Confessions, existentialism and council.

Discussion in 'New Riders' started by DarthFritter01, May 19, 2015.

  1. DarthFritter01

    DarthFritter01 New Member

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    Brothers and Sisters, I have a confession to make: I am a chicken.

    With just shy of 500 miles I have put on the bike, I am still too chicken to ride on the interstate! I'm not an experienced rider by any means. I have taken the safety course and I know that it is no substitute for mileage, but I feel like I have good enough road habits that I'm not an asshole on a "crotch rocket" (as my bike is called by all the mean biker dudes in my small town). I ride ATGATT, with little exception thus far. My Father and my brother are both Harley dudes, and have traveled to Sturgis multiple times. I'm the black sheep of the family on my beloved VFR. This is essentially my "FIRST" bike (someday I may tell the story of the Virago 650 I owned for a week and sold). There's a certain romance that develops when a man thinks about buying his bike. "I have my pen, a moleskine notebook, and my motorcycle and that's all the inspiration I'll ever need. Yep, just me and my backpack and the open road. I'll seek out adventure, and I'll write." Ok, so I was going through a Kerouac phase. I digress.
    I zip around town no problem. I have no problem on back roads, as long as I'm familiar with them; but as much as I LOVE riding that machine, and as much as I love the idea of taking off into the unknown: I cannot -for the life of me- just take off without a destination in mind.
    Now that I've spilled my guts, and opened myself up to razzing and ridicule (which I'm no stranger to), I'll ask these questions to anyone that will answer honestly:
    How long? How many miles? How many hours? Did it come down to a decision to either put in the time or sell the bike *gulp*? Are you just a casual, city rider? What freaks you out? The Wind? Rain? Elevation? Heavy Semi drafts? Were you comfortable immediately on the highway or interstate?
     
  2. TNRabbit

    TNRabbit New Member

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    I bought my 5th gen with the purpose of it being a daily driver. Put about 70 miles a day on it in the first month. I took my first day trip (@150 miles) in all traffic conditions to include interstate. I read "Twist of the Wrist" 1 & 2, watched the video, & studied everything I could about riding. 2 years later I have 25,000 miles undrr my belt.

    What exactly are you afeared of?
     
  3. TOE CUTTER

    TOE CUTTER Mullet Man

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    One of my favorite things to do on any of my bikes is to go wandering aboot to a place I have never been with a destination that is undetermined. I think you may want to try it.
     
  4. DarthFritter01

    DarthFritter01 New Member

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    That's the thing TNR, I'm not sure what to be afraid of. I'm sure everybody has those "Pucker" moments when they first start out and they get a 20mph wind gust. I guess I'm having trouble pinpointing the blockage. This is all new territory for me. I haven't had any close calls to speak of, other than having to pull over because a wasp or something unfriendly got inside my jacket and decided it was my fault. but I kept calm and pulled over after multiple stings. So I guess I just don't know. I guess I'm looking for some sage advice.
     
  5. DarthFritter01

    DarthFritter01 New Member

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    Toe, I Think you're right. I just have to get out there and ride. I just need to quit making excuses.
    Even with a kid, I've got the free time to do it. Maybe I'm just making a big deal in my head over it.
    Does anybody check the wind conditions or just weather forecasts? It's silly to think one could be blown over on a bike, given the laws physics, right?
     
  6. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Why did the existentialist chicken not cross the road?
     
  7. DarthFritter01

    DarthFritter01 New Member

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    Lol!
    Because he was chicken, but he wasn't sure why.
     
  8. rvmiller

    rvmiller New Member

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    Interstate system are wide open mostly straight roads which to me makes them Boring... But they are good for getting into triple digits with (a little) less to worry about. Outside of crosswinds (which I hate) I don't feel you really have much to worry about; It's just another road. I say go for it

    Ride Red!
     
  9. tyarosevich

    tyarosevich New Member

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    Counter-intuitively (based on velocity anyway), the interstate is more or less the safest place you can be. The vast majority of motorcycle accidents occur in traffic, with the oncoming car turning left because they don't see you being the classic (accounted for something like 70% of bike fatalities in a SoCal study). On the highway your main danger is cars merging into your lane without looking. I'd say this has happened to me around a hundred times. You simply have to expect it, prepare for it, and react quickly and safely to it. Aside from that crap, you just need to get your butt out there and try to overcome your instinctive fear with your rational judgment: riding around town is probably an order of magnitude more dangerous (per unit of riding time) than riding on the highway.
     
  10. tyarosevich

    tyarosevich New Member

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    Just wanted to answer this too. The 6th gen (and I assume all VFRs) have outstanding frame geometry and good aerodynamics. They are stable as shit. I've ridden my bike in 60 MPH gusts without deviating more than two inches from my riding line. I would say your biggest worry in high winds would be dumbasses in cars not paying attention and being blown into your lane.
     
  11. DarthFritter01

    DarthFritter01 New Member

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    I appreciate your input, thank you. Its good to have a group of people with miles under their belts to let me know what's normal and what isn't. I try to be body loose/mind sharp but its tough when I've had so many people (friends, family) that openly worry about me crashing the bike. What makes me any different than other people who live long, fruitful lives on their bikes? I'm not whining, but I think I got a little psyched out, ya know?
     
  12. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    I think the best thing to do is just get out ride some, if only a little at a time until you get used to it. I agree with Tyarosevich: the interstate is actually safer than 2-lane roads and towns, for exactly the reasons he stated. And the most boring, for the reasons he stated.

    I've ridden many different bikes over my 50 years of riding and have never been blown over, or had an accident while moving faster than walking speed. I've covered most of the US north to south, and east to west. Just hop on and go.
     
  13. DarthFritter01

    DarthFritter01 New Member

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    Just found Twist of the Wrist 1 & 2 and the videos. THANK YOU!
     
  14. RobVG

    RobVG Member

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    Darth, fear is good. It helps keep us alive

    Couple of tips. I feel more comfortable in the slow lane. You always need to leave yourself an "out" and the shoulder's right there. Head check every time you make a lane change! Never ride in anyone's blind spot. Keep your eyes moving, scanning for potential trouble. Anything longer than a 2 second look is considered a stare- it just becomes a habit.

    Hang in there.
     
  15. jorgescar69

    jorgescar69 New Member

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    Just ride
    just ride
    and then ride more
     
  16. DKC

    DKC New Member

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    Highways aren't that bad (coming from a truck driver). I used to skip school just to go drive around and explore (hence my career). should have stayed in school.
    Ride your own bike, meaning; ride YOUR bike at YOUR comfort/abilities. Who cares how or where everyone else rides. That's the joy of the machine; what YOU do with it.
    I have a friend who is the most proficient rider I've ever seen. He absolutely won't ride in a group. His prerogative. If you dig bombing around town, bomb around town. There are two activities for which I will not have any regrets. One is motorcycling!
     
  17. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    When I started riding, I started on a Honda XL125, not a lot of power and not exactly freeway legal, but that didn't stop me from riding on the freeway anyways. The first time I hopped on I was by myself and basically kept to the slow lane and was so paranoid of, one, getting caught by the law (remember not freeway legal) and two, like every car was about to swerve into me. It didn't take long though to build up confidence, and wasn't long until I did what we Californians love commuting on our bikes for...lane splitting! To be honest it was very nerve racking the first time but like with anything, the more you do it, the more confidence you'll build and to me, having confidence is a must!

    Although wind can be the most unpredictable of mother nature's forces, it doesn't stop me from riding, although if the winds are really high, I may chose to not ride unless it was 100% necessary, as there is no need to put oneself in dangers way more than being on a bike already does.
     
  18. Grumpy old man

    Grumpy old man New Member

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    I ride for the journey not the destination

    It is a bit like life really , we all know the final destination is a pine box in the ground

    But along the way you will have good and not so good experiences and meet some good and some not so good people

    You will meet some of your best friends along the way and some will fall along the way

    They all become precious moments in the big journey

    So get out there and enjoy life's journey and experiences don't sit around waiting for the pine box

    Motorcycles and riding will ignite the senses and make you feel alive ,you will see things , smell things and go to beautiful places most will never experience
     
  19. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    Bud, theres no substitute for experience. My thinking after riding streets since 84, act like your unvisible, no one sees you even if they're looking at you. Never ever ride next to big rigs ever, always watch people's rear view mirrors, get a good LOUD horn...use mine daily. Fear keeps you alive and alert...still to this day I get butterflies before I ride.
    Keep your anger at home, there all idiots out ta get ya
    (my thinking of course)
    I could go one and on, but like what was mentioned, always look ahead of traffic and have a way out.
    One last thing, have you practised braking.....when I got my first street bike, 84 Interceptor, my buddy took me to a Sears parking lot and thats all I did for at least an hour was hard braking and not using my rear brake so much coming from dirt bikes without falling over.
    Two cents.....be safe
     
  20. 01ragtop

    01ragtop Member

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    First of all, it is perfectly normal to be apprehensive about doing something new. Unlike some other's comments, I feel far more safe on a two lane road riding near my limits than I do on the interstate. I've had more "pucker" moments with other motorist on the interstate than out riding the twisties, but I live in fairly large city, so that contributed to my experiences.

    Statistically, in-town riding poses the highest risk.

    There is a lot of good advice above: practice braking and evasive maneuvers, ride your ride, read TOTW 1&2 etc. These will all help you gain the confidence to put aside your fears. TOTW talks about how having the ability to confidently handle a bike tones down the survival reactions. Good stuff. Bottom line, there are all kinds of reasons to ride; yours doesn't have to align with anyone else's ideal.
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2015
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