Riding Slower - Difficult?

[robbieguy2003]

Hey All,

Does anyone else find it difficult to go from riding reasonably fast to slowing down and riding slower?

Last year, I rode what seemed like a hell of a pace - and i nearly got myself banned. One of the offcuts of that near ban was a nice section 59.

I've always got it in the back of my mind that if I get caught again, they may not let me off as lightly.

It seems my riding worked, everything lined up well and felt safe. Now i've slowed down, I seem to wobble round corners more, take the wrong lines, make decisions that feel odd immediately after etc.

I'd at first put it down to this being the first winter i've been off the bike (spent several months out of the country since the end of last summer, so not had the chance). However, i've been riding again for over a month now and it still doesnt feel quite normal.

Lemme know if you think im just being a ghey and need to man up and ride like Chuck Norris on a 98 R1
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[MarJay]

[MarkJ]

I'm sort of the same, used to ride at whatever pace felt reasonable to me till I got followed by an unmarked police bike and given an SP30. Since then I started just mainly doing the speed limit and being very paranoid about bikes following me, and three years on I'm still riding like a fanny - nothing seems to flow half as much as it used to. My answer to all this is to do a load of trackdays . I'm going to try and do advanced lessons to see if they help with my road riding

[chris-red]

For me the only different between riding fast and not so fast is simply not caining the throttle on a straight. I'm sure I go round the bends the same pace (usually speed up for them!)
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Ol]

I Seem to be pretty consistent with speed, whether i'm riding the bike or driving the car etc.. i find that going up my street (30 limit) i'll do about 34mph, regardless of what i'm in / on. Speed only seems to vary for me on NSL smaller country roads, where i seem to get some form of sadistic pleasure by trying to break 130 on an SV650 that i'm 95% sure wont actually do it.

I was on 9 points for about 8 months a couple of years ago, and was forced to slow down by the fear of losing my licence, and even now i've got a clean licence i'm still generally a much slower driver / rider than i used to be.

Oh, incidentally - i ride just as juddery / crap when going quick as i do going slow, i just put it down to not being a very good rider. probably doesn't help you much though. sorry.
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Previous: Cub50, NRG50, TS50, YB100, CB125, NSR125, ZZR600, CBF1000, SV650s, ZX6R B1H, XT250, Mito Powered Crosser, WRF450, , FZ600, VN800, GSXR600 - Currently CB1000R

[Mr Nice Guy]

I'm the same, managed to escape from getting bent over last April, but still haven't got the care-free speed-like-a-mutha... confidence back.

Sitting on top of a sports bike is not the place to be either , when feeling like it!
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Suzuki GSX-R750K4 ~ Mivv GP

[27cows]

It's riding faster I have a problem with
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[Blue_SV650S]

[robbieguy2003]

Cheers for the advice all, some good stuff above

I suspect its a mixture of a few bits;

I think the throttle control hasn't been great - and is much choppier, i'm noticing this more as im entering corners at quite different speeds than i used to enter them, then not being smooth. Generally i used to try and keep more weight on the back by gradual acceleration.

It is the 600RR, and I know its fairly focused so yeah, its kinda hard to ride slow - it doesn't tend to work without it feeling a bit awkward.

More trackdays do seem to be a good option. I just cant work out if I'm getting bored of road riding - going slow and I feel things dont work properly, go fast and risk plod or death if someone decides to wonder out without looking properly..
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[Blue_SV650S]

[Paulington]

Generally if I can stop in the distance I can see, I am doing a reasonable speed.

Speed limits, psh. .

Although I do get paranoid about bikes following me too. .
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[nasty]

Use lower gears, will make it a bit more fun
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ZX6R F3

[robbieguy2003]

I use low gears quite a lot, occasionally it can be treated as a moped with a clutch

Getting a shitter bike could be an idea for road stuff... Test riding spree it may be, I've also fancied the Street Triple.
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[Ciar?n]

Hi there mate, recently had a run in with the old bill (3 times) in the past week for riding like a menace.

Also on a 600RR.

I was also being a bt sloppy around the corners, but i adjusted my suspension a bit, tightened everything up, and it's a pleasure to ride.


Just a bad place to be as i feel like a queer sticking to speed limits =(
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22/8/08 A2 Passed! Full License Biatch!
Past: Suzuki CS50, Gilera Ice 50, Gilera Runner 125SP, CBR 600 F2, CBR600 F4i, CBR 600RR5,

[G]

I regularly ride my modern ish GSXR slowly - had an 05 6RR a few years ago and no problem riding it slowly - very smooth bike it seemed.

Riding slowly I do find I get distracted and don't 'think' quite so much - I actually quite like practicing 'advanced' riding stuff. It's not the same as riding fast, but is a different challenge and more interesting one to try on the road (where riding fast is always a bit sucky compared to the track.)

[Alexio]

You definitely need to have a go on my CG robbie... you only live down the road. Do you want to meet up tomorrow on the seafront (no excuse, that's very near where you live ) and find out just how possible it is to nail a bike and thrash it to within an inch of it's life and still not be breaking the speed limit?

I'll be fun I promise (as long as I get to ride your bike!)
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will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[robbieguy2003]

G - i know what you mean, riding quick i tend to think about it alot, riding slow seems to change that. Practicing advanced riding isnt a bad idea. I take it you mean road positioning, observation, planning etc?

Alex - The CG would be awesome lol! I dont think i could live nearer the seafront unless I got a beachhut!
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[G]

Yep, that sort of thing. Getting a copy of ‘Motorcycle roadcraft’ is a good start.

[robbieguy2003]

Yep got that, might get it off the shelf. Got it in the goody pack when i done bikesafe.
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[Wabby]

Yes it is.

I had to ride slow on my favourite set of twisties last night as I had mr plod sat up my arse on his gold wing thing.

Its bloody dangerous riding at the national speed limit - I felt like I had 0 control over anything. Tyres were not getting hot enough, couldn't turn into the corner properly as I was going too slow so as such was turning in too much/fast; braking was laughable!

I prefer to cain it to the best of my ability everywhere; more fun and much easier to control and get the bike where I want it.


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What restriction?

[MarJay]

[robbieguy2003]

I'd agree with Marjay here, I dont think tyre temp has *that* much to do with it for road riding.

Tyres seems to grip ok from the word go unless attempting silly lean angles/full acceleration/braking..
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[G]

There’s only one tyre that I’ve used that the suggestion could even slightly apply to – Pilot Race.
However, even then frankly it’s fine for gentle use – I’d be ‘concerned’ taking one out for a reasonably paced fast group trackday warm up lap behind the instructor. I WOULD be happy to ride at that speed (which is generally a hell of a lot faster than I ride on the road) on the slicks I have used when cold.

[Moo.]

Do you ever get that feeling, when you've just been at the national speed limit for a while.. then come to a town, and your down to 30.. and it feels like you could walk that fast..
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[robbieguy2003]