been riding for about a year,did the MSF,started with a 250cc,moved up to a 600 gsxr and had a R6 too

now i own a 2008 1000 gsxr :wacko

anyway,im a all around super carfull rider and im pretty much scared shit'ess of this 1000!

but i feel im a little TOO! scared at times and i just dont trust the tires? i feel like im going to fall over or the tires are going to slip or somthing???

and just wanna slow down through a turn...

this is not just with the 1000, its with all the bikes i had...acctuly this bike feels more stable then any of the bikes iv owned...


realy truthfully i think i can ride this machine to a great extent but my head is flashing all of the horror storys and vids i see...

any help,REAL HELP,not bullshit...would be thankfull :biggrin

Sounds like you are in over your head. Rule number one on a 1K is to be smooth on the throttle. The tires are the least of your worries at this point.

im a girl with the throttle!

im a girl with the throttle!

That's a good start.

Like Nelson said, you're in over your head.

In a year's time you went from a 250cc ---> GSXR 600 ---> R6 ---> GSXR 1000

You neglected to mention it, but how many of those bikes did you crash? Most people do not go through 4 bikes in a single year unless 2 or 3 of them have been destroyed or stolen. As your name indicated you are from Florida which most of us know is the squid capital of the United States. Its understandable that you are afraid to turn the bike since most of Florida is all straight roads you probably don't get much practice at them.

So the question is why did you feel compelled to go from a 250cc to one 4 times its engine size in year? Either you got some bad advice ("Oh you'll just get bored riding a smaller bike") or you are trying to impress the guys at the local Starbucks. I don't know which.

If you are a "girl with the throttle" you are 100% on the wrong bike. Take it back and get your 600 and start practicing on it. It's a lighter and easier steering bike and much more forgiving than a 1000. A 1000 is a bike you ride after several years of real riding experience (commuting up and down highways don't count). Not less than a year of riding.......trust us when we say, riding a bike that terrifies you will only make the learning process that much more difficult.

No offense what so ever, I am just speaking from experience. But you upgraded way too quickly. You should have kept the 250 for at least a year, then the 600 probably several after that to develop your riding. Now you are having worries on a bike that is the least forgiving of them all. I think the best mental thing you could do is sell that bike and go back and learn all the basics on something smaller. Just my two cents.

well happy holidays but... you just need to be confident there is always a chance soemthing will go wrong just do everything you can to minimze that (within reason) i have seen people be too causous and get into an accident becose of it so just be carful when you can get this crap out of your head you will be good .... good luck bro

You're in way over your head. You should have NEVER moved up to a bigger bike until you were very comfortable and completely confident with what you were already riding.

If you are scared to death of the 1000 and make a noob error with the throttle, that thing will eat you alive then dump you on your ass so hard you will wish... (well, you will have many things going thru your head at that point, none of which are good)

My recommendation is sell the 1000 before you kill yourself and go back to one of the smaller bikes. Get some good road and track time in or even take an advanced motorcycle safety class. Get good confidence and experience on a smaller bike. Your going to drop it and you may crash we've all done it and it's part of the learning process. Use it all as a learning experience and move on. Once you have confidence in the bike and your skills, you will enjoy riding a whole lot more. :cheers

im a girl with the throttle!

first off, i agree with them...u should have been able to man(woman)handle your 250 and 600's like little girls first. takin them to the absolute limits and back flawlessly before moving up:hammer

what you do from here is anybodys guess.:cheers

have fun and be safe:monkeyface

sorry if i mislead anyone with this thread,but im not looking for any advise on what to do with my life : )

i have a wife and a father to do that! lol

subject:I need a "mental" riding lesson...???

looking for someone that remembers when they had this feeling on a sportbike...im sure someone remembers! if you have red the other post above "except for one gsxr915" and have anything to post thats similar,your probley waisting your time typeing...dont meen to be a d*ck but that just how it is i guess?

well happy holidays but... you just need to be confident there is always a chance soemthing will go wrong just do everything you can to minimze that (within reason) i have seen people be too causous and get into an accident becose of it so just be carful when you can get this crap out of your head you will be good .... good luck bro


merry christmas,

and i understand totaly what your saying,this is how i try to ride all the time...by me saying im a girl with the throttle,means im not a dum ass with it! i trully beleave confidents is the key here...just trying to find it...

Matty, I see what you are saying so on a more productive tip, I have the MSF books still and I would be glad to send it to you for reference. I have an 07 GSXR 750, first bike, took the MSF in March of this year, love riding, have a blast, etc.. there is nothing wrong with having a bit of fear inside, that's what keeps you cautious and definitely alive. I see what everyone is saying however in that there is a line there where you can be overly cautious etc... which could lead to indecision etc...

Anyhow, what I do almost weekly is set out cones in an empty parking lot, or even my driveway most of the times and run through some of the exercises from the MSF book. In addition, I modify them to make them more challenging, this keeps you grounded and always understanding your bike. I constantly learn more and more each time I do this. I also still speak with my MSF instructors and occasionally ride with them. Look into the advanced MSF course too after you continue to practice on your current skill set.

HTH

sorry if i mislead anyone with this thread,but im not looking for any advise on what to do with my life : )

i have a wife and a father to do that! lol

subject:I need a "mental" riding lesson...???

looking for someone that remembers when they had this feeling on a sportbike...im sure someone remembers! if you have red the other post above "except for one gsxr915" and have anything to post thats similar,your probley waisting your time typeing...dont meen to be a d*ck but that just how it is i guess?

My first "sport bike" was a Ninja 250 and I wasn't intimidated at all by it. When I was comfortable with the 250 and rode it to about it's limit, I moved up to my first super sport I was intimidated for about the first 5 minutes and then I was grinning from ear to ear and didn't want to stop riding.

I look at it this way; if you are trying to teach a child to ride a bicycle for the first time, you start them off with an appropriate sized bike with training wheels. You don't let them ride that bike a couple of times and then run out and buy them a larger bicycle and remove the training wheels at one time and expect them to succeed when they weren't comfortable with the smaller bicycle and training wheels. All that's going to happen is they're going to crash and be afraid of the bicycle. It's no different than a motorcycle (except the training wheels)

Now for a reality check: There are some people on this site that have more experience that I can even begin to explain to you. No one on this site can give you a "mental riding lesson". Non of us can get into your head and help you, only you can do it. Your "mental riding lesson" can only come from good experience on the road or track on a bike that is appropriate for you. It is something that only you can overcome. The only way to start is by getting on a bike your are not scared to death of. If you were scared of the 250, you shouldn't move up until you are no longer scared and confident with your skills. It's common sense.

Listen to what people are telling you. We can't give you that mental lesson you want but we can help you get off to a good start on achieving that lesson yourself. It may not be what you want to hear, but it's as close to a "mental riding lesson" as we can get for you. There is a reason we are saying what we are saying. :cheers

Matty, I see what you are saying so on a more productive tip, I have the MSF books still and I would be glad to send it to you for reference. I have an 07 GSXR 750, first bike, took the MSF in March of this year, love riding, have a blast, etc.. there is nothing wrong with having a bit of fear inside, that's what keeps you cautious and definitely alive. I see what everyone is saying however in that there is a line there where you can be overly cautious etc... which could lead to indecision etc...

Anyhow, what I do almost weekly is set out cones in an empty parking lot, or even my driveway most of the times and run through some of the exercises from the MSF book. In addition, I modify them to make them more challenging, this keeps you grounded and always understanding your bike. I constantly learn more and more each time I do this. I also still speak with my MSF instructors and occasionally ride with them. Look into the advanced MSF course too after you continue to practice on your current skill set.

HTH

great for slow turning,awsome info and a great idea for some fun and practice outside,thanks so much

i understand,

i am scared and confident with the 1000's power (not cocky) like most i see,weather i can ride with the best on the street,i still wont act like the guys i see and ride with...

the 250 was a toy and a riding tool IMO! thats it!

its a mind thing more or less with me...the TIRES scare me the most...other then that i can say im fine,content with the motorcycle...IMO,easyest bike to ride on the interstate-hwy and around town,much better balanced then any of the others

as for the upgrading...

im a wholesale dealer and just stared to sell motorcycles last year...

i understand,

i am scared and confident with the 1000's power (not cocky) like most i see,weather i can ride with the best on the street,i still wont act like the guys i see and ride with...

the 250 was a toy and a riding tool IMO! thats it!

its a mind thing more or less with me...the TIRES scare me the most...other then that i can say im fine,content with the motorcycle...IMO,easyest bike to ride on the interstate-hwy and around town,much better balanced then any of the others


You only have to worry about your tires when they're cold.. after a couple minutes on the road, they'll take you wherever you need to go in whatever manner you choose to get there.

i understand,

i am scared and confident with the 1000's power (not cocky) like most i see,weather i can ride with the best on the street,i still wont act like the guys i see and ride with...

the 250 was a toy and a riding tool IMO! thats it!

its a mind thing more or less with me...the TIRES scare me the most...other then that i can say im fine,content with the motorcycle...IMO,easyest bike to ride on the interstate-hwy and around town,much better balanced then any of the others

if "tires scare you" then you are probably not riding with the best on the street, at least you are definitely not keeping up.

but i can say that in the beginning i do remember being just a little skeptical of how much stress the tires could take, but it'll go away. i think you just need more time and to hit the track or some nice twisties. TIME is the key, imo. keep practicing and keep in mind that you CAN trust the physics of the bike. that thing was built to take WAY more than you or I could put it through. try watching videos of the pros riding, let your tires warm up good before doing too much and have a good time.

its just bizarre that besides the mental obstacle with the tires you are fine or content with the bike. i dont know much about cars, but i assume its close to saying that you're fine or content with a lamborghini:dunno :wtf

have fun and gear up

if "tires scare you" then you are probably not riding with the best on the street, at least you are definitely not keeping up.


dident say i CAN ride with the best on the street,just used that as a example...


as for the rest of your post,thanks,andi guess you see where im comin from and i see what you guys are saying...its my head and i have to fix it lol

guess ill have to ride ride ride!!! and yes gear is a must!

dident say i CAN ride with the best on the street,just used that as a example...



touche'. i gotcha now that i reread it.

yea man, i think everyone else means to say that you would trust your bike and tires earlier on a bike that isn't as volatile as a 1k. it'll just take more saddle time with that bike. sounds like you already knew that though...:dunno

i honestly wanna take in as much as i can! im for sure not a advanced rider so that means to me,that can take aas much lesson's as i can get from everybody...

sure i have a 1k for no reason,but im sure alot of others do too?

thanks for your time who posted and helped : )

Track school. You'll have instructors that specialize in sport bikes, unlike MSF. You'll be in a controlled environment and what you'll be practicing the most is exactly what you need, turning (with all that's involved; braking, turning in, picking a good line, accelerating out, etc.) - and you'll be hitting the same turns over and over again. It's not racing so there's no pressure.

Hit up MotoJoe who's a moderator on here - he's an instructor with Sportbike Track Time, which operates in the South East. He can point you in the right direction and he's a really nice guy IRL. You'll be a better, safer and more confident rider :thumbup

Go to your nearest track with some good gear and good tires, sign up for a lesson. You will learn things no one here can tell you, most of all you will learn to trust your equiptment. Going to the track is not always about going fast, but getting off the street away from cross roads and running at your own pace with an expert watching over your shoulder. As new riders we do so much wrong it's scary. I jumped from a 250 to a 1000 my first year, got my ass handed to me by several slower bikes, I went back and have moved up again. Learning to trust that your bike is better than you is the first step to many fun miles. Good luck.

I don't understand all the hype about new riders starting out on little bikes. My first bike ever was a GSX-R 750. I've hopped on and ridden just about every bike out there with no experience at all on them. The last ZX-10 I rode didn't even feel fast. Rode my friends ZX-14 and it felt pretty good except for the fact that it's freak'n HUGE!

The best advice I can give is what the other posters have said, throttle control. Hit up Amazon or Barnes & Noble and buy Keith Code's "A Twist of the Wrist". You will learn more from that one book and any other books combined. Maybe that's why I haven't had a problem with riding any bike I've thrown a leg over. :dunno

The last ZX-10 I rode didn't even feel fast.



Did you wind anywhere past 9K RPM? ZX-10's aren't really known for a strong mid-range, but if you think that top end hit doesn't feel fast then there's something wrong.


wait......I noticed that you are riding a bike from 1993. Are you talking about the old zx-10E or the new zx-10R???

http://www.zx11.info/zx11/pics/zx10.jpg


http://www.motorbikestoday.com/reviews/Images/kaw_zx10r_3lge.jpg

Subscribed....:biggrin



P.S. Stretch it & Lower it.................I've heard that will give you the confidence your looking for from your tires.

I think it was an 04 ZX-10R. Maybe an 05. I do know it was black. I rode the shit out of it on the highway. Sure, it will pop right up in just about any gear. The OP just needs to get that right hand working well and he'll be good to go.

you dont trust the tires coz they dont give you any information. Thats because you do not open the throtle through the turn.
Once leaned over you have to open the throtle. do it gradually.
This is the best advice ever given to me. if you dont learne to open the throtle through the turn you will never learne how to ride a bike.

you dont trust the tires coz they dont give you any information. Thats because you do not open the throtle through the turn.
Once leaned over you have to open the throtle. do it gradually.
This is the best advice ever given to me. if you dont learne to open the throtle through the turn you will never learne how to ride a bike.


info,well noted...!!! thanks!!!

and to all for your help.slowly i will look into everything that was posted as an idea,hey it sounds like fun too!

One year of riding? Hell, i know what your problem is, experience. Everyone has that "i cant trust the tires" feeling once they start riding a motorcycle, regardless of what kind it is. You dont know untill you push past those barriers, whether consciously or subconsciously. Being smooth always has helped me however, you may feel slower in your mind but in real time your pace does quicken. That and being smooth is, well, quite confidence inspiring. Defiantly give the tires some time to heat up, a good couple miles at least on the street and try not to think so much about them thereafter. Alot of the barriers i have been past are ones that i've accidentally messed up, come into a corner too hot, etc. Its pretty much crash and burn or lay it over and hope it sticks, and it has always stuck and then some.. I too think you are over your head, if your a girl with the throttle there surely is no reason to be on that particular bike. You shouldnt fear the bike, it probably is taking a good portion of your focus rather then where it should be..

I think it was an 04 ZX-10R. Maybe an 05. I do know it was black. I rode the shit out of it on the highway. Sure, it will pop right up in just about any gear. The OP just needs to get that right hand working well and he'll be good to go.



Meh, im pretty sure that year(s) were the top hp rated in their class as well.. Go buy a busa, you seem to fit the mold.:dunno

I recommend you get some riding instruction at a trackday. Sounds like you're lacking the riding skills to push the bike further while it's leaned over. That lack of confidence is a good thing, not bad.
After having a few 1000cc bikes, I went back to a 600cc and have more fun and ride it harder than I ever did any of my 1000cc bikes.

I recommend you get some riding instruction at a trackday. Sounds like you're lacking the riding skills to push the bike further while it's leaned over. That lack of confidence is a good thing, not bad.
After having a few 1000cc bikes, I went back to a 600cc and have more fun and ride it harder than I ever did any of my 1000cc bikes.
the OP hasnt been active in over a month:wacko your talking to a wall:banghead

Bollocks, just seen that.

the OP hasnt been active in over a month:wacko your talking to a wall:banghead

whoops :hammer