How long does it take to learn to ride a sprot bike

[slowpoke]

Yup, some good stuff comin' outta the woodwork here...
For myself time on the bike is always going to be my biggest problem, due to being rostered offshore for half of every year, 3 weeks at a time.
Whenever I come home from work and drag the sickle outta the shed it feels just a lil' bit like hard work. It's like I'm following the bike around, having to concentrate on just about everything.
I like to get on the track too (a wannabe racer but really only trackdays so far) so I know about the "wanna get faster" gene.
When I know I've got a track day coming up and limited time, I try and make a point of riding my favourite bit of quiet, windy stuff every day for a week. It's not usually a long ride, 50km each way, but I just try and stay smooth, stay comfortable, doing the right things, pushing along but not too much 'cos that's what the track is for, right?
By the end of the week the bike is following me rather than the other way round. I'm more relaxed, concentrating on WHAT I am doing rather than HOW I'm doing it, if you know what I mean.
If you are having sphincter puckering moments on a regular basis already I wouldn't be so keen on you riding with an even faster crowd. Slow down a bit, get comfortable to a point where you aren't really having to think too much about what you are doing. Once your brain has got used to the fact that there isn't going to be a "FAAAARK!!" moment around the next corner you'll be in a position to start feeding it information at a faster rate by ramping it up a bit.
If you are serious: take it to the track. Trying to go warp speed on the road is for dickheads, full stop, end of story. You can learn a lot more going around the same track all day with no cars coming the other way secure in the knowledge that if it all goes pear shaped you won't be lying the bushes for six hours until someone comes looking.

[Edbear]

Try just slowing down and relaxing a little. .

This is a ZX7R we're talking about...? Seriously, though, (and sadly there are times we must be serious!), I agree with your advice. Slowing down and relaxing, getting into a cruise mode where one can concentrate on smoothness and control, then gradually increasing the pace.

[SwanTiger]

Try just slowing down and relaxing a little

Isn't that his problem, he goes too slow?

[The Pastor]

Maybe a mindset change? You don't have to 'back into corners' to enjoy riding. Maybe the group you're riding with is too fast? Find some people your own pace, and just enjoy riding... once you're having fun, you'll get faster.

Word. Having fun doesnt always = go as fast as you can on a public road/ corner. Nothing wrong in going slow, we have a beautiful country no need to speed through it. (dont get me wrong im not a hippie hehe)

[Huntaway]

I'm wth Ixion: riding fast isn't the b all. Riding public roads like they are a race track is always to court disaster (if not a speeding ticket!).

I wonder if you're as bad as you make out Lazy7. We all have moments such as you describe. If you feel you are having too many, are you pushing yourself too hard? Focus on riding well first and fast will follow.

Track days helped me explore my limits. The car park thing is something I should try too as I still struggle controlling tight turns.

Ride safe dude. Enjoy your good bike!

[Hellraiser]

Now i'm not really one to be giving advise but speaking from experance i think its all in your head, you need to trust the machine that you are on treat it like a woman and pray that it won't let you down.

Recently i went for my frist ride with a group of KBer's now i was totally blowen away at the break neck speeds that these guys were capable of i mean my comfort zone is around the 140 - 160km/h and although i was probably only averaging 130ish km/h i was always at least 5-10min behind these guys.

At first i thought i really needed to go back to school and learn how to ride, which i still think will be an advantage, but after taking my little GT250R (which i ride 8 hours a day 5 days a week) along the same rodes i came to the conclusion that i didn't trust my 636 like i do the 250.

Now i know there is a small HP differance between the 2 bikes but the point I'm trying to make is i know the limits of the GT250R, I know how late i can break coming into a corner I know when to start pedeling coming out of the corner .....etc ... etc

Give it time and trust your bike if she lets you down kick her out and get a new one

[SuperDave]

I'd say stop worrying and thinking about it so much and just do.

I found myself going through the same sorta thing for the first few weeks with my old zxr and now the gixxer, all it took for me was taking a step back and just enjoying the ride without expecting to feel myself improve - you'd soon find that you'll start enjoy riding very much more and without realising it you should gain more confidence.

[beyond]

Ok, one other thing. If you've done less than 5000kms on your trusty steed, then quite honestly, you aren't up to taking it to the limit or testing it's limits yet.

No matter how good a rider you are, I believe you have to have covered at least 5000kms on your current bike to know it's true capabilities without finding you've exceeded your knowledge envelope.

I stand to be corrected here but it took me around 5000kms to really know my 1400 inside and out and even then I found I was riding outside my abilities from time to time. After 10,000kms I found I knew it inside and out enough to test it's limits and cornering limits without doing something ugly.

Now, when riding with others, I don't care what anyone says as I believe this effects us all until you have got to the point where you really know your bike. (Males anyway.) No matter how level headed you are, in a group you are going to push harder than you would normally. If in front, you feel like you have to set the pace and go faster than you should and can easily over cook a corner or do something you wouldn't do when riding on your own.

When following, you feel you have to keep up or look like a woos. Again, you can outride your abilities.

In either case, remember you have nothing to prove and you aint going to prove anything looking at the proceeding from the top branches of a T tree somewhere off road.

Most modern bikes are going to outride even the most experienced rider in the above 750 classes. On the road, it's virtually impossible to outride a modern sportsbike.

If like me, you own a sports tourer, you begin to find it's limits a lot earlier than a full on sports bike and then you can try and push it too hard for what it's designed for.

If your sphincters getting too much of a work out, yeah, slow down and get your cornering lines right and technique sorted. Follow a quick rider and always ask for them to slow down so you can follow their lines till you get it sorted.

Most bikers are more than happy to teach techniques to others if it means they are going to be a round longer to enjoy riding.

Old adage here: if it feels uncomfortable slow down till it feel second nature. You have nothing to prove and can't prove anything if you aint here.

[trumpy]

"Testorerone and bravery receive too much emphasis in the motorcycling world. No Fear might work for bungee jumping, but not for riding a motorcycle on the street.
Technique and concentration deserve much more credit. Add to them intelligence, intuition and desire, and you'll begin to describe not just the fastest road racers but the best street riders as well..."

- Nick Ienatsch (raced the Britten at Daytona and Road Atlanta in 1994)
Sport Riding Techniques (available Tech Books)

Read, Trumpys excuse for riding slow.... Seriously tho, great advice from someone who has more riding skill in his little finger than I will probably ever achieve.

[Keystone19]

Reading these last two posts, it seems to me the answer is obvious - just ride with us girls.

You'll find that the lack of testosterone will mean that you learn speed and control in a safe, non-threatening environment...

[Lazy7]

yeah. i guess i need to clarify.

it was never about going fast. it was always more about feeling comfortable.

the problem i was finding when riding with groups is the bike obiviously has enough in it to keep up legally on the straights (lets not argue about straightline speed of the whale - you know what i mean)

its just that when riding with groups, under-confident people like myself can cause as many problems as overconfident people who go too fast.

if i have a couple of bikes behind me going into a corner and i brake early - it causes problems for the bikes behind me not expecting it.

i guess its mainly that i have "keeping up with the guys" issues and whenever riding with groups i feel like a bit of a liability.

you are right about getting to know your machine. i am feeling better on it every single day. i do a lot of riding daily - but its mainly tyre squaring commutes.

i do need to trust in the bike however. if the hyosung just went around the corner in front of me - stands to reason i should be able to do it as well right.

thanks for all the comments guys - i am seriously taking it on board. its actually turned out to be a pretty dam good thread.

haha - i am going to get seriously baby sat on the next group ride i can just tell. :-p

i hope more people struggling with the same stuff get as much help out of this thread as i have!

[Hellraiser]

its just that when riding with groups, under-confident people like myself can cause as many problems as overconfident people who go too fast.

if i have a couple of bikes behind me going into a corner and i brake early - it causes problems for the bikes behind me not expecting it.

Don't worry about the riders behind you if they're good then they will already be thinking 3 corners ahead of you.

One thing MX taught me was to race your own race the faster guys will always find a way around you.

Worry about whats in front of you not whats behind (unless it has Red & Blue lights of cause)

[T.W.R]

i guess its mainly that i have "keeping up with the guys" issues and whenever riding with groups i feel like a bit of a liability.

i do need to trust in the bike however. if the hyosung just went around the corner in front of me - stands to reason i should be able to do it as well right.

Never feel like a liability when riding with mates If their real mates they'll never put you in a position where you feel like that.
A group ride is meant to be a group ride, not clusters of individuals having individual rides, sure there'll be times when a group will get strung out but if those who do get ahead of the rest the group have some sensibility they slow or even stop so the crew can re-group.
When you are in the situation of following a more experienced rider watch their lines but don't feel committed to try chasing them if their disappearing into the distance. Ride your own ride at a pace your comfortable with, not at a pace someone else faster than yourself sets, if your with a more experienced rider & they know your wanting to learn they'll pace in front of you so you can watch & learn lines without stropping off into the distance.

Plain & simple; anyone can go fast in a straight line & you don't have to be a brain surgen to crack a throttle open & smack a bike up through the gears. Theres plenty of places around this fair country where a smooth rider on a smaller, heavier, less powerful, & older bike will totally shaft Joe Blow on the latest, gruntiest hyperbeast because they were being smooth & letting the bike sing instead of being all rip shit n bust.

Enjoy your riding at your own pace not someone elses, develop yourself and learn at your own pace. You can read all the advice & info in the world, but it's how you apply what you learn that is the important factor, absolutely no-one rides the same way, we all may experience similar things in our path of learning but it's how apply what we learn that makes us better. We're all individuals in life and the same applys to riding as well, there's basic principles in everything but our application of those principles is unique.

Having belief in yourself & your bike is important, but one thing in your favour with the ZX7 is that at their peak they were noted for the best/ most confidence inspiring front end in the business.

Being fast doesn't make you a better rider, knowing & understanding your bike fully and connecting with it is a better sense of motorcycling. Enjoying what you have and enjoying the experience it offers is what makes a motorcyclist.

[FROSTY:Me]

Dude I've been thinking about your "problem"
I would like now to STRONGLY suggest ya might want to let someone with some nouse have a play with the suspension settings on your bike.
I have a funny feeling the bike has been set up for the track.
I promise you track settings DON'T work on the road.
"someone" took a SV650 racebike for a running in type blat down peak/old north etc with the suspension set up for the track--The ride was hell with tank slappers,bump steer and nasty kidney pounding going on.

[SwanTiger]

I do need to trust in the bike however. if the hyosung just went around the corner in front of me - stands to reason i should be able to do it as well right.

Haha! this lack of confidence wasn't caused by my over taking you that night was it? Gremlin is still in denial...

"Keeping up" is a myth and a shit hole thing to get caught up on. One thing I learnt very quickly by being a member of this site and going on rides is to "ride against yourself'.

The only person holding you up in that corner is you.

If you like we can go back to that corner (I remember which one, the 35 one after the straight on Sunnyside Road) and you can take me on the outside.



On a serious note. Practise is the key here.

Let me know when you have 4 hours one fine weekend spare and you and myself and some other riders can go out to woodcocks / west coast road and go backwards and forwards. That road will turn you into a Rossi. Once you can beat Tristan through there you'll be able to confidently play with the 1000's.