Hi Everyone,
It's sunny as hell out here in MD this weekend and I've already put 75 miles on my bike on my beginner rides on the easy 35 and under, open road stuff. Obviously as a beginner I have to get used to riding in general and the bike as well (which is tasty btw - glad I didn't wimp out and get a  Rebel!)
I thought I'd ask my new motorcyle pals about initial fears and the like. I've come to grips with knowing that I don't need to freak out about leaning the bike around corners, and am getting slowly used to realizing that if cars are close behind me, I'm not necesssarily going too slow (Potomac MD has the worst drivers anywhere) My real question is, how long did it take you all when you were new to riding to get comfortable getting to higher speed stuff, like 55+ ? I know I've got a way to go before I can even handle the highway, but I'm sort of wondering if there's a process or learning curve for it. I'd appreciate your feedback. - Blair

Welcome to the board and congrats on your purchase and your new hobby!!!  

I'd say I took the MSF course and logged about 15 hours around town over three weeks before I even got on the highway.  Even that was too soon, I white-knuckled it at 55 the whole way and nearly got run over multiple times.  Just take your time.  You'll know when you're ready.  You DEFINITELY DO NOT want to go out on 270 until you can comfortably cruise at 80mph... otherwise you will be in serious peril  

I took MSF (very recommended), then commuted to work at 20-45mph on city streets for a couple weeks.  Then I tried some roads with 55mph traffic (45mph posted), and noticed that I could no-longer change lanes by leaning; had to countersteer.  Maybe after 3 or 4 weeks, I tried the freeway.  A dry Sunday morning with clean road surface is a good time for that.  My first reaction from the wind blast at freeway speeds was that it felt like I was in a pillow fight.  Not dangerous, but you won't have any attention to put into the other little things, so be sure you've worked out the bugs in your gear so you're comfortable and don't get distracted by its newness.  No matter how you slice it, the GS500 is built for maximum fun at 40-55mph.  Superslabs are fine, but that's not what the engine and gearing are tuned for.

I wouldn't try to set any goals for how fast you think you should ride; just go have fun.  Sometimes having fun means riding slower (there's a curvy 30mph way to work, that I take sometimes that skirts three lakes... way more fun than the highway, if I have the time).

I just took the MSF course and it was great, a little boaring at times, but they get good habits in your head, and can save you later.

I have been riding for 6 months and almost every day to school, which is like 1 mi away(no freeway riding) 50 and under
And still if I jusp on the freeway It is a little scary. in Cali everyone drives 70+ and not being used to the wind and semis can get a little weird.

It just takes time and practice, I am now feeling a lot more comfortable than  4 months ago

I'd agree...  Take it SLOW, don't try to show off or cave in to peer pressure.  Do it at your own pace.  Personally, I'd stick to the quiet side roads and never ride on the freeway unless I had to.  I'd much rather take the twisty-turny country back road than be buffeted on a highway.  Spend time on the back roads and one day when you're feeling good you'll decide "what the hell" and get on the freeway.  It's NOT that bad, or hard to do, it's just WINDY.  Don't fight the swaying/buffeting/being pushed around you'll be doing in the wind and as car/trucks pass you.  Go with it (to a point), slowly recovering to your lane position.  I just prefer a quiet country road with lots of sweeping turns.  BTW, your GS will do OK, I've had mine to 70 and it was nice and stable, the engine is revving but it doesn't seem to mind too much.  I wouldn't plan on LONG freeway trips though.  BE CAREFUL, it's very easy to lose track of the cars around you (coming up from behind) and start to change lanes and there they are right next to you.  It's a LOT harder to see behind/next to you than in a car.  The mirrors are pretty worthless with the vibrations and the wind catches your helmet when you turn your head.  Wear a face shield, bugs REALLY hurt at 70!  Good luck!

Potomac, MD?   Where are you riding?  Glen Road?  Check out www.dccycles.com if you haven't already.


Adam

MSF is the best.

The other thing that will boost your confidence is knowing enough about the bike (tire condition, tire pressure, chain condition, brakes, oil, etc.) to know that your stuff is much less likely to let you down while running fast.

If you are worrying if your front wheel is going to fall off of the bike while you are shooting down the road at 80MPH, your head will not be where it should be at that moment.

Welcome and have fun  

I agree w/everyone about MSF!  After I got my bike, most of my riding was on county highways (posted 45, actually 60 MPH), nice, curvy, well maintained roads.  I'm glad that I got some experience on these roads before I tried the interstate.  One thing that is very odd, after mostly riding on two lane, is going along at 70ish and having cars right next to you.  Hell of a breeze too!
Good luck.

Get some friends Finding some people to go riding with is a good way to build skills.  While on the roads, a group is a lot more visible, and if the people who are riding with you are good riders, you can sorta see what lines they are taking.  Don't try to keep up with them in the turns though... go your own pace definitely and build your confidence.  Just like they told you in MSF, get your speed down before turns!

Highway and crosswinds...  if you experience them, you can compensate a little.  With a steady crosswind, you can slide a little on your seat towards the upwind side, or stand a little on the upwind peg.  But for semis... that takes experience.  You should let the semi push you around a little, within your lane of course.  Either slow down or speed up to get out of the windblast pretty quickly.  

And the thing about making sure your bike works.  Really, go over your bike and make sure bolts are torqued, things are lubricated, and you know what to do in an emergency.  Get a book on riding You'll do okay!

I got licensed 2 years ago...my first bike was and still is a GS.  Take it slow for sure....i still get a bit freaked on the highways in the tri-state and i have 5600 miles on my GS.   But like someone mentioned before...you'll know when your up to it.  Trust your instincts.  My Gramma says..."if you can only do something half-assed....best not to do it at all".  Meaning....wait till yer ass is full...of experience that is...then tackle the New Jersey Turnpike.

Ride safe.....

Like everyone else has said - take your time.

While you're working on getting up to higher speeds, it's a good idea to also work on slowing down faster.  It's one thing to practice emergency stops at 10-15 mph in a parking lot, and quite another to practice them at 40 mph on the "open road".

Pick a straightaway that's not TOO isolated (so someone will find you if the worst happens - pretty unlikely) and practice an emergency stop or three when nobody is coming from either direction.  You might even place objects on the side of the road for a "Start Stopping Here" point and a goal for the "STOP Stopping Here" end point.

If there's one thing that will build your confidence out there (in addition to knowing the bike is functioning well) it's knowing that you can stop when you need to.  Try to notice which brake you rely on more - front or back?  While practicing your higher-speed stops, you've GOTTA rely even more on the front brake than you do now.  Try a few stops using only the front.

David Hough ("Huff") talks about emergency stops in his book "Proficient Motorcycling".  He recommends getting your body trained to the point where it can automatically apply the brakes just short of a skid on both  the front and the back.  That kind of control takes a LOT of practice, so don't try to get there in one or even a dozen sessions.  Just apply a little more and a little more each time until you know what it will take to stop the bike quickly at various speeds.

Good Luck out there!

Thanks for all the feedback so far, everyone...I'm not going to worry about the highway stuff anytime soon and will just focus on the country roads- after all, it's riding those roads that made me want to learn in the first place! My ultimate goal is to get to the beach, so I'll aim for that next year. I plan on showing off my rusty- bolted ride complete with its proposed LED taillights, paint-stripped rims, gel seat, tricked speedo, and new exhaust pipe at that time  :lol:
I got in and took the MSF course rather quickly - I'd heard all the horror stories about having to wait a year, and I was fortunate enough to take it at the community college in here Frederick with a mere 2 month wait. It was cool to have the license upon completion, but it's sort of like getting tossed in the fire to learn outside of a parking lot. I think that's often the way to go, so I appreciate hearing from you all.
And yeah, Adam R, the bike's currently garaged in Potomac till I'm comfortable enough to trek it up to my own house in G-burg, so riding Glen Road and River Road through the country are next on my list. I don't feel so bad making a quick trip to Potomac with cool roads like those nearby to learn on and enjoy. I'll check out that link you posted and find some rides, and I've already heard from a few people on this board too who've offered to ride with me. Looking fwd to it, thanks again everyone!
-Blair

As a self-taught rider (then went racing, then took MSF, and that was the best thing I every did and I'm very glad I did it in that order), it took me three months to get comfortable enough with a bike before I got on the freeway; freeway is easy, you're just going in a straight line, just really, really fast.

Welcome to the board!

I just re-read the title and thought this might be a more appropriate response: I always remember Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four and his, 'Never give up' attitude. How's that for psychology?

Or, how about...

How did the old pioneers do it? How did they get over the mountains? Accross the sea? How about that thread of those Harley riders blazing their own trails through the mountains? How did they do it? How did they get through?

Quote from: KerryLike everyone else has said - take your time.

While you're working on getting up to higher speeds, it's a good idea to also work on slowing down faster.  It's one thing to practice emergency stops at 10-15 mph in a parking lot, and quite another to practice them at 40 mph on the "open road".

Pick a straightaway that's not TOO isolated (so someone will find you if the worst happens - pretty unlikely) and practice an emergency stop or three when nobody is coming from either direction.  You might even place objects on the side of the road for a "Start Stopping Here" point and a goal for the "STOP Stopping Here" end point.

If there's one thing that will build your confidence out there (in addition to knowing the bike is functioning well) it's knowing that you can stop when you need to.  Try to notice which brake you rely on more - front or back?  While practicing your higher-speed stops, you've GOTTA rely even more on the front brake than you do now.  Try a few stops using only the front.

David Hough ("Huff") talks about emergency stops in his book "Proficient Motorcycling".  He recommends getting your body trained to the point where it can automatically apply the brakes just short of a skid on both  the front and the back.  That kind of control takes a LOT of practice, so don't try to get there in one or even a dozen sessions.  Just apply a little more and a little more each time until you know what it will take to stop the bike quickly at various speeds.

Good Luck out there!

Yeah... thanks for reminding me    I know motorcycles can stop much quicker than automobiles, but I need to practice those stops!  A few times on the highways whether for traffic lights or cars backed up, a stop has made my eyes bug out in my helmet.  Was afraid if I squeezed the brakes anymore, I'd skid, but I most likely had a bunch more in reserve.  Gotta know your bike!

Howdy,

I remember clearly the butterfiles in the stomach when I first went through a corner at 70mph on my Nighthawk 750. It scared the crap out of me. I really had no idea what was involved with the dynamics of how a bike handles and why. So I had no basis on which to decide what actions were appropriate to sucessfully negotiate the curve. I made it, slowed down and decided I needed some edumacashun. If you understand what happens to the bike as a result of different control inputs, you are in a much better position to get the bike to do what you want it to do.

I read the Twist of the Wrist I and II by Kieth Code. Yes his writing style is goofy. However, the content in the books is invaluable. This is especially true of the sections about survival reactions in book two. I also bought and read David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling book. I highly recommend these books.

The biggest thing for me after understanding the dynamics of the situation is eye control. Remember, the bike will go where you look. They covered this a little in the MSF course. Slow, Look, Lean and Roll. It seems kind of strange, but the trick to going fast is to go slow. When I am riding on the back roads, I try to focus on using a slow in/fast out technique in the corners. Get rid of the excess speed BEFORE you get into the curve. Find the spot where you want to start your lean, from that point on, you should be looking all the way through the corner to the exit and rolling on the gas steadily (not necessarily hard, just constant). If you practice this, your confidence in your ability to read corners will go up. If you just charge into corners trying to carry a lot of speed, you will just scare the piss out of yourself and potentially crash as a result of overwhelming your processing abilities. As you gain experience, you will understand what needs to be paid attention to and what can be safely ignored. Newbies try to pay attention to everything and they overwhelm themselves. This can cause paralysis at the worst possible moment.

Give your brain time to become used to the sensations of riding a bike. Bikes are nothing like cars. You have to really pay attention to what you are doing on a bike or you can get in trouble really quick. If you focus on going slower and using correct technique, this will let your brain get used to things gradually. Your eventual upper limit of riding ability will be higher this way than if you just go out and try to be ricky racer right off the bat. This has been proven over and over by race instructors.

After you have a few thousand miles under your belt, you might want to consider doing a trackday if there is any place near you to do one. If you are in the beginner class, it is NOT a race. You ride at whatever speed you feel comfortable riding. Passing can only be done under strict rules. The track environment is ideal for focusing on your techniques because the corners don't hold any surprises or distractions. The instructors can follow you around and watch what you are doing and suggest things to work on. You'll be amazed a how much difference in your ability and confidence a single track day can make. It is well worth the money!

Remember, be patient. Learn everything you can. Group rides can be a good experience depending on the group. If they are just interested in going fast, find someone else to ride with. I lead group rides specfically geared towards new riders. We keep the speed at the posted limit, we make frequent stops to discuss the road and any curves of note, we discuss riding techniques and road survival skills. It is almost like a class. There will be an experienced rider for every 2-3 newbs. We stagger the group so that the experienced riders are spaced out throughout the group so newbs can watch them and they can watch the newbs. This way there is good feedback for the newbs.

Listen to the conversations of the people you might ride with. Listen to the things they brag about or complain about. That can tell you a whole lot about how they will ride on a group ride. Look for mature and responsible riders and they will usually be more than happy to lend any advice, experience, help they can. The other guys will typically just get you an expensive ambulance ride  :lol:

hi sevenbucks.  I live in Germantown, been riding my GS500 since last May.  It's a good place to live with a bike, you can be out in the sticks on those country roads in just a few minutes.  

I wholeheartedly second the recommendation to get out and practice panic stops.  I do this all the time when I'm out.  Lots of low-traffic one lane roads with plenty of straight sections.  I haven't needed to do a real panic stop yet, but I think the practice has prepared me well for it.  

As for the highway, maybe I'm unusual but I actually enjoy riding on it.  The bike is stable at highway speeds, and it feels safe to me because everyone is going in the same direction.  No lights, no left turners, no animals, etc.  Once it gets nice out I ride to work down 270 and over towards the American Legion bridge 2-4 days a week.  

Another good site to check out is www.beginnerbikes.com  Lots of good info and advice, and a pretty active group of local riders.  

jeff

Congrats and good luck.  You're going to be a fine rider, and you're asking all the right questions.

In addition to all the good advice above
...stay within your ability...gradually stretch your skills...and above all...RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE.

Tourmeister i printed your post.  For all intents and purposes i consider myself a genuine newbie and your post was one i needed to keet handy.  

Sheesh! I'm flattered   Oh well, I hope it does you some good then!  

Adios,