[cehowardrx7]

This was wierd!

I left my house Sat morning to meet up with one of my ridin partners to hit the slab for about 120 miles to get to the sweet twistees. The sweet twistees was in W. Va on rt W.33. Been there several times, love the curves. And I travel with fast company(they are faster than me, way faster)

Anyway, today I tried some new moves in an effort move up my skill level. The moves consist of throttle control, (getting on throttle quickly) the position of my body,(hang off more), and trying to put my weight on the outside peg.

Let me tell ya, after hitting about 6 or 7 curves, fear crept in. I was scared. I am a timid SOB, but I don't get scared doing twistees riding at my pace. This has always been a fun thing. But, today I was scared, and didn't know how to handled it, so I told my buddies that was it for me for today. I quit hitting the twistees. I sat it out, took pictures, and headed home.

Later on, after I got home, I figured out why I was got scared. I was out of my safe area in trying those new moves. Also, I was trying them on super technical curves. My brain was trying to tell me that what I was doing was wrong, and I stood a good chance of crashing. My brain made me scared, and I never rode scared, so that made me quit.

Hoping that bit will save some riders who fall into that same pitfall. Nothing wrong with trying to improve, but it seem I was going about it the wrong way, and I was totally unsafe. I didn't see it, but my 6th sense, or my guardian angel saw it, and made me scared. Going to take a break, and come back...

ceh

 

[King Cobra]

How long ya been riding?

 

[Hamilton]

Maybe you were trying to do too many "new things" at once....and I don't know if "getting on the throttle quickly" is a good thing. I did that once on a ZX12R and it cost me a broken collar bone.

 

[Darkstar]

Maybe you were trying to do too many "new things" at once....and I don't know if "getting on the throttle quickly" is a good thing. I did that once on a ZX12R and it cost me a broken collar bone.

i agree with the 'too many things at once' part. that will often do it. i know the feeling you are talking about.

about the 'getting on the throttle quickly' i think he maens get on the throttle earlier for a faster exit speed. but you must be extremely smooth with that right hand.

 

[freeride]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with deciding you're in over your head and getting out. A guy in my hometown bought an R1 not too long ago, his girlfriend told me, and I was afraid for him. He's young with no experience, and I knew he was going to get hurt. The next time I saw his girlfriend, she said he sold it. He was riding with friends and was uncomfortable. I can COMPLETELY respect a man who knows his limits and stops before he gets hurt. It takes more balls to go back and regroup before going further, than it does to jump in and get hurt.

Get some track time. Riding hard on the street leads to NOTHING but trouble.

 

[Zyankaly]

There are some nice twistis in my area on which I practiced very good.
What I did was first ride it at your speed till you know the road by heart. (This can take even some days, depends on the length of the road)
Now every 2nd time you go there do it a bit faster and with one extra skill (leaning, wheight, acceleration etc)

Why every second time ? well just so that you can ride it up and down on one day with the new skills, sleep over it and do them again AND THEN going for the next step.

This method improved my skills tremedosly. I would say +75% of my original skills. Now thats a lot !

 

[Zyankaly]

+1 freeride,
I'm still dreaming a dream, a dream in which riders in spain would have more respect toward others, their bikes and them selfs.

 

[cehowardrx7]

How long ya been riding?

Started riding in the late 60s, had a lot of long layoffs, and finally got back into it in the last 5 years. I ride better now, then I did back then!!

ceh

 

[japbike]

ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the good ol' SR... haven't we all been there....

don't worry, ride at your own pace, who cares about tring to keep up. Riding isn't supposed to be a compotion, unless your on the track.

 

[cehowardrx7]

Maybe you were trying to do too many "new things" at once....and I don't know if "getting on the throttle quickly" is a good thing. I did that once on a ZX12R and it cost me a broken collar bone.

I think you are right. Too many new moves, and on the wrong terrian too.
The getting on the throttle quickly was suggested, and tried it on some light weight curves, and I shot out of the curve like a bat out of hell. However, trying that new move in some real tight chit, I wasn't ready for it. I was coming up too fast, and my brain didn't like the picture. I wouldn't hit the brakes, so the only thing my body could do to warn me was to get scared!!

That getting on the throttle quickly is a good move, if you can do it!! It is like shooting a pistol straight. And not everybody can shoot straight! And right now, I can't hit a barn..

Ne

 

[cehowardrx7]

ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the good ol' SR... haven't we all been there....

don't worry, ride at your own pace, who cares about tring to keep up. Riding isn't supposed to be a compotion, unless your on the track.

Nah, it wasn't about trying to keep up, I was trying to move up my pace/skill level.

ceh

 

[cehowardrx7]

There are some nice twistis in my area on which I practiced very good.
What I did was first ride it at your speed till you know the road by heart. (This can take even some days, depends on the length of the road)
Now every 2nd time you go there do it a bit faster and with one extra skill (leaning, wheight, acceleration etc)

Why every second time ? well just so that you can ride it up and down on one day with the new skills, sleep over it and do them again AND THEN going for the next step.

This method improved my skills tremedosly. I would say +75% of my original skills. Now thats a lot !

Great feedback. Going to take a break, and come back and try it real slowly.

I was trying to do too much at one time, and on the wrong road.

ceh

 

[cehowardrx7]

i agree with the 'too many things at once' part. that will often do it. i know the feeling you are talking about.

about the 'getting on the throttle quickly' i think he maens get on the throttle earlier for a faster exit speed. but you must be extremely smooth with that right hand.

You are right. Everytime I got on the throttle early, I came out fast, real fast.

ceh

 

[RayOSV]

It's usually best to try only one new thing at a time and only at 6/10ths or so.

 

[pillaka]

Since you prob were hanging off, and getting in the gas earlier/faster, you automatically just went faster than what you're used to. Well within the bike limits, but pushing yours. Like some people said, you're probably doing to much all at once. Its just taking too much attention, like keith code talks about in his books. I remember getting the perfert form down during my trackday, and just realized how much faster I could go into, and come out of turns. Then after getting my form down, I worked on feeding the bike more gas coming out of turn pretty much to the point I am WFO. Next time on want to work on braking later, and so on......

 

[SMFCPACFP]

It takes all of the fun out of riding if you aren't in your comfort zone. Sometimes I scare myself and say slow down, this is supposed to be fun.

 

[Darkstar]

Get some track time. Riding hard on the street leads to NOTHING but trouble.

+1. last time i mentioned the track i got chewed out :flipa

its a good thing you were able to back yourself out of that situation though. i would hate to see another "rider down" thread and pictures of a beautiful bike wrapped around a guardrail or tree.

what bike do you usually take to the twistys anyway?

 

[ecir]

Been there done that bro. The inportant part is you knew when to say enough is enough and stop.

The pace > *.*

 

[Mykl]

I guess with wisdom does come with age... good on you for knowing when enough was enough.

That's why I typically ride solo most of the time. I can ride my own ride.

 

[Mykl]

Been there done that bro. The inportant part is you knew when to say enough is enough and stop.

The pace > *.*

You do realize that you can get going pretty damn fast by riding "the pace" right?