When are you no longer a "noob"?

[jsteinb95]

I dont know for sure, but thats what D. Hough said in proficent motorcycling. If I remember right it has to do with confidence, and risk taking.

I will make a poll and see how it effects us, well only the people that answer anyway.

ok....that's what I was thinking...makes sense.

 

[Cuba]

50% of reported crashes are riders with less than 6 months experience (MSF) but I'll bet the second year is probably fewer but more deadly crashes because you're over confident and pushing it. I hit that my third week when I started leaning really far and got comfortable doing it. For me this happens in steps, I challenge myself, successfully do whatever it is I'm trying to get comfortable with, and move on to something else as if I'm experienced enough to do so... it's such a great feeling being comfortable and feeling in control but that's when it gets dangerous! I'm slowing myself down this month and taking it easier, tons of amazing country roads out here with no traffic so it's way to tempting to push it beyond your experience level.

 

[wrightme43]

Good point

http://www.600riders.com/forum/main-lobby/5944-how-long-had-you-ridden-before-you-crashed.html

 

[lonesoldier84]

i think km's are more important than time

ive done over 4500km in one month and will have more in the remaining 3 months of the riding season. surely that is more of a measurement than time. some ppl dont do 4500km in 2 years. what i mean to say is i think im more likely to crash now than ever because i am confident. that is exactly why i keep it calm and collected. the way i see it i am entering my high-risk phase of the "2nd year" of riding.

 

[FZ1inNH]

i think km's are more important than time

ive done over 4500km in one month and will have more in the remaining 3 months of the riding season. surely that is more of a measurement than time. some ppl dont do 4500km in 2 years. what i mean to say is i think im more likely to crash now than ever because i am confident. that is exactly why i keep it calm and collected. the way i see it i am entering my high-risk phase of the "2nd year" of riding.

My opinion is the technical aspect. I feel that the more challenged you are in your time on the road, the better rider you'll become. People can ride highways in the wide open all day long and get zero technical abilities outside of driving straights and long sweeping turns.

 

[Hellgate]

After bumping my bike off of the loading ramp yesterday, I'm a noob, a big time noob, with 25 years of knowing better!

 

[sportrider]

Why am I using metric?

thats what I was wondering, I was thinking it makes it sound like you've logged a greater distance. I'm going to try changing MPH to KPH and see if it helps me slow down.


but back on topic: I consider myself very experienced in traffic and commuting, but I'm still a newbie at riding to the limits in the twisties. I guess the only difference is I have the experience to know when I'm getting in over my head and slow down, perhaps someone with less experience would crash or something. don't know, just a thought.

 

[mikebike]

if you are asking, then you are still a noob...

there is more truth to that than you know.....

and the longer you ride.... the more likely you are to be humble about your ability....

unless you live in KY (and I am not talking about wrightme)

 

[ant_mb]

there is more truth to that than you know.....

and the longer you ride.... the more likely you are to be humble about your ability....

unless you live in KY (and I am not talking about wrightme)

I know a color that lives there that thinks he know all! :thumbup:

 

[maverick1970]

Another factor is how much experience do you have in different riding environments. What good is 10,000 or 20,000km if it's mostly on isolated or less traveled roads. Or riding just when the weather is nice. Try riding in the rain, wind, rush hour traffic, even in different major cities and see how you fair.

+1 :thumbup: In addition to your list I would add riding at night in both rural and urban areas. Night riding can be very enjoyable like riding in the rain but is also very dangerous.

 

[DefyInertia]

It's all relative I suppose. I think this question has no answer.

unless you live in KY (and I am not talking about wrightme)

I know a color that lives there that thinks he know all! :thumbup:

rough

 

[sportrider]

rough

+1 that'll leave a mark

 

[lonesoldier84]

this answers my question very well haha

Control is an Optical Illusion ...
Without Experience

By: James R. Davis

For those of you who are new to riding and have managed to successfully acquire a few months and perhaps a couple of thousand miles of experience, you have probably wondered just how much more you need before you can get a newer, bigger, bike. My advice: back off.

You are essentially a newbie. MANY new riders are offended when they are described as newbies.

Wrong attitude.

Newbie simply means that you have yet to experience MOST of the events and incidents from which you WILL learn how to control your motorcycle, and yourself. Therefore, a newbie is a rider who is untested and is easily found to be riding over his head because he doesn't, yet, know better. He is quite likely to THINK that he knows what he is doing because he is 'still standing' when, in fact, he is delusional as to his knowledge base - without experience that knowledge base is purely theoretical. (These people are quick to offer advice to other new riders as they honestly want to help but that advice often turns out to be absolutely wrong, or is so nuanced -- unbeknown to the person giving that advice - that it turns out to be dangerous to the recipient.)

How does a newbie cease to be a newbie?

He/she experiences riding and most of those incidents - and survives.

When a brand new rider goes out on the street for the first time he is usually rather frightened. GOOD! There are lots of reasons to be terrified out there. Besides having to spend precious mental energy and time dealing with the fundamentals - most of which are NOT, yet, learned beyond superficially - they must re-learn the behaviors of the drivers of other vehicles because those behaviors are NOT the same as they used to be when confronted as a driver of a big, easily visible, automobile. And, after much getting used to those new behaviors and having developed a new regard for defensive riding, the new rider begins to experience some of those incidents from which he matures his skills and confidence.

But it takes NO SKILL, whatever, to ride a motorcycle at highway speeds. NONE. You are along for the ride. The bike steers a straight line all by itself. The bike does not fall down by itself. The engine will keep running without a second thought on your part.

Which means that unless you are confronted by one of those incidents (say, a car in front of you that does a panic stop), you are not developing responses and skills that you will sooner or later need.

And in a short time frame of, say, 6 months, you will not have developed tried and true responses and skills sufficient to assure yourself that WHATEVER HAPPENS, whatever the environment throws at you, no matter how the bike behaves itself, or doesn't, you will respond appropriately and survive the experience.

In short, you will, with limited experience, come to believe that because you haven't died yet, you must be pretty good with your machine and come to believe that you are 'always (or pretty much) in control' of the bike. And that leads you to think about maybe getting a larger bike.

Those incidents cannot be 'practiced for' without having had similar incidents behind you. This time it is having to deal with some water on the roadway. Next time it will be having to cross a low-water bridge with standing water on it, invisible sludge at the bottom. The time after that it will be 36 degrees out there and that water will not look like it's frozen. Then you will find yourself 50 miles from home when it starts to hail. That stops and the ground seems to dry up, but in a curve you ride over some leaves and your rear-end squirts to the side a bit.

Believe me, those incidents happen almost every ride. And after a year or two you will have overcome most of them. After 40 years of riding I found myself carrying a passenger (Cash) in the fast lane of a freeway going about 70 mph when a LARGE cardboard box presented itself in my lane! I tried to swerve around it but that box just blew into my new line of travel. I was going to hit it, no doubt about it. EXPERIENCE told me 'NO BRAKES!!!!!' so I squeezed just the clutch lever, hit the box and rolled over it without incident instead of ending up eating asphalt.

As to a new, larger bike ... you will be starting all over again! FROM THE BEGINNING! Or you will have to find out that controlling the motorcycle is only part of the drill. You also have to learn how to control yourself.

Slow down in your quest for having 'arrived' as a motorcyclist. Treat being a newbie as a learning experience that everybody goes through and only some actually appreciate. Do it right and you will cease to be a newbie some time in the future - at least most of the time that you ride.

 

[MotoMom]

this answers my question very well haha

Thanks for this article.
I think overconfidence is a main factor. But I'll add two things: I don't drive after I had a drink, even if it's just ONE beer. And, if I'm too tired physically, I have a nap before I go for a ride.

Two years ago, my father died while riding his motorcycle. The minivan in front of him made a left turn without having his signal on, just as my father was passing him. So, I don't think kms, age, road conditions, etc, are the only factors that count. There will always be stupid car drivers. I think many factors are an integral part of driving a motorcycle. We always have something to learn.

My two cents...

 

[DefyInertia]

I think overconfidence is a main factor.

Two years ago, my father died while riding his motorcycle. The minivan in front of him made a left turn without having his signal on, just as my father was passing him.

I agree with the overconfidence comment.

Sorry to hear about your father; at least he was enjoying himself.

The scenario your described is a classic one. One you can find many videos of and one that I have fallen victim to as well. I have always heard, but it took learning the hard way to decide, that I need to always assume the driver IS going to turn. This is easier said then done, as we are all human...hopefully I never knowingly or otherwise take this chance again. Maybe I'm not a n00b in this very specific situation anymore, having learned the hard way and living to talk about it. hmmm...

 

[mikebike]

Nate..... it rained on Sunday am so you got a nice hike .... no worries and a good lesson learned

 

[n1one]

Hey All,

I am new to this forum and just acquired a 2007 FZ6 (Blue). I love it, great bike for the money.

Anyway, I have been riding off and on for 23 years and have close to 100,000 miles ridden, but I consider myself a "noob" at the beginning of every season...it takes a few weeks of riding to get over the "yah-ho" it's bike season again and get back to thinking about what you are doing when you are riding the bike.

Stay safe.

Bill

 

[mikebike]

Hey All,

I it takes a few weeks of riding to get over the "yah-ho"

if you have the "Yah-ho" move to the left you will not have to constantly ride over her.


oh yeah by the way wlecome:thumbup:

 

[Scorphonic]

I'm already up to 12,000 miles on my bike in 9 months...but i still consider the bike new to me, i'm learning alot each and every day i'm on it but I wouldn't consider myself a noob. I'm riding bikes for almost 3 years now...i've got the training, some degree of experience, a clean slate under my belt and I understand the workings of my machine...that to me rules you out of your NOOB days.

"Noob" is just a word for experienced (or so called know-it-alls) to feel like they are in a specialist class of elite beings...we're all new to things..we'll never stop being a noob in this life.

 

[hunterfz6]

You know your not a newb anymore, and quite a competent biker when you no longer need to wear your gear. You can get by just fine with a corona T-shirt and flip flops. When you are at that stage, you are like a jedi knight, or that dude from the matrix who can run on the ceiling. When you feel like you are not a newb and become comfortable, that is when the crash is gonna come. Always be the newb and the beginner and you will stay alive a long time to enjoy your bike.