Lacking in Confidence

[lew600fazer]

All this week I am having to force myself to get on the bike and hit the twisties, ridding like a complete nob. I am scared shitless going into corners but having to force myself to do it. I know I will ride through this period and start to enjoy being on a bike again. I don't know what has brought this on, not as if I have had a moment or anything. It has happened to me before and have got over it. Anyone else have this happen to them???
Lew.

 

[slimwilly]

Hi Lew !


Wet or dry roads? i can get aprehensive but it usually goes as soon as i get on the bike,,as to the wet ,well the longer the ride the more confident i get,and when i feel confident i tell myself to remember that for the next ride.
As for the dry,get on some slow twisties,even roundabouts,go round them and force the bike down,slow leans seem to teach you how safe the lean can be,
Hope you get out and find the fun side,putting the power down on exits is great,,good luck.Billy

[NotAnotherHill]

I find if I've had a few weeks off the bike, it takes a little while to really throw the bike around in the corners. Last year I did about 12000 miles on the Fazer and felt very confident; second nature. This year my riding has been a little more intermittent so it takes a little while into the ride before I'm at that same level of confidence.

[CRH]

I find if I've had a few weeks off the bike, it takes a little while to really throw the bike around in the corners. Last year I did about 12000 miles on the Fazer and felt very confident; second nature. This year my riding has been a little more intermittent so it takes a little while into the ride before I'm at that same level of confidence.

...has nah" says the more you ride the more confidence you will get?....same with shaggin" i can manage nearly ..5mins now ...and only ever fell off once!!!!!!!!!!

[JZS 600]

Thought about a bit of training?

[Andy FZS]

Thought about a bit of training?

Training for Lew or CRH?

[Hedgetrimmer]

Yes Lew, I think everyone gets days like that. I will normally just try to slow down, not force myself to go fast and just enjoy a more leisurely ride, placing the emphasis on other skills - just trying to ride as smoothly as I can, let the other bikes pass.
I find one way to get back to where you were, is to pick a destination, a place of interest to visit or something like that, so the focus of the day is taken off of your riding - you're just using the bike to get there. Make sure you choose a nice route, perhaps with a bit of good scenery, and of reasonable distance to make sure you are actually on the bike for a good part of the day. Quite often, by the ride home, you'll then have relaxed and soon pick up the smoothness again.
And another thing I sometimes try is to pick a more "technical" kind of route that requires slower speeds and, again, a different kind of riding. Our hilly regions are ideal for this - you want a narrow country lane where speed is of no use to you, but balance, considered braking and just generally better low speed skills come into their own. Poor road surfaces, sheep in the road, wet, gravelly mountain roads......I can get as much satisfaction out of this kind of riding as I can get from being fast in the twisties.
 
But if your confidence level is down like that, the one thing you don't want to do is try to force the pace. You're not about to lose the championship, you can afford not to push yourself. Mental state can affect your riding a lot too, so even if you stay off the bike for a couple of days until you're generally in a better state of mind, can be a big help.
 
Just some ideas, may or may not work for you, but hope it helps 

[Dave48]

Hi Lew-Just focus on "P.S.T.  P stands for your sense of inner PEACE. S is create your own SPACE (by self discipline to build a safety zone around yourself by road positioning in relation to other vehicles,terrain,potential hazards etc. Thirdly, TIME-always give yourself enough to avoid hurry & indecision. Accept your limitations-we all have days when we don't feel/perform at our best. Avoid stress, eat well, exercise in moderation. Life is all about the JOURNEY not the DESTINATION.

[locksmith]

Could be something not quiet right with the bike. Tyres maybe a bit old/squared off. Some new rubber can transform it.
Suspension may be out of adjustment/knackered?

[noggythenog]

I would agree with slowing down...youll only be marginally slower but 10 times smoother & probably your speed will eventually creep up to being faster than your original "going quick" speed.




Perhaps your going out for the wrong reasons....like sometimes ive gone out on the bike coz i feel guilty about not riding it for a while....i still enjoy it but im just not in the right frame of mind...leave the bike alone until you absolutely have to get out for a blast one sunday after an excellent sleep & no hangover & a lovely cooked breakfast, take your time getting ready & dont set yourself any limits or goals about how far youve got to go or how fast....just chill & enjoy the roads & the fresh air.....it might help.

[Grahamm]

All this week I am having to force myself to get on the bike and hit the twisties, ridding like a complete nob. I am scared shitless going into corners but having to force myself to do it.

Are you familiar with the Limit Point method of judging your speed into bends? (Apologies if you are, but if not, or for anyone else, here's a short description of how it works...)

If you were riding down a perfectly straight, flat piece of road, the two sides will appear to meet at the horizon, but when you're approaching a bend (left or right, it doesn't matter), the distance you can see will reduce. This is the Limit Point, ie the furthest point that you can see the road clearly.

Look at that Limit Point (LP) and see whether it seems to be approaching you, staying in the same place or moving away.

If the LP is approaching you, it means you're going too fast, so you need to reduce speed (and then possibly change down the gears for better power response in the bend) until the LP is staying in the same place.

Once the LP is staying in the same place, you know you're doing the correct speed for the bend, so you keep doing that speed by rolling in a little bit of extra throttle to compensate for the reduced rolling radius of the tyre (which will tend to slow you down) until the LP starts to move away from you as the bend opens and you can accelerate away.

You can also influence the LP and the distance you can see clearly by positioning the bike to the left hand side of the carriageway for a right hander and to the right hand side for a left hander but watch out for dodgy surfaces on the near side and on-coming traffic on the off side.

Remember that you you should always ensure you are able to stop in the distance you can see is clear on your side of the road, so go "Slow In, Fast Out" and  you can always take a bend a bit more slowly

[noggythenog]

Good stuff there Grahamm


Sme people think throttle on round corners means accelarating but like you say you're only throttle on to keep the same speed as the tyres on road round the corner will be slowing the bike down.


Ive done some limit point work in the past & although i understand it i find myself thinking about it too much & it does my head in although i think it is like counter steering i. That once we learn it we subconciously use it without thinking...doing a commentary os also good & actually the whole advanced driving thing is no doubt far supreme & much safer but im just being honest that i find it a bit clinical when im just out for a bit of fun but if i was riding every day & to work & covering vast miles id certainly use it more.

[adeejaysdelight]

Do you normally put the bike away for the winter?

[Fazerider]

I agree with Locksmith. It might be the bike, not you.
Give it a thorough check: tyre pressure and profiles, suspension, wheel bearings, head and swingarm bearings etc.
Even if nothing turns out to be amiss, the knowledge that the bike's in tip-top condition will help confidence.


@Grahamm. Limit Point. I use it all the time, but it doesn't tell me what speed I should be doing, merely whether the corner's tightening or opening out.

[Skippernick]

@Grahamm. Limit Point. I use it all the time, but it doesn't tell me what speed I should be doing, merely whether the corner's tightening or opening out.

Therefore its telling you the speed you should be doing, either slower for tightening or faster for opening.

[Fazerider]

@Grahamm. Limit Point. I use it all the time, but it doesn't tell me what speed I should be doing, merely whether the corner's tightening or opening out.

Therefore its telling you the speed you should be doing, either slower for tightening or faster for opening.

Hardly. Just because a corner is tightening doesn't mean I'm going too fast... the only way to stop the limit point getting closer is to stop.

[Rikki]

Lots of theories popping up on this thread, but given the limited information in the original post it sounds a bit like a case of the yips.

[lew600fazer]

Lots of theories popping up on this thread, but given the limited information in the original post it sounds a bit like a case of the yips.

All this week I am having to force myself to get on the bike and hit the twisties, ridding like a complete nob. I am scared shitless going into corners but having to force myself to do it. I know I will ride through this period and start to enjoy being on a bike again. I don't know what has brought this on, not as if I have had a moment or anything. It has happened to me before and have got over it. Anyone else have this happen to them???
Lew.
My mate is over from UK for a few days, non biker, and he may have hit the nail on the head. I was over in the UK a few weeks back sadly in the car, I bought new tyres. He asked if they are hard to fit? Got me thinking the tyres on the bike are not bad but I wonder if Physiologically I have lost faith in old tyres.
Thanks for the replies
One of the reasons I still use this forum always someone to offer help.
Lew 

[lew600fazer]

All this week I am having to force myself to get on the bike and hit the twisties, ridding like a complete nob. I am scared shitless going into corners but having to force myself to do it.

Are you familiar with the Limit Point method of judging your speed into bends? (Apologies if you are, but if not, or for anyone else, here's a short description of how it works...)

If you were riding down a perfectly straight, flat piece of road, the two sides will appear to meet at the horizon, but when you're approaching a bend (left or right, it doesn't matter), the distance you can see will reduce. This is the Limit Point, ie the furthest point that you can see the road clearly.

Look at that Limit Point (LP) and see whether it seems to be approaching you, staying in the same place or moving away.

If the LP is approaching you, it means you're going too fast, so you need to reduce speed (and then possibly change down the gears for better power response in the bend) until the LP is staying in the same place.

Once the LP is staying in the same place, you know you're doing the correct speed for the bend, so you keep doing that speed by rolling in a little bit of extra throttle to compensate for the reduced rolling radius of the tyre (which will tend to slow you down) until the LP starts to move away from you as the bend opens and you can accelerate away.

You can also influence the LP and the distance you can see clearly by positioning the bike to the left hand side of the carriageway for a right hander and to the right hand side for a left hander but watch out for dodgy surfaces on the near side and on-coming traffic on the off side.

Remember that you you should always ensure you are able to stop in the distance you can see is clear on your side of the road, so go "Slow In, Fast Out" and  you can always take a bend a bit more slowly

Excellent Graham, Thanks to all for taking the time to reply.
Out tomorrow with the group I ride with out here in Spain, one of the guys is ex London met traffic biker, he is silky smooth and I will have a chat with him. The roads I ride mostly mountain, have many tight hairpin bends but super grip so lots of flicking the bike around which is hard on the tyres, lower down the mountains were there are more tourists the tight hairpin bends are taking on a polish which is off putting but there is still grip. I really think I am letting this get to me. Think when I fit the Conti's my head will sort itself out. The OME Bridgestones 020's are taking on more of a V shape due to the heavy cornering, the centre tread is hardly worn, bike has 5000km's now about 3250 miles since new.  The tyre is actually an ideal shape now unless I have got it all wrong?? When setting her up for a corner she just rolls over nicely but them I seem to want to pick her up again. Maybe I am just over reacting myself and therefore making her become unstable, hence me being a bag of nerves. Like your opinions on the pic's of the rear tyre.
Lew

[Skippernick]

@Grahamm. Limit Point. I use it all the time, but it doesn't tell me what speed I should be doing, merely whether the corner's tightening or opening out.

Therefore its telling you the speed you should be doing, either slower for tightening or faster for opening.

Hardly. Just because a corner is tightening doesn't mean I'm going too fast... the only way to stop the limit point getting closer is to stop.

I think your being deliberately stubborn and know what we mean. So   it and let others learn form the more experienced.

[caretaker]

somebody suggested something to me a very long while ago to do what seemed to me a little bit stupid. but i tried it and it helped no end until i got a bit of confidence. sit a little further over the tank, stick your elbows out and ride like a motocrosser does. it sounds daft but it worked for me. if its wet and slippery, i still do it. you do look a bit silly though....

[Fazerider]

It's often hard to tell the wear profile on tyres from a photo, they do look slightly triangular, but have some life in them yet. The chicken strips look about 5mm wide so, unless the bike's loaded heavily enough for you to run out of ground clearance, you've plenty of lean angle to spare. Tight hairpins might not be the best place to test the limit though, fast sweepers are always easier.
It may be that I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but if you find yourself feeling unstable in slower corners, try leaning forward a bit. It may be your riding position is keeping your arms too straight (you should be able to flap your elbows!) A position half way between bolt upright and a racer's crouch will also put more weight on the front wheel which increases the feedback you're getting from the front tyre.

[AdieR]

Chuck them 020's ASAP - I had them on mine, but never felt *truly* happy on them. I found on one particular bend the back end seemed to slide (tried different pressures, loadings, preload) (maybe a characteristic of that road / surface, because I never had the issue anywhere else) - but I found it made me jittery on any other road / bend.

I've just put RA2's on, and I find them far more confidence-inspiring, wet or dry, and they haven't slipped on that nemesis bend either.

[Lez72]

Bang the RA2's on and try to stop overthinking things. Just concentrate on being safe and the rest will follow