Increasing skill or getting cocky

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Hey

I've been using the same stretch of road for over 4 years now, it has some great wide corners, not many tight ones... but has LOADS of roundabouts.

Now recently, and especially today... I have been giving it a little more than I used to. By a little more a really wide corner I used to take at 70 i've been gradually building up to about 120... it feels planted and safe.

Also been taking the roundabouts a bit faster and tighter...

It may be the fact I have a bike that handles fairly well and i've actually got comfortable with it... or could it be that im starting to take the piss and push myself too much.

Reason I ask is I got to work and thought...that didnt feel dangerous at all, but it probably looked it.

Is this down to me getting better and more confident wih my riding... or am I just playing with fire?

Karma

Tenko · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Karma :

Playing with fire, but its fun!!!

You will either have a big scare or you will drop it - either way you will slow down again at some point...

pinkyfloyd · Super Spammer Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Karma :

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Blackwolf · Burgerfist Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Karma :

Its a mix of both,

But i wouldnt push that bike untill A, its got new pads. and B, the forkseals are done Laughing

____________________
Current: Ducati Multistrada 1200s

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Blackwolf · Burgerfist Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Karma :

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

crazyjoyce · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 05 May 2009 Karma :

roundabouts = shit split and dozy drivers, while your riding may be quick yet safe, chuck some diesel/gravel/twat drivers into the mix and you have a problem!

Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

The Tot · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Karma :

It demands a LOT of skill to make it back home with a dodgy rear tyre, busted brakes and fork seals and a load of tut on the back of your bike!

Cockiness will catch you out like what it did to me numerous times. Spills put a dent on your confidence and make you wish you listened to your better judgements. It hurts your pride more than anything else.

And if you're getting to the point where you're feeling that way, I suggest doing a trackday. I've been saying to myself numerous times the last year to get myself on track and prove I can handle the machine and understand its limits. The road is not the ideal place to do it.

Once you have a good understanding of your machine on the roads, you will know it. Corners will seem flowing and progressive. It's not all about speed however.

Seeing that your brakes are knackered, here's one for you. Go have a ride on your local twisties and TRY not to use the brakes. I find that a skillful rider will demonstrate a smooth riding style on the road, and find that it'll be difficult to keep up with them. G told us of an instance where he was surprised that he had to keep up with a bunch of guys on pan euros through some twisty roads.

But as my motto has always been "speed doesn't kill when you're blessed with all this skill", I need to prove it... on track.
____________________
The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Trackday + Advanced riding stuff.
Then you'll find road riding boring.
So progress on to greenlaning, then enduros Wink

.

And yes, one of the fastest road riders I've seen was the massive (well, well over 20st) IAM instructor I had in Berks on a Pan (the two I commented on earlier were the fastest other riders I saw that day, but certainly not stupidly fast.)

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

nowhere.elysium · The Pork Lord Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Karma :

Please tell me you've already changed the back tyre.
____________________
'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

swiftb · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Karma :

not neccesarily getting cocky but its only a matter of time when you ride a regular route before you encounter something that causes a fuk up or you fuk up yourself. Similar to you I ride a regular route but its a very technical route - a bikers dream tbh. Its on my doorstep so I rarely venture anywhere else.
This has its pros and cons. Pros are you know the road like the back of your hand (in this case a 26miles stretch of nsl twisties, then turn round and 26miles back Drooling

), every crest, bump manhole cover, pothole - all the greasy areas, all the areas that collect water, stones, mud gravel etc, all the blind corners where tractors etc could be lurking, all the wooded areas where deers and pheasants play chicken.
You can account for near enough everything with the experience - the cons though are because you know the road so well its easy to become a bit too confident as to what will or wont be in certain places, and it just comes naturally that you become faster and faster. This means you could easily double the speed limit and more without batting an eyelid (not good for your licence), it also means your likely to be going too fast to react to something that you already know is possibly there.
Because you get into that zone it gets to a point where everytime you do the route your riding v fast and flowing and it feels awesome - until you have to get very hard on the brakes for example - then you realise how fast you are actually going Shocked

I ran wide on the route ive known for years for the first time the other day - partly due to shit brakes going wooden on an unfamiliar bike- partly due to me going to fast and also due to doing that route every night on alternate bikes for 4 nights in a row - with glorious bone dry conditions - I got a bit carried away.
Too hot into a left hander, pulled the bike over, realised I was too hot in, pulled it over more, scraped foot, thought about dragging it over more but knew I was already on the limit so chose to stand it up and drift over to the oncoming lane.
Only did this as I could see it was clear - if there was traffic coming I would have had to crank it over even harder and would have no doubt laid the bike down.
Ive been saying for the last year I need to get on some trackdays to calm my road riding down. Got two booked this month.......

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Whosthedaddy · Super Spammer Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :

Chalky. · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jun 2010 Karma :

I almost came off twice on the Fiddle road at the weekend because I got too cocky... completely lost it on one bend, had to swerve out and thankfully there was a road coming off the corner and nothing coming! Shat myself Laughing