Motorcycle anxiety
So this question is for you experienced riders. When does the anxiety go away? Im exited about my bike but its freakin me out at the same time. I hope it goes away soon so I can FULLY enjoy myself. Im fine on the open road but I dont enjoy the town driving at all. I hope when I get more riding time in, this will go away.
Any thoughts??
Thanks,
Any thoughts??
Thanks,
0
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Get enough miles on it to be comfortable with you and the bike but don't let yourself get comfortable with the other traffic. 0 -
If it doesnt, sell it. You need repect for the bike, but if you are overly cautious, its not worth it. I was fine for 15 years and all of the sudden I was hesitant in the turns. dont know why. I took it as a sign to get a convertible.[:D] 0 -
Sounds like you need a little dirtbike and an open field to hotrod around in. Nothing like such a thing to build up the handling skills and confidence.
Find a big empty parking lot and mess around in it for a couple hours. Stop, start,and turn over and over.
Course if it was me I would be doing burnouts and wheelies[:D][:D]0 -
I'd expand on what eboydell said : at some point the pure anxiety will be replaced by cautious confidence. That is, instead of riding scared all the time, you'll know you have the experience and learned instinct to react as circumstances unfold around you. Vigilance will keep you upright, confidence lets you enjoy it. 0 -
The more you ride in town the more at ease you will become. It'll
happen as it will, and enjoy every minute of it.0 -
I think I told you before I was so nervous about getting a 750 lb Harley that I had it delivered to my garage.
I have spent a lot of time on the backroads of Oregon, getting familiar with the bike and how it handles. Learning to stop without bobbling and hopping with your left foot is one of the things to work on. I still have trouble sometimes when I have my wife on the back and a large top heavy travelpack.
I hate city traffic and avoid it as much as possible. We have so many beautiful places to ride in Oregon, within five miles of my house I can be in the country and choose any of hundreds of routes as many miles as I want.
Ride to the Mountains, to the Ocean, up the Columbia River Gorge, Mountain Lakes, its a perfect place to learn to ride. Downside, of course is the rainy season which limits my riding in the winter months. The club rides in all weather, but I don't like to ride in the cold and heavy rain. Too old for that crap.
Experience is the thing that gives you the confidence to ride often and to ride safe. Good luck.0 -
Unfortunately, you do have to assume that every driver out there is going to try to kill you. They are bigger than you and have the right of way every time. The anxiety will give way to caution. But, no, riding a bike in traffic has never gotten to the 'fun' stage for me.
Of course you have big advantages over cars - better acceleration, quicker braking etc.0 -
As already mentioned experience is what makes you more comfortable on a bike.I've been riding for 35 years and still have a bit of trepidation every time I ride.Fear is soon replaced by caution.Someone told me once that if you can make it thru the first 2 years you'll probably have seen practically every stupid move someone can make in a car.Get yourself familiar the bike.Stay aware and try to anticipate the stupidest moves and you probably won't be wrong too often. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
quote:Originally posted by Warpig883
Sounds like you need a little dirtbike and an open field to hotrod around in. Nothing like such a thing to build up the handling skills and confidence.
Find a big empty parking lot and mess around in it for a couple hours. Stop, start,and turn over and over.
Course if it was me I would be doing burnouts and wheelies[:D][:D]
Boy, I disagree 100% as a dirt bike has absolutely nothing in common with riding a large street bike (other than both having two wheels).
On the contrary it has everything in common with learning how to ride a bigger bike. It is how you learn to stop and start and steer and lean and countersteer and balance and shift your weight and carry a passenger and deal with wind and deal with bumps.
It is all about the fundamentals. A small dirtbike is great way to start. I don't recommend starting out on a large streetbike at all. I started with a Honda Trail 50 almost 30 years ago. The lessons I learned on that and subsequent bikes have served me well. I have a HD now and will ride anything on 2 wheels due to the lessons and confidence I learned on a smaller bike.0 -
Just when you think you have mastered it, BAM! I hope you never lose that "Feeling" It will keep you alive. 0 -
Well I know I learned how to shoot with a very small gun. 22 cal rifle. To cure flinching I recommend to friends to go back to basics and shoot 22 until you stop the bad habits.
This kind of works with bikes also. The various colleges who train people to ride motorcycles start with small light bikes. This is good since it is not a big event if you dump a 200 lb bike.
It is a major event if you dump a 800 lb Harley!!!!!
The Harley Davidson Dealer delivered a Buel Blast 500 cc bike to the DMV for me to test ride and then take the motorcycle riding test. I never would have been able to pass on my Harley! I know I could now but to do it when I first got the Harley it would not have worked out well. I have ridden bikes since the 1960's and have had BMW's, Honda 4s, Yamahas, several dirtikes and lots of experiece hill climbing in the mountains of CA and enduro ridding in the swamps of Florida.0 -
quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
Regretfully, that just reinforces the fact that many new motorcycle riders purchase too big of a bike for their first. [;)] It's usually an "ego" thing. [8D]
Thus reinforcing what I have been saying, it is better to learn confidence and fundamentals on a smaller bike than a bigger bike[:p][:p]0 -
I can tell you from first hand experience that a fight between a motorcycle and the front end of a '55 Chevy whose gonna be the winner and it ain't the guy on the motorcycle. I've still got the scars on my face and rear end to prove it.
I've rode'em all my life. I got my first broke bone in 1958 on a K Model Harley. But it never kept me from enjoying riding and it never will. That's just one of the things that go along with riding motorcycles. You'll just have to decide for yourself rather or not it's worth it. The chances are soon or later you're gonna experience at least road rash at the very least. Hopefully you'll live to be a grumpy old man like me. Bad drivers are what makes us that way to.[:D]
Smitty0 -
Thanks for the words folks. As far as me being inexperienced, Im far from it. I rode for years in New Mexico and Illinois. Its just been 14 years since my last ride. As for the ego theory, well, my Harley called me not the other way around. I didnt even know I was looking. The process just kinda started. I had no idea how big it really was until I looked in to it. I will keep at it though. I need to find an empty parking lot or something to practice those right turns. My problem is the combination of weight and power distribution. You wind the accelerator too much and your off into the other lane, too little and you start wobbling.
Thanks again,0 -
I did the same thing. Had not ridden since 1983 and then in 05 decided to buy the Harley. It is scary when you are older to jump back into bikes and into the heavyweight class at that.
Our Harley dealer offered classes to determine my skill level, I worked with their trainer in their parking lot running the same course that the motor vehicles course required. Used the Buel 500 which is a simple, lightweight bike to ride.
Have some fun and join the local H.O.G. Club and you will be able to attend some fun events and take some safe rides with the club. Good way to ease yourself back into the bike thing. They help there members take safety classes and offer a lot of good advice.
By the way take a look at the great HD forum if you ever want to learn all about your bike and how to maintain it.0 -
Don't remember. It's been too long since I started.[;)] 0
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