Confidence AND Competence?

Hello guys -- my first posting.

The intro: 34, passed my direct access last Sep, bought my first bike (a curvy SV650 of course) on 3rd Jan, and I've been out just about every weekend since. The plan is to commute on the bike, which would currently be about 12 miles a day and will be about 35 miles per day from March when I take on new work role.

I'm riding different routes on the weekend, some dual carriageway to get some experience at national speed limit and lots of A roads to get better at cornering,and a little bit of motorway. At the moment I'm not commuting because the weather's been so carp in the mornings.

I'd like to do some advanced rider training in the summer and I've read Motorcycle Roadcraft and ordered a copy of my own to work through properly. I'm just hoping I'm not developing any bad habits as I ride by myself (all my mates to chicken to learn something new)!!

Here's the question(s): what would you guys recommend as being a great way to improve confidence AND competence on the bike? What are the newbie pitfalls to beware of (bad habits etc)?

Thanks for the wisdom! I've been searching through the forum for the last month learning plenty. Cheers!

Hours in the saddle is the best way to learn! and don't go past camera vans at double the speed limit because it gets you realy shouted at!

know your bike, get to a carpark/ private runway and find out how it stops, you dont want to grab to much front
do ride in bad conditions its the only way to learn
as for courses I.A.M is one of many that run courses (speak to orose) ask your local plod most do one like bike safe etc, find orgers in your area to do a few rides with ya
and most of all remember evry car IS out to get you expect them to do the stupid and unthinkable and you'll be grand

I used to have a prob in my earlier days with tight junctions, ie turning left at a T junction from a stationary position. Clutch control is one huge element (or at least round here in London where most my riding is done), and then the confidence to trust your wrists, and physics. I used to get scared chucking my bike left into a junction at 10mph on gear1...now I can't believe how easy it is, and how little room you really need to turn a bike.

Ive almost finished roadcraft. Youtube can be quite useful, and this forum is really helpful and you'll learn loads here.

Hours in the saddle are all its about though. Gd luck mate and ride safe.

Originally Posted by ceeshaw

I'm just hoping I'm not developing any bad habits as I ride by myself (all my mates to chicken to learn something new)

I can relate. I don't have a single mate who rides. It's amazing how once you start riding the sheer number of people that are 'planning' on learning to ride a bike at 'some point' in their life, but at the mo it seems to be all just talk.

i found following someone with years and years of riding experience helped me find the right lines into corners etc.. they then followed me and explained where i was going wrong.. hours and hours in the saddle helped considerably as well

[yorkie_chris]

Ride with someone more experienced. IAM is OK but I found myself rather bored when I went out for a ride with one of the local group, maybe yours is different.

Originally Posted by SuZuKiBaBe

i found following someone with years and years of riding experience helped me find the right lines into corners etc.. they then followed me and explained where i was going wrong.. hours and hours in the saddle helped considerably as well

Only if that rider actually is a good rider.

Otherwise you'll just pick up lots of bad habits.

Keep the bike in a gear which gives you response and engine braking. Most newbies tend to be in too high a gear.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Ride with someone more experienced. IAM is OK but I found myself rather bored when I went out for a ride with one of the local group, maybe yours is different.

I agree here. Alot of my group riding has been with my dad and his friends. I have learned alot simply by watching how they approach corners, set up for the corner and then navigate said turn. That being said, I did a bikesafe day. I didn't learn that much from it, but it did give me the chance to get feedback. Its not so easy getting feedback from my dad, because he dosn't sit and really analyse even his own riding, let alone anyone elses.

Ceeshaw, if you like, then you are welcome to join me on any of my regular rides to brighton, down the A24 from boxhill. I'll be going there soon (friday 19th february) You may not learn alot from me, but I do have some experiance riding and maybe thats better than nothing? In the very least, I know the A24 well, so you'll have some sort of a marker

My overall advice though is to ride as much as you can, and on as many differant roads as you can (which you are planning on doing). Also do it at differant times of the day; a dual-carrigeway at 11:30am is far differant than what it is at 8:30 am.

[yorkie_chris]

Especially ones with car driving experience, it is amazing just how much more composed the bike feels when you are in the right gear and just give it a whiff of power coming out of a corner.

[Dave20046]

Hours in the saddle + a trackday or two.

Feedback's good someone experienced/a copper/iam would be good for that. But that's only if you ride normally for them, the only opportunity I've had to ride normally infront of a copper was on a bikesafe day - so looks like a good bet.