Originally Posted by
ISP James
as for scaring myself, once in a while i twist to hard from a stop and the bike shoots out a little bit, my brain doesnt react as fast as my hands and next thing you know im grabbing levers without letting off the throttle... that has happened twice.
Grabbing both levers shows that you do know what to do. The one thing that I have seen my fellow noobs not do when in trouble is squeeze the clutch to disengage the engine and then brake.
The MSF instructors go over it, but they don't hammer it home. I sat and watched a MSF course on the range. It was an exercise where the student rides striaght, then takes a gentle curve to learn how to turn. The kid rolled on the throttle, panicked, rolled some more, and did not pull in the clutch and brake. He barreled into the parking lot curb and dumped.
Originally Posted by ISP James
as for in traffic, i seem to be fairly comfortable once i get going. its leaving from a complete stop, especially if i have to turn from a complete stop.
im hoping that when my circumstances change, ill have more time to ride and practice and build my comfort level but if that doesnt work out, ill probably end up selling it.
I may have sounded harsh in the earlier post, and I apologize. I do think you'll get the hang of it. You just need more time in the saddle.
Heck, I'm a complete idiot, and I got the hang of it.
I had the same problem you did. I had issues controlling the friction zone from a dead stop. I also had issues doing that while turning. I headed out to an industrial park after dark, when it was empty, and practiced. I did that for about three weeks.
Another rider then suggested that I go out riding on normal streets on the weekends, early in the morning before traffic was out. He also suggested that early Sunday mornings was the best time to go out on the road. Less traffic, less stress, etc. I did that, and slowly acclimated myself to normal roads at speed.
When I finally took to the roads in normal traffic, I can't tell you how many times I stalled the bike from a dead stop because I was nervous.
I also purchased a copy of
Proficient Motorcycling, by David Hough. The book is a compilation of motorcycling tips and tactics. I read it once, and then read it again. After coming back from rides, I still find myself using it as a reference.
Don't sell the bike. You'll regret it. Your time situation will eventually change, and you'll get more saddle time.