[LovelyNancy]

Hi All,

I just started back into riding after a few years off.
This past week I've been riding and am surprised at how rusty I am.
Made lots of little dumb mistakes.
But I was also reminded at how empowering and free it makes me feel.

Taking it easy and looking forward to getting to know you all.

 

[RonK]

--

Yes, it would be nice to get to know you but.... You're from Burned Out Country and the smokey smog would foul out our motors. So you're on your own. We ain't coming. Sorry.

--

 

[SemiFast]

Speak for yourself Ron...
The wife and I are packing the bike right now and will soon be on the way to visit with you Nancy.
-Or- We could just visit right here on this forum. :grin:
Anyway, Welcome SemiNew fellow rider. :thumbsup:


SemiFast

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Gidday from a small Island in the Salish Sea.
We all get rusty when we do not do something for a while.

UK

 

[mike721]

Welcome back!
I took a short 30 year break from riding, and when I started again I was REALLY rusty. After a week I felt like I was riding pretty well again and a couple of years later now I'm better than I ever was, older and wiser and all that. Be careful the first few rides though, I almost had a few mishaps that first week until i got things sorted out.

I did go take the MSF course about 2 months after I started riding again, it's worth doing as a refresher.

 

[Critter]

Welcome Nancy

 

[hogcowboy]

If you don't get harmed with dumb mistakes it will make you a better rider. Remember, anyone can ride fairly well in a straight line relative fast. It's slow speed parking lot stuff you need to practice on. Learn to dance with that bike if you would. Make u-turns anytime anywhere on demand. That will put you light-years ahead of most that think they can ride.

 

[LovelyNancy]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

Some of the dumb things I've done on my last two rides are;
Shift into Neutral instead of 2nd.
Forget to cancel my signal.
Even worse, hit my horn instead of signal (scared the **** out of me).

But there are other things that I've lost my skill at that are much more important.
My overall "reading of traffic" is like a lazy cager. Only bike time and extreme paranoia will improve that.
U turns. Pretty much back to beginner on that.
Downshifting/ engine braking without upsetting the bike needs work.
I also feather my clutch in corners.
It helps me control power to the rear wheel because my throttle control isn't so good.
I think it's a bad habit.

I'm looking forward to learning from you all.

 

[Critter]

You might want to take a look at the basic rider's course and think about taking it. I did when I started riding again after a 20+ year hiatus. It brought back a lot of my muscle memory and thought me good habits.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

I missed a shift today between fourth and fifth. I often forget to cancel the turn signal thingies. I beeped the horn on Yami a while back, and the engine stopped. Blew a fuse, but I think it was a coincidence. I was never good at the slow stuff.

I think you are doing fine, because you are working on things. Every time I made a goof, I thought about how I could improve that issue. I think that is a good plan, and you are doing the same.

The Moto GP pros, fell over more than 150 times at the last race in Spain. It was raining.

UK

 

[sirgilbert357]

Even worse, hit my horn instead of signal (scared the **** out of me).

LOL, I've done that. Bout crapped my pants. For half of a millisecond, I thought a car was honking and about to hit me or something. Just have to laugh at yourself when you do stuff like that...

 

[sirgilbert357]

It's slow speed parking lot stuff you need to practice on. Learn to dance with that bike if you would. Make u-turns anytime anywhere on demand.

THIS.

I became SO much more confident in my riding skills once I could ride through a parking lot at 7 mph, LOL. And I got to a point where I could nail U-turns with no problems whatsoever. That is very liberating, let me tell you...

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

Welcome back Kotter! ( A spin on an old t.v. episode where a teacher gets back to teaching some sweat-hogs )

Been there myself, got a bike between my ass an the asphalt 6 years ago yesterday went just abit too fast an
wide on the interchange of route 275 South and 75 N and S.ended up going on to the grass and into some
real nice shrubbery !I did not dump the bike as the shrubs kept me from falling over but yeah it was a real
ass- tightening experience.

I rode back in the 70's an on/off rode bike good for 125 c.c.'s then A Honda 360 Cruiser. I think that when I got
my hiney on that Sporty, everything would come back to me super fast. . .WRONG !

Check out MC Rider or Ride like a pro so far as slow speed skills, It is true, e.z. to go down the Hi-way at 3
digit speeds, Aye captain, time ta increase the warp speed factor ! really get your kneez in the breeze that way
but forgetting to not use your front brake when swerving's gonna put you in a peck of trouble.

Vinnie Bobareeno is telling you to do a good pre-ride, Horn, all lights, air pressure of tires. Arnold Horshack is
telling ya, "Get back to reading traffic, scan the whole intersection before crossing EVEN if you have a green
lite as some butt-hole could run the red, some of the nice girls are telling you to leave a good car length between
urself and the car in front of ya when at an in'ersection so as to have a route of escape, Why? Well Dagwood an
Blondie are coming up like real fast on your behind and both are eating a mile high san'wich and can't see the bike
in front of them, so b4 it is time to have baloney cheese an black olives up your tail pipe, a well known cats is
hollering, "EXIT, STAGE LEFT, UM OUTA HERE EVEN. . .Snagglepuss?

And last but not least Gabe Kaplan, the school teacher is tellin ya, " Chill out a little, don't get nervous, enjoy the ride,
and while riding, play that little game in ya head called, 'What if? and figure what the hell you'll do if something does
happen, most likely it won't, always slow down at intersections cuz even if you have a green. . . at 40 mph ur doing 60
feet a second, drop ten miles offa that and keep your front brake covered, you just increased your chances at being
home for supper if some moron does a 'LEFT turn in front of ya, and yeah, Homework, riding is something you always
wanna keep on top of, read books about it, you don't want to come to a DEAD stop.

 

[SteveCB500F]

Welcome, Nancy! I'm new here, too, although I've been reading the forum for several months. I got back into cycling after a 30 year break and the first thing I did was take the Basic Rider Course. When I rode in the 1980's I didn't have any formal training so the BRC taught me a lot I didn't know. Like Critter said, it might be a good idea for you to take it...just a thought.

Returning riders are actually at higher risk of getting into trouble on the bike because a lot of them think that since they rode years ago they know what they're doing and don't need formal training. I'm not saying this is you but as a group we're considered high risk (according to MC Rider anyway).

Anyway, the mistakes you're making seem relatively minor (I made some of the same ones myself two days ago)...but reading traffic is a critical skill so definitely focus on that to start with. Good luck and be safe out there!

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Welcome, Nancy!

Anyway, the mistakes you're making seem relatively minor (I made some of the same ones myself two days ago)...but reading traffic is a critical skill so definitely focus on that to start with. Good luck and be safe out there!

Agreed. Apart from learning how to ride, often the biggest challenge is learning about how to ride in heavy traffic. You guys that live in big cities, certainly have a challenge.

UK

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

Welcome back Kotter! ( A spin on an old t.v. episode where a teacher gets back to teaching some sweat-hogs )

Been there myself, got a bike between my ass an the asphalt 6 years ago yesterday went just abit too fast an
wide on the interchange of route 275 South and 75 N and S.ended up going on to the grass and into some
real nice shrubbery !I did not dump the bike as the shrubs kept me from falling over but yeah it was a real
ass- tightening experience.

I rode back in the 70's an on/off rode bike good for 125 c.c.'s then A Honda 360 Cruiser. I think that when I got
my hiney on that Sporty, everything would come back to me super fast. . .WRONG !

Check out MC Rider or Ride like a pro so far as slow speed skills, It is true, e.z. to go down the Hi-way at 3
digit speeds, Aye captain, time ta increase the warp speed factor ! really get your kneez in the breeze that way
but forgetting to not use your front brake when swerving's gonna put you in a peck of trouble.

Vinnie Bobareeno is telling you to do a good pre-ride, Horn, all lights, air pressure of tires. Arnold Horshack is
telling ya, "Get back to reading traffic, scan the whole intersection before crossing EVEN if you have a green
lite as some butt-hole could run the red, some of the nice girls are telling you to leave a good car length between
urself and the car in front of ya when at an in'ersection so as to have a route of escape, Why? Well Dagwood an
Blondie are coming up like real fast on your behind and both are eating a mile high san'wich and can't see the bike
in front of them, so b4 it is time to have baloney cheese an black olives up your tail pipe, a well known cats is
hollering, "EXIT, STAGE LEFT, UM OUTA HERE EVEN. . .Snagglepuss?

And last but not least Gabe Kaplan, the school teacher is tellin ya, " Chill out a little, don't get nervous, enjoy the ride,
and while riding, play that little game in ya head called, 'What if? and figure what the hell you'll do if something does
happen, most likely it won't, always slow down at intersections cuz even if you have a green. . . at 40 mph ur doing 60
feet a second, drop ten miles offa that and keep your front brake covered, you just increased your chances at being
home for supper if some moron does a 'LEFT turn in front of ya, and yeah, Homework, riding is something you always
wanna keep on top of, read books about it, you don't want to come to a DEAD stop.

So much for old t.v. episodes and cartoon characters to give advice on motorcycling.

 

[SteveCB500F]

Agreed. Apart from learning how to ride, often the biggest challenge is learning about how to ride in heavy traffic. You guys that live in big cities, certainly have a challenge.

UK

Living in the Washington, DC Metro area (which is actually DC, MD, and VA) the traffic here is, without question, my number one concern every time I ride. I don't ride during rush hour here or on any of the major highways (at least not yet). With Nancy being in Los Angeles she's dealing with the same issues I'm sure.

 

[LovelyNancy]

Ray'ssporty1200, you are a poet my friend. I will remember the good advice.

I also avoid rush hour traffic in Los Angeles and since I'm retired, I am very selective about the times and places I'll ride.
All my riding is for pleasure and I'm jealous of you that can ride in quiet rural areas.
I got my M1 in 2006 after taking the MSF and rode pretty regularly for about 7 years.
Been away from it for about 5 years.
Things in Los Angeles have changed quite a bit since 2006. There is much more traffic now.
Riding the canyons in Santa Monica Mountains use to be fairly empty on weekdays. Now there are more riders every day of the week.
Lots of Marquez wannabes and people over riding their skill level.
Lots to watch out for.

Maybe someday I'll get to ride out in Wyoming....sigh....

 

[SteveCB500F]

Ray'ssporty1200, you are a poet my friend. I will remember the good advice.

I also avoid rush hour traffic in Los Angeles and since I'm retired, I am very selective about the times and places I'll ride.
All my riding is for pleasure and I'm jealous of you that can ride in quiet rural areas.
I got my M1 in 2006 after taking the MSF and rode pretty regularly for about 7 years.
Been away from it for about 5 years.
Things in Los Angeles have changed quite a bit since 2006. There is much more traffic now.
Riding the canyons in Santa Monica Mountains use to be fairly empty on weekdays. Now there are more riders every day of the week.
Lots of Marquez wannabes and people over riding their skill level.
Lots to watch out for.

Maybe someday I'll get to ride out in Wyoming....sigh....

I'm envious of all the people who live in less congested areas. It must be so much nicer to ride in places like that. I've met several people here in the DC area who trailer their bikes out west about 50 miles just to get away from all the traffic here. It's an all day event but at least they can ride where there are few cars.

Wow, you've not only got to worry about the cars, you've also gotta watch out for the MotoGP wannabes...yikes!! Be careful out there. :angel:

 

[Critter]

I normally ride between 9am and 3pm and head either south or west. Some great riding an hour west of us.