How fast is too fast!

[Monkfish]

Ha ha tricked you again!

This thread has nothing to do with KPH.

My story and question are as follows.

I am concerned with the pace I am setting for, learning & skill progression.
I have owned the LS650 masport (s40 boluevard sounds like a lawnmower) for 8 weeks and have put around 3,500 K's on it. I went from never having ridden on the road (out of second gear) fresh, to feeling comfortable enough to just ride wherever I want on both roads that are new to me and roads I know very well, by myself and keeping a reasonable pace, - avg 100kph (I ride alot in the rural parts).
I am going for rides after work almost every day, and feel expotentially confident.
I also have started attending SASS regularly, (only twice in a row, but it is now planned as part of my week) and they certianly are a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

The thing that worries me is, will I get too confident too fast. I have had some ass puckering moments, and I dropped my bike in the first week of ownership (hurting my ribs). so I am fully aware of the consequenses of motorcycling. Also I am constantly telling my self not to ride beyond my means.

Question: How fast is too fast when it comes to rider skill progression?

[tigertim20]

you're over thinking it.
one day, one ride at a time dont rush. ride within what you already know your limits are.
for pushing your limits there are things called trackdays so your family dont have to scrape you out of a truck grille.

[Akzle]

go until you fall off, then back off about 3%

[HenryDorsetCase]

get some more formal training. I did one of those ProRider courses last year it was excellent.

[YellowDog]

You need to get some experience behind you. You get that by riding and surviving many situations. You are not likely to come across too many of these in such a short time and hence when you do, you may struggle with doing what's right to protect yourself.
Once you have ridden through all seasons for a few years, you will know what I mean and hopefully also have learnt well from it.

Good luck

[Glowerss]

Short answer is stick to posted corner limits for awhile and see how that feels. They're usually on the conservative side. Don't take that as "follow the posted corner limits to the exclusion of all else". Read the road as best you can and stick well within your comfort zone. But most of the time you can take the corner at the posted corner speed with minimal fuss.

After that just do what feels comfortable. Gradually you'll learn what sort of pace you and your bike are comfortable with.

If you're getting pucker moments, slow down. If you get at the end of the ride feeling really tired or your forearms are hurting, slow down!

8 weeks and 3,500 KM is a very very little amount of experience! Take it slow!

Keep going to SASS, maybe booking a training day. These things will help.

Also, keep in the forefront of your mind, an S40 is *NOT* a sporty machine Pace yourself accordingly.

[p.dath]

There is a popular saying that goes "ride your own ride". Basically it means ride at a pace that you feel comfortable at. If you don't feel comfortable, slow down. It you feel fearful, slow down.

It's that simple.


With regard to over-confidence - here is how you detect it. If you ever reach the point you can't see what you're doing wrong - you're probably over confident. There is almost no rider that can't improve some way, and the ones that know their weak areas and what they need to work on tend to have a more reasonable expectation of their capabilities.

[Maha]

Not sure that you ''average'' 100kph?...on our learner rides, the slower group would average 80kph at a stretch, and thats what I look for.
Average speed is obtained by dividing the highest and lowest speed over a given distance.
If you can stick to and maintain 80kph as a learner/new rider, you are doing well. You end up being only a couple of minutes behind the faster group.
You speak of ''I have had some ass puckering moments''....riding outside your skill level can contribute that those moments.
When you understand why those moments have happened, you start to figure things out pretty quickly.

[ducatilover]

If you're concerned about gaining too much confidence, I doubt you'll have a too much confidence issue...

Same ol' story, ride yer own ride etc etc
You'll be fine, but you owe me beer for such an insightful post

[bosslady]

I used to feel how you do. And then it went away, the confidence I mean. I have a vague idea why but I'm not 100% sure. I'm more nervous and fearful, or careful, than I've ever been, lately. Not in a way that would make it dangerous for me to be riding, but means I don't have as much fun. I wish it'd go away!

[Akzle]

Q:

I used to feel how you do. And then it went away, the confidence I mean. I have a vague idea why but I'm not 100% sure. I'm more nervous and fearful, or careful, than I've ever been, lately. Not in a way that would make it dangerous for me to be riding, but means I don't have as much fun. I wish it'd go away!

A:
. .

[FJRider]

The thing that worries me is, will I get too confident too fast. I have had some ass puckering moments, and I dropped my bike in the first week of ownership (hurting my ribs). so I am fully aware of the consequenses of motorcycling. Also I am constantly telling my self not to ride beyond my means.

Question: How fast is too fast when it comes to rider skill progression?

Confidence is a large part of motorcycling. Without it ... you take the bus.

Be confident you will survive ... and understand the risks of what you do. Ass puckering moments happen to us all. Some ... our own fault (some say ALL our own fault)

Every ride you learn something. So do plenty of rides. (you wont learn much if you don't ride)

[Tigadee]

I found I only truly started feeling confident after some training with ProRider, after a year on the bike, and after consistently attending SASS.

Not in a way that would make it dangerous for me to be riding, but means I don't have as much fun. I wish it'd go away!

Come for at least another two rounds of SASS and I guarantee it will start going away.

[bosslady]

I found I only truly started feeling confident after some training with ProRider, after a year on the bike, and after consistently attending SASS.



Come for at least another two rounds of SASS and I guarantee it will start going away.

I did a pro rider course today and do feel much better, but still, all of a sudden going around a roundabout makes me nervous, it never used to. I was gonna come to sass this week but had to work, next week I hope!

[nerrrd]

I find confidence is an elusive thing at best, it comes and goes, sometimes its too much, sometimes too little, one day I'm relaxed and everything feels automatic, the next I'm gripping the bars too tightly and clunking thru the gears...

Hang in there and you'll get your groove back, and you'll be a better rider for the experience