Crashed!

[Toaster]

Try and get to know some local riders who can give you some time to mentor you and get the basics up to scratch.

Practice the basics first in a relatively safe area like car parks, low traffic roads. Highly recommend a rider skills course if there are any in your area.

Use KB to hook up.

[Okey Dokey]

Bummer to hear of your crashes. Maybe the jacket shoulder can be patched up? Practice as others have said, at a slower pace, until things feel more natural. Repetition will help your brain find things more automatically and less having to think out each step of cornering.

The Wairau Valley has lovely long straights you can enjoy, at whatever speed you are comfortable with, and generally light traffic! Just a few bends at the Narrows, and they are pretty smooth and easy. Best of luck

[ellipsis]

.....a couple of years ago my wife decided that my life was a lot more fun than hers and decided she wanted a bike too....what ensued was the scariest time of my life ...watching her wobble round corners and being with her on the highway for a month or so while she was coming to grips ,took years off my life....she persevered..did a day with a real cool mentor/instructor and rode and rode and rode....i had the idea too that maybe some people are destined to sing and others to listen....she recently stepped up to her mid-range sport tourer and looks like she has been riding forever....hang in...do some work with a mentor/ instructor....and read the books....and wear the best protection you can afford...good luck...welcome to the world of joyous pain...

[schrodingers cat]

Cold has a lot to do with it also. Often you're more chilled than you realise and your brain gets sluggish.
Dehydration the same.

Once is a learning experience. Twice is a mistake. Third time is a pattern...

[duckonin]

A bit like shearing sheep or learning to do it, slow when starting out then speed comes naturaly, like good cheese it all takes time, hang in there, I enjoy the slow speed stuff on a heavy bike makes you learn not to b complacent about your ability...Pratice the power of positive thinking also, like that little train that was going to the top of the hill (buggar forgot his name) yep he got there in the end.

And get good gear !!!!

[jack_hamma]

A bit like shearing sheep!

No one fucks my sheep!

[NordieBoy]

Repetition will help your brain find things more automatically and less having to think out each step of cornering.

Sometimes repetition isn't a good idea.

2 crashes in a week remember




See if you can have a play on a dirt bike in a paddock with no stones.
It'll teach you about powering on through the corner and when you fall, it'll be at low speed with no traffic and you'll be laughing your head off.

[Squiggles]

Have a read of these

[XxKiTtiExX]

As someone else has already mentioned, get hold of a mentor in your area. Perhaps look at some riding classes or see if there are in track days happening in your area also.

[schrodingers cat]

Sometimes repetition isn't a good idea.

Practice makes permanent.

Perfect practice makes perfect

[Genie]

Practice makes permanent.

Perfect practice makes perfect

I consider every ride as practice.

Each time I throw my leg over my bike it's a new experience, the releasing of the clutch, the glide up the drive, the angle on which I enter the road, whether I turn right or left, I'm practising, finding a smooth way....I'm wishing to improve each manouvre.

I've also noted that in other things I do, driving, baking, sewing, stuff I've done for years, I'm now looking for perfection, practice makes perfect

I'll never find perfect but I'm enjoying the practice.

[marie_speeds]

As long as you are ok is the most important thing, bikes can be replaced! I as yet haven't crashed and have no plans to do so either! But have had the odd moment where my brain has caught up with my bike....and I bring myself back down to reality

[Katman]

As long as you are ok is the most important thing, bikes can be replaced!

I would suggest that a lesson learned would be the most important thing.

[R-Soul]

First of all, ensure that you are using the countrerstreering technique. If you dont know what that is, you are going to crash more until you do know what it is. Without it, you cannot turn through corners fast.
So dont try.

Your stories sound like mine (way back) before I found out about countersteering. until I learnt about it, I effectively had no control of my bike. And also had two crashes.

Aside from this first and MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT, when you learn the correct steering technique, you realise that for every corner there is preparation work that must be done before the corner. For eg;

1) You lean your body centreline far to the inside of the bike centre line (to "kiss" the inside mirror)
2) You move back on your seat, and open your inside hip to the corner
3) You find the vanishing point and adjust speed accordingly to be moving as fast as the vanishing point is moving
4) You make sure that your arms are relaxed all the way through the corner - tight grip means heavy movements of the bars and no fine adjustments
5) You point your inside knee through the corner to its exit (not critical - but it helps to remind you about focussing your eyes)


When you have this procedure, and actively do it for each corner, you will be in a good position to be able to apply more or less counter-steering turning force to the bars if you need it. It will also act like a trigger for concentration into the corner. It also makes each corner a LOT more fun!

If you go in too hot, it is then a question of having faith that the traction will be enough - but to be honest its a no brainer- do you try to turn harder, or cross the white line and face instant death anyway?

Using this technique, you will also be in a position where your bike has the most grip it can have (ie as upright as possible), and will give you more confidence in its traction. You will also be in a physical body position where you can easily apply (a lot) more or less force to the bars.

Also, get onto a track day /ART day ASAP, and slow down for the time being until you get used to what traction your bike can provide.

Make no mistake - bike riding is ALL about technique, and the quicker you learn it, the better and safer for you.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[avgas]

Ya moron.
You never look where you think you might crash.
Otherwise guess what happens?

(we all have done it before - rule of thumb, look where you want to go)