What makes a good rider?

[cowboyz]

So you are arguing that all riders should be hanging off with the knee out on every roundabout, then?

The climb off the bike , knee down riding position is an extreme one, developed by racers for race track level cornering. Its primary purpose is to prevent the risk of the tyre rolling off the tread edge.

I have no problem with you, or anyone else, hanging off knee down on every corner. But unless you're going through them at something like race speed I will smile to myself. And if you are going through at race speed , justifying the riding position, I'll frown to myself, for other reasons.

Same thing with those (like a certain gentleman recently) who like to adopt a motard , foot down style on the road.

Race riding for the race track. Road roading for the road. Works for me.

couldnt agree more. especially the difference between road riding and track riding. The 2 styles of riding present different challenges for the rider and I enjoy both for theie differences.

[Bonez]

couldnt agree more. especially the difference between road riding and track riding. The 2 styles of riding present different challenges for the rider and I enjoy both for theie differences.

How many GSX600Fs does it take to hold up a fence? . Carefull now, it's a trick question.......................

[pritch]

(didn't stop my leg or thumb breaking in an accident that was entirely of my own making....)

Certainly an interesting thread but I don't really think that what makes a "good rider" could be put in one sentence. Most of us would never agree on what a good rider is anyway.

Thing is though, the phrase in bold above indicates that you have the right attitude. Others blame the bike, the road, the tyres, whatever...
Anything but themselves.

Acknowledging that you might have done it better means you have an attitude that will permit you to improve.

My personal aims are limited, I don't want to be Rossi (despite this avatar), if I can plan rides and trips and enjoy them without too many scary moments while keeping it shiny side up I'll be happy.

Keep riding, keep reading, keep learning, keep trying to improve...
Don't ride with people who make you uncomfortable for any reason.
Stay safe

[cowboyz]

snipped a whole heap of stuff that is well worth reading but snipped none the less to make my point


Don't ride with people who make you uncomfortable for any reason.
Stay safe

I especially like this comment. Attending organised kiwibiker rides where often you are riding with strangers can often put you in a posiiton where you can be riding with someone who makes you uncomfortable. It is not hard to leave the next stop at a different time and especially on the bigger rides you can surround yourself with people who do make you feel comfortable.

Did that make any sense?

[doc]

I especially like this comment. Attending organised kiwibiker rides where often you are riding with strangers can often put you in a posiiton where you can be riding with someone who makes you uncomfortable. It is not hard to leave the next stop at a different time and especially on the bigger rides you can surround yourself with people who do make you feel comfortable.

Did that make any sense?

Exactly and too the point. It's about male tetestrone. Defencive riding includes riding within your limits not just interpreting what the cages are going to do. But avoiding getting into "I've got a bigger one than you have" situations .

[MSTRS:Me]

Exactly and too the point. It's about male tetestrone. Defencive riding includes riding within your limits not just interpreting what the cages are going to do. But avoiding getting into "I've got a bigger one than you have" situations .

Yep. The other part is that the people you ride regular with only get that way by being 'complementary' to one's own style, Whereas strangers are unfamiliar and more difficult to anticipate.

[Kittyhawk]

How many GSX600Fs does it take to hold up a fence? . Carefull now, it's a trick question.......................

Does Disco Dan count for this question?

[Bonez]

Does Disco Dan count for this question?

I'll let cowboyz take all the glory. Totally forgot about it till he reminded me last night. Over to you Lance!

[doc]

Yep. The other part is that the people you ride regular with only get that way by being 'complementary' to one's own style, Whereas strangers are unfamiliar and more difficult to anticipate.

Yep I've got a bigga one syndrome

[yungatart]

Yep I've got a bigga one syndrome

Maybe, but there is a whole lot more to that than testosterone.
On ANZAC day, the Manawatu lot met up with the HB lot and had an ANZAC adventure. I joined the group in the afternoon as I had prior committments in the morning.
None of those riders did anything dangerous/scary/intimidating anywhere near me....nonetheless, I felt uncomfortable and out of my depth, so chose to leave the group and ride home...it was not about their overload of testosterone - more about my lack of it!

[cowboyz]

I'll let cowboyz take all the glory. Totally forgot about it till he reminded me last night. Over to you Lance!

still sitting on the fence (so to say) and saying no comment,.......

[doc]

Maybe, but there is a whole lot more to that than testosterone.
None of those riders did anything dangerous/scary/intimidating anywhere near me....nonetheless, I felt uncomfortable and out of my depth, so chose to leave the group and ride home...it was not about their overload of testosterone - more about my lack of it!

But yur a girl you don't have our problem . We can't do that and look at each other in the morning and have any respect.

[yungatart]

Get over it! Who cares what other people think anyway? Would be true to say that most of them don't think anyway.....

[Drew]

So ok...blah blah blah

Only one of your comments doesn't quite ring true, where you said aboput keeping the bike upright to better cope with bumps. I'm not privy with the exact mechanics of it, but mid corner, a bump measuring 40mm in hight, turns into 56.56mm of suspension travel with the bike at 45 degrees. The difference hanging off makes, is very small to the overall lean angle, so it is the frame moving lateraly that has to absorb a lot of said bump.

Anyhoo, a good rider needs to know none of this, nor does a fast rider, IMHO, a good rider only needs to get on and be in control.

[JayRacer37]

IMHO, a good rider only needs to get on and be in control.

AMEN.
Well - mostly in control, for the majority of the time....hah.
Nope, well in control, someone who is thinking about their actions and how these may effect people around him/her.