Get up early on Saturdays and Sundays so you can practice without traffic around you. If someone behind you makes you uncomfortable, pull over and let them by. Learning to control your ego is important when you ride a bike.
Take it slow and practice going into corners in first gear until you feel very comfortable with it before trying it faster.

that was the plan - getting up early this morning - but by the time i checked my bike over, got suited up and went super slow from the jitters it was a little later in the day. but i live in a slightly rural area so a lot of my time out i saw very few cars. really not bad at all. it was just this morning. and i think i siked myself out more than anything. after that first ride and a little starting/stopping practice at lowes it was all good. i was actually suprised that i also had no bad experiences with cars (even on the main roads) today. everyone seemed to be kind and on the look out. maybe it was my honeymoon period

Flipper wrote: That little baby girl in your avatar is beautiful. Ride safe and keep her in mind.

thanks. that's all my wife's handywork. 'cause i don't look half as cute as that.

anyway, thanks for the pointers. i'm sure i'll keep practicing for many days to come

-Curly- · #5 Unread post by **-Curly-** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:45 pm

I got my bike about 3 weeks after my MSF. It was totally different from the bike I rode there. For the First Week, I just rode around the block, and down to the local High School to practice in their parking lot. It toke me all week to put 100 miles on my bike. Then I wanted to ride to work, so I waited till the weekend and took a practice ride to work and back. 45 MPH seemed like I was flying going there and back. After a couple of weeks of that, I took a ride on the highway. It scared me at first, but I got used to it. I made it a point to practice what I wanted to do before I had to do it. Two years later and 8000 miles on the rode I still get a little nervous, but I got the bug and the need to ride over-compensates for it.

ofblong · #6 Unread post by **ofblong** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:06 pm

Flipper wrote: Take it slow and practice going into corners in first gear until you feel very comfortable with it before trying it faster.

corners are easier to do and handle in second gear.

with that said I rode something like 60 miles my first day. course 99% of that was riding the bike home with my wife following on 70mph speed limit highway where I was doing 60mph for most of the way and then finally got daring enough to reach the speed limit. Hit 75 a couple times lol. Now 11 months later and its like 85mph no problem. 90 no problem. 100 ummm not gonna try it on this bike lol. I would say last month I finally got to the point where I am no longer "scared" of corners but actually take them at 25-35mph (depends on if its a 90 degree turn or if its more like a 70 degree or so turn). However this is 1 street I turn onto that is a 90 degree turn where the whole corner is nothing but gravel cause jackarses cont figure out how to turn onto the road rather than turn into the gravel side of the road. so I take that at around 15mph cause I dont want to go down cause of the gravel.

Shorts · #7 Unread post by **Shorts** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:47 am

+1 cornering in 2nd gear

I pretty much just apply this to all situations that 2nd is where I'd like to be. I don't drop into 2nd too far away from the turn if there is a lot of traffic close behind - I'll wait until I'm just about there. I don't like riding too slow or at that high RPM (I'm terrible enough as it is in the mountains, poor bike's gonna 'splode!).

Remember to use your blinkers wisely. As much as you can, take your time riding around. Have your wife follow you in the car if she can, at least if you're thinking of taking a route that is more stressful and busy.

I was VERY nervous and excited when I went on the road the first couple of times - I still get all jittery in the head. But I'm settled by the fact that DH is behind my on his bike.