How do you feel about ya bike after an off

[Shellywoozle]

Was having a good indepth chat with one of my Sgts at work last night, who is a biker and had a bad off himself (so not talkin totally out of his a$$). Not seen him for ages and he was asking me if I was back on the bike yet.

I said yeah but that I still disliked riding the majority of the time. The chat went on and on and to cut a long story short he thinks if I feel the way I do I should sell the bike and give up or change it and try one more time to see if I can regain some confidence.

This got me thinking, is it Zuky that I feel uncomfortable with or biking in general?

I may have to sell Zuky for personal reasons and things going on in my life atm but do I sell her and give up or look on one day saving up and buying summat else.

How have you guys felt about ya bikes after an off? Do you feel comfortable on them or it just a Shell thing and it's all in my head.

The first thing I do when I get back up is get back onto it. Last time i came off I told the one person that stopped that I would just ride it home and fix it up I couldn't do that the bike was demolished and so was I after the adrenalin had worn off (couldn't stand up) But other than that I've rode my bike home after every off sometimes with a bit more difficulty. And when its in the garage waiting for parts so I can get back on it I miss it its the only 'decent' thing I have and the only thing i have to do when I'm bored.

[Nobbylad]

I was FAR too attached to my SV before my off. Once it'd been written off and I bought it back, I realised it is just a machine. Also, my confidence wasn't so much knocked, however I was VERY careful filtering and overtaking for a long time after the off.

Still think it was a good thing in a sense, to remind me that things can go pear shaped quite quickly when you least expect it (thus keeping me even more on my toes) and also that a bike is a bike and as such can be repaired/replaced much more easily than the old skin and bone!

For me, it was in my head - the main thing that might be different though was that I felt I was the cause of my downfall, as it were. I have changed bike styles as well, but that was from having a little bit of time without to think about what I wanted out of riding.

After my bad off the bike was written off so I bought a fazer 600. I had that for 4 weeks, rode it about 4 times and hated it but I think mainly it was cos I`d lost my confidence and was scared. I sold the fazer and for the next couple of years didn`t have a bike. After about a year and a half I really missed riding and after another 6 months bought the SV.

In honesty I wish i`d persevered cos I feel like I missed out on 2 years of riding and 2 years of meeting new friends.

[dizzyblonde]

I reckon its the bike you've fallen out with. When I fell off Dave, I fell out with him. I absolutely loved that bike before I fell off too. I know it was always second best, but the battle scar for starters made me cringe(can't look at that side now, cause everywhere else is still pristine) then everytime I took it out to ride I just felt like I was going to fall off. I've had Suzy out inbetween, and it should be that bike that gives me reservations, as it has never run properly and has spent more time in the shed than on the road......but alas I love her soooooo much, and I feel confident riding her.
I'll get Dave out this month and MOT him. Its been three months due...shows the lack of enthusiasm. I've got an important mission for Suzy in a week or two, and after I think its time for the other to come out and play......so I'll see if my new found confidence is extended to the other bike.

[the_lone_wolf]

After my off back in May I wouldn't have felt that happy riding the same actual Daytona, completely psychological and I'm not supersticious in the slightest, just reckon I wouldn't feel comfy, kind of like riding a bike you know someone had had a bad smash or even lost their life on. Can't explain why...

The accident caused me to re-think my priorities a bit for riding on the road, I realised although I derive a big thrill from going fast it ultimately left me feeling a bit ashamed and hollow, I realised I truly got my enjoyment from riding to see new places and new people (as well as old friends obviously) and so went in a completely different direction with the big KTM

I wasnt happy getting back on the tuono add that to other bits and pieces it went...

Move on if you need to you might miss it but there will be another.

Shell, you've ridden other bikes now, so you should have a pretty clear idea of if it's just Zuky or it's all bikes.

From what you've said, and what I've seen, your confidence is growing steadily on Zuky. All I think it will take, is time.

Personally, the off's I've had on the SV, the bike has been pretty much OK, and I haven't been hurt too badly, so I just got back on immediately & continued as I had been. On my CG, there was one that I really shouldn't of continued to ride after, as the bike wasn't road worthy. But I still did.

In your case, the above wasn't possible. You're bound to be nervous, it's a natural thing after badly hurting yourself.

I personally think you selling Zuky (and not getting a replacement) would be the wrong thing to do. However, if you have to sell due to personal reasons, well, you already know that I wish you the best with that.

ps. Damn you!!

The trick is to never get emotionally attached to any vehicle, that way you can simply sell it on easily if you don't get on with it after a prang.

They are simply a collection of metal, plastic and rubber, with some electronics added. They don't live, they don't listen when you talk to them, they can't understand that you're in a good/bad mood and they do not have a gender. They are machines, pure and simple.