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matt21
Original Poster
2,684 posts
73 months
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Picked up my first bike on Saturday, a 1998 ZX-6R with 30k. Currently loving it, but finding it pretty scary!
Just been for a long ride out on it, now done 100 miles, and I am constantly petrified! Went on the motorway for the first time and didn't feel comfortable above 70mph, although this is no bad thing from a legal point of view!
I am also concerned about the constant advise from non bikers on the dangers of diesel, and I do keep seeing it, just how dangerous is this?
100 miles in the nerves still override the excitement, just, how can I overcome these concerns so I can at least keep pace with traffic. I am guessing practice, practice, practice!
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VidalBaboon
8,855 posts
84 months
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Give it some time, don't force it.
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randlemarcus
8,723 posts
100 months
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matt21 said: I am guessing practice, practice, practice! Yup. Throw in a few different routes and types of ride as well. Above all, ride your own ride - don't try to keep up with someone going faster than you feel comfortable with, whether in a car or on a bike.
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Leithen
2,769 posts
136 months
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Nerves are good - they'll keep you safe. Over time you'll gain confidence, but beware the moment when the nerves disappear. Strike the right balance and you'll be fine.
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craigthecoupe
115 posts
73 months
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i too went for a 99 6r for my first bike after my DAS, and felt like i had bitten off more than i could chew for a good few weeks. try and relax, give it time, and don't rush it, and if you've just done your DAS watch 'a twist of the wrist 2'even if you do it wrong, at least you know what to aim for.
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Miss VR
90 posts
33 months
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You're in the same position as me but i just keep going out for an hour or two sticking to roads i know. I think i understand it now.
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Yazza54
9,419 posts
50 months
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All you need to do is put the miles in, it'll end up feeling as familiar as a old pair of boxer shorts.. maybe even with the skid marks!
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Fred Leicester
279 posts
32 months
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Time and practice, don't feel you have to push yourself - just get comfortable riding in general first, then take a look at Twist of the Wrist or similar to start to build some skills. I don't think you ever stop learning though, and I still have days when I feel bloody useless on a bike, but it's all part and parcel of biking IMO. Just try to relax, go at your own pace and enjoy it 
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Fred Leicester
279 posts
32 months
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Yazza54 said: All you need to do is put the miles in, it'll end up feeling as familiar as a old pair of boxer shorts.. maybe even with the skid marks! Haha, niiiiiiiice 
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Hooli
21,196 posts
69 months
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Yazza54 said: All you need to do is put the miles in, it'll end up feeling as familiar as a old pair of boxer shorts.. maybe even with the skid marks!  Very true. 100miles is nothing, keep riding & it'll click.
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s2kjock
140 posts
16 months
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On my first ride I was getting tailgated by 2 old biddies in a Metro and decided to pull over to let them pass If you are not comfortable with the speed you are doing, simply slow down - it will come in time.
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bogie
8,945 posts
141 months
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nothing is going to beat time riding...not a few hundred miles, but thousands of miles per year training can help accelerate learning and confidence, try www.i2imca.com so some good post learner and more advanced training imagine that compared to car driving, youve just done the equivalent of passing your car test and getting into an F430 or similar ...its going to be a steep learning curve at first
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Chilli
16,081 posts
105 months
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Just try and relax...you won't enjoy it if you're all clammed-up. Are you familiar with the 'chicken-wings'. Try it, it works. Keep focussed and everything will be just fine. You'll look back on this post in a few months and laugh.
Good luck.
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stew-S160
6,063 posts
107 months
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Newbie biker also, but I didn't get the nerves at all.
All I can say is relax, stay relaxed on the bike, pay attention to EVERYTHING around you, never focus on one thing/one object.
It will ease up with time and experience.
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Graeme_Gman
352 posts
68 months
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Echo others comments. Just ride. It'll all come together at some stage. I've been riding on and off a few years now, but pretty much full time for the last 2. Wasn't really until I did a 2 up trip through Europe with the wife this year that it all came together. Since then, I've felt completely different and my riding has transformed.
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creampuff
1,224 posts
12 months
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matt21 said: Went on the motorway for the first time and didn't feel comfortable above 70mph, although this is no bad thing from a legal point of view! Use earplugs. 90 will feel like 70. Or 70 will feel like 50.
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Rawwr
12,652 posts
103 months
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stew-S160 said: Newbie biker also, but I didn't get the nerves at all.
All I can say is relax, stay relaxed on the bike, pay attention to EVERYTHING around you, never focus on one thing/one object.
It will ease up with time and experience. Didn't realise you'd joined the club. If you fancy a ride-out sometime, gimme a shout.
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Mike600F
678 posts
25 months
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Leithen said: Nerves are good - they'll keep you safe. Over time you'll gain confidence, but beware the moment when the nerves disappear. Strike the right balance and you'll be fine. This. The difficulty isn't getting over the nerves, it's keeping them. Far too easy to become nonchalant about the whole thing. As above, finding the right balance is the really hard bit. In answer to your Q - just give it time and lots of miles. Then buy, read and understand 'twist of the wrist 2' and do loads more miles practicing all that you can from the book.
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happychap
256 posts
17 months
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At present adapting to riding is unfamiliar, this will pass as you continue to ride and gain more experience. You know how to ride, now you just need to become more aware of how to read the road conditions and be more aware of potential hazards that other road users might creat for you.
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Dr Jekyll
5,511 posts
130 months
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Motorway speeds do feel odd if you aren’t used to them. There is often a buffeting from side to side that feels as though you are about to be blown over, but once you get used to it you find you can trust the bike and relax.
Diesel is certainly bad news if you hit it, but it’s only responsible for something like 5% of accidents IIRC. Watch the road surface on sharp bends/roundabouts and outside service stations, but don’t actively worry about it.
IMHO Being nervous about traffic and what’s round the next corner is fine, but being nervous about keeping the bike upright is often counter productive.
What I would recommend is riding frequently, in the early stages it’s more important than mileage. Try not to go more than a few days without riding, if you haven’t ridden all week and plan a decent journey on Saturday try to get out on Friday evening even if it’s just a few miles round the block. You’ll feel far more comfortable on the bike next day.
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