Sportsbikes and Slow (advanced) Riding

[Fowlersrs]

Went for a taster session with the local ROSPA group on Saturday.
Met up with a guy call Gary at maccy d's where we had a chat about my riding and he explained about the group and what they might be able to offer me as a rider. Nice bloke I thought, very passionate at what he was doing you could tell just from talking to him.

So we did several half hour rides and pulled into laybys for a chat and any observations he had made. Which was good and I found useful.

What I did struggle with was the speed, obviously they have a belief, responsibility whatever u want to call it to stick to the speed limits like glue. Now I don't know about u but when I ride my bike I'm never that anal and I found myself more uncomfortable and less smooth trying to stay steady so he could stay with me.

Sportsbikes are fucking hard to rude slow and controlled. I couldn't fault the blokes manor he was a really nice guy, I definately picked up a few useful positioning tips but I found myself thinking alot of this stuff is really just common sense.

They're keen for me to go on one of there group rides to see if I like it but I can't help thinking I'm gonna be stuck behind some seriously mundane bloke on a Yammy diversion or something stupid. There's also the question of does a sportsbike rider fit in in a group like that. My exhaust is blatantly gonna offend cos it kills kittens, I don't wear day glow gear. Or should I just turn up, kill some kittens and if they don't like me so be it!!

[MarJay]

IAM is not as bad for that as ROSPA as far as I know. ROSPA have a reputation for being bolt upright and at the speed limit.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Fowlersrs]

[garth]

I can't do slow on my GSXR for any length of time. It makes it a shit road bike, but bloody good fun when you're on it!

[Fowlersrs]

[C1REX]

It's like preparing for a normal test - you need to stick to speed limits.
After that you can use all the new skills and be much quicker.
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[lihp]

I think you have answered your own question.

Your moaning about going out learning something, when you find it difficult to do
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covent.gardens: lihp is my most favourite member ever

[c_dug]

Oi! Nothing wrong with a divvy!
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Wozza]

[G]

[Rogerborg]

[G]

[Old Git Racing]

Got a couple of mates in IAM. One is a good smooth rider, much as G described. The other is a liability who rides to a system. I suppose you'll get that in any group.
If you are learning 1-1 from someone like the first guy who has the manor then carry on until he can't teach you any more. As for going out for a ride with a group of them I'd rather stay at home with the missus.
I was talked into an assessment ride, 30 minutes of sticking to speed limits. The guy said I was a natural (I've only been riding bikes for 40 years so I might have picked something up) good road positioning, observation ( not running over manholes etc). He just thought my speed on some corners was a bit too fast. He said why don't you do the test and become an observer like him. No thanks.
I think it's worthwhile for anyone who is coming back to bikes or is moving up from small bikes. You will learn if you are in that situation and it might just save your life, otherwise no.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[Matt B]

Or you could forget the Dave/Gary/Trevor brigade all together and go do a day at the California Superbike School (other schools are available). Much more in line with your style of bike and riding I should think.
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[G]

CSS won't really teach you how to read the road or anticipate cars that are about to run in to you.

Even on my first 'group' (ish) assessment ride with IAM we weren't expected to stick to the faster limits. As per the bike safe, they used the expectation that they're teaching you for reality, not strictly by by the rules riding

[Wozza]

[Matt B]

[MarJay]

[tbourner]

[stinkwheel]

I often cite Calvo corner near me as a classic example as why driving/riding to a system doesn't work.

Police from County Durham come over here to to their high speed driver training and go straight ahead at this corner on a regular basis. It's always police drivers and they are always serious crashes because they are going WAY too fast.

There must be something about that corner that doesn't fit with the book.

This corner.

I will however echo that sports bikes are perfectly rideable at normal road speeds. Frustrating possibly, boring definately, but not difficult. It's not like the old days where you had a four speed close ratio gearbox on a race bike and had to slip the clutch at anything below 50mph to prevent it stalling.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[G]

[Wozza]

How do people go straight on at that corner? There are lots of signs telling you there's a left corner coming.

[Matt B]

[MarJay]

[stinkwheel]