Been lurking here on the forums for a couple of months now, ever since I got my GS.  Figured it was time to actually say hi and introduce myself.

It's my first motorcycle, and pretty much my first time riding.  I'd had about 30 minutes of dirt bike experience about 2 years back, and nothing else till I bought my bike.  And promptly dropped it.  Fortunately I did buy it used and fully expected to drop it, just not on my first attempt to make it go forward.

But that was 3 months and 4000 miles ago and I'm a lot more confident on it now.  I actually got the front wheel off the ground a couple days ago.  It took me about 2 weeks of slowly revving a little bit higher and dropping the clutch on it to get up enough guts to get the wheel off the ground.  My intention was to get used to the feeling in case I ever wheelie on accident but now that I'm not scared to death of it I actually find it kinda fun.  And yes I was in full gear, in a empty private parking lot, with someone there to help me out if I fell.

I still feel nervous taking corners fast, but it's oddly inconsistent some times I cruise through them at about a 45 degree angle and feel just fine, and others I'm more around 30 degrees(from vertical) and it just freaks me out.  It also doesn't seem to be related to the speed I'm actually travelling either so I'm not sure what that's about.

So far I've been doing my basic maintenance, adjusting/lubing the chain, but taking it to a nearby repair shop for the larger stuff.  Just not comfortable with my skills/toolsets for getting in there to do valve adjustments and such.

And I'm in the Lynnwood(north Seattle) area, don't know how many other GS's we have around here, but I know there's plenty of bikes in the area.

If we're all lucky I'll remember that I signed up and post once in a while.

-Rael

welcome 

I am the same way.  This is my first bike and my best friend is the same. We are lucky in that we have been able to experience this at the same time. We both tear up the twisties now. this bike is tons of fun. About the inconsistentcy, even the most experienced riders have this now and again. Some days you are feeling it some days you are a little off. No real explianation.

Yeah, my issue is I can't tell if I'm going to feel fine about it when I'm headed into the corner and can actually do anything about my speed.  Only once I'm there.  It is getting better in general though.  I power through 4th on this curve in the onramp on my way home from work that I used to get a little queasy about hitting half way through 3rd gear.

I should find a place near me with some good curves I can practice on to get more used to the feel of the bike.  I may have 4000 miles on it, but thats 90% freeway to and from work.

Also, the GS has ruined my car for me.  I never thought my RX-8 would feel slow but... Now it does.  Oh well.

As your skill and confidence builds its, gets better.  When you start to feel that "spooked" feeling, remind your self to raise your eye level and look ahead.  Watch the road where you are gonna be, not where you are.  Usually almost instant relief.  Also, take Clint Eastwood's advice to heart; "A man has'ta know his limitations."  Practice picking your lines through curves at modest speeds and then go back and pick-up the pace a little bit keeping those good lines.  Enjoy!

prs

Hey im on my first bike too and have the same issue with my cornering but mostly my left blind corners. what im finding out is that pigeonroost is sooo right!  i am way more confident when looking where i want to go instead of the other lane im scared to death containes a semi truck right out of my sight.  I feel really confident about my rights though because it an inside turn with no danger.....well maybee a deer or a DUCK!  Yeah there was  duck in the middle of the road today in my favorite right turn on the way to work.  I was following another car thuogh that was moving pretty fast and it seen it before i did so i had a little heads up.  seen four deer in the road too since i have had my bike (2.5 weeks) i was looking at those deer alarms at walmart and was wondering if they really work. anyone know? I have great twisties all the way into town  which is about 11 miles but downside is all the wildlife

Me too, I've got at least 170,000 miles of bike experience and would consider myself an advanced rider but even I don't always feel on the rails. I'm slightly more comfortable on right hand turns than left, mostly because a lot of my freeway experience means lots of right hand interchanges and on-ramps where I can scrape pegs but little in the way of left hand sweepers to practice on 

Quote from: souljeroflight on July 18, 2008, 01:39:54 PM
i am way more confident when looking where i want to go instead of the other lane im scared to death containes a semi truck right out of my sight.  I feel really confident about my rights though because it an inside turn with no danger.....well maybee a deer or a DUCK!

You go where you look, so look where you want to go. Looking into the other lane is going to (at least) tend to get you closer to it... and looking at an obstacle tends to drive you right into it.

As for the rights, don't forget that anything can be up there where you can't see it. Fallen rocks. Disabled cars. Loose gravel. Bits of truck tire. Wet leaves (nasty, slippery things those are, too.) Avoid riding beyond what you can see (specifically, faster than you can stop or evade if something appears at the edge of your sight).

Aim behind wildlife, in general. They are more prone to sprint forward than to turn and go backwards - but the ones that spring out of the bushes to follow the ones you saw on the road are generally what gets you. The deer whistles mostly work to part money from you and to the deer whistle makers. Might as well hang a bell (see thread from earlier in the week).

Now that I think about it, it is the lefts that tend to get me more than the rights... Guess I have to find some good left turns.

So far I've never gotten leaned over enough to scrape the pegs(or anything else for that matter), but I'm sure I will eventually.

Careful with that. It can hurt if you get past the footpegs, or have something other than the footpegs that's lower.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=41835.msg470871#msg470871

Welcome! 

I got my front wheel off the ground the first day I bought my GS, too....and the back wheel... 

I still say I was simply parking him on his side! 

Well, I am by no means trying to get over to peg scraping point, it's just that as time goes by I get more comfortable getting further over, and I know that now I don't even blink taking corners leaned over further than would have made me crap my pants 2 months ago.

As for parking on the side... I guess I've parked it on the side twice.  Once on each side *sigh*

I recently put my bike back on the road after a big crash 6 months ago (lots of injuries) the first (dry) day i took it out it was weird like a whole new me on the bike. Before the accident i was constantly riding in winter, heavy rain, snow and that led me to become so conservative over time and 'safe' with my riding style that on the dry days picking up the pace and tipping into the corners felt unsafe. After the 6 month brake and coming back out onto dry roads i road it into town to get the inspection done then thrashed it on the way home and felt much more confident (having lost the tip toeing'ness i had before in the bad weather) and even managed to get my knee down!

Super fun, can't wait to get out on it again!