Experience keeping up with crotch rockets

I agree with this.

One grain of sand will not make you slide out.

I agree with this.

This is very dangerous advice. Since I joined a riding group of over 100 riders, this has been the main reason for people crashing in the corners, wrecking their bikes and in many cases hurting themselves. We tell new riders to not do this. Some listen and some don't. Generally they try to catch up and when they get to the corner they either grab a big handfull of brake and wash out the front tire or they don't slow down enough and not having the skill level to make a turn at that speed, they run off the road. DON"T DO THIS!

The track days that I have been too have a Novice class. They take it slow and the faster riders aren't even on the track with the Novices. They have class room instruction and riding coaches that are ready to help you with specific issues you may have with your riding. They are not for everyone but I think it's a good way to see just how far you can lean over that bike in an environment where there are no potholes, cars, oil slicks, sand, dogs, etc. They have EMS standing by if you do go down, and honestly, you don't have to ride any faster than you wish, and you shouldn't. The biggest thing I got out of it was confidence turning. Most any street bike that is track worthy and has good radial tires are going to hold the track better than than just about any new rider can/will push. It's pretty safe.

I have never seen this. Is this standard practice somewhere?

Seat time does not equal increased riding skill. I know guys that have been riding for years and still are not very good riders.

If you are riding twisty roads, you better have your eyes on them. There is no time to sight see on twisty roads.

I attend group rides as many weekends as I can. These rides consist of very advanced riders to new riders on their first street bike and everything in between. We ride at a spirited pace. We have guidelines:


Ride at a pace you are comfortable with and maintain that pace.
Do not ride fast between corners to catch up.
We will wait for you at the next stop sign.
We don't mind waiting. Really!
If you have questions about your bike, gear, riding just ask.


It's a good group, but sometimes (as I mentioned above) people don't listen and their egos override their skill level and we have to call 911. That sucks, but you can't stop people from doing what they will do. :crazy:

I like to attend bike nights too, but it isn't to find people to ride with. I like to look at the bikes and the ladies. The bike nights I have been to are chock full of posers with extended swing arms, LED light kits and fat tire kits. Kinda neat to look at, but they aren't people I would ride with.

Poker runs are a cool idea. I would like to do one some day.

Again, you cannot become a good rider with seat time alone. Get some instruction. It's a lot cheaper than crashing your bike and body.

 

Yep, agree with the majority here "RIDE YOUR RIDE no matter what, ego needs to stay home, if not then no ride. I do need to throw out one thought. just because those that have the latest greatest fastest baddass super sport doesn't mean they know how to ride. I say take your time have fun and keep it real with yourself. I have done my fair share of group rides as well as those that where a couple strong all where good because we all kept our heads. not all super sport riders know what they got, nor how to use it even though they may act like they are the tough guy that knows. LOL not that I did this on purpose but I happen to show a few what riding is all about, yep 90% rider. love it when I hit a road up here on my own, riding my ride, come up to a couple sportbikes and they need to wave me past only to find out later I'm on a VFR and twice their age.. Life is grand.

 

+1 I have to agree with Squirellman.................on this

 

RVFR - Yep, that's me too. Twice their age if not more and king of my domain! When I am in unfamiliar turf I usually hold to the top half or top 25% of the riders that are familiar with the course (You have to follow someone when you don't know where the hell you're going! *lol*)


deadsmiley - I suggested gunning the bike a bit on LONG straights (1/4 mile or so) to catch up a bit. That didn't mean, or wasn't supposed to come across as meaning top out the bike then slam on your brakes and hold on for dear life. The rides I've been on you can see the next turn in the distance and only a complete idiot would approach the last 300 feet before a turn without slowing down. And NEVER crowd a bike in front of you when coming into a turn.

Wearing an 'X' on the back of your jacket was what we did in the good old days of my WERA track racing. It let the experienced riders know that there were first-timers on the track. I remember I wore my 'badge of courage' on my first race.

The bike nights we have here are every week. Sure you have those that bring out their pretty bikes and sure there's tons of tail there to gawk at, but there's also lots of good discussions to be had, and you can meet people of similar mindsets there as well.I prefer the smaller bike nights at one of the local bars. No posers allowed, just regular people who ride every day.

Poker runs are fun. You should get out and do one. They're always for a good cause and usually the entrance fees are as low as $15-$20. I always ride the Toys for Tots runs here and there are usually two or three to ride in on different weekends. Most of the runs I join have dinner or lunch at a park or restaurant at the end of the ride. Toys for Tots has a huge BBQ picnic.

I've ridden in bike rides with thousands of riders (Bike Week run in New Port Richey, FL). To me, it sucked big time. I barely got the bike out of 3rd gear. Every time you try to open it up a bit you can see the brake lights a 1/4 mile ahead of you coming at you like a Christmas light strreamer. I've approached turns that were 600-800 feet away and was only doing 30mph that far back! That was with police escort and blocking the roads for us! Talk about old farts riding! I could have rode a scooter and beat them! On long straights I would pass 50 bikes at a time, no lie, and I was still maybe only about halfway up the pack. Those same roads, with a small group of say a few dozen riders, are a different story! Most of the group rides I have been on were parties of maybe 30 bikes or so. We do it every week, so it's not so much of an event as if you only do it once a month or less, so it was never a full roster of riders on any given weekend.

I disagree somwhat about seat time. It does give experience. After your frist wreck I bet it taught you a thing or two NOT to do again. There's an old saying: 'Your not a biker till you wreck!' Yes, there are bad riders out there that have been riding as long as I have (30+ years), but then again there are bad drivers too. It's your job to spot them and stay the hell clear of them, bike or car. On group rides I can sort out the riders with poor habits and techniques within about 15 minutes. Size up your group and ride accordingly.

Sometimes I enjoy riding clean up position. The riders that go off road appreciate it. As far as watching the road, it doesn't take tunnel vision unless you're pushing your bike and yourself to your limits. Concentrate, yes. To the point where the ride is not enjoyable? No. Every ride is not a ride through Deal's Gap with a turn every ten seconds. And not everyone that rides Deal's Gap is out to set a track record. Some of them (us) can actually tell you about the beauty of the countryside they just rode through.

 

Wabbit1962 - Yes, I did learn from my first wreck and I have a slightly separated shoulder to prove it. I decided I didn't have that many body parts that I wanted to sacrifice to the learning experience. This is why I started doing the track days and lately, the riding school, but I get your point.

In our riding group we had a new rider that had a ZX14. Yep, he was new. He was trying to keep up by riding fast through the straights. Well, he ended up going off the road, trashed his new and financed ZX14 and we haven't heard much from him since that time. It's damned shame too because I heard he was a good guy (never rode with him) and I think he just quit altogether. This is why I push riding schools.

 

That is a shame. Too bad he didn't buy a small used bike to learn on first. The Kaw is a horse of a bike with a lot of front end weight when braking hard.

I remember way back when in my MSF course, the first day in class the instructor asked each of us why we wanted to learn to ride. Of course, there were a few in there that HAD to take the course or lose their license altogether for not having the endorsement when they got pulled over and ticketed. There was one silver haired man in the class that said he wanted to learn to ride so he could buy a Goldwing and take his grankids for rides! First day of riding instruction he used the front brake on a slow turn and dumped the bike.... twice. We never saw him the second day of riding. I give him credit for knowng his limitations.