Is being nervous on a bike normal? Or a sign to get off lol

[killerkeith]

I play a little game with myself. Think of it as a video game where you only get one life.
The idea of the game is to always know where everyone is around you. You get a strike against you if a vehicle ever catches you by surprise. (eg. Comes up beside you without you being aware of him).
It helps me alot. At the end of the ride, ask yourself if you had any close calls or had any surprises. You win if the ride went trouble free. This teaches you to watch your six (use your mirrors).
I also watch youtube videos of accidents. See if you can figure out how the accident could be avoided. Watching a horrible crash keeps me humble and full of respect (not fear) for motorcycling.
Ellie

I do something like that too. Today was bad...2 close calls (first 2 of the year) on one ride home from lunch. Go Pro is now back on my helmet.

[missusfinz]

This sounds more like a chore then just enjoying the ride.
I agree being safe and aware of your surroundings, but when it consumes your ride the enjoyment of being free is gone.
Riding a bike is about the freedom of it, when you have that much worry about it it becomes stressful and unenjoyable.

I don't find it stressful. It's just part of my ride and I find situational awareness part of the fun of riding. I like the focus and heightened awareness that comes with it.

[omnivore]

This thread is precisely why I hate our motorcycle licencing system...but I don't have a suggestion to revise it.

It is too bad that newbs must venture out on the public roads, in traffic, and learn to ride. Most of them are still asking themselves which hand operates the clutch again? What gear am I in? What rpm should I shift at? I have seen it many times, and it terrifies me. I was one of the kids lucky enough to have a dirtbike at 9 yrs old, and lived ina rural community, with neighbours on both sides of me with dirtbikes as well. It was not only welcome, but expected for kids to have dirtbikes,LOL

If a rider has the opportunity to learn the mechanics of operating a motorcycle offroad, like a dirtbike, forst, until it becomes second nature, he/she will likely have a safer time learning to apply the mechanics of riding in traffic. Without their conscious attention being cluttered with stress about operating the bike itself, they can apply more of that attention to staying alert and alive in traffic.


And if you have enough $ (purely illustrative) , you can:

Be a 16 yr old kid. Waltz in to the MTO and write your M1.
Then sign up for an M2 course at the local college. (remember at this point, you are a 16 yr old kid who has never ridden a motorcycle, even though you possess an M1 licence for one)
You show up and ride a 125 cc air cooled 10 hp bike around a parking lot, pretending to be negotiating traffic all weekend. Then you take that graduating paperwork with you back to the MTO, and get your M2.

You go to Suzuki dealer and buy a new Hayabusa, and call your insurance company to get the policy (remember, you are a rich 16 yr old kid). You buy a helmet, for you and your girlfiend, and hop on to your new 180 hp Superbike, and go out, two-up, at night, thru traffic and onto the 401, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NEVER YET PROVED TO ANYONE THAT YOU CAN EVEN OPERATE A MOTORCYCLE IN TRAFFIC!!! (Although you have demonstrated that you can do figure 8's in a parking lot on a tiny bike the size and performance of most scooters)

Am I the only one who thinks this is ludicrous?

[missusfinz]

This thread is precisely why I hate our motorcycle licencing system...but I don't have a suggestion to revise it.

It is too bad that newbs must venture out on the public roads, in traffic, and learn to ride. Most of them are still asking themselves which hand operates the clutch again? What gear am I in? What rpm should I shift at? I have seen it many times, and it terrifies me. I was one of the kids lucky enough to have a dirtbike at 9 yrs old, and lived ina rural community, with neighbours on both sides of me with dirtbikes as well. It was not only welcome, but expected for kids to have dirtbikes,LOL

If a rider has the opportunity to learn the mechanics of operating a motorcycle offroad, like a dirtbike, forst, until it becomes second nature, he/she will likely have a safer time learning to apply the mechanics of riding in traffic. Without their conscious attention being cluttered with stress about operating the bike itself, they can apply more of that attention to staying alert and alive in traffic.


And if you have enough $ (purely illustrative) , you can:

Be a 16 yr old kid. Waltz in to the MTO and write your M1.
Then sign up for an M2 course at the local college. (remember at this point, you are a 16 yr old kid who has never ridden a motorcycle, even though you possess an M1 licence for one)
You show up and ride a 125 cc air cooled 10 hp bike around a parking lot, pretending to be negotiating traffic all weekend. Then you take that graduating paperwork with you back to the MTO, and get your M2.

You go to Suzuki dealer and buy a new Hayabusa, and call your insurance company to get the policy (remember, you are a rich 16 yr old kid). You buy a helmet, for you and your girlfiend, and hop on to your new 180 hp Superbike, and go out, two-up, at night, thru traffic and onto the 401, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NEVER YET PROVED TO ANYONE THAT YOU CAN EVEN OPERATE A MOTORCYCLE IN TRAFFIC!!! (Although you have demonstrated that you can do figure 8's in a parking lot on a tiny bike the size and performance of most scooters)

Am I the only one who thinks this is ludicrous?

+1...

[rafiki911]

This thread is precisely why I hate our motorcycle licencing system...but I don't have a suggestion to revise it.

It is too bad that newbs must venture out on the public roads, in traffic, and learn to ride. Most of them are still asking themselves which hand operates the clutch again? What gear am I in? What rpm should I shift at? I have seen it many times, and it terrifies me. I was one of the kids lucky enough to have a dirtbike at 9 yrs old, and lived ina rural community, with neighbours on both sides of me with dirtbikes as well. It was not only welcome, but expected for kids to have dirtbikes,LOL

If a rider has the opportunity to learn the mechanics of operating a motorcycle offroad, like a dirtbike, forst, until it becomes second nature, he/she will likely have a safer time learning to apply the mechanics of riding in traffic. Without their conscious attention being cluttered with stress about operating the bike itself, they can apply more of that attention to staying alert and alive in traffic.


And if you have enough $ (purely illustrative) , you can:

Be a 16 yr old kid. Waltz in to the MTO and write your M1.
Then sign up for an M2 course at the local college. (remember at this point, you are a 16 yr old kid who has never ridden a motorcycle, even though you possess an M1 licence for one)
You show up and ride a 125 cc air cooled 10 hp bike around a parking lot, pretending to be negotiating traffic all weekend. Then you take that graduating paperwork with you back to the MTO, and get your M2.

You go to Suzuki dealer and buy a new Hayabusa, and call your insurance company to get the policy (remember, you are a rich 16 yr old kid). You buy a helmet, for you and your girlfiend, and hop on to your new 180 hp Superbike, and go out, two-up, at night, thru traffic and onto the 401, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NEVER YET PROVED TO ANYONE THAT YOU CAN EVEN OPERATE A MOTORCYCLE IN TRAFFIC!!! (Although you have demonstrated that you can do figure 8's in a parking lot on a tiny bike the size and performance of most scooters)

Am I the only one who thinks this is ludicrous?

Totally same for drivers licence.

[SweetOnion]

Totally same for drivers licence.

It's not the same at all.

"Then sign up for an M2 course at the local college. (remember at this point, you are a 16 yr old kid who has never ridden a motorcycle, even though you possess an M1 licence for one)
You show up and ride a 125 cc air cooled 10 hp bike around a parking lot, pretending to be negotiating traffic all weekend. Then you take that graduating paperwork with you back to the MTO, and get your M2."


You can get your G2 at the College??

I recall having to drive IN REAL TRAFFIC with an MTO employee who's specialty was administering driving tests in my car.

[rafiki911]

^ well actually all you have to do with a drivers licence is pass that short test and you can go on road on your own ... at least with the M1 exit you can take the two day course.

[Marbleboy]

That's what happens when you have "freedom"... if MTO changes the structure of getting license, I am sure there will be people complaining about it..

[bboySushi]

What even more dangerous is you can legally ride on a supersportbike during the day with a M1 (absolutely zero riding experience).

[RocketON]

When I did the college course I was nervous myself. I never rode a bike before and knew nothing about them. Even after the second day I was so nervous I thought that motorcycling wouldn't be for me. But after I got on my own bike (Ninja 250) and rode around the neighborhood I started to feel real comfortable. I found my bike A LOT easier to ride than the dirt bike I used on the course. Right now it has been about 2 months since I did the course. I have already put over 2000km on my bike and loving every minute of it!

You know, when I did a demo ride on the CBR250, I found it so much easier to operate then the 125CBR, I was shocked. I found the friction zone with no problems and this is a bigger bike compared to the 125, and I felt 100% in control. I guess the course bikes get dropped so many times that it decreases the performance and quality.

How's your common sense? (Answer: Not good means get off the bike).
How's your cage driving ability? How many accidents? (Answer: Not good means get off the bike).
Keep track of close calls on the bike. If you have a lot of them, they are a warning to get off and stay off.
Fear is bad. Caution is good. Cockiness is death.
Have fun on your bike

I got what you mean. I think my nervousness is due to the fact that it's new to me, and I'm being cautious. Like I said before any arrogance flew right out the window during the course haha.

Oh, and there's a thread in the weekly meets section for Barrie riders, regular Thursday night meets at the Tims at Fairview and Essa @ 7pm. If you can't find it, pm me and I"ll link you

I found it, thanks. I'll take a look once I have my bike.

Am I the only one who thinks this is ludicrous?

You made some really valid points..but I think there are some pro's and con's to the system. You see the M1 only lasts 90 Days, that's about 3 months to get ready for the M2. I think the fact that it expires very fast discourages bad riders right a way. I new a guy who wrote his M1 but never took it seriously and didn't make the commitment to learn, 90 days later, he was not prepared for his M2, failed and was out of luck.

The 2-day course really does prepare you, and in my case, was the best way to learn. I had never been exposed to bikes, only through books and videos. So i didn't pick up bad habits. Plus they give you the M2 only if you are successful.....now the one thing I wish they would improve is integrate some REAL life riding, it would be great if they had taken us on a group ride though traffic. No larger than 5, you know? It would have helped my curiosity and lessened my nervousness down. But you know I did a Demo ride through traffic and it was my first time, and I did really well, I underestimated what I learned in the course.

Like I said before my nervousness is from this (riding) being fairly new to me. I have listened to what everyone has posted and it has really helped me. If it weren't for posting the thread I may have canceled the Demo ride. So glad I didn't! The Demo ride through traffic and back roads exceeding 100KM really helped me to evaluate my skills and whether or not I was prepared to have my own bike.

What even more dangerous is you can legally ride on a supersportbike during the day with a M1 (absolutely zero riding experience).

I know, pretty crazy, but some people do it. Not me of course, I thought 125 was more than enough. LOL