Am really Scared!!

[w8pmc]

In a moment of madness before Xmas (also had a hangover & was in a bad mood) i decided to acquire a brand new Fireblade as the deal on offer (popped up on my FaceAche feed) appeared too good to be true & for a few months i'd been mulling over a return to motorcycling.

To put some context around this snap decision, i had crossers when i was 17 on the old Provisional license & then as i grew up my interest switched to 4 wheels. Around 24yrs ago i decided i fancied the idea of 2 wheels again so took my bike test (consisted back then of CBT & test) on a Yam SR125 & after passing my test jumped onto an FZR600R. At this point i was hooked & within 12mths upgraded to a YZF750 & then onto a ZX12R which i had for around 4yrs.

Now unfortunately as a keen biker i let's say started getting a little brave on my bike & was taking the odd risk (nothing major but i did enjoy pushing on), however in the one season i lost 4 riding buddies through accidents that were not their fault & with the impending arrival on my son i decided motorbikes were no longer my thing (this was about 15yrs ago). Since then i've hired a few bikes on foreign holidays, the last of which was a Harley in Vegas around 9yrs ago, but since then have never sat on a motorbike, let alone ridden one.

Since then & up to say last Autumn i've had next to no interest in returning to motorbikes & satisfy my 'racing demon' with car track days, this was in whatever was my daily driver at the time, but a few years ago we bought a track prep'd Clio 172 Cup for track action. The Clio was sold last year & i reverted to using my daily driver which is a Golf R Estate, with many let's say enhancements.

So back to now, the Blade was delivered last Saturday & i sat for hours just staring at the bike in awe of how she looked. I started her up a couple of times & again was in awe of how technology & styling have moved on since i had my ZX12R. But & it's a big BUT, i find myself as per the thread title stting myself at the very thought of riding her. I realise now isn't the best time of the year to be on any motorbike, so am happy to just admire her until the weather improves, but i can't see this apparent fear just vanishing anytime soon & thus how will i go about taking that first ride on her when the weather's agreeable?

I'm looking at getting some Rider training on an equivalent machine & have already reached out to Rapid Training & am awaiting their release of training dates, but right now the thought of even riding this bike to the training venue/track puts the fear of God into me. Am appreciative that a level of fear whilst riding really isn't a bad thing, but i'm afraid my level of fear would make riding this bike unpleasant or even possibly dangerous.

Reaching out to those far more accomplished on this Forum to see if any golden nuggets exist from those in the know as to how i overcome this fear?

Thanks in advance.

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kiethton said:

I was similar when I went from a 125cc bike to a CBR600 the day after my direct access....

Remember that the throttle is not an on/off switch and the bike only goes as fast (or slow) as you tell it to and being new it'll likely have a form of TC to stop the rear spinning up if you're a little ham fisted. Nothing wrong with driving it around like a car for the time being until you familiarise yourself with biking and learn to apply some of the roadcraft guidance re. positioning, limit points etc.

Good point & i think some of this is down to the nature of the bike. Never owned a Blade or equivalent, as the ZX12R although blisteringly quick wasn't i expect as agile as the Blade & thus felt a little more 'solid' if that makes sense?

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Rubin215 said:

Pick a nice dry day and just go out for a ride.

No need to go daft, no need to push the bike or yourself.

Just have some fun, swing round some bends, go home and have a cup of tea to warm up a bit.


Then do it again.

Makes perfect sense once i overcome this initial fear of getting kitted up, firing the bike up, selecting 1st gear & setting off.

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Dift said:

Being scared is probably a good thing, at least you will be overly cautious. I would be more worried if you were super confident!

Just pootle around and short shift would be my suggestion, you'll soon get overcome any nerves in good time for summer.

As above, makes perfect sense. Was one of the factors i chose to buy out of season so i've half a chance of being in full enjoyment mode when the better weather arrives, that & of course the Winter deal ££ was a significant draw.

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dibblecorse said:

Ok, first ride sequence:

1. Fire her up
2. Turn down ALL rider aids
3. Ride her with respect

2nd ride sequence:

1. Fire her up
2. Turn ALL rider aids back up
3. Ride it like you stole it seeing of you can get the TC lights firing

3rd ride sequence:

1. Fire her up
2. Enjoy

As an aside, look cracking in that colour scheme and enjoy the new toy ...

Throttle works both ways and you control the speed .....

Not sure the 1st & 2nd sequence would help overcome my fear

I'm sure i'll overcome this & she's only been here for 6 days of which it's been either very wet or freezing on the roads.

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MotorsportTom said:

In my experience modern bikes (have ridden the R1M and MT10SP for example) are far, far easier to ride than their fore-fathers such as my old 1996 Fireblade.

The fear for you I imagine is in what could happen, not of the bike itself. Same as people scared of heights, are actually just afraid of falling and not the height.

My 2p. Get a go on something that doesn't immediately put fear in to you even if it's a 125, an mx bike, a bandit 600 or whatever it may be just to give you a confidence boost riding a bike before switching to riding this in the better weather.

Also buy the best gear you can afford, even if that means an airbag jacket. You will feel far less worried knowing you have done the best you can if the worst happens and you take a tumble.

Best wishes!

Thanks. I've hopefully gone for quality gear, although never considered an airbag jacket, just quality one piece leathers, boots, helmet & gloves.

Not sure how i'd get to ride some less fearful machines now the Blade is sat in the garage.

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knitware said:

I had a Fireblade delivered last Saturday too! I've managed 100 miles so far.

The first time out on greasy roads and new tyres, horrid, my advise is put it in mode 3, the safety systems are all max. I went out yesterday and had it in mode 2, excellent, looking forward to clean roads so I can put it in User Mode (I’ve programmed Ron Haslam settings, just Google).

Don't be worried about taking the bike out, it's so easy to ride, very light, very safe and you are in control of the throttle. You really have no need to pootle on a 125 or similar.
In mitigation I did trade an S1000RR for this bike so i'm used to speed. The difference is the was the blade gets is power down differently, it’s hard to describe, the S1000RR used to scream and go whereas the Honda is more dignified in it’s approach, I think the weight differace has something to do with it too. Lots of torque and the quick shifter is incredible, it's nice to have one that works correctly, and sounds fantastic! And yes, some great deals on the Fireblade. This made me change my mind from the new BMW, which is now delayed until June 2019, £1000’s off and 0%.

The only changes I’ve made, which I do to most is, grippy pegs, adjustable levers and tail tidy. Enjoy, it is a beautiful bike.

I'm guessing the same deal given you mention £000's off & 0%? Mine came from Blackpool Honda.

Is the Quick Shifter standard as the dealer mentioned this as a possible upgrade when i feel ready?

[w8pmc]

Thanks everyone, some really valuable advice

Will look into the local IAM this week & book onto a track related training day when available.

A few have mentioned getting a Tail Tidy, what exactly is this? A quick Google would suggest it's a new rear light & number plate holder, but i can't work out why it's needed or what benefit it gives? Also looks a little complicated & i'm guessing could impact on the bikes warranty?

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poo at Paul's said:

If you are coming back and worried about the bike, and went off biking when you lost 4 friends in one year, be a bit wary this time of year of having a matt black bike!! Not the most visible of things on a grey day, and doesn't help the SMIDSY scenarios. So presuming you may need some new kit, at least get yourself a flipping bight helmet to wear and maybe some bright kit, and this time of year maybe consider adding something bright sticker wise to the front of your bike.
Before you say this is all bks, do out in the car and keep an eye out for bikers and see how much easier it is to see the neon brigade vs the cool matt black guys! Based on the scientifically proven fact that every car driver is a tt who is more worried out their facebook status that what is going on outside their big steel box, the more visible you are, the better!!

Good points. From the front even being Matt back i'd say the bike's fairly visible as has twin DRL's (i'd have the headlights on anyway in murkier weather) & the wing mirrors house the LED indicators which stay on as fixed yellow strips when not being used so 4 distinctive lights on the front in 2 colours.

Didn't think through brightness as bought a helmet to match the bike so that's matt black too, but it does have some selective material on it. Leathers are also black but have red colouring along with reflective patches. That said a very good point & i have some high vis vests in the car for when on the Continent, so perhaps not a bad idea to don one for any out of Summer rides.

Will need to invest in an over jacket so will be more aware of visibility in my choice.

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poo at Paul's said:

I reckon you'll be dead by Thursday...

I'd best stay off the bike until at least Friday then

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knitware said:

That does seem a particuarly poor image, however i think they are one of the best looking spostbikes currently for sale.

I think that post referred to the image of me losing 4 (motorcycle) friends in one season which that & the impending arrival of my Son lead me to turn my back on motorcycling. Although the photo i posted of my new Blade was taken in my dimly lit garage early evening after the bike was delivered, i don't think the image referred to was the photo of my Blade.

Edit to add yours is a far better quality picture & looks a beautiful bike.

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the Akro as it looks stunning?

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graeme4130 said:

Hey Paul.
I remember now who you are from the RS4 Forums. Surely it can't be as scary as coming around Donnington with me in my B8 about 4 years back, right ?
Seriously though, as people have alluded to in this thread, the bike can be as scary or as tame as you make it, but there's nothing you can do about the types of drivers you get on the road, and that's always the big uncertainty
The track is the best place to explore what the bike can do, and build your confidence in it for when you are riding on the road
I'm working at Silverstone now as a Bike Track instructor and in the race school, so if you want to come and see me when the season starts, I can build you into it gently and we can get closer to the limits in a somewhat safer environment. We see a lot of riders that are scared of the bike, and the possible consequences on the road, and the environment of a controlled circuit is a great way to relax as you can focus purely on the task at hand

Hi Graeme & yes i'm one & the same Was a good run in your B8 & i guess i must have been in the F10 M5? Downgraded to a Golf R now & that's considerably quicker on track, more fun & consumables about 1/3rd of the cost.

I've no interest in ever doing track days on a motorbike, much prefer that activity in the car, however can see significant value for training purposes. Do you do Rider training rather than a race school as it's my bike control & confidence i want to work on, not the ability to get round a track quickly (if that makes sense?)

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black-k1 said:

You’re only scared because of the pressure and expectations you are putting on yourself. Sure there are risks associated with riding a bike and those risks do increase a little when you’re on a new bike (unfamiliar with the bike) and when you’ve been off the road for a while (unfamiliar with road craft). However, these risks are completely manageable or else we’d never have had a single “born again” biker.

Set yourself some targets but make them simple and straight forward. To ride a 10 mile, half hour route from home. To ride to a favourite location. To ride through town. Etc.

Do these on your own, in your own time, at your own pace. If a ride doesn’t go well, don’t count the target as achieved and try again.

If you set yourself half a dozen such targets and tick them off one-by-one, you’ll start to relax and enjoy the ride as you’ll then have the recent experience you are worried you currently don’t have. You’ll also have familiarity with the bike.

Once that is done, book yourself on some advanced road training to find out how things should be done properly. You may well already be doing things properly but the benefit of having that reinforced will further add to your biking enjoyment.

That's a really good call. Spoke with an ex IAM & Advanced Police Motorcycle Instructor last night who runs a local school fairly local to me (RIDECraft) that covers all aspects of training from CBT through to Direct Access & Advanced Rider training. He gave me some good pointers & would be happy to do 1:1 for a day or 2 with my specific needs in mind. I want to cover a few miles beforehand so don't arrive at school totally wet behind the ears & i'd like to scrub these shiny tyres off a little before hitting the car park for assessment.

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Speed addicted said:

Pushed over the edge by teenagers?

I'm a fairly confident rider, and have taken a few of the guys I've worked with out for runs when they were new to bikes. It makes a big difference having someone there to give constructive criticism rather than constantly wondering if you're doing it right or could be doing things better.

Obviously you have experience of fast bikes, but need the skills to be brought back up. I'd spend a bit of time on your own getting used to the bike, then get some advanced lessons (not necessarily IAM type) to get your confidence boosted.

I think the biggest thing is to accept that it'll take a while to get used to it again, take your time and enjoy the experience.

It's a good point, but having been out of the loop, i don't have any riding buddies to start hooking up with for rides & being of a certain age, not sure i'd want to present my out of date skills to a group of competent riders just yet. The training would be 1:1 at my own pace & centred on what I need based on an initial assessment.

My first few miles are probably best completed on my own on familiar roads & that should give my confidence the start it requires to then progress.

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graeme4130 said:

Yeah, you had the M5 at the time. If I remember correctly, your brake pads lasted about 2 sessions and were cooked
It's track training we do at Silverstone as it typically runs during a general track day, rather than any road stuff. Although a couple of the other instructors do have road schools for everything from CBT's right through the advanced road training stuff and the IAM beige trouser brigade I can put you in touch with them if you prefer that route.
Getting around a track quickly is fully the result of confidence and bike control though, so the two things go hand in hand.
We get a lot of people that come through us that just want to learn how to ride a bike properly in the safer environment of the track solely with the purpose of being a better road rider. I will say though, that a big percentage of them get addicted to the track and come back time and time again. It's a slippery slope
Once you've ridden a fast bike around a race track, anything but the very fastest car will somewhat slow and mundane though, and it's a dangerous game trying to exploit a quick bike on the roads.
I don't ride on the road at all any more out of choice, and only do so when we get involved in helping out at launches or things like Ducati's DRE

It's a fair point, but i can't see me in a situation for quite some time where i'd even approach 'pushing' on the road & on track one would tend to be a little braver than perhaps they should. The few 'moments' i've had in a car on track haven't hurt in the slightest, the same wouldn't apply had i been on 2 wheels. Track days on a bike have never appealed to me, however training on a circuit does make sense.

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Ryan-nunm9 said:

W8pmc,

What a great bike, congratulations!!

I instruct for Rapid Training and have dates booked in this year already. Get back in touch (it'll be Gary who replies) with some dates that you're available and he will get a local instructor booked in. I don't know the northerners very well so not sure which one you'd get, I'm more Oxford way sorry. You wont go far wrong on a Rapid day (biased in know) but the day will be all about you if you book 1:1, saying that if you know of anyone who'd be of a similar standard then 1:2 ratio is really good as you'll gain alot from watching the other rider and listening in to the debrief of his/her ride.

I had a chap book 1:1 with me the end of summer last year, not been on a bike for 35 years and bought a Triump Street Triple 765. The standard of his riding increased 10 fold, he'd done around 300 miles before the training day and banged out about anouther 130 miles around Wiltshire that day. Safe and smooth into and through the bends as well as more confident in putting the power down out of the corners. You'll even get a written report highlighting the the training points from the day as well as some tips for areas you can improve on going forward.

As others have said, I'd recomend getting out on it and getting some miles in. Just keep it smooth and you'll be fine, it'll all come flooding back to you. It is after all, like riding a bike!!

Congratulations once again,

Ryan

Sounds like exactly what i'm after.

The weather has worked against me for the last couple of weeks, so the bike's still not turned a wheel. Hoping to get a few miles under my belt next week if the forecast stays as is, once over the initial fear i'll be getting some 1:1 training booked in.

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Rawwr said:

On the plus side, the Fireblade is a total pussycat, relatively speaking. Each year brings us faster litre bikes but they also go to great lengths to make them easier - or perhaps safer - to ride.

This appears to be correct & not a bad thing for me

Now need to RTFM & work out the various different ride modes before my first ride. Ideally i'd like to set off in pussy cat mode rather than roaring Tiger.

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Rawwr said:

I probably shouldn't admit this on here but most of the time, I leave mine in mode 3 because it's super smooth, although the throttle response is a bit lazy. On nice hot, sunny days, I'll use mode 2 and sometimes if I'm super bored but know I have my sh*t together, mode 1, although that's a bit too firm and uncomfortable for the road.

So Mode 3 is the let's call it 'Comfort' & 'Safe' Mode, with 2 being a little more raw & 1 being the nutter setting?

Is that it, just 3 modes?

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ChocolateFrog said:

If the thought of just being on a bike is scary then what's the point? Sell it, take the hit and take a bit of time out off Fb.

If it's because it's more powerful then I've never really understood that argument. If your self control is that poor you probably shouldn't be riding in the first place.

I find higher powered bikes more relaxing to ride, you're more often well within their performance envelope and they give you more options when confronted with 'decisions'. For reference I went from my trusty CG125 which was pinned everywhere to a Bandit 1200, this was 20 years ago but I still remember that day.

Not sure if that's meant to be contraversial or if you've not read my original post?

Having not ridden a motorbike in probably 9yrs or so & having not owned a powerful motorbike for over 15yrs (last bike owned was a touch more powerful than the Fireblade but was heavier), it's just i hope a natural fear of returning to something tinged with a little danger that i've been unfamiliar with for many years. That & just my natural observation driving on the road which shows driving standards & care for others has most certainly dropped over the last decade. Lastly the condition of the roads is most certainly poorer than it was a decade ago.

My heads coming round in preparation for my first ride on this bike & training once a few miles solo have been covered will be booked.

What does 'take a bit of time out of Fb' mean?