Kind of funny that my 1st post is in this section. Luckily it did not end up as an accident, but instead a severe reminder to myself (and hopefully to other newbs) that you must pace yourself on the learning curve to proper riding!!! I'll preface this to a history of my experience on bikes. I'm not a new newb so much as a warmed over one. I rode dirts as a kid and rode quite a few friends' bikes in my teens and twenties. The kicker is that I have ridden very little of anything in the last 15-20 years, or so. So I find that I am again somewhat of a newb.

To that end, the other evening, anxious to get some seat time in, I went for a ride down some back roads to a friend's house. This was only my 3rd time out on this bike. Anyway, I was going along all happy and loose when I noticed a guy tailgating me. I tapped the brake lights and he backed off ever so momentarily and crept back up on me again (problem 1). This was the setup for what followed.

I'm doing about 45mph into a left hand curve posted 35mph with a bit of a kink to it (no biggee, right? - problem 2). Looking back I realized that the entrance to the curve crowned in before the road actually turned (problem 3). So now I'm a little fast, paying attention to a tailgater and not paying attention to the road itself. Well, I feel like I am leaning in but it's just barely compensating for the crown of the road...so I am pretty much still going straight! Hmmm. I look at the ditch ahead (big problem #4!) and for all the love in the world I swear that this little F'r will not lean in and turn (I love this part because it shows just how much of a dumbass I was being). Mind all of you that this all transpired in like 2-3 seconds! So, I try to force the bike (wobble, wobble). :shock: I see a one foot drop to the ditch and a three foot rise and TREES beyond it. My wife (the great woman that she it to "let" me buy the bike in the first place) is gonna kill me if I wreck!!! :oops:

At the last minute I squeeze the front brake only (oh my gosh, I think I saved myself) and threw my left leg outwards (no comments...). At the last minute all was well with the world. I skirted the white line and made the curve. It was not right. It was not pretty. I made it through that F'n curve!!! The guy behind me? Yeah, he finally backed off. :clap

The moral of the story is practice makes perfect. It may have been the tailgater. It may have been the awkward crown entering curve. In the end, though, it was all me. The next night I found a section of a new neighborhood with an awesome sweeper curve and this little turn around median. It was perfect for getting myself in the saddle and learning both mine and my bike's limits the right way. I also spent a little time at a local school's parking lot - you know. Doing what newbs do!

Anyway, I just wanted to chime in for the benefit of whomever may read this and think just a little bit either as just a newb, or a rider. Later, ya'll!!!

I had to learn the hard way to when riding the canyons, my first time out on a canyon ride people where passing me all the time and i had one guy just following me non stop and made me lose focus and making me pull off the side of the rode (i was on my first bike a kawa 250)

Anyways my friends told me that you shouldn't focus on what is behind you and if they want to get around let them pass or they will find a way, dont go out of your line and comfort zone to please the other guy.

Wow :shock: I'm glad you made that one! Some of us (let's not point fingers at ourselves) weren't so lucky. :D

So yeah, :welcome

Nice work. I had a similar situation on my first freeway ride going into a turn that was also a tunnel. my foot left foot scrapped the left wall. And yeah, right after that, the person tailgating me backed off. I had to park the bike for a minute to stop shaking. Glad you made it out alright. have an idea about what's going on behind you, but don't give your mirrors all of your attention.

counter steering is more effective then leaning you might want to practice that good job on the save tho

Yep. I had thought that I had remembered what the heck I was doing. To be fair, I have now been back down that road and it really is a wierd entrance to that particular curve. I have reacquainted myself greatly since I had originally posted this. I went to a motorcycle course this past weekend and now have my M class license. We practiced alot of stuff.

I think comfort with yourself and your bike are paramount. I'm still not all of the way there, but it's getting fun riding now.

counter steering is more effective then leaning you might want to practice that good job on the save tho

Yup