faffi Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Although it was chilly yesterday, around 7C, and moisture in the air keeping the roads not open to sun and wind wet, I had a great ride about 75 mi / 120 km long. And it was perhaps the best I have ridden all season. I never forced anything, I just rode at a comfortable pace, never being too careful or too cocky. So not once did I trigger a hint of SR, not even when I spent a bit too much time taking in the spectacular autumn colour show and finding myself slightly off course. Instead, it was like I had all the time in the world and simply made the tiny corrections required to get back on the preferred trajectory. It probably sounds a bit daft in writing, but for me it was a special feeling what with that calmness and sense of utter control. With the state of mind I were in, I could instead focus on other issues. Like working on perfecting clutchless upshifts, albeit accepting that I will never reach a level where every shift is perfect. Another interesting aspect was to see what a little - or lot - difference in cornering speed made. If one (well I) go slow from insecurity, there is a tendency to tighten up and one doesn't gain the increase in safety that one wanted. But being utterly relaxed, I could experiment. A corner that I can take at 60 mph on a dry, warm day, tyres just sending a hint they are sliding every so gently, will feel very calm at 50 even on a cold day. Lots of lean to spare, no drama whatsoever. Drop to 40, and the bike is virtually vertical and the risk of anything bad happening is reduced to nigh on nil. Another thing I noticed yesterday was that I didn't have to tell myself to relax at the bars all the time; instead, I were relaxed all the time. And this again helped me stay more alert, which again relaxed me even more. It's a self-servo effect, so to speak. This is the sort of feeling I have been searching for all season and all last season. I could get the feeling what riding briskly and being in the right state of mind, but the slower I rode, the worse I rode and the more mistakes I made. I had a problem adjusting my speed correctly when slowing down, ending up with weird lines and a feeling of insecurity. I felt like a novice many times. And that may well be the issue. You see, after joining this forum I have tried to alter the way I ride quite dramatically. And moving from late braking to early throttle application wasn't so easy after 30 years of using the former. Hopefully, I am now reaching the final stages of my transformation, that I am about to crack the code so that I can apply it with confidence under all conditions. Not to ride faster, but to ride better. Because I'm pretty convinced that I can now cover ground with less lean angle and less risk without going slower overall. And as long as I can bring those benefits with me regardless of the pace chosen, I will render my 2 years as a novice a success. That doesn't mean I have nothing more to learn, of course, only that I have reached a platform onto where I can continue to build my skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslcbr600 Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 That's awesome, I have only been riding motorcycles for about 8 months now and I don't mean just sportbikes I mean overall. When I was seeing people that have been riding for many many years and they say riding schools have changed so much in a positive way in how they ride I had to get in on the action ASAP as to not develop any hard habits to break. In return I have soaked up tons of information not only specific to this forum but also to the Keith Code material and now Andy Ibbotts book as well. I see it with many racers too, guys just getting into the Expert field in their local race club and now just considering a riding school when if they would have went right off the get go they would have 3yrs of great information and skills to build off rather then just trial and error. I am really glad that the coaches and other experienced CSS students come on here and pitch in their .02 cents! I have probably learned just as much about riding/ racing on this forum as to what you can find in the CSS material. I can't wait to attend levels 1 & 2! Being relaxed on the bars is quite nice isn't it? I remember being so tense on the bars when I first started riding that my throttle hand would go numb! Of course being an untrained new rider I didn't blame myself I simply thought the grips weren't absorbing the vibration enough and my gloves were too uncomfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktk_ace Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Funny that i ride slow, i have somehow the same feel as you~ slow down by 10 KM/H and i seem to have much more time to do precision tuning/inputs for that near perfect turn in and power out on many familiar corners... and I run less risk of getting a speeding ticket but my reasons for riding slow is different; its winter, my 12" tires offer me much less grip when cold and gas prices... Im pinching pennies so to speak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.