When do you level up from Newbie to not so Newbie?

[Mercury]

Hi all I have been riding since i was 21 (back in 2001) I really only started riding properly (msf course) in 2005

I put 21000 miles on, but i still consider myself to be a "newbie" the reason is I cant judge my truens as well as i would want, i mean sometimes i take the turn so well i scrape the floor board all the way through and i can toss my weight and stop the board from scraping while increasing speed. Other times at 3/4 the speed the same turn throws me off... what can i be doing wrong?

Maybe its time for another advanced course refresher

just wondering gang

thanks

kenny

[RichLockyer]

21,000? Certainly no "newbie", but I definitely would not consider someone "seasoned" until 4-5 years and 50,000 miles or more.

Turns, especially high speed sweepers, are a common area of "discomfort" even for experienced riders. We can have all of the skills we need to handle traffic engrained 2nd nature, but still get "spooked" heading into a turn, or misjudge our entry speed.

Just remember... you can ALWAYS roll on more throttle if you enter the turn too slowly.
If you enter the turn too hot, it's not gonna' be fun, and it MIGHT suck.

[jbsmd]

I'm a seasoned newbie. I never have and still don't like to enter a turn with much speed. I'll throttle up when I get through most of it. I've owned and ridden bikes since 66, and still don't think I can ride a bike all that well, all the time.

[SpicyMchaggis]

No matter if you just started riding or have been at it for 10+ years, target fixation in a corner makes newbies of us all. There have been times coming home from work exhausted I've nearly lost it in corners I travel every day. It's one of those things with riding. Catch a weird vibe one day or have a close call, it can make you question yourself for a couple days or even weeks. I've been riding for a good number of years now and even I get sketched out from time to time.

[Mercury]

did i say 21000, i meant 22600 - but anyway (i had to look at the odometer, by golly i did not realize i got 24000 on the bike and i bought it with 1400)

Well the responses make me feel better.... i ordered up 20 of the floor board scraper bolts from kawasaki cause it seems like it is a goal of mine to scrape those off as fast as possible.

I just wish i can find them where they are made out of a harder material, ill start that search later on today maybe

thanks for the advice all, i just wish i can judge when i will scrape, to myself i say, i must be scraping soon, then i lean it over more and there is so much more it goes before i make sparks

i am going to tail of the dragon on a long trip with my father, his floor boards are higher then mine and he is sort of a seasoned rider, he used to have old Norton, Vincents and such - well now he is on a 800 classic, but i just want to keep up if not do a little better.

The good thing is i have to lead cause i have the GPS

kenny

[Jake '53]

Been riding for a while and I still get edgy going into a blind left hander with no shoulder. Just when you start thinking you've seen it all something else comes up. Some advice; easiest way to wreck is trying to keep up with somebody elses ride.

[Mercury]

Originally Posted by Jake '53

Been riding for a while and I still get edgy going into a blind left hander with no shoulder. Just when you start thinking you've seen it all something else comes up. Some advice; easiest way to wreck is trying to keep up with somebody elses ride.

very good point - when i said keeping up i mean pushing to the edge of my limits, once that point is reached ill back off

this rie is going to be awesome


kenny