Were you scared on your first ride alone?

[fz6Soldier]

Ok, so I passed the MSF last weekend and in extreme weather conditions I might add (Sat non stop rain and Sun extreme heat). So Monday comes and I'm all geared up to go practice, get on my bike and just sat there.

I eventually did go for a little ride down the street and around a couple of street blocks. The fastest I went was about 40 MPH in a 45 (I know, thats slow).

I still am not used to hitting the turn signal and accidently hit the horn looking like an idiot.

Also, 40 MPH on a bike feels like 80.

How did you guys feel your first time out?

 

[Bates121]

I definitely took it slow for my first week. Mostly staying on side streets and 35mph city streets. It helped that I tried to ride for at least 30 minutes a day and I went with a friend a lot who always gave me tips and pointers (thanks MArinaFAzer:thumbup. After time you just get more comfortable on the bike and then 40 mph will feel slow. Good luck have fun and remember ATGATT and Frame sliders if you dont have them already:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Erci]

I don't remember being scared, but I do remember being nervous about dropping the bike or just doing something wrong in general.
Remember that range training at MSF is mostly geared toward ability to navigate parking lots. It's very different on the street, on a bigger / heavier bike.
Definitely take it easy for first few rides and do your best to remember all the safety facts you've learned (looking way ahead, keeping safe distance, staying out of blind spots, head turned to where you want to go, etc.)
Don't sweat the small stuff. I guarantee you everyone who rides a motorcycle has accidentally hit horn button instead of turn signal more than once
Turn initiation (in my opinion) is the *scariest* thing to experience for the first time on the road at reasonable speed (40+). Once you become comfortable with countersteering, it's going to get really fun!

 

[FZ6Rrider]

Well my first ride alone was the ride back from the dealership.
I pass my test, (under pretty intense weather conditions myself, rain & extreme heat) and picked up the bike two days later.

I took the safety course on old 1995 125CC suzuki's and bought a Yamaha FZ6R. Needless to say, there were many things I didn't know about it, I even needed to ask the dealer where my turn signals were. (I think he may have regretted selling me the bike at that point :surrender

And to top off not knowing what I was riding, and picking up my bike on a rainny day, it was my brother who drove me to the dealership and I was going to follow him home. He drove at about 120km/h the whole way, went on major streets and on the highway, I nearly crapped my pants & honked instead of putting my blinker on and even forgot to put the blinker on at times but on the bright side, I got all the hard stuff out of the way on my first ride and I was good to go after that :rockon:

 

[sxty8goats]

One of the best bits of advice a friend gave me before I started riding was along the line of "It is the greatest thing in the world once you get over the terror of your first few weeks of riding." I did a write up of my first big ride a few years ago. Maybe I can dig it up.

 

[sxty8goats]

One of the best bits of advice a friend gave me before I started riding was along the line of "It is the greatest thing in the world once you get over the terror of your first few weeks of riding." I did a write up of my first big ride a few years ago. Maybe I can dig it up.

For anyone interested in the story link

 

[skyjake]

I bought my first bike about 4 years ago, a Honda Shadow 750. I bought it off ebay and drove 5 hours just to go get it and bring it home. After I got home, I wanted to ride it but had next to 'no' riding experience and it was dark. A Classic, I almost took out my mail box but didn't hurt me or the bike. The next couple of weeks, I spent in my neighborhood teaching myself how to ride.

The day I passed my written and received my Learners Permit, I took my bike on the main road. Yes, 40 mph felt like 80 and I was like, you have to be kidding me. I too was a little scared (maybe a lot). However, you get used to it. I realized the Shadow was too small and bought a VTX 1300. I had 2 bikes for a short time. I went through a MSF Course and I highly recommend it to any rider.

FZ6 as a first bike? Wow, I have mixed emotions on that one. If you keep it in the low RPM's, it's a relatively docile bike IMO. However, in the high RPM's, it is a LOT of bike.

Take your time, wear your gear, and take it easy..... Ride Safe!!!

 

[DMP84]

Haha I remember when I first got on the fz6 (also my first bike) and hitting the horn instead of the turn signals, and seeing the people in front with that puzzled look (WHAT?!?!?!) For whatever reason I felt so much more comfortable on the FZ6 then on the old tiny bike during the safety course, maybe it had a lot to do with the excitement so the nervousness wasn't there, but everyday is a learning experience and as my instructor said it best I think, "the day you stop learning is the day you die" so just be careful wear all your gear all the time and it will all come to you, just be patient and do your best not to be nervous, the less tense you are the more enjoyable the experience will be.

Most importantly HAVE FUN!

 

[agp]

I was 18 or 19, had rode dirt for a couple years, so I was more fired up than scared. I'm glad I started young on bikes, I think it would of been tougher starting after I reached adulthood.

 

[bigdog9191999]

I don't remember being scared, but I do remember being nervous about dropping the bike or just doing something wrong in general.

Definitely take it easy for first few rides and do your best to remember all the safety facts you've learned (looking way ahead, keeping safe distance, staying out of blind spots, head turned to where you want to go, etc.)
Don't sweat the small stuff. I guarantee you everyone who rides a motorcycle has accidentally hit horn button instead of turn signal more than once
Turn initiation (in my opinion) is the *scariest* thing to experience for the first time on the road at reasonable speed (40+). Once you become comfortable with counter steering, it's going to get really fun!

this about sums it up for me.... I had only ridden an 80cc four stroke dirt bike about 5 years before, and went and bought a brand new off the showroom floor 03 Honda 919.that I got in the summer rode it home after prep and proceeded to scare the $hit out of myself for a few weeks, then just make myself nervous for the next few months.

I had my permit when I bought the bike (or they would not have sold it to me) and it wasn’t till the next spring that I went to get my endorsement. And have still not had any "formal" training. And been riding for about 6 years with a 2 summer 1 1/2 year lull with no bike.

Let me tell ya a liter bike is not for a first timer... (But then I go and get a 955i tiger. total it, got on the fz after the lull and the following spring (this spring) get a brand spanking new 1050 tiger) I guess I like all my toys big... (But so am I so it fits)

 

[ELIZABETH]

Being a new rider myself, I can totally relate to how you felt on your first ride alone. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. I stayed very close to home, riding around the neighborhood at first, then on a side road at 45 mph. 40 mph did feel like 80. I didn't ride far from home unless someone else was riding alongside. A couple weeks later I went on the interstate, with my cousin on his Honda Magna, for 3 miles. That was the longest three miles EVER!!! :rof: That felt very strange at first!! But now 40 feels GREAT!! I bought my bike June 1st, and am now comfortable with the highway, and have even started riding it to work. I am signed up for a "test the track" training session this Saturday, which I am hoping to learn better control and counter-steering, without the worries of two way streets. I am also looking forward to watching the real racers have their fun out there later in the day. Just take your time, ride your own ride (don't keep up with your brother, let him slow down for you), and enjoy yourself. It gets more comfortable fairly quickly. Also, :welcome: to the wonderful FZ6 world!!

 

[Have2BeFree]

I STILL hit the horn instead of the directionals sometimes. When I first learned to ride I lived on a dead end street that ended at the school parking lot and that is where I spent most of my first month. First ride alone was scary and exhilerating at the same time. I refused to even try to go on the interstate until my second season of riding. Just take your time and ride within your ability and ATGATT! :welcome:, stay safe and have fun!

 

[fz6Soldier]

Thanks for the replies. Glad I'm not the only one hitting the horn:thumbup:

 

[clockworkjon]

My first ride was about a 20 mile ride back home from the dealership. I wasn't really scared, but I was very frustrated from stalling the bike a hundred times. I made it out of the dealership garage on my test ride with no problems. Then I got to the stop sign down the street and it took about 10 tries to get going again, followed by a few stalls every time I stopped. These bikes have very sticky clutches when they're new. Felt like an idiot.

Took me about a week of riding to sort that out.

EDIT: Just wait until your first track day (which everyone should experience at least once in their riding careers.) You think 40 feels fast on the street, wait until you lean hard into turns at 60, 70, 80+ mph! Makes your butthole pucker up that's for sure!

 

[motopete]

I was only 17, way to young and stupid to be afraid LOL. But I've learned the hard way tho. After 20 years of riding (mostly all year round) I'm still doing it.

 

[Fz6Sa]

I missed my first turn, - simply due to the fact that the instructor was no longer in my ear telling me where to go ...

Other than that, - I felt freedom, alive and absolutely NOT scared or afraid.

 

[CHEMIKER]

yes AND no.

First time I rode was on my own Kawi 250 that I put together from pieces in someone's backyard. Got it together, started it up, and rode her home. Didn't have an ounce of fear. Rode that and another bike I owned for a couple of years around '95 - '96 timeframe.

Skip forward 12 years. I hadn't ridden since '96, and bought the FZ6 new in 2008. For some reason, I was pretty dang scared. Go figure on that one. I had no idea why, even though I had ridden before, I would be scared. My last bike was even bigger than the FZ6 (750cc, and more weight!!). Only thing I can figure is that I was older and more mature and had more to lose (wife, daughter, etc.)

One thing I believe is that some amount of scared is good to keep you out of trouble, but too much scared can get you into trouble (if you lock the brakes or target fix). Try to keep it in check.

 

[Motogiro]

I STILL hit the horn instead of the directionals sometimes. When I first learned to ride I lived on a dead end street that ended at the school parking lot and that is where I spent most of my first month. First ride alone was scary and exhilerating at the same time. I refused to even try to go on the interstate until my second season of riding. Just take your time and ride within your ability and ATGATT! :welcome:, stay safe and have fun!

I still hit the horn by accident and when everyone looks at me I just wave like I know them and I'm one of their friends and they think they just don't know who it is under the helmet.

My first ride wasn't scary cuz I had already gotten caught by my dad at 10 yrs old taking the family car for rides......I used cushions from our couch so I could see over the dash....hehehe...

Oh yeah :welcome:!!!

Gort
Klaatu Barada Nikt!

 

[Botch]

I was scared.

I'd signed up for the MSF (date was two months away) then saw an '07 with 1,400 miles on it in July '07 (had already decided on the FZ-6 based on seat height/ergos alone) for $5,500, bought it on the condition the seller had to ride it to my driveway.

Figured I could look, wash, wax, and tinker with it for two months until I'd done the MSF (had never even been on a dirt bike).



Heh.

I lasted a day and a half. There was a church parking lot two blocks away, and after stalling it several dozen times I made it to the lot. Practiced for a good hour, stalling it many more times, then rode home. Wow, couldn't believe how STEEP the bumps in my neighborhood were! I repeated this exercise the rest of the summer, eventually riding up Ogden Canyon before the snows flew. What a great summer!

And:
I stalled the bike at least once on every trip for the next year and a half. Last week I had new tires put on, and it was immediately obvious they'd also adjusted my clutch cable. I'm still getting used to it, but that damn thing's been off since I bought the bike! :spank: Looking forward to a trouble-free future!

 

[thetimanator]

I wasn't scared but I still tried to take it slow the first week.

I took the MSF course and then a month later picked up my fz6. Hadn't been riding at all since the MSF course and rode around for 3-4 hours when I got the bike back to Nashville. I told myself I'd wait to go on the interstate until I felt more comfortable, but ended up on it the first day...