All this Newbie BULLSHIT!!!

[justsomeguy]

BTW What got up your ass JustSomeGuy? ie, Why this animosity toward newbs? Are you a hero on every ride and take off leaving everyone in your wake? Did someone complain about this? I regularly ride with both my Mrs and with SniperCBR who both ride slower than me and I ride to the pace of the slowest rider. If I want to go off at my pace I will ride by myself but sometimes I enjoy the company so why ride off without them? :spudwhat:

I just don't get what you are getting at!!!

NO Stevo, you've got me completely wrong. I AM A RATHER SLOW RIDING NEWBIE MYSELF.

All I meant to say is that newbies should only ride at a pace they are comfortable with.

They should not use other riders as a benchmark. They can look to them for guidance. But they should only measure themselves using thier past performance.

For example:

• How consciously did *I* use counter-steering at that last corner
• Did *I* focus on the vanishing point properly
• Was *I* in the right gear and speed on entry and through the corner and the exit
• Did *I* brake smoothly
• Was *I* happy with the line I took
• How smoothly did *I* perform the above?

I feel if we newbies focus on this rather than *how fast* and the tail lights of the bike in front then we should all be a lot happier.

That's my point.

[James Deuce]

So how do the younger riders - 3-4 year olds who take up riding, go-karting, etc do it??

They can do it fine. It is purely a mechanical exercise that can be learned. I wouldn't let them loose on the road though. Decision making skills, judgement, and impulse control are either nascent or non-existent. Ever notice how fearless kids that age are? Ever notice how they make the same mistake over and over? Little kids heal fast too.

[justsomeguy]

They can do it fine. It is purely a mechanical exercise that can be learned. I wouldn't let them loose on the road though. Decision making skills, judgement, and impulse control are either nascent or non-existent. Ever notice how fearless kids that age are? Ever notice how they make the same mistake over and over? Little kids heal fast too.

Ah- ha - So that's why I have to wait until I'm 25 before I can afford to insure a decent car........bl**dy insurance companies..............

......Hmmm wait a minute....... what did I just say??

So *that's* why..........(statictics, research, etc)....... r-r-r-right

[scumdog]

So how do the younger riders - 3-4 year olds who take up riding, go-karting, etc do it??

Cos a lot of it is repetetive on familar lay-outs, like playing those Nintendo games where you can figure out where you went wrong the last time you tried at that part of the game.

Public roads are not so repetetive, they have different weather conditions, sometimes you're riding in a group, sometimes by yourself, sometimes at night, sometimes in the day. etc and that's JUST on the section of road you are familiar with!!
Add unfamiliar road, unexpected appearance of tractors/stock/trucks/loose grit/potholes to the equation and you can see how the 'bullet-proof' mentality of the young can easily get some of them into trouble.

[Beemer]

I haven't been riding for that many years so don't consider myself to have vast experience or anything, but I think some people are making some generalisations about 'newbies' here. Yes, I get the feeling that a lot of them are under 25 and a lot of them may think they are 10-foot tall and bullet proof. But it would be interesting to ask the so-called newbies just how old they are and what their experience is. I met someone you guys would class as a newbie yesterday - she would be in her 40s but hasn't been riding very long. From what I witnessed of her riding, she was very safe, very aware and wasn't prepared to ride faster than the speed she was comfortable with. As for being egged on to ride faster than you want to go, hello, do you smoke, drink, take drugs just because your friends do? If the answer is yes, then wake up! If I don't want to ride at the pace of the people I am riding with, I either don't go on that ride or I tell them I'll catch up with them when they get to wherever they are going.

I have gone into corners a little fast and given myself a fright - not because I am trying to keep up with the rider in front of me (usually my husband!), but because he is a better rider than me and will brake later when going into corners. I soon realised that relying on his brake lights to tell ME when it was time to brake was a dumb move because sometimes he didn't brake at all!

And while newbies do crash, for whatever reasons, it doesn't explain why people who have been riding for years crash too - and sometimes for the same reasons - going too fast, overtaking in dangerous places, trying to keep up with the rider in front (there is always someone that bit faster), etc. I know someone who has written off three bikes in the last few years - and he's even older than me!

I take what is said on here with a grain of salt - because a lot of it is nothing more than a group of like-minded individuals talking about their exploits. Just like an overheard conversation in the pub, much of it is shit, and you need to sift the real from the imagined. We're all much better riders than the next guy and none of us will crash because only idiots crash - yeah right!

[justsomeguy]

OKKKK........this thread is starting to drift.

Now this thread isn't about measuring how bulletproof people are.

I just want to put into newbies heads that they should only measure themselves looking at their own performance. And then seek to push the limits of thier performance when they are comfortable doing so.

Apart from the obvious concessions, a group ride should be treated no different to a solo ride.

[mikey]

hi my name is mike. im an alcoholic. an i ride my bike to fast. where do i sign up for shock therapy.

[hondacmx450]

i ride fast some times iv been over 300 kph but dose that make me better than anyone else no i dont think so iv been riding for over 17 years on the road and year i think i was untouchabel but then the big smash. i ride fast still but i like to ride with ppl that r safe to them self and others

would you like to say to your mates wife i just crashed your huby off the road sorry hes dead mmm
no me eather

[hondacmx450]

is there a newbies tester
you know like a compresion tester

[Lou Girardin]

hi my name is mike. im an alcoholic. an i ride my bike to fast. where do i sign up for shock therapy.

Buy a litre bike.

[Brian d marge]

Couldnt agree more Jim ...I have it to come in about 15 years time ..( the boy is 1 ) ...but but then I will be deaf and sore from bike and MX crashes ... a grumpy ole fart who cant hear ....

I wondered why my ole man looked surprised all the time ...

Stephen

[Paul in NZ]

You mean to say it's NOT all about me... Well I'll be danged...

Paul N

(hey - I think I just evolved a bit there - cor)

[White trash]

...(showing my age here) I went and bought a 6000km RGV250L from the friendly folk at Wellington Motorcycles.

I rode that fucken thing FULL NOISE everywhere. Overtaking on the left, centerline at 160+ on Hutt Rd.

Fell off it about 9 times in the six months over 12000km before the thing finally screamed "ENOUGH!" and chucked me off half way up the Ngauranga Gorge before cartwheeling and flying to bits at about 140kph.

Still here.

Leave the newbies alone, experiance is the only thing that teaches them, not boring old pricks who "know better".

[Holy Roller]

I haven't been riding for that many years so don't consider myself to have vast experience or anything, but I think some people are making some generalisations about 'newbies' here. Yes, I get the feeling that a lot of them are under 25 and a lot of them may think they are 10-foot tall and bullet proof. But it would be interesting to ask the so-called newbies just how old they are and what their experience is. I met someone you guys would class as a newbie yesterday - she would be in her 40s but hasn't been riding very long. From what I witnessed of her riding, she was very safe, very aware and wasn't prepared to ride faster than the speed she was comfortable with. As for being egged on to ride faster than you want to go, hello, do you smoke, drink, take drugs just because your friends do? If the answer is yes, then wake up! If I don't want to ride at the pace of the people I am riding with, I either don't go on that ride or I tell them I'll catch up with them when they get to wherever they are going.

I have gone into corners a little fast and given myself a fright - not because I am trying to keep up with the rider in front of me (usually my husband!), but because he is a better rider than me and will brake later when going into corners. I soon realised that relying on his brake lights to tell ME when it was time to brake was a dumb move because sometimes he didn't brake at all!

And while newbies do crash, for whatever reasons, it doesn't explain why people who have been riding for years crash too - and sometimes for the same reasons - going too fast, overtaking in dangerous places, trying to keep up with the rider in front (there is always someone that bit faster), etc. I know someone who has written off three bikes in the last few years - and he's even older than me!

I take what is said on here with a grain of salt - because a lot of it is nothing more than a group of like-minded individuals talking about their exploits. Just like an overheard conversation in the pub, much of it is shit, and you need to sift the real from the imagined. We're all much better riders than the next guy and none of us will crash because only idiots crash - yeah right!

Well said
Not every one will see the key to enjoying a long riding career. I guess that most of my riding is solo and therefor I ride at my pace and ability. Lately have been on a number of group rides and fortunatley there are others who ride in my zone (read semi nana) others go ahead and wait for us to catch up. After nearly 28 yrs of riding I am not wanting to suffer any more pain due to my foolishness. There is always the unexpected situation that may crop up but the sky may also fall on my head will have to deal with that when it happens (read drunk drivers writting ones bike off).
I've been young and foolish, lived like there was no tomorrow, known the odds and gone out to beat them. I've had a heap of fun, scared the c**p out of myself more than once, attended mates funerals but I still ride alot more sedate now ( still laspe into loonancy on occassion and afterwards wonder why I did that). Now I have a bike that I can't throw around or go too fast on I am more awear of my limitations. Here's to many a year on the road and to meeting up fellow bikers

[NC]

...(showing my age here) I went and bought a 6000km RGV250L from the friendly folk at Wellington Motorcycles.

I rode that fucken thing FULL NOISE everywhere. Overtaking on the left, centerline at 160+ on Hutt Rd.

Fell off it about 9 times in the six months over 12000km before the thing finally screamed "ENOUGH!" and chucked me off half way up the Ngauranga Gorge before cartwheeling and flying to bits at about 140kph.

Still here.

Leave the newbies alone, experiance is the only thing that teaches them, not boring old pricks who "know better".

Sometimes they only get one chance.