First (very short) trip!!

[250rr]

I just got back from my first ride to an actual destination. About 6 or 8 blocks down the road to my local coffee shop.

It's gonna take me awhile to get used to this thing. Why do cars near me make me ride worse? Huh? Can someone explain this to me?

[Alex]

/moved to ride reports

[bkh2]

For me, it's because I get self-conscious. I think that they can see how uncomfortable I am. Also, you're a lot more exposed on a bike, so you could feel nervous because you're not protected by a car body. The whole riding experience is sooo different than a car for me. Even familiar roads seem new, and that new perception can cause nervousness and make you ride worse.

When you get more comfortable, you'll get over it, like I have. You'll do everything out of muscle memory and you'll feel more comfortable being on the road.

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Alex

/moved to ride reports

Thank you, Alex. Thought about posting here to begin with. Ha!

[250rr]

Originally Posted by bkh2

For me, it's because I get self-conscious. I think that they can see how uncomfortable I am. Also, you're a lot more exposed on a bike, so you could feel nervous because you're not protected by a car body. The whole riding experience is sooo different than a car for me. Even familiar roads seem new, and that new perception can cause nervousness and make you ride worse.

When you get more comfortable, you'll get over it, like I have. You'll do everything out of muscle memory and you'll feel more comfortable being on the road.

Thanks for the encouragement, Ben. It is most definitely a new experience for me, that is fo sho!

[MotoED]

Congratulations on your very 1st ride.

[Yasko]

Find a huge parking lot and do drills to get time in the seat. Time in the seat will help your confidence.

Get a hi viz vest. People tend to back off with my hi-viz vest.

Early Sunday, and late night rides helped me, because there is very little traffic on the road.

[250rr]

Originally Posted by MotoED

Congratulations on your very 1st ride.

Thank you.

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Yasko

Find a huge parking lot and do drills to get time in the seat. Time in the seat will help your confidence.

Get a hi viz vest. People tend to back off with my hi-viz vest.

Early Sunday, and late night rides helped me, because there is very little traffic on the road.

Good advice. I was thinking about a high viz vest anyway!

[Yasko]

It helps my confidence knowing that people can see me better, but I still ride like they don't.

I felt like you do now a year ago when I first got my bike. One year later and 8k miles, I can't see myself ever without a bike.

Just be safe and get lots of time in the seat.

[Firehorse]

Nice!
Found this re the other thread, awesome idea taking the intermediate MSF. We have one here and also one that is a one on one technical course, will be taking that in the spring. More skills = more fun!!

I'm still totally nervous around cars but it's better than before. Once I know that, yes, they have seen me, I relax a bit. I still don't like tailgaters and I have cab drivers pull right up to me all the time.

I'm with the others, get to a parking lot and just play (otherwise known as practice..) I practice emergency braking and swerving, making u turns, figure 8s etc, just nice and relaxed. Play with my brakes just to learn where the lock up point is, toodle around with only clutch/brake control happening, no throttle.
Stops and starts, take-offs on a hill. All those MSF refresher things.

Soon your bike is so much part of you that you forget about the bike and can 100% concentrate on your surroundings. Don't hesitate to give the cagers a friendly nod too, they tend to remember I'm there when they've "made contact". When I see them do things like check their mirrors after we've been side by side earlier, I try to give them a nod-thanks. Makes them feel good, makes me feel good that they're looking.

High vis is a good idea as well as riding in off peak to get comfy. I LOVE riding in the middle of the night but there's more cabbies, police and the increased possibility of drunks coming home from bars. Super friendly to the cops but I try to disappear before the cabs crawl up my caboose and if someone look iffy speed or drunk-wise, I turn at the first sideroad just in case. The Ninja is fine at night in the city, no problems with visibility at all.

Also, at night, take axtra care at intersections! That's usually when people think there's no one else around so they run yellows and jump reds.

I;ve been riding for a little while but I'm still having that newbie excitement ever time I get on. Hope it never goes away.

Holy crow!, I just wrote a chapter! Sorry, I tend to get all excited..

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Yasko

It helps my confidence knowing that people can see me better, but I still ride like they don't.

I felt like you do now a year ago when I first got my bike. One year later and 8k miles, I can't see myself ever without a bike.

Just be safe and get lots of time in the seat.

Yeah. Ride like I'm invisible, right?

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Firehorse

Nice!
Found this re the other thread, awesome idea taking the intermediate MSF. We have one here and also one that is a one on one technical course, will be taking that in the spring. More skills = more fun!!

I'm still totally nervous around cars but it's better than before. Once I know that, yes, they have seen me, I relax a bit. I still don't like tailgaters and I have cab drivers pull right up to me all the time.

I'm with the others, get to a parking lot and just play (otherwise known as practice..) I practice emergency braking and swerving, making u turns, figure 8s etc, just nice and relaxed. Play with my brakes just to learn where the lock up point is, toodle around with only clutch/brake control happening, no throttle.
Stops and starts, take-offs on a hill. All those MSF refresher things.

Soon your bike is so much part of you that you forget about the bike and can 100% concentrate on your surroundings. Don't hesitate to give the cagers a friendly nod too, they tend to remember I'm there when they've "made contact". When I see them do things like check their mirrors after we've been side by side earlier, I try to give them a nod-thanks. Makes them feel good, makes me feel good that they're looking.

High vis is a good idea as well as riding in off peak to get comfy. I LOVE riding in the middle of the night but there's more cabbies, police and the increased possibility of drunks coming home from bars. Super friendly to the cops but I try to disappear before the cabs crawl up my caboose and if someone look iffy speed or drunk-wise, I turn at the first sideroad just in case. The Ninja is fine at night in the city, no problems with visibility at all.

Also, at night, take axtra care at intersections! That's usually when people think there's no one else around so they run yellows and jump reds.

I;ve been riding for a little while but I'm still having that newbie excitement ever time I get on. Hope it never goes away.

Holy crow!, I just wrote a chapter! Sorry, I tend to get all excited..

No worries, T. I think riding is supposed to be exciting...to a point!!

Don't worry about the long posts. I am very much in the info gathering stages of this whole thing. Yes, what I'm saying is that when it comes to information, size, at this point, matters.

[JoeLansing]

Originally Posted by 250rr

Why do cars near me make me ride worse? Huh? Can someone explain this to me?

For me it's because people can see what I really look like when on a bike, not all enclosed in a car. The hot girls drooling and blowing me kisses puts me on edge.
- Joe

[250rr]

Originally Posted by JoeLansing

For me it's because people can see what I really look like when on a bike, not all enclosed in a car. The hot girls drooling and blowing me kisses puts me on edge.
- Joe

Finally! This is obviously it, Joe! The answer to the question I posed in this thread lies in my own considerable hotness.

So obvious I miss ed it.

[Firehorse]

Originally Posted by 250rr

Finally! This is obviously it, Joe! The answer to the question I posed in this thread lies in my own considerable hotness.

So obvious I miss ed it.

Geez, I thought you already knew that. I think it's in the Motorcycle Handbook. My 'hotness index' rose four points the moment I sat on my bike. Must be why I can ride during winter..hot, hot, so very hot. heh, heh..

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Firehorse

Geez, I thought you already knew that. I think it's in the Motorcycle Handbook. My 'hotness index' rose four points the moment I sat on my bike. Must be why I can ride during winter..hot, hot, so very hot. heh, heh..

What a noob I am. Ha!

[Firehorse]

Originally Posted by 250rr

What a noob I am. Ha!

Not to worry, you'll get used to being a hottie. You think you get nervous when cars are around, wait until some opposite sex person on a Ninja is around. That's when your concentration and riding skills need to kick in.

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Firehorse

Not to worry, you'll get used to being a hottie. You think you get nervous when cars are around, wait until some opposite sex person on a Ninja is around. That's when your concentration and riding skills need to kick in.

So what you're saying is my riding skills will be superb. Except when in close proximity to someone of the opposite sex. This is getting worse.

[bkh2]

Originally Posted by 250rr

So what you're saying is my riding skills will be superb. Except when in close proximity to someone of the opposite sex. This is getting worse.

This is actually true sometimes. I was riding past some traffic control girl and I was looking at her because she waved at me. Then up ahead, some guy on the intersecting street made a left turn right in front of me because he didn't see me (How many times have we heard that?). To make things worse, he just stopped half in my lane, half in his lane so I had to swerve to my left. Good thing the traffic person was holding a 'Slow' sign, or things may have been different.

@Firehorse - You can ride in the winter? I would have assumed that Ontario winters were too brutal for that. It's bad enough here in BC.

[250rr]

All I'm saying is I'd like to think my riding skills improve with proximity to the opposite sex.

[Firehorse]

Originally Posted by bkh2

@Firehorse - You can ride in the winter? I would have assumed that Ontario winters were too brutal for that. It's bad enough here in BC.

I can ride as long as the roads are clear. The problem is actually the times when I would have to go into a parking lot or gas station, the curbs will be ice ramps so that's when I have to give it up. Much too dangerous for a new bike/rider.

What I've learned when riding in the cold (5c to -11 or so (?). Haven't tried to ride in anything colder yet , unless you count the windchill.):

- Let your tire warm up completely - no leaning for a while, no extreme swerves either.
- The oil is sluggish, need to use full-on choke to start it and let it warm up completely. Ride with the choke on just a tiny bit for the first while.

- Use all your extremities. When I go for long periods without using the brakes, my hand or foot gets numb.

- Keep an extra eye out for dark patches in the road, they could be wet spots that have now become ice spots.

- Use caution when going over metal surfaces or bridges. They ice first because of the condensation.

It will eventually get to -20s and -30s so I won't be riding at all then regardless of how clear the roads are. Hypothermia is real and people don't usually feel it until it's too late, not worth the risk.

Not riding tonight because it's 1c and raining, only 1 degree drop and the roads would become a skating rink. Nope, cover the bike and tuck in for the night.