Here's a bit of background about myself before I ask my question:
I've only started riding last season (around July) and hit about 1,000 miles before winter started in Jersey. I took a MSF course before I started and when I got my 250, I was able to practice in a safe area on a farm and at a nearby community college that had a parking lot that was used for MSF courses. Even after my first drop which happened on the third time riding my bike (grabbed my front brakes when a car didn't yield, low sided, 10-15mph?), I've gain a lot of confidence practicing on the nice, smooth roads of Jersey (I know, I know. Think 287 rather than the Turnpike). Plus I got to ride to work everyday on backroads with little to no traffic. I even rode through rain at night unintentionally (got caught leaving the restuarant and waited the obligatory 15-20 minutes before riding).

Last season, I also took a little trip to NY through 287 -> 440n --> verrazano --> queens at night. It wasn't a bad ride at all (around 60 miles by myself!) and I got to my desination just dandy. However, on the way back, I managed to get into 2 tiny tank slappers/front wheel wobbles because of potholes. One was probably around 40mph and the other 60mph. I think that was about when I got a little apprehensive of going fast.

So this year, spring has come and I've started riding again. Except, I've relocated to NY! I am getting better at riding in the city but a pretty passive rider in terms of speed (damn potholes) and being in a new environment. I ride to work occassionally though taking the subway is faster. haha. But riding is much more fun :)

During the weekends, I usually try to go to different places and hit 495 a lot. I go around 45-50mph (which is pretty slow compare to the flow of traffic - around 60mph - even though the speed limit is 45 at certain parts) because I'm afraid of those damn pot holes or bumps! I keep imagining getting flown off the bike if I hit one too fast (fast being relative).

Back in Jersey, I don't think I had such a fear of speed :\ I would be able to hit highways around 70-80mph and be pretty confident. I don't expect to ever hit those speeds in NY but I also don't want to be afraid of keeping up with traffic.

I thought it would get better with more practice on highways and just generally riding around NY. I'm thinking about taking a refresher course but I'm not sure if I can with a Jersey bike in NY.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get over my fear of speed? Or perhaps some methods for potholes and bumps that I'm not aware of? I usually slow down a bit before hitting it if I cant avoid it. But even with bracing myself it still feels scary.

tl;dr - need to get over fear of speed due to fear of flying off bike. how?

I think you need to go faster. :)

Only partially kidding. Our bikes have a very light and nimble front end, whose geometry sometimes lends itself to steering wobbles. It's a characteristic of the bike, but they are generally easy to handle, especially if prepared for them. The fun part is, that they are most prevalent in the 40 - 45 mph range. Some people's ninjettes (mine included) will wobble 100% of the time when descending through 45 mph with hands off the bars. While holding on to the bars, you can just feel the start of a wobble, which settles down either above or below that speed. If I hit some feature of the road (pothole, bump, etc.) right around 45, I'd imagine that there would be a twinge of a wobble, but would settle itself out soon after.

The trick to fix such a wobble is pretty much to not panic, and all will generally be well. Don't stiffen up your arms so much that you can't control the bars easily. Don't manhandle the bars so hard that the bike doesn't work on settling things out itself. Stay loose, stay focused, do not slam on the brakes (or even worry about applying them at all by that point), and bring the front back under control.

It sounds like you're target fixating on the potholes/etc a little. I know I do that when I'm scared of something on the bike. Do you find yourself staring at them or looking down for them a lot?

If so, remember to look where you want to go and try to make yourself keep your eyes up and scanning.

Try keeping a looser grip, too -- bracing yourself will make it *more* scary because you're reinforcing to your brain that there's something to be afraid of. Squeeze the tank with your knees and try to keep your arms loose. If I'm really tense on the bike, I'll flap my elbows and shrug my shoulders to remind myself to loosen up a little.

Personally, I would work on relaxing (yeah, I know, "work on relaxing" sounds funny, huh) and don't worry about the speed. Once you feel a little more comfortable and the pothole issue works itself out and you get smoother, the speed will come on its own.

Hope that's helpful!

Simple answer...
Dodge the potholes.

Dodge the potholes.

:clapping: :p

I actually self induce speed wobbles on myself so I'm prepared for if it ever happens. I actually have fun doing it, never had a real one yet.

Simple answer...
Dodge the potholes.

Easier said than done in NY. They have the crappiest roads that I have been on. What I hated more than those potholes were those @#$@ metal plates they stick down everywhere. In the rain those are like driving on ice. :eek:

need to get over fear of speed due to fear of flying off bike. how?

Trade your Ninja 250 in for ZX-1000.:eek: You'll go so fast you won't have time to be scared.:confused40:

I keed I keed

Yup, I thought I might have a bent rim or bad tire when I first noticed a pronounced wobble at about 40 mph. Cool thing was I searched ninjette and there was a whole thread on the topic.

You will get there. One day soon it will click and you will have the confidence that you need.

Potholes - dodge, at least that's what I do around here. We have some pretty nasty ones being in a 4 season state like New York. There are times where you can't avoid them, but most here you can if you know they're coming. My best advice is learn the roads you ride most often, and avoid them.

My other advice is look into a different set of tires. Why? Well I had the stock Dunlop in front and a Kenda rear. As Alex mentioned, some bikes have a speed wobble at 40-45 mph, and my bike was no exception. After swapping to Diablo Scooters I don't have that wobble anymore. I can let go of the handle bars at pretty much any speed and not worry about wobbles. My theory is this could also (maybe not these exact tires) help to prevent wobbles after diving into pot holes.

Yet another tip, lift yourself off the bike a little if you know your coming in on a pot hole. Still use your knees to hold you up, but lifting yourself a bit allows the suspension to work over the pothole since your knees will bend a bit when the bike dives and comes back up.

Hope these, and others' advice help!

Trade your Ninja 250 in for ZX-1000.:eek: You'll go so fast you won't have time to be scared.:confused40:

I keed I keed

haha my friend has a zx-1000! Too bad I didn't feel comfortable test riding it. Too short for it :(

Thanks everyone for their response. I'll be riding more definitely and try to loosen up. I avoid as much potholes as I can, but when I ride at night, I don't always get to see every one of them. Oddly enough, I think I feel more comfortable riding at night since I'm not target fixating on the potholes.

I didn't know that the wobbling was common on the 250.. it makes me feel better since I thought I must've been such a noob to hit those too fast.

Thanks all again!

Time in the seat... The more you ride the better you get... Parking lot practice is a very good thing to do no matter how much you ride...

Look there go there...:thumbup:

It sounds like you're target fixating on the potholes/etc a little. I know I do that when I'm scared of something on the bike. Do you find yourself staring at them or looking down for them a lot?

If so, remember to look where you want to go and try to make yourself keep your eyes up and scanning.

:whatshesaid:

Keeping your eyes up and looking down the road reduce the feeling of speed. Think of it this way: If you are riding along next to a miles long picket fence, and look at the pickets right next to you, the pickets will be seen going by in a high speed blur. If you focus at the same fence down the road a ways you can see individual pickets. Same effect in everyday riding.

You do need to check the road surface for problems but your vision needs to be bounced back up to the long focus to shake that speed-ed up feeling. Working on your peripheral vision helps also.

Further, increasing your following distance from the vehicles in front of you will allow you to see the potholes in time to avoid them.

Welcome to the Forum.

Jeff

Lots of good advice here. I definitely agree with the advice to take big bumps or holes by lifting up off the seat a little. Take the bump with your knees, not your butt, and be confident in the laws of physics. The bike *wants* to stay upright and going straight ahead. You just have to let it do what it wants.
Of course if the pothole is bad enough, it could damage your tire or wheel, but looking far down the road (remember the 12 second rule from the MSF class?) should help you to avoid them and reduce the sense of speed as well.

I’m fairly new to biking and I ride in Glasgow in the UK which is pothole hell so I know what you’re talking about! They’re EVERYWHERE! I keep a good gap from the car in front so I have time to see them and dodge. If you need to be looking right in front of you to see the potholes you’re probably too close to the car in front. If I see that I’m hitting one anyway I focus on staying steady on the throttle and grip the tank with my legs so I don’t take off! The alternative is to stand up a little and take the impact with your legs instead but that can’t really be done at high speeds. I actually think sometimes the faster you go over them the less you feel them! If you have trouble getting up to speed maybe you could try and find someone to ride out with to bring your confidence up?

I ride in Jersey quite a bit.. stay at my other place in Hoboken where the corner pizza shop only opens 3 times a week and rarely on weekends but generate plenty of garbage for the 5 times a week collections.. I mean big garbage bags.. like the one that can hold a body.. Bada Bing. :thumbup:

It's not just the pot holes, Jersey drivers are just crazy in general. Speed limits are easily 10-20 mph below the traffic flow. As much as the Ninja 250 is capable of highway speed, I would feel more comfortable on a larger displacement moto with instant torque in NJ traffic...for better ability to get out of trouble quicker.