[Bowflex]

As some of you know I got my new bike a few days ago. I have been on a few short rides with her (the weather has been crappy to do more) and I've noticed that ever since my accident, I seem to have developed a fear of going into corners or bends in the road at even posted speed. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm determined to ride again but this is affecting my riding performance.

[Pittenger5]

Yes, just relax, it will come. Its natural. Take it easy and build up your confidence again.

[eboos]

You have to give yourself more time. Your confidence will be back soon, just don't force it.

[Jayspeed]

You just need more seat time. It will go away.

[DucDave]

Originally Posted by Bowflex

As some of you know I got my new bike a few days ago. I have been on a few short rides with her (the weather has been crappy to do more) and I've noticed that ever since my accident, I seem to have developed a fear of going into corners or bends in the road at even posted speed. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm determined to ride again but this is affecting my riding performance.

Absolutely....and if the rest of the posts here are any indication, its more common than you think. Good on all of you for admitting it...

I call it 'Head Games' and wrote an essay on my experience a year ago...

http://www.batmanmoto.com/Docs/Head%20Games.pdf

Maybe that will help...!

[schleppy]

Sounds pretty normal to me. Give the new tires time to scrub in, and you'll find yourself getting your mojo back.

[greenmonster]

It's perfectly normal to feel a bit hesitant after an accident. Ive gone through the same thing. But trust yourself and your bike. It just takes time. You'll do fine...

[Brit-Triple]

Take your time, it messes with the best of them, I am still in the process of getting last year's accident out of my head.

Try and do the things you did when you first learned to ride and take some of your best remembered roads. A short length of road with some easy bends in it will start to get your confidence back. Ride it over and over if you have to, then there will be no surprises, you will know where every irregularity is and can just work on believing your bike will do what it is supposed to do.

good luck
carl

[bertbert2oo6]

i used to feel like my rear wheel was going to slip out from under me to the right constantly, but now it's gone, my normal riding is back, and i can accelerate fast again now.

[BCT748]

I have started looking off to the side of the road and going through blind corners really slow lately. I keep thinking some fucking animal is going to try to commit suicide with my front tire again.

[Kid Thunder]

I have been in a few accidents & after the first one every time I got up to speed I felt like I wanted to just STEP OFF THE BIKE!!!
It's normal to feel apprehensive. I still flinch a little when going around a turn with a car coming the other way & I'm 59 years old & ride an Aprilia. Just push through it slowly, it will come.

[SVRACER01]

just go out there and HAMMER IT!!

[patricia929]

I'm still having a few confidence issues from past crashes. I'm definitely more cautious now but maybe that's a good thing.

[Mr. Kurtz]

This thread would probably be shorter if everyone who HADN'T ever felt the way you do posted.

You're back on the bike, which means you'll be fine. It's the people who "give up" riding every time they hear about someone else's crash that worry me.

[Currently]

I used to be terrified of left hand turns and would turn in too quickly which meant that my wheels were in my lane and my head and body would be right where a Ford F250 pickup headlight was ... took a picture from Killboy to make me realize how bad I was and how dangerous it was.

Admitted that I had a problem.

Started looking for solutions.

Found out there was a Lee Parks Total Control course given out the week before the SV Rally last year and signed up for it.

Best thing I ever did.

I spoke with racers, people who I thought were good riders, forum discussions and nothing really helped me until I took that course. Why was it different? Because they took it right from the beginning where I REALLY was screwing up and gently brought me the skills that I needed to master BEFORE attempting to turn.

Throttle control ... braking ... looking through the turns ... body position ... setting up the bike ...

Then and only then did things click and I realized that the bike did everything for me instead of me making the bike do what I wanted.

It is really hard to explain and I highly recommend you spend some money for professional training. God knows there are plenty of true professionals on this board that practice what they preach. Go to the racer forum here and check out the number of professional instructors here. They are here and some stay in the background.

Stay the fuck away from the self proclaimed squidiots that pretend to know everything and will teach you for free. That is like free legal advice on the internet ... you get exactly what it is worth.

Nothing about motorcycling is cheap ... if you can't afford good instruction then the price you will pay will be in experience. Don't think you can learn from a book either. The books only really make sense after someone has taken you from the beginning and has given you a good foundation. Unfortunately most people think the MSF does exactly that and stop right there. The MSF is only the beginning ... just enough for you to get your license/endorsement. You still have a looooonnnnnng ways to go before even thinking that you are starting to become a fair rider.

[Tricky Mike]

Really good advice from Currently...
In the meantime I'd find a real quiet road (or even parking lot) and hit the same 2 or 3 turns repeatedly. I wouldn't go out to hammer these turns, I'd just ride them until I was comfortable riding a really good line perfectly (think of "the pace"). Try to think of small improvements in line, braking, head turn, throttle, etc as big accomplishments and ride those 2 or 3 turns until they become FUN.
If you haven't seen "the pace" it's available here The Pace - Nick Ienatsch - Motorcyclist magazine

[Mr. Kurtz]

Originally Posted by Currently

I
Found out there was a Lee Parks Total Control course given out the week before the SV Rally last year and signed up for it.

Best thing I ever did.

I think there's a few spots left for this.

Stay the fuck away from the self proclaimed squidiots that pretend to know everything and will teach you for free. That is like free legal advice on the internet ... you get exactly what it is worth.

New...favorite...word.

[OreoGitorio]

+1 to a track daaaaaayyyyy

[brendanp]

You just need to get out there and build up your confidence. I did some brakework on my hayabusa last yr. which when I took it for a test ride, the right caliper instantly locked up on me which resulted in a lowside at 45 mph.
I pulled all the pistons out of both calipers, put it all back together and made sure that this time I left some room for expansion in the resivor.

It took me a while before I could trust that shit like that wasn't going to happen again. I hadda slowly build my confidence at getting to speed again. It sucked bad!

[35racer]

I would recommend the ARC course, followed by a Trackday.

You'll be fine after that.

Advanced Riding Clinic

[Currently]

Originally Posted by 35racer

I would recommend the ARC course, followed by a Trackday.

You'll be fine after that.

Advanced Riding Clinic

AMEN!

[Josephd14]

Your close. You should go to bike night with us, I ride up with a few other idiots, we take back roads all the way up and back, A nice easy pace..Let me know, we meet in Fitchburg around 5:30