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I took the MSF course & passed last fall. I put about 150 miles on my friends Honda Rebel and just bought a Honda Shadow 600 which I have 100 miles on. I still get really nervous when I am out riding. I feel like I am afraid of everything out there. I went about 30 miles with my husband yesterday and did good except it was windy out and that really scared me. When do you get over the nerves??

You did however learn how to cope with the wind. So the next time your out, and it get windy, it won't scare you as much.

Don't be afraid of being afraid.

Sometimes, imo, people get freaked out about freaking out and it sounds like that might be what is happening here.

I know the window can be kind of scary because it's pushes you around a bit but like John said you were ok, you didn't get hurt and you came home safe and you probably had fun too!

Just remember that no matter how much the wind huffed and puffed you made it through!

Don't dwell on the wind being scary think about how you beat it!

Accept that it's going to be scary for a while; you've got less than 500 miles under your belt. But pretty soon you'll be out there and thinking "Whhhheeeeeee!" and your fear will be more like cautiousness--and *that* you should never be rid of.

With the miles, the nervousness will go away. Find some unpopulated roads to ride on at first.. to help you gain confidence. Eventually you get into it and forget to worry...then you will realize you forgot to worry...and that will worry you...lol... then you will just get back into it and it will start to become second nature.

But I'll tell ya... you wont ever get to a point where the nervousness goes away for good....or at least you shouldnt. That's when you let your guard down and invite trouble.

With the miles the nervousness just kinda fades back into the background and the enjoyment of it takes over....but you want just a little bit of it to always be back there somewhere in the back of your mind to alert you when you see a scenario set itself up that might bite you....it seems it kinda gets to a point to where the nervousness just kicks back and chills until you get into crazy packed traffic or unsafe road conditions then it moves forward to alert you and keep you sharp...but not so front and center that it hinders your performance or destroys your enjoyment...or at least it shouldnt. I guess some of it just depends on your pesonality type as well.

Also, at least in my case, if I get busy and can't find the time to ride for a while, or the weather keeps me from riding, or whatever... the longer I stay away, the more the nervousness will try to creep back in... but for me it occurs before the ride... it goes away guickly once I actually feather the clutch and embark on the ride. I get myself into the ride mindset pretty quickly, and the enjoyment of it takes over.

I went for a ride around my neighborhood & put on about 50 miles so I am feeling much better. Or at least better than yesterday. Wind was not as bad & I thought hey, I can handle this.

Also it is also hard to try and follow the hubby. I feel like all I am doing is trying to catch up to him. I think it might be better to practice without him until I get a little more confident.

Thanks for all the positive comments. It has really helped alot so far!!!

IMHO, I don't think the nerves ever really go completely away, it's just that your limits and skill level keep improving, and you're willing to ride in more varied and challenging conditions. Got used to freeways and wind? There's always something new to learn to deal with; traffic, twisties, rain, dark, snow, luggage, a pillion, etc. I think if the nerves completely went away, it means you feel you've learned all there is to know (bad), or you're taking riding's inherent danger forgranted (even worse).

By the way, if you and your husband enjoy riding with each other, but you feel like you need to keep up with him, maybe you can suggest switching places, so the ride goes at your pace. Or you can just meet up at checkpoints, so both of you can ride at the pace you want.

Yesterday I went for my first big ride. Was following a friend on his bike. I know exactly what your talking about. At one point I felt my butt lift off the seat from a gust of wind (that was pretty scary). He was taking me on all different types of roads, hills, bumps, curves etc. for me to get used to varied surfaces. We were out for about 3 hours. Before that my longest ride was about 20 min. Had the death grip for most of the ride trying to keep up with him. Nearing the end (at a lower speed mind you) I was actually able to lean back a bit and enjoy it. I then realized that before when I was going the lower speed I had the death grip,,, so I figured that with time and practice I will get used to the higher speeds too. Just need to get a windshield to help out with the wind. Good luck and keep at it and before long you should feel more comfortable with it.

I find that nervousness never completely goes away, tho it does become muted over time as your saddle time and experience levels go up.

The day I am not a little nervous will be the day I turn in my leathers and keys, because I figure that will be the day I become complacent and a danger to myself and others.

One thing...If I were y'all... I wouldnt try so hard to keep up with your riding buddy. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone just to keep up will come back to haunt you big time. You ride at your own pace and your buddy will eventually see that you dropped behind and slow down or at least pull over up the road to wait for you after he or she has gone through the set of twisties they were enjoying or whatever. If they dont, then they arent really the kinda person you want to ride with anyways.

...and besides if you keep staying up with them...how are they to know you are out of your comfort zone. For all they know, you are digging the ride as much as they are. By dropping back you are sending them a signal that they can read... much easier than trying to read your mind. If they see you falling behind, then they can know you have hit your limit and and adjust their riding pace accordingly.

Dont push yourself out of your comfort level just to keep up with someone.