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Why does 40mph seem so damn fast?

20K views 50 replies 39 participants last post by  dirtgod 
#1 ·
I think it might be the wind but why does it seem like I'm going so damn fast when I'm only doing like 35 40mph? I'll be honest, I'm 30 and just bought my first bike k5 750 20th anniversary. I took the training before I got my license bought the bike and then did my research. I admit I did this backwards and maybe I should of bought a slower bike but It's to late to look back now. I haven't done anything stupid and I used to ride little dirt bike in my teens but that's the extent of my experience. I'm practicing at my local Costco parking lot at night and I'm feeling better about riding and more comfy. Still trying to get my turns\steering down. Any tips? Just seems that the wind makes it seem like I'm going faster than I really am or maybe I need to lay on my tank a little more.

I have a feeling that I'm going to get flamed for this thread.
 
#2 ·
As you keep riding, you'll get use the speed, whether it's 40 mph, or 100 mph. Right now, and in the coming months, your outlook on riding, along with riding skills will change. Stay relaxed, but stay focused. Keep your bike well maintained, and ride with Good gear and it shouldn't be long before you'll feel comfy riding 65 mph one handed, if that's what you choose to do. If you can find someone who has been riding for a long time, and is a Responsible rider, to ride with, and maybe give you some tips, that might help.
 
#3 ·
Do you not have a helmet? :dunno Otherwise I'm not sure how wind matters.

Edit: steering- use your knees/thighs/gut on the tank so you don't put any weight on the bars. Bad habit of beginners to sport bike posture to lean their weight forward on the bars, which screws up turning.
 
#5 ·
As the others said the feeling of speed is very different on a street bike than in a car or on a dirt bike in a field, Your brain is working over-time to try to take in all the information, potential dangers, the hundred things(cars/people and shit) moving at different speeds all around you.

One other thing you could potentially be doing is focusing too closely on your immediate surroundings, meaning you are concentrating on things within say a 10 foot radius of the bike, if there is a car in front of you, spot it, anticipate what it could potentially do but don't focus on it, look to the car in front of that, It's called forward planning. You will eventually be able to look up a busy road and notice what every car is doing.

You will get used to it.
 
#9 ·
Ive only been riding for about 4 months, so I remember that feeling. At first it was an insane rush and it felt crazy. It will go away very quickly, and now 100+ feels like nothing at all.

Are you wearing a helmet? I rode my bike for the first time without a helmet the other day and I hated it. The windnoise was ridiculous and the noise from the bike was something Ide never heard before. There was so much mechanical noise that you do not hear when wearing a helmet.

Long story short, it will go away. Quickly. If youre not wearing gear, wear it.
 
#10 ·
One thing too is getting used to being out in the open, without a cage around you, at speed. Plus , depending on it's size, alot of parking lots give the sense of being small and confined. As posted, once you ride more and get out on the open road, you will get sorted and all will be good.

,
 
#11 ·
Alright, great answers. You guys pretty much hit the nail on the head with your replies. I do have a helmet, the guy I bought the bike from gave me 2 arai corsair rx-7 wraith helmets...very nice. I am definitely putting my weight on the handle bars and makes turning kind of funky and unstable. I'll make sure that I grip the fuel tank with my knees and lean on it a bit from now on. I definitely feel my senses being overwhelmed. Forward planning from now on.

Oh I guess i joined the club this past Sunday. I was riding in my apt parking lot and came to a stop with my handlebars pointing left....bike quickly leaned over, I tried to bring her back up but I had to lay her down and I busted my ass on the road. Thank god for frame sliders..Bike was not damaged but my ego was hurt hahah.

Thanks for the good advice fellas. I'll keep practicing until I get used to it.
 
#14 ·
Oh I guess i joined the club this past Sunday. I was riding in my apt parking lot and came to a stop with my handlebars pointing left....bike quickly leaned over, I tried to bring her back up but I had to lay her down and I busted my ass on the road. Thank god for frame sliders..Bike was not damaged but my ego was hurt hahah.

Thanks for the good advice fellas. I'll keep practicing until I get used to it.

Yep, many of us have been there, few will admit it though. Now you know... NEVER touch your front brake to a stop if your forks are turned. Drops your bike like it's magnetically drawn to the Earth.


Any tips? .

1) Go to Amazon.com and buy these two DVD's: "Ride Like a Pro 5" (it contains 1-4 plus the new stuff, so you only have to buy this one) and "Keith Code's A Twist of the Wrist 2"

2) Watch this guy's entire catalog of youtube videos. He breaks stuff down simply, and doesn't drone on and get boring......

http://youtu.be/b2fGYU1CNb0
 
#16 ·
+1 the more seat time you get the more comfortable you get i catch myself at times on the interstate at 100mph easy riding one handed, before to long you will learn to use the wind as an advantage in help holding and supporting some of your body weight

i always ride faster than the traffic i dont like to stay by the same cars/trucks because you get used to your surroundings and basically turn on autodrive if your constantly changing your surroundings you are staying alert different cars/trucks drive different (they all drive like idiots without paying attenition to you while they are texting, messing with the radio, reading, eating, putting on make-up, etc.)

but keep practicing in your local lot like your doing until you get comfortable to take it on the street but pace yourself don't ride with idiots because then you will push yourself so far out of your comfort zone that you will end up running out of talent/luck and eat shit. and always ride in gear dress for the slide, not the ride because its going to happen its just a matter of time we all go down sooner or later its just the nature of the game.

:cheers ride safe and enjoy it
 
#19 ·
Being overwhelmed by the sensation of speed is a classic symptom of not looking far enough ahead too. Know how when you're driving fence posts far into the distance look like they're barely moving, but if you look at the ones right beside the car they're just a passing blur? If you're not looking far enough ahead you get an amplified sense of speed. And do a search for helmet fitment on Youtube. There are some good videos that I wish I'd seen before I got my first lid.
 
#20 ·
All of the above is fantastic & useful advice! If I where to add my $0.02 I would say spend some time on the freeway &/or longer straighter roads you know ever inch of. I'm not saying stop the parking lot practice! I think the sooner you begin to be calm & more comfortable at higher(highway) speeds you will build up your confidence. also help get used to the noises, wind & traffic. Of coarse DON'T do anything you are not comfortable with doing yet! The fact is that you will be driving over 40mph more often than parking lot speeds, especially with a nice new bike;).
Sounds like your doing the right things & asking the right questions so keep putting the miles on & it will only get easier & more enjoyable:)
Happy riding....




Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app
 
#23 ·
All of the above is fantastic & useful advice! If I where to add my $0.02 I would say spend some time on the freeway &/or longer straighter roads you know ever inch of. I'm not saying stop the parking lot practice! I think the sooner you begin to be calm & more comfortable at higher(highway) speeds you will build up your confidence. also help get used to the noises, wind & traffic. Of coarse DON'T do anything you are not comfortable with doing yet! The fact is that you will be driving over 40mph more often than parking lot speeds, especially with a nice new bike;).
Sounds like your doing the right things & asking the right questions so keep putting the miles on & it will only get easier & more enjoyable:)
Happy riding....




Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app[/QUOTE


I'm getting used to the speeds already. I have been riding on the streets the last few days on my own and It's really not as bad as I thought. Last night I went to my Costco parking lot then I took her and rode around on my local roads and had her up to 55 mph. Was not bad at all but putting the shield down on my helmet helps a bunch. I had it open at first because it kept getting fogged up and I couldn't see. Also, getting low behind the windshield helps lol.

Thanks man.
 
#24 · (Edited)
another thing you can do to get a little lower behind the windshield is scoot your ass back in the seat a little bit and actually lay on the tank. it's comfy on the highway :) I switch between ducking and sitting as high up as I can and letting the wind hold me up as much as possible for long highway hauls. :thumbup

oh, and you definitely want that visor down at anything like, say... 20+? :wacko
I remember one time I really cracked the throttle open from a stop with my visor halfway up. Boy, was that a mistake. The visor grabbed the wind like a sail and damn near beheaded me.

P.S. Nice bike ;)
 
#25 ·
I think it might be the wind but why does it seem like I'm going so damn fast when I'm only doing like 35 40mph? I'll be honest, I'm 30 and just bought my first bike k5 750 20th anniversary. I took the training before I got my license bought the bike and then did my research. I admit I did this backwards and maybe I should of bought a slower bike but It's to late to look back now. I haven't done anything stupid and I used to ride little dirt bike in my teens but that's the extent of my experience. I'm practicing at my local Costco parking lot at night and I'm feeling better about riding and more comfy. Still trying to get my turns\steering down. Any tips? Just seems that the wind makes it seem like I'm going faster than I really am or maybe I need to lay on my tank a little more.

I have a feeling that I'm going to get flamed for this thread.
The only time it's "too late to look back" is after you've crashed and are permanently injured. IMHO, sell it and snag a 250 or something like that before it actually is too late to look back.

Also, the Arai helmets have the lock on the front that can be slid over a tad to crack the visor so it still lets a little air through but safely keeps the visor down.

That being said... oh to be a noob again, discovering speed and the openness again. Reminds me of early in high school when a friend announced his new discovery... that white stuff comes out of your penis if you play with it too long.
 
#29 ·
I believe his username is because he has one eye from a childhood accident iirc
 
#31 ·
:lol I'll let him comment on that but i know he has to have a sense of humor about it with a username like that...
 
#33 ·
Yup, you guys were right. I got a little over 100 miles so far and I guess it was just my nerves at first. Been driving all around my area and i def got used to all the wind. I love riding my bike. I still haven't done anything crazy or taken her past 75 but It's a blast to ride. Low speed maneuvering still sucks but I'll get better and I still need to work on my counter steering but I'm getting there.
 
#34 ·
When I go on long road trips down the interstate I start finding an indicated 90 feeling slow... but mind you that's with my speedo ~12% off and the cars booking it too.
 
#35 ·
Most likely your visual skills and getting used to the feeling of being out in the open. As a few others have said, when you don't look far enough ahead when you are riding then your sensation of speed goes up and it feels like you are going much faster than you really are. The same is true if you allow your vision to narrow down and kind of tunnel.

It is a really good idea to work on improving your visual skills by challenging yourself to look farther ahead. Instead of looking 10-20ft in front, push yourself to look 30-40ft. Then push your visual skills out wider and see more of the total road around you and you will start to see how the sensation of speed changes.

Good luck and ride safe! (you should also look into taking a more advanced riding school, I might know a good one :biggrin)

:) Misti
 
#37 ·
I don't want to start a new thread but basically I feel the same, I just purchase a 93 750 from a member in here, I didn't join til, I bought it and was surprised my bike was here, long story short I got on the freeway for the first time today and was scared shitless, and it was very hard for me to turn as he road curves plus the wind made me feel I was gona fly off the bike, I've ridden before in my teen days but never owned a bike I'm 35 now I will be on for a ride early morning to more at the DMV testing location to train my self then put to a nice open road, no free ways. Feel free to add any tips for me. I'm 6'8"; 220 lbs am I overgrown on a such bike. Any help will be appreciated.
 
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