First ride.

After getting a few things sorted on the 700, I took it for my first ride. I have to admit it made me a little nervous. I don't know whether it was because it's the biggest bike I've owned or because I haven't ridding anything in the last 20 years. Didn't feel totally comfortable coming to a stop sign and I forgot to cancel the signals a few times (felt like an idiot). I hope thing will improve after getting some more miles under my belt.

It's funny, I'll be 50 next month. I raced 20 years ago and always thought I'd get back into it someday. Unfortunately I think those days may be long gone.

 

Well, it does sound like you are back into it. For not riding after 20 years, you will be rusty, but it is like riding a bicycle - you don't forget. Just take it easy and you'll get back into the swing of things before you know it.

 

Don't worry about it. If you raced in the past, you are going to master it in short order. Hell, the "Very" first time I rode a bike I was 51 and it was on my present bike. I am still alive and have no injuries attributed to the bike. Still get headaches from when the wife hit me with a frying pan when I brought it home though!

 

Thanks guys. Tomorrow and Tuesday we are supposed to have two sunny days in a row in the Seattle area. I'll be taking out after work and will try to relax a little.

(PS, I never said I was a 'good' racer :redface

 

The bikes are the same as what you rode before with a few small changes. Bigger, faster, handle better, sometimes heavier too.

Relax and enjoy, one thing still hasn't changed, they still are a whole lotta fun to ride!

 

Sunny all week here in Vancouver - I am in the same boat. Get my VFR800 on Wednesday and I turned 50 last Dec and have not ridden since 1993. Gonna be interesting.

 

I know this sounds really silly but.... BREATHE. I found myself concentrating so hard I forgot to breathe, and then my arms would tense up and so on. Oh yeah, and don't forget to enjoy it too!

 

Well I put prob a 100km - 60 miles on the VFR today.. Been a very long time and I learned that steering comes from the shoulders and stability comes from the legs. I was not good at steering most of the day. Calmed down after a while. Slow speed turns - really bad. Cannot believe this was not dangerous when I was 20 yr old. Gonna take a while to get back into things. Still shaking a bit. - Need gym membership / wow am I out of shape.

 

For your turns, just keep a smooth and consistent pace (no matter the speed). The rust will be gone before you know it.

 

Glad to hear I'm not the only one:biggrin:. Took it for ride #2 yesterday. A little longer this time- cut short when the bike started popping. I felt more comfortabe this time and learned how to read the spedometer and open the fuel cap.

I was admittedly scared coming around blind corners after I hit a dear with my truck last year. Went into one corner a little hot and had to brake more than I wanted too:fear:.

I'm sure now it'll come back to us.

(PS, the breathing tip is a good one)

 

Road it down to my friends in Point Roberts WA last night and 80% of my nervousness was gone. Odd. It was a short ride but day and night compared to the day before. I must say that after I bought riding boots (instead of sneakers) my riding confidence went up 20%. No sloppy shoes to deal with.

Heated grips were on this morning at 7am - Amazing. They were not invented last time I rode.

 

There is a guy on the EX500 forums by the name of Fog. He raced up until he was 60 something. You aren't dead yet man!

By the way, I will be 49 this December and some of the fastest riders I know are older than me.

 

Though I'm not up in thy age bracket yet (turn 44 this year) I have some days when I feel like 50 as I'm sure we all do. As my mother has always told me, "You're only young once, but age is definitely a state of mind. As long as you think you are young, then young you will remain." Who said mom's don't know anything? LOL

Just relax and feel the bike. I find myself feeling a bit rusty just about every year when I get back on the bike after the chill of the Canadian winter comes to an end. The first ride always seems to feel a bit stiff, for lack of a better word, and then everything just settles in to place. What VT-VFR said about breathing certainly makes sense, sometimes it is the simplest things that you forget at first, and it is amazing how tense you can become when you start to hold your breath. Definitely have to remember that one. In no time at all, you'll be zooming down the road with nary a wonder as to how natural riding a bike feels.

Watch out for the cars and wildlife as one will jump out in front of you in a heartbeat while staring straight at you, and the other will just plain not see you. Being a fellow biker I'm sure you which is which. Have fun and ride safe.

 

This was me only happened this week...

I've been looking at VFR's for almost 20 years but never picked up one up.
Finally just said this is it and bought a '94 with 27k on it.

I didn't think about how many more people and cars there are around here now.
So many of the little things are starting to come back.

Funny the mention about breathing, for about a minute on my ride home I was holding my breath and didn't realize it!
After riding it for a couple days in a row now, we almost always have good riding weather, it feels much better and I'm actually enjoying the bike.

Take it slow and always watch for cars coming from all directions at all times...there's only two kinds of automobile drivers, the ones that don't see you and the ones that do and are trying to hit you.

Other than that I was able to ride for about 25 minutes without seeing another car, truck, motorcycle or bicycle yesterday. That was amazing here!

 

I took it for another ride. I was really comfortable on the road and in the twisties. I enjoyed the fact that I had to really roll on the throttle in the corners because if I didn't, it felt like it would tip over.

Then I came to a "T". There was a shadowy short sharp corner to the left. I looked left, and then right and started out to take a right turn. A few seconds later I hear someone laying on their horn. I looked over my left shoulder to see what was going to hit me and damn near countersteerd off the right side of the road.

The car was a little black import, probably driven by some fucking teenager going way too fast like most people do on this road. He didn't lock his brakes up which makes me think I'm right about his speed and I didn't just not see him coming. I think I was in shock and pissed off at the same time because I got on it and had my first over 100 run.

It has made me a little gun-shy. Maybe I should say, it freaked me the fuck out. Next ride better be better or I might end up selling the bike. To old for this kind of shit.

 

Well a couple of things.. I have been riding for two weeks now - has been a very long time for me.
1. Upgrade your headlights to the 5500/6000k blue bulbs and you will be seen better.(mine has em)
2. I put small 1'1/4'' small mirros on the outside lower left like I have done on all my cars (2 inch ones) to get rid of any blind spots. (just put em on tonight. (had to order them from a bicycle shop)
3. Refresher course - I should have had one two weeks ago - I never should have ridden w/o one.
4. Watch Twist of the wrist two. I did last week and it made a difference - especially in in how I corner & countersteer.
5. Clothing. I found when I bought proper riding boots instead of running shoes..my confidence went up 20%.

Food for thought of course. I am slower than I thought I would be in my enthusiasm to ride. How did I not think this was dangerous when I was 24?

 

Exactly.

Today's ride was much better, except for the hesitation that developed. Oh well...

 

Don't be to hard on yourself. It takes time to back in the groove. I made mistakes after letting the bike sit all winter on my first ride. Just take it slow.:smile:

 

I picked up my '98 VFR800 today, 20 years away from a bike, and 241 miles from home! Picked up like I had never stopped riding!
I am sure I will pay tomorrow though! My past rock hard abs have turned into a six pack of pudding! But I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Just missing the Oklahoma city tornadoes, now thats another story!

 

Another thing to remember, don't hold on too tight! I found I was using a death grip when I started riding again after a long layoff. Too tight a grip will tire you quickly, build up cramps in your forearm, and prevent the bike from finding it's own course. Let her have her head and save your strength.