Please tell me there are some tips to getting over a crash

[xrocket21]

I went down last year at 42 mph at NHMS

It wasnt scary, I didnt get hurt, it really didnt bother me.

Before the crash, I was never really confident at how much lean I could put in, on ramps and stuff, I never felt ALL that comfortable, I leaned it over more and more, but I never knew where the limit was.

The problem was, that when I went down, it was slick, and I went down VERY SUDDENLY while riding at about 30% capacity, I was on a warm up lap.

Because of this, simple low speed corners, I just feel so shaky. I'm not scared, its been 9 months and 1500+ miles since then. The confidence just isnt there. it went down so easily, my brain just tells me it could happen again. I almost feel like I would have less of a mental issue with this if I was hauling ass and crashed harder.

I was hoping time and miles would help, but it hasnt. :/ I enjoy riding a lot less now, and I again stress Im not afraid of raiding or afraid to go down.


Total experience is probably 5 years and 12,000 miles




the video, crash at the end, 42 mph, slighly damp, warmup lap, 3rd session of my first track day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iflAffx0OYo

[Chippertheripper]

Grip it and rip it.

[SVRACER01]

Wirelessly posted (Instinct: TELECA-/2.0 (BREW 3.1.5; U; EN-US; SAMSUNG; SPH-M800; Teleca/Q05A/INT) MMP/2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Trackday crashes are different than the street. even though you were taking it easy on the track you were probably still pushing a little more than on the street. the track can be unforgiving when it comes to cold tires or damp track. it doesnt take much to lose it in the damp. thats when body position, throttle and brake control are key.
just keep your head on straight and youll be fine

[Pittenger5]

Holy fuck, when you said went and I saw turn 2 was coming I was like, yup shoulda guessed. But damn thats a VERY weird place to crash.
As for confidence, cant help yah, just time in the saddle, and work your way back up.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

Was it cold?

[xrocket21]

Holy fuck, when you said went and I saw turn 2 was coming I was like, yup shoulda guessed. But damn thats a VERY weird place to crash.
As for confidence, cant help yah, just time in the saddle, and work your way back up.

this is why its fucking me up, theres a nice 90 degree corner on my way home from work, but i just CANT take it anymore, it literally feels like im on ice, but its dry tar

like my brain makes me stand the bike up, its all mental, and it isnt going away

[xrocket21]

Was it cold?

july but drizzling

not cold, but damp


crashing that day doesnt matter, it was slick. But I cant ride aggrssively anuymore, my brain says "YOURE GONNA LOWSIDE IDIOT!" at like 30 mph turns

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

july but drizzling

not cold, but damp


crashing that day doesnt matter, it was slick. But I cant ride aggrssively anuymore, my brain says "YOURE GONNA LOWSIDE IDIOT!" at like 30 mph turns

Just keep looking Far ahead of where you are going. I find after I have a big one I tend to look right in front of the front wheel Get your eyes up and it come back to you

[xrocket21]

Just keep looking Far ahead of where you are going. I find after I have a big one I tend to look right in front of the front wheel Get your eyes up and it come back to you

Okay, ill try this

thanks dude

[OreoGaborio]

Total experience is probably 5 years and 12,000 miles

Is that relatively evenly spread out? If so, I actually think that's playing a pretty decent sized part in the confidence problem that you're experiencing.

If you had put that same 12k miles on in a single season, you'd likely be much MORE confident and rounded than you currently are. Ya gotta ride more often than that, otherwise your skill level will plateau pretty quickly.

Specific tips like keeping your eyes up and looking further ahead definitely help, but ya gotta do that in conjunction with healthy doses of seat time.

I find the best solution to post-crash jitters is to make what sense of the crash I can and then get right back on & keep chargin'.

[Chippertheripper]

There was a kid who crashed right there at the last bomo day last year. Copper or orange bike is all I remember. Maybe a puddle in that spot? I've never ridden it in the rain.

[Kurlon]

I went through similar, crashed at very low speed in 2, didn't think it'd shake me, boy was I wrong on my first street ride after. Just gotta ride through it. For me, playing on minis and 'goofing off'' while remembering how to lean/etc helped.

[xrocket21]

Is that relatively evenly spread out? If so, I actually think that's playing a pretty decent sized part in the confidence problem that you're experiencing.

If you had put that same 12k miles on in a single season, you'd likely be much MORE confident and rounded than you currently are. Ya gotta ride more often than that, otherwise your skill level will plateau pretty quickly.

Specific tips like keeping your eyes up and looking further ahead definitely help, but ya gotta do that in conjunction with healthy doses of seat time.

I find the best solution to post-crash jitters is to make what sense of the crash I can and then get right back on & keep chargin'.

past 3 years have been like 3k a year

i mostly ride to and from work

the rc isnt comfortable on long rides at all, with my 6'5" frame. Hell, regardless of how tall I am, it isnt comfortable.

[scr1be]

maybe you just need to figure out the exact reason you crashed? that's the way i see it ... if you at least know the reason, and the reason is something you control, then you can just not do it again.

i haven't crashed yet but i am already feeling what you feel because of all the stories or youtube videos i watch.

i see/hear about all these people who have been riding much longer than me (i've been only on a year) and how EASY they go down even in a 20 mph turn.

so i think to myself, well fck, if they're gonna go down doing something as simple as taking a little turn, i'm seriously going to fck up if i push it at all. to this day i still can't get the bike over 80 or so mph.

i feel like it's a cartoon. you know how in some cartoons the moment it rains there's like no traction and cars/bikes go sliding everywhere. haha. i think im just going to slide out at any moment.

[RyanNicholson]

yea you just gatta hang in there man and take it step by step... sometimes a step back is needed to learn how to go two steps forward. Stay smooth and push yourself slowly and safely right through that "oh shit" moment and you'll be back at it in no time. The people that are REALLY good at coming back from a crash have done this already in their head before even having to disprove their lack of confidence.

Stay smooth, keep your eyes out, and rip it up.

[MysteriousR1]

I remember that, I was the Motard next to you. That day was very slick, I slid through that turn with just the littlest bit of power. After my first crash at VIR I was able to hop back on and have fun like it didnt happen, well the next day atleast. But, when I went down at Loudon, I just couldnt get it out of my head. Kinda ruined my next VIR trip. Every corner I took I just couldnt get crashing out of my head. Ive noticed that just alot more time riding helped. Its almost like I had to re-learn my confidence in the bike.

[Tabby]

It isn't a bad thing to have a good dose of survival instinct on the street. Like the others have said, more seat time is priceless. As far as looking through the turns as far as possible, I think Kenny Roberts put it this way, "You have to go through the corner before the bike does.". Looking through, certainly helps there. One other way to help re-build your confidence, is to practice your cornering in a clean, empty parking lot. You don't have to go fast, and you can take your time getting there. Just watch out for the usual stuff, paint stripes, oil spots, sand, etc. I practiced in a parking lot to help myself get over some similar fears that had festered much longer than they should have. Also, if you fall down, as much as it sucks, you will probably be going much slower, and you shouldn't have to worry about getting run over.

Oh, and a small tip. Cover up that damn speedometer. The numbers are irrelevent,,,, even on the street. The speedo is just there to save your arse from more tickets.
If you focus on the act of cornering, without assigning numbers to it, you can learn even more. As always, safety, on the street is paramount, but I see too many youngsters getting too hot and horny over useless numbers on the street{cornering}. Racers don't have speedos, and you don't see them worrying about how many mph they were going in a corner. Lap times, well that's a whole different thang!

[Rambunctous]

I went down last year in T2 exiting the pit lane. It was a thursday test and tune. It was wet. I was going slower than I have ever exited before. I could not fiqure it out till I realized I filled up the bike just the last thing I did. I think I overfilled it and it expanded and ended up on the rear tire. Boy I went down fast. Just no warning. Just going along stretching and BAMMM I was on the ground.

[xrocket21]

It isn't a bad thing to have a good dose of survival instinct on the street. Like the others have said, more seat time is priceless. As far as looking through the turns as far as possible, I think Kenny Roberts put it this way, "You have to go through the corner before the bike does.". Looking through, certainly helps there. One other way to help re-build your confidence, is to practice your cornering in a clean, empty parking lot. You don't have to go fast, and you can take your time getting there. Just watch out for the usual stuff, paint stripes, oil spots, sand, etc. I practiced in a parking lot to help myself get over some similar fears that had festered much longer than they should have. Also, if you fall down, as much as it sucks, you will probably be going much slower, and you shouldn't have to worry about getting run over.

Oh, and a small tip. Cover up that damn speedometer. The numbers are irrelevent,,,, even on the street. The speedo is just there to save your arse from more tickets.
If you focus on the act of cornering, without assigning numbers to it, you can learn even more. As always, safety, on the street is paramount, but I see too many youngsters getting too hot and horny over useless numbers on the street{cornering}. Racers don't have speedos, and you don't see them worrying about how many mph they were going in a corner. Lap times, well that's a whole different thang!

The reason I know it was 42 mph is because I had on-board video and you can plainly see the digital speedo when I biffed it

[xrocket21]

I remember that, I was the Motard next to you. That day was very slick, I slid through that turn with just the littlest bit of power. After my first crash at VIR I was able to hop back on and have fun like it didnt happen, well the next day atleast. But, when I went down at Loudon, I just couldnt get it out of my head. Kinda ruined my next VIR trip. Every corner I took I just couldnt get crashing out of my head. Ive noticed that just alot more time riding helped. Its almost like I had to re-learn my confidence in the bike.

this is how I feel, I mean that was quite a while ago now, and its still bothering me

[xrocket21]

maybe you just need to figure out the exact reason you crashed? that's the way i see it ... if you at least know the reason, and the reason is something you control, then you can just not do it again.
i haven't crashed yet but i am already feeling what you feel because of all the stories or youtube videos i watch.

i see/hear about all these people who have been riding much longer than me (i've been only on a year) and how EASY they go down even in a 20 mph turn.

so i think to myself, well fck, if they're gonna go down doing something as simple as taking a little turn, i'm seriously going to fck up if i push it at all. to this day i still can't get the bike over 80 or so mph.

i feel like it's a cartoon. you know how in some cartoons the moment it rains there's like no traction and cars/bikes go sliding everywhere. haha. i think im just going to slide out at any moment.

I think this is tghe problem. If you watch the vid, the crash was really out of nowhere, and it feels like another crash could happen out of nowhere again. Thats why I said Id almost feel better if I was pushing it and crashed hard, then at least I would be afraid of low speed corners, just highspeed ones.

[a13x]

I'd suggest a riding school. You sound like you have no confidence and little understanding of what happened / what caused the crash. A day working with professional instructors would do you wonders.

http://roadracingworld.com/guide/det...chools&guide=2

[FireboltEric_MA]

Looks like it could have been a number of things. Dampness in 2 being one of them. Suspension set up, Cold or wrong pressure in tires, We cant comment on Body position or bar input with the video..

I agree with Alex though, A school may be what you need to understand what is going on and what the bike is telling you...

[Doc]

Didn't read the whole thread... Get a pitbike and practice getting your knee down on that. You would be surprised how it feels ALOT like a big bike.

OR

Go to a clear dry parking lot and practice going in figure 8's

[markbvt]

past 3 years have been like 3k a year

i mostly ride to and from work

the rc isnt comfortable on long rides at all, with my 6'5" frame. Hell, regardless of how tall I am, it isnt comfortable.

Pete's right, this is a large part of your problem. I'd actually argue it's the largest part.

If you only ever go for short rides like that, you're not going to gain any meaningful experience. After a crash, you need to get back on the bike, ride plenty, and just take it easy starting out. If you feel like you're taking the turns too fast, slow down even if that means you're holding up people behind you. The comfort level will return with practice. In the end, you will take the lessons you learned from the crash and incorporate them into your riding skill set.

Also, the more you ride, the more your body will adapt to being on the bike and the less uncomfortable it will become. I'm 6'4" and have no trouble squeezing myself onto my Triumph Bonneville cafe racer for 300 miles at a time.

In these past seven years of riding, I've gone down four times on the street (I'm not counting offs while riding in the dirt or snow). Once was on my XR650L the day I got it -- someone braked hard ahead of me, I grabbed too hard for the front brake, and that skinny little knobby front tire locked up on me and down I went. The other three times were on my V-Strom -- first time, I was turning right at an intersection and failed to see a pile of gravel, which took my front wheel out from under me, and the other two times were both under braking in drenched conditions when the front tire hit something slippery and locked up. I walked away from all four crashes with little or no injury, and each one made me a little skittish about front tire traction, but in all four cases, the fact that I got right back on and kept going helped a lot (the three offs on the V-Strom were all on trips, so I was a good distance from home and therefore didn't even have a choice). And I'm a better rider for it... combined with the fact that I've ridden 15,000-20,000 miles a year for the past few seasons.

Bottom line -- get out on some longer rides and you'll regain your comfort level pretty quickly.

--mark