Help for a girl just getting into it (oracle)

[Little Miss Trouble]

Biking is ALL about technique. Poor technique is poor control, and lack of confidence. Riding while being unconfident in your abilities to control the bike is damn scary and takes away from the pure joy that is avialable otherwise. And with good technique, even a relative newbie can ride better than some "experienced" riders that have retained bad habits because they have never bothered to get off their ass and think/learn a bit more....

You can tell these riders on the forum by their comments:
"Dont overthink it - just ride"
"Its not a science lesson, just go out and do it", etc.

*Facepalm*

Have you stopped to think that perhaps these riders are just 'natural' riders who do infact just learn by doing what feels right rather than having to read loads of books and over analyse everything? I wonder if Rossi has read a million books on technique or mentally calculates the ratios of tip in before each corner?

Not everyone learns the same way, what works for you may not work for someone else, so I would humbly suggest you STFU and stop over complicating everything

[hayd3n]

wear protection, or up the bum no babies

[Gone Burger]

6 months learners, 3 months restricted for 0ver 25 with def driving course is my guess...unless there was an exemption involved katiepie?

Correct.. Over 25, and did my defensive driving course. 9 months almost to the day from no licence to full. Lets just say I got very impatient, was hooked from day one. Funny thing is that the defensive driving course pratical was in a CAR as it applied to my bike license. Was going to cost me more if I wanted to do that part on the bike. Crazy system. But hey, got my 3 months off and here I am. HOOKED!

[bogan]

*Facepalm*

Have you stopped to think that perhaps these riders are just 'natural' riders who do infact just learn by doing what feels right rather than having to read loads of books and over analyse everything? I wonder if Rossi has read a million books on technique or mentally calculates the ratios of tip in before each corner?

Not everyone learns the same way, what works for you may not work for someone else, so I would humbly suggest you STFU and stop over complicating everything

agreed, and I've read a lot of books too wisdom is tempering other's advice with your own experience, just make sure you get plenty of both and you'll be fine

[Sentox]

Have you stopped to think that perhaps these riders are just 'natural' riders who do infact just learn by doing what feels right rather than having to read loads of books and over analyse everything?

I'm not stupid enough to think anyone will convince you otherwise. I'll just offer my opinion that willful ignorance in an activity that is very much life-threatening is quite a horrifying concept to me. No human being was built to ride a motorcycle. Not one. It's simply unnatural; a learned activity in every essence. Can you learn without explicit understanding? Of course, much like a child with a bicycle. Your brain will interpret the results of what is essentially a trial-and-error process until it develops a subconscious understanding of what physical inputs are required. Whether that will hold you in good stead under pressure, or let you develop your riding to the best it can be is another matter

I'm sorry, but a bike is a mechanical object that responds in an exactly predictable way to any given input, no exceptions (assuming mechanical fidelity). You can either make the effort to understand what inputs are required and develop them, or rely on osmosis. If people want to put their safety at risk and hamper their riding abilities, so be it. And as for the "everyone learns differently" business... if you can't so much as stomach a few written (or spoken) sentences explaining how to turn a bike at speed or respond to a corner that you've entered too hot... I don't know what to say, really.

And let's be clear, the human brain, in most cases, does not develop a riding style totally at harmony with the bike. Survival instincts (and flying along on the back of something that is pretty much the minimum of machinery needed to harness significant amounts of power is something I'd call a threat to survival) simply prevent it. Ergo the benefit of learning correct technique and rehearsing it to overcome this.

But hey, it's a free country.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Blah blah blah, I'm a fooken noob, who likes to use big words.

Dude, all I was saying is that there are other ways to learn how to ride, ways that don't include over-filling your head with techniques from books (and dubious statements from 'interweb experts') that you aren't even ready for yet.

Me? I learnt by getting out there & doing what felt right and following the big boys around.

Go ask some of the KB old farts who've been riding since *mumble mumble* how they learnt, I bet it wasn't by reading about it either.

Go ask Biggles or Choppa or Shaun, I bet they all learnt by getting out there & doing it as well as learning from others too.

[Sentox]

Blah blah blah, I lack maturity, so I will make retarded edits to the quote

I guess the fundamental difference is that I think a little knowledge is better than ignorance. No doubt, you can reach a proficient level of riding without any reading/training/whatever. It will almost certainly take longer and be more pain-filled, unless you were somehow incapable of learning in any capacity to begin with (in which case you'd probably lack even a basic education).

"What feels right" leads to numerous rider errors. What feels right is rolling off throttle if you're too hot into the corner, riding crossed up instead of leaning with the bike... the list goes on. Target fixation, arm tension under panic, etc, all come 'naturally'. Most riders will either defeat these in time, or learn to live with them... or crash.

I'm in complete agreement that you don't need to analyse every facet of your riding. That's not for everyone. But nearly anyone can improve their riding skills faster with a little knowledge. Get better quicker, be safer? I guess that's not for everyone either.

Edit: sorry to the OP for the semi-hijack. At least you have some, uh, varied opinions to consider

[Gwinch]

"What feels right" leads to numerous rider errors. What feels right is rolling off throttle if you're too hot into the corner, riding crossed up instead of leaning with the bike... the list goes on.

Total balderdash. There is an immense difference between "what feels right" and "natural reaction" which only the former falls into.

[Sentox]

Edit: this thread has been hijacked enough.

[reemit]

No doubt, you can reach a proficient level of riding without any reading/training/whatever. It will almost certainly take longer and be more pain-filled. unless you were somehow incapable of learning in any capacity to begin with (in which case you'd probably lack even a basic education).

Yeah when I crashed my brothers bike he beat the crap outa me. That lerned me.

[Sentox]

Yeah when I crashed my brothers bike he beat the crap outa me. That lerned me.

Who needs books, eh. Nothing like a good old-fashioned beating to impart wisdom.

Mind you, if that were true my dad would have turned me into the smartest man alive.

[Gwinch]

Er, and the importance of this distinction is? Surely you agree that most riders (especially beginners) have a tendency to get off the throttle when they find themselves in too hot? By definition, this must be "what feels right" in lieu of some other reason for doing it (e.g. bad advice).

And certainly riding crossed up comes from the brain and body's tendency to feel more comfortable when more upright.

No, I call that a survival reaction that is brought forward by panic. To me, "what feels right" is a course of action that is ideal for the situation.

Sure, if you're a total wussbag who finds riding a motorcycle completely and utterly unnatural.

[Sentox]

To me, "what feels right" is a course of action that is ideal for the situation.

I believe you're mistaking "what feels right" for "what is right". It will "feel right" once you know it, of course, but that's getting the cart before the horse.

[Gwinch]

I believe you're mistaking "what feels right" for "what is right".

You'd be amazed how often those two things coincide. You should try it sometime.

[Sentox]

You'd be amazed how often those two things coincide. You should try it sometime.

*facepalm*

Of course the correct course of action will "feel right"... if you know the correct course of action, have practised it, and can execute it. However, the context here is learning to ride, when you're at the other end of the spectrum, and don't have that knowledge or experience. If instinct immediately guides you to the best response to any situation on a motorbike, I expect you will be lapping Rossi next year, because you're obviously God's gift to motorcycling.

Edit: damn it, I'm getting trolled hard.