not noob advise.

i've been riding for about 10 years now, more regularly in the past 4 years on an F4i. never rode "crazy" like splitting lanes at 30+ through moving traffic, never wheelied (on purpose) or any of that stunting stuff; i've always considered myself a safe, considerate, and law-abiding rider (although i did get stung once for doing 135 on 101N. through King City of all places).

lately i feel like i've been losing my nerve. like i'm super-paranoid. the lanes seem narrower, cage doors are going to fly open in front of me, everybody wants to cut me off, cracks in the road seem like chasms ready to throw me down, crosswalk paint and manholes are always slippery, i don't feel like i can stop in time, i'm going to fall over when i stop and can't get my one tippy-toe down (i'm a shorty), too much/not enough power through turns, weighing my pegs too much/not enough, etc....

anybody else ever feel/have felt this way? how do you get over it? i can't not ride, so i'm a little desperate for a solution.

thanks for hearing me out. all advice greatly appreciated.

 

Did something happen to you lately? Crash? Close-call? A friend crash?

Every day you throw a leg over the seat, you face the possibilty of hurting yourself. It's all about risk-management. You will always face the situations you described. There's no magic potion to fix it. Experience and knowledge will help best in these instances. Most of your problems can be solved by looking farther ahead.

I used to feel the way you do after my lowside. Some saddle time helped me get over it.

Also, check the bike over. Maybe there's something wrong with it that's causing you to feel lost/not-in-control.

And good luck. Frisco is a nuthouse when it comes to driving.

 

thanks brother.

i've been thinking really hard about this and i think here are some things causing me to freak out:

1) for some reason i've developed the bad habit of target-locking. i don't know why i started doing this, but now i have to almost audibly tell myself, "relax, relax, see through the turn, look down fall down, etc".

2) i crashed about two years ago: too fast, wrong gear, couldn't get the thing to tilt. ended up in a ditch in the shoulder with minor damage. nothing too traumatic-or so i thought.

3) not being able to get both feet down sucks. i try to not let that be an excuse to not ride, but it's always in the back of my mind.

4) i fall off my mt. bike.....a lot. lowsiding on gravel, getting caught/slipping on roots....somehow i correlated this to motorcycling.

anyway. i need to work this out. thanks for the advice marmaladeboy.

 

look i know im a noob, but i've had my fair share of riding and mistakes. i had a close call and it freaked me out but i got over it. i dont think you are losing your nerve but may just be ready for a bigger bike. you said you've been riding for like 10 yrs. that's a long time on a 600 (didnt say if any other bikes) i used to have F4i and it to me was the best all around bike, track or road.

 

I have not been riding as long as you, but that could posible be your problem.

After riding for so long I know many people that get over confident and to comfortable on a bike. This causes loss of awareness, and a feeling of invincability.
Every time i get on my bike I go into a "zone." I am constantly searching the road, and predicting others moves. If a car was to pull infront of me I would know exactly what to do because I had allready planed it out in my head.

In no way am I saying you are a bad rider or anything, but sometimes riders get overconfident which can cause alot of problems. Also when I ride, I dont think of anything else but riding. Dont think about bills, work, or anything stressfull. It sounds corny, but it is just me and the bike.

 

thanks fellas.

yeah. i'm that way too. on a bike, i don't think about anything other than what i'm doing, and where i'm going. maybe it's because i'm so afraid of being complacent that i go the other way to the extreme (paranoia).

these feelings just crept up on me and it's very annoying.

i started with a ysr 50, then a hawk 647, gb500, cb1, vfr 750, and now currently F4i. 600cc is already more than i need...it even made it to LA and back. oh ****....just realized all but one were hondas.....honda *****.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i've been thinking really hard about this and i think here are some things causing me to freak out:

1) for some reason i've developed the bad habit of target-locking. i don't know why i started doing this, but now i have to almost audibly tell myself, "relax, relax, see through the turn, look down fall down, etc".
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Target fixation is something you just need to work out. After practice/experience, it will be muscle memory - you'll react automatically. Remember you should be looking for a path around/away from the dangerous object.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
2) i crashed about two years ago: too fast, wrong gear, couldn't get the thing to tilt. ended up in a ditch in the shoulder with minor damage. nothing too traumatic-or so i thought.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
You need to go back and reexamine what mistakes were made that lead to your crash. Then, try to figure out what should have been done.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
3) not being able to get both feet down sucks. i try to not let that be an excuse to not ride, but it's always in the back of my mind.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
A friend of mine has that problem too. Lots of practice. And learn to use one leg. I know it's not what's taught in MSF, but if you can't plant both feet securely, then plant one securely. You'll have to be more careful where that one foot is placed (potholes, manhole covers, oil slicks, painted lines, etc are bad).

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
4) i fall off my mt. bike.....a lot. lowsiding on gravel, getting caught/slipping on roots....somehow i correlated this to motorcycling.
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Practice practice practice on your motorcycle.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i started with a ysr 50, then a hawk 647, gb500, cb1, vfr 750, and now currently F4i. ...just realized all but one were hondas.....honda *****.</TD></TR></TABLE>
You've come to the right place. We'll make sure you won't make the mistake of getting any non-Honda next time.

Good luck dude.

 

I have gone through these phases, for some they are ONLY a phase, for others it is a sign to stop. it's really going to be up to you to decide what is proper. If you really want to continue to ride, then ride. Albeit with some caution (to much caution can be deadly). For me, you need to be slightly aggressive to survive on the street for any length of time. Usually ones self awareness of mortality is a sign of maturity and a sign to change a lifestyle. I think this is a good sign for you, not a macho sign of weakness because your fearful. perhaps it is even precognition, never know. One thing is for sure, if you have lost the nerve, then stop. there can be nothing worse than to keep doing something that causes you pain just because of peer pressure

Schu(25 years in the saddle)

 

thanks bro.

i just need to get over it. riding 10 years....never had a problem with fear. i respected it. it just seems now, for some reason, it's starting to overwhelm me. heh. watching that video somebody posted here didn't help either....(RIP)

that crash two years ago...i just lost count of the gears. i thought i was in 3rd. when i really was in 4th. downshifted one for the turn and realized i wasn't in 2nd (exhaust note). by then it was too late to shift down another because i was committed to the turn. i punish myself to this day by audibly counting off the shifts.

heh. you should've seen me try to duck-walk the trainer bike in the MSF course. hilarity.

 

thanks schu. i hear you.
i don't want to wait for something tragic as a sign to hang 'em up, but for right now, my drive to keep riding outweigh not riding.

what i'm going to do is save some money and enroll in a keith code course; or maybe even just an advanced MSF course. i dunno.

and there's no peer pressure. most of my closer friends don't ride. the guys i know who do ride, i rode with once and will probably never ride with again (that's when i got stung for doing 135mph).

 

How old are you?

All jokes aside, it could be that you're just getting to a point in your life where the risks are starting to outweigh the gain.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thanks schu. i hear you.
i don't want to wait for something tragic as a sign to hang 'em up, but for right now, my drive to keep riding outweigh not riding.

what i'm going to do is save some money and enroll in a keith code course; or maybe even just an advanced MSF course. i dunno.

and there's no peer pressure. most of my closer friends don't ride. the guys i know who do ride, i rode with once and will probably never ride with again (that's when i got stung for doing 135mph).</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just get out on some leisurely rides. Don't try to think about the dangers of riding too much and enjoy the ride. Trackdays seem to help a bit. I went down in March of this year (lady + one way street + me = - left knee PCL) and slowly got most of my left turn confidence back (except for the alley where the accident happend, still go slow on that turn)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Apocalypse &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How old are you?

All jokes aside, it could be that you're just getting to a point in your life where the risks are starting to outweigh the gain.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i'm 32 this year. a lot has happened in the past couple of years...good things. but i've never been one to not do something because i'm afraid to lose what i have. not saying i'm a thrill-seeker or a risk taker or anything extreme like that. you can get hurt crossing the street, but i would still do it.

riding has always just been there. through highschool, college...it's never been really something "extra curricular" per se.

10 years i've never seen a track day. i've always been an A to B rider. i've never felt the desire to get a knee down or anything like that. i don't think i'm even that good of a rider. i don't take risks on a bike and i barely split lanes even...i'd rather just wait like everybody else.


Modified by Fogset415 at 1:27 AM 8/27/2005

 

Go see a shink???

j/k

 

good idea...*cracks open the maker's mark*

thanks for all the replies and advice. hopefully it's just a phase that i'll get over.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fogset415 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i'm 32 this year. a lot has happened in the past couple of years...good things. but i've never been one to not do something because i'm afraid to lose what i have. not saying i'm a thrill-seeker or a risk taker or anything extreme like that. you can get hurt crossing the street, but i would still do it.

riding has always just been there. through highschool, college...it's never been really something "extra curricular" per se.

10 years i've never seen a track day. i've always been an A to B rider. i've never felt the desire to get a knee down or anything like that. i don't think i'm even that good of a rider. i don't take risks on a bike and i barely split lanes even...i'd rather just wait like everybody else.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm the same type of rider, although I've only been riding for a year. Maybe the problem is that you're starting to realze your limitations as a rider and really need to take the next step to improve yourself? I'm not saying you need to get a knee down but perhaps a track day in an unltracontrolled environment would help? I don't by any means think tracking your bike is the end-all, especially since I have no real desire to track mine... but maybe it will help you improve your confidence a bit.

 

yeah. i think that's a good idea and a good way to test the limits i'm willing to go against the limits of the bike. maybe it'll help me trust my tires more... if nothing else, it seems like it would be fun.

that's why i want to check out that keith code school. they have outriggers on their bikes, which would be perfect for a track noob like me.