Highway Confidence

[EasyRider]

Well, even with all the flack it will bring my way, I have to admit my 07 FJR is my first bike.

It been about about 13 months now with about four months off the bike for winter. I've got about 9,000 mikes on her with out any close calls except tiping it over wile stopped last summer. I learned the hard way not to turn right on a uphill and stop leaning over to the downhill side. :blink:

Before I bought the bike last year, my son and I took the MSF class and a private intermediate class. Then we got our the bikes and a month later we took Lee Parks Total Control class. Next, about a mother later I sat in on my sons two day track day school with Jason Pridmore's Star Motorcycle school. I was too chicken to take the FJR on the track. But it was cool to sit in on all the class and demonstration time out on the track.

I am a private chauffeur with a big New York investment bank. I've been riding the highway in and out of the city for twenty years. I've taken numerous security driving classes on race tracks and several defensive driving courses. But I still don't have the nerve to ride with rush hour drivers that I am very accustom when out in my company Audi A8. They are are just plan too mean and hostel for me to ride the bike with. I like to ride on the weekends on more upstate highways and like to ride in the opposite direction of the New York drivers.

But the thing is now, after taking all of last year and 5,500 miles to feel a more at ease on multi lane highways and another 3,000 miles this year with the recent addition of a Power commander I can realy haul ass on the turnpike with the upstate weekend traffic and feel confident with the bike. But this is got me worried.

Maybe I was safer when I was riding in the first lane at 60 MPH. Now that I am very accustom to how the bike behaves and I'm not frightened by the high speed wind buffeting on the highway, I love to ride up too 80 too 90MPH on relatively uncrowded weekend upstate highways. Sometimes I find my self wonting to get tough with the other traffic like I can in my company Audi A8L.

So I guess I need to cool off and take it slower putting in more time and miles on the the friendlyer upstate highways before I get too cocky with my new highway confidence.

 

[Silver Penguin]

So I guess I need to cool off and take it slower putting in more time and miles on the the friendlyer upstate highways before I get too cocky with my new highway confidence.

That sounds like a very smart plan. Too much confidence is equally as dangerous as too little.

I learned to ride in England, at an age when I had no fear of anything because I was invincible. That made it much easier to be a re-entry rider on the mean streets and freeways of Los Angeles. I already had the basic bike skills, plus the four-wheel experience of how to defend my space in traffic.

Glad to hear that you're enjoying the bike. The more you know, the better it gets, so taking the classes was a really wise thing to do.

Jill

 

[radman]

Rush hour ass haulin is about as instructive as riding dirt in it's own way. You're on your toes, or you're mush. I ride 25 miles one way through rush, twice a day from roughly March through November, often the car sits unused for 3 weeks at a time. IMHO, nothing prepares a rider for the unexpected and bizarre like daily Rushin. As a result, I'm comfortable anywhere in the country, on any road, in any situation. There are a few vehicles out there with my size 12 imprint labeling their incompetence, but then that's the game.

 

[sin_loki]

i had to learn the over crowed highways of California early in life. after high school i worked at an auto dealer, and one of my jobs was doing dealer trades (like doing that btw) at age 19 i as doing battle in the heart of san jose and the oh so wonderful 405. So being on my toes at all times was a must, so when staring to ride metric cruiser it was not that big of a deal on major highways using my offensive skills to stay outta someones windshield.

i still hate the 405 and the surrounding areas, so many **** tards trying to get you.... :shiftyph34r:

 

[Big Sky]

I admire those of you who do the heavy big city traffic, and do it in good health. And I agree with what others have said.

But, EasyRider, you must make it a point to really get out into the country sometime. Come across the Midwest, the the Northern Great Plains, then ride the Rockies. Maybe not as adrenalin inducing as the turnpike rush you know, but it is the ultimate in motorcycling. IMHO.

Big Sky

 

[Fairlaner]

Dont you just love that A8???????

Ride it like you drive the Audi I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which Bank?

R

No who is gonna get ****.

 

[EasyRider]

Tonight I have partly the same dilemma. I live in Danbury CT with friendly roads out side the range of NYC commuters to my north, and the hostile NYC commuters on the roads to my south. I need to drive south tonight too southern Fairfield county, and I'm inclined to take my gas guzzling large intimidating Dodge Ram pickup. I can use it to put the fear of getting crushed into the hostel German car driving (yes I drive one for work ) NYC commuters. Plus I will have the last laugh one of these guys ever hit the back of my Doge Ram.

But on the FJR they can push me around like school yard bullies picking on a nerd. These uptight snotty little sh*ts most often guys driving BMWs or other hostile mother f*cker favored cars, follow me less than one car length away even if I'm riding at 80MPH. Then they pull around me a cut in front with just as small space in front of me. :angry2:

Bikes are very rare on the NYC commuter highways, and I've seen why fist hand. They are absolutely more hostile to bikes than cars. :angry2:

Maybe they would show me more respect if I was a fat bad ass looking Harley rider.

 

[mcatrophy]

...I am a private chauffeur with a big New York investment bank. I've been riding the highway in and out of the city for twenty years. I've taken numerous security driving classes on race tracks and several defensive driving courses. But I still don't have the nerve to ride with rush hour drivers that I am very accustom when out in my company Audi A8. They are are just plan too mean and hostel for me to ride the bike with. I like to ride on the weekends on more upstate highways and like to ride in the opposite direction of the New York drivers.

...

My input for you is this. You have had defensive driving classes. Presumably that has meant looking out for potential threats as you drive. Extend that to your motorcycling.

Keep a 360 awareness of what's going on. Keep looking for escape routes for WHEN someone tries to ram you. (It may not be deliberate, but is just as ugly.)

Be assertive. Own your lane. But don't be aggressive, you will get bitten.

Perhaps you should do a few rides of your route out of rush-hour times, but, be warned, shoppers and day trippers can be much worse than commuters. They may not be as aggressive, but they don't know where they are going, so are much less predictable.

Be as visible as you can. Wear a hi-viz jacket, a white helmet. And of course, for if/when it does all go pear-shaped, ATGATT.

Above all, don't allow them to rile you. Anger is the worst emotion to ride with. Your judgement goes out of the window, your all-round awareness vanishes. If someone cuts you up, pushes you out of your lane, forces you to brake hard, just let it ride. Don't even gesture, not at them, not to yourself. Just add the experience to your knowledge-base. You already know they're only cagers and are therefore not to be trusted (yes, I know you are one a lot of the time, that's not the point). Just play it cool.

Riding is a bit like flying, you know the one about there being "no old, bold pilots". That goes for us motorcyclists.

Sorry about the length of that, just trying to help.

 

[mikeyb]

Be sure to add one of those nice aftermarket horns, because they will never hear the stock one.

 

[ShawnKing]

Well, even with all the flack it will bring my way, I have to admit my 07 FJR is my first bike.

No flack from me. It sounds like you were well prepared.

I still don't have the nerve to ride with rush hour drivers that I am very accustom when out in my company Audi A8.

Then don't. A lot of riding is all about confidence - if you aren't comfortable in those situations, then don't ride in them. Make alternate arrangements, ride different roads or ride different times of the day.

I live in Danbury too (Hi neighbor!) and have ridden in NYC traffic several times. It *is* scary as all get out.

Sometimes I find my self wonting to get tough with the other traffic like I can in my company Audi A8L.

And that's the exact thing you *can't* do. You also can't even get into that mind set. No matter how much of an a-hole they are being, when it comes down to "motorcycle vs car" the car *always* wins.

So I guess I need to cool off and take it slower putting in more time and miles on the the friendlyer upstate highways before I get too cocky with my new highway confidence.

Confidence is good and will help. Cocky is often bad and can get you killed.

 

[jnor]

...I am a private chauffeur with a big New York investment bank. I've been riding the highway in and out of the city for twenty years. I've taken numerous security driving classes on race tracks and several defensive driving courses. But I still don't have the nerve to ride with rush hour drivers that I am very accustom when out in my company Audi A8. They are are just plan too mean and hostel for me to ride the bike with. I like to ride on the weekends on more upstate highways and like to ride in the opposite direction of the New York drivers.

...

My input for you is this. You have had defensive driving classes. Presumably that has meant looking out for potential threats as you drive. Extend that to your motorcycling.

Keep a 360 awareness of what's going on. Keep looking for escape routes for WHEN someone tries to ram you. (It may not be deliberate, but is just as ugly.)

Be assertive. Own your lane. But don't be aggressive, you will get bitten.

Perhaps you should do a few rides of your route out of rush-hour times, but, be warned, shoppers and day trippers can be much worse than commuters. They may not be as aggressive, but they don't know where they are going, so are much less predictable.

Be as visible as you can. Wear a hi-viz jacket, a white helmet. And of course, for if/when it does all go pear-shaped, ATGATT.

Above all, don't allow them to rile you. Anger is the worst emotion to ride with. Your judgement goes out of the window, your all-round awareness vanishes. If someone cuts you up, pushes you out of your lane, forces you to brake hard, just let it ride. Don't even gesture, not at them, not to yourself. Just add the experience to your knowledge-base. You already know they're only cagers and are therefore not to be trusted (yes, I know you are one a lot of the time, that's not the point). Just play it cool.

Riding is a bit like flying, you know the one about there being "no old, bold pilots". That goes for us motorcyclists.

Sorry about the length of that, just trying to help.

+1....good advise!!!

 

[JRO]

It's nice to hear about someone who started riding on an FJR. Definately not the kind of bike I would suggest to first-time owners. However, I didn't start out on a beginner-type bike, either.

If you've survived this long, and in the kind of traffic you are learning to deal with, you are going to be alright. Most of the world is full of middle-aged, wussy, noobs, riding some underpowered POS until they (maybe) learn the ropes. It's good to see a real man come along, every now and then.

Try packing a .45 for dealing with aggressive auto-traffic on your commute. LAWs rockets are better, but are just too difficult to handle from a bike.

 

[johnny80s]

Two things I have seen driving in rush hour in LA.

1. The "rip off their mirror" defense.

2. The smack their car with a giant adjustable wrench.

Either one of these are good for people that are trying to kill you.

Gotta go, my anger management class is starting. unk:

 

[sprtdiver]

Two things I have seen driving in rush hour in LA.
1. The "rip off their mirror" defense.

2. The smack their car with a giant adjustable wrench.

Either one of these are good for people that are trying to kill you.

Gotta go, my anger management class is starting. unk:

Guy I work with keeps BB's in his fairing pocket of his wing. Pulls them out for the special needs folk. Tough to make it home with no radiator.

 

[dragonchef]

Seoul is very rough. There is little respect for cyclists, mostly because there are large number of delivery services that use motorcycles, and these guys are paid by the trip, and have little regard for life and limb.

Here, you must stay in the center of the lane, otherwise you will find a cage sharing your space. The worst are the "quickservice" delivery bikers. They are all over the place, and you just cannot count on a whole lane. They will come though any available space, the curb, split lanes or the other half of lane I'm not using. Second are the busses...then the taxi's. Of little comfort is the fact that Korean law states that if you are driving a four wheeled vehicle, and you get into a wreck with a two wheeled unit, or pedestrian, you are at fault. Even if I run into the back of you...cage/bus/truck loses. So at least there is some trepedation from the 4 wheeled types.

Since I walk to work, my riding is 100% pleasure riding. I don't mount up unless I know I am leaving the city limits. It takes about 75 to 90 minutes to really get clear, but once you are, it is an amazing countryside (Korea is the most mountainous country on the earth....not the highest, but the most). I actually have changed my day off....if you are coming back to town on a Sunday afternoon, a 1 hour, 45 mile trip can be a nightmare. Most of the bikes ride the shoulder on the way back Sundays. The shoulders are not too bad, but do have debris and more chances for a flat. Some of these guys are doing 40 or 50 along the side, while the cages just sit. I am content at about 20 or 30....

Not my first bike, but my first in 18 years. Now with 9K on the clock after 13 months of weekend riding. **** I love this thing, and live for my weekends.

Every tweak has made it better....Russell Seat, risers on and on and on...the Michelin Pilot Power 2CT tires made a huge difference...and now the PCIII.....**** I love this thing. Did I say that I really love my bike? I feel like Pee-wee on the big adventure.....

I really owe it to this forum. I bought the FJR because of it, and I ride & read & farkle along with everyone here. Someday I'll move back to the US and meet some of ya'll, but until then, I'll just keep on truckin over here....

 

[JRO]

Seoul is very rough... Of little comfort is the fact that Korean law...

Since when have there been traffic laws, in S. Korea?

Years back, watching motorcyclists being squashed in city traffic on a Saturday afternoon was kind of a poor serviceman's entertainment.

Either you've got more guts than a smokehouse, or things have really changed, over there.

 

[dragonchef]

Like I said, If I'm not able to get outta down, I don't mount up.

200 miles is pretty much my minimum. Just have to hold my breath when getting in or out of the city...