So I've been riding for three weeks now
 

Things are going well. I am up to 343 miles ridden on the CBR. Daily riding has been pretty good, no major issues. Yesterday I rode 120 miles with my GF on the back to see my parents and learned new things about keeping her from sliding down onto me (I scooted back away from the tank) , keeping weight off of my wrist at the expense of my inner thighs holding most of my weight, and how to keep my fingers from going numb.

I did almost lay the bike down in the parking garage, I was in 2nd and thought I was in first. Stalled the bike going slow and leaned to the left. I caught the bike before it touched down and had my gf hold the bike while I ran around to lift it up. That's probably my biggest struggle, knowing which gear I am in at all times, I wish my bike had a gear indicator, can i install one?

I got 39 mpg mostly hwy yesterday. :)

Thoughts, comments, and tips are welcome.

Number one tip?

Relax! You seem to be, from what I read, intimidated by riding.

Let yourself become one with the bike before you start worrying about every detail of riding.

I'm not saying don't be alert, just relax...

What's there to be intimidated by, riding is easy. How does relax give me any more information how better posture to keep weight off of my wrist?

if you are constantly worried about what gear you are in, then you are not relaxed. People have been riding bikes for over 100 years without gear indicators.
It will all come with seat time, that is the only thing that will help you out. Just be careful that you don't get too confident too quickly.

My wife has been riding for a little over 2 years and her only mishap so far was in the driveway at low speed while turning. She knew what gear she was in but when she hit the front brake while turning the bike stopped but started down real quick. Live and learn.


My garage is down my steep driveway and around back so you have to turn to make it into the garage...she's mastered it now. :lol:

I don't want to come in here with any nazi-police type of attitude because I truly think "to each his/her own" but I would hold off on carrying passengers until you have had more seat time. Just my 2 cents... Not meant to ruffle any feathers, but I would not want you having to live through knowing that someone you cared for died or was seriously injured perhaps due to your own inexperience.

Good post and I agree 100 % BUT I figured it would fall on deaf ears so I didn't post it.

^ plus 1 to no passangers.

Tached is dead on. Become confident and solid in basic riding skills and reactions before risking someone else's life (IMO). Personally, I dont ever carry 2 up, I dont care if I take myself out, but I wont be responsible for someone else. :shrug:

To answer your wrist question, whenever you find yourself putting pressure on your wrists, consciously tighen your abs and use your back muscles to take all pressure off your wrists. Your hands should lightly rest on the grips. Its all a matter of practice. The more you remind yourself to take the weight off the wrists, the faster you'll be doing it without even thinking about it.

I just find it hard to believe if you had been "relaxed" it would have taken two people to figure out that situation.

I'm not picking on you here. You asked for advice.

I was just saying, once the controls and inputs become second nature is when you should start really focusing on everything else.

I used to think I needed a gear indicator too, but you just get used to it after a while. :shrug:

Like everyone said: SEAT TIME will be how you get all of it down.

Also, with the wrist thing; I know a few of us do this....do the chicken dance with your arms. Flap em around so you aren't so tense. Helped me out.

:dthumb:

there is such a thing as a gear indicator... but I'd just get used to remembering where you are based on speed vs tach indicator as it's a good way to get more familliar with your bike.

If you are doing slow manuvers you will most likely want to be in first. Kick it down till you can't shift any more. I just keep kicking it down till it stops without counting. As for riding at any other speed. Just listen to the bike. Gear indicators are nice but definitely not a necessity.

I figured out early on that if I match my speed around 35mph tach is around 3K rpm, then I'm probably in 3rd gear... same with 4th - 45mph @ 4000rpm, 5th and 6th - 65mph, 6000rpm.

My speedo quit working on my Zuk years ago. I knew in 5th gear the RPM matched the road speed. 5k = 50mph for example.

they were so easy to fix back then, since they were run off the front wheel.

And you've probably noticed other things about your bike as a result, right? :rockwoot:

the SV still is

Noticed on the way in to work that I no longer have to look at the speedo/tach to know what gear I'm in. I've been to the track enough now and live in 3rd to know what it sounds like and I go from there. I never paid attention to that before. I think I just knew but didn't "know" it.

Anything else I might now but am forgetting, that you might be implying?

So i'm still riding around, keeping the rubber side down. :)

:rockwoot:

I know it. I just never got around to fixing it. I could change all 4 plugs in that bike in 10 minutes. Took me 2 days to do the 2 plugs in the Buell the first time.

:dthumb:

nope, just stuff like that :lol:

Why, what were YOU thinking? :eek:

I hardly ever know or even wonder what gear I'm in.

Yes, knowing what gear you're in is nice sometimes.... but knowing what your RPMs are is much more important.