I'm a rookie when it comes to sports bikes but it still seems to take me at least an hours riding to start getting in synch with the bike, usually it's the last third of the ride when I'm on my way back that things start to come together. I love the feeling of being one with the machine but it takes too long to happen. Is this normal and is there anything I can do when I start out to speed the 'warming up' time? I've only ridden on the street so far.
with me it normally revolves around the sun shining. the more it shines the more fluid and relaxed I become lol lol lol
Don't go out thinking you've got to somehow achieve something. Go out thinking that you're going to have fun, no pressure on yourself. If you aren't able to be in the zone, enjoy some other aspect of the ride. Without realising it, you'll find yourself bonding with the bike (as long as you aren't trying to make it happen).
You will have some rides that you enjoy and gel with the bike and other rides are just a ride and you could slap yourself I spend too much time thinking and not enjoying but I found the more hours your riding the nicer the ride and especially on a nice warm day Just go out and enjoy your time and don't think too much Everyday is a learning day
Thanks for the tips, Loz and Ducbird. You're right, I shouldn't push it or put too many expecations on a ride. And to prove the point I just got back after meeting up with some experienced riders and was hoping to learn a bit from them. Talk about NOT being in the zone! They were caning it from the off, leaning at angles I've never even been close to yet. I couldn't even keep up on the dual carriageway! I didn't want to spoil their ride so let them know and dropped off the back to make my way home. Feel a bit disheartened, but its to be expected I suppose. Got the MotoGP in half an hour to cheer me up though.
And that's the worst thing you could have done!!! Trying to keep up is not fun find some people who are happy to ride at your pace and build up to faster when your happy too. Get used to your bike and ride your own pace for now.
book yourself on a trackday and get some tuition, a track is the safest place to learn the abilities of your bike and tuition from a decent instructor will help you to work on what you are doing wrong while improving on what you are doing right :smile: if you are a track novice then i can recommend Haslam race school as an introduction to track riding, if you have done a few tds then you might find the experience a bit restrictive...
That might be a very good idea Attila. Having never done a TD I need look into what is on offer and what logistics / insurance is involved.
Some of you're not feeling instantly comfortable with the bike could be down to how it's suspension is set up. So instead of getting on it and knowing it's going to do what you want, you're having to learn to ride the way it dictates which is what's taking the time. It took me months to set my road bike (TL1000) up to how i like to ride a twin. If you ride daily read some suspension set up guides on the net, start having a fiddle with the adjusters and you'll get so you're happy soon enough i'd think. Or, you can send the suspension off to one of the many specialists and they'll get you a great base setting designed for you and the bike. Or or, it's novice track day time and make full use of the free instructors and the suspension set up guys that are always there. Might cost you £25-40 to get the best from what you've got, but they'll spend all day making sure you're happy with what they do and even including the track day it works out cheaper than the suspension specialists who generally strip and rebuild everything. Either way, the suns out so the more miles the better.
1037sps: as luck would have it I'm getting the suspension set up for me next week. I'm hoping it'll be an improvement and if it cuts down the time it takes to get into the zone so much the better! Going forwards I've been advised to get the front forks revalved too. I have tried but can't unlock the rear shock to adjust it myslef, but would like to be able to the set up the bike myself in the future as my riding improves and changes.
Which bike have you got? Sometimes a blast of WD40 and if a C-spanner can't budge it, you may need the old big screw driver or punch and a hammer just to free things off to start with.
I haven't tried Wd but did give it a go with a hammer. No dice. Is it reverse threaded? It's an 848 Evo.
No that should be ok. Thread's normal, wait for extra tips maybe but should be able to spin the top collar to release the lock, then stiffen or soften lower collar with a c spanner. Hope you're suspension guy helps give you confidence to enjoy how mind bending the lean angles and corner speeds are on these things. Keep us all posted.
Went out again to try to get it over a bit more. I did but seem to have real problems at roundabouts. Doesn't want to turn in if too fast but if too slow it dives. Got mugged by a guy on a VFR...with pillion. He seemed to be belting it through the roundabouts and I was practually crawling round. I'll let you know what difference the suspension tweaks make, lots I hope @Mac: they're a bit far from me but I think training is the way to go.
It strikes me from your last post that you're going out to try and lean the bike way over. That totally messes up your cornering. So forget about it completely, concentrate on your line, braking, acceleration and being smooth. Try to learn to countersteer and shift your weight rather than leaning the bike and gradually increase the speed as you feel comfortable and the lean angle will come by itself. Must go and watch the TT the window salesman not talking at the moment so I can turn the mute off.
