Moaning

What they said ^^^^^

Just remember, riding outside your limit, or your comfort zone, will end up with you in hospital, or worse.....

I go out with a friend who does regular track days and while I'm on the absolute limit, he's not even breaking a sweat.....so he waits at junctons for me to catch up, but if he went off and left me I wouldn't go out with him again. He knows what my limits are and would NEVER EVER push me to go faster than I was comfortable with.....

For me its not about going mach 3 with my hair on fire. I enjoy the social aspect of biking. I enjoy the fact that while on a trip to Oxford in the rain last week I stopped to gas up in Leicester, met a rider, we had a chat about the weather, then decided to ride together for a while. never met this person before, never likely to again, but we shared a common passion for 2 wheels....

Just my 2 pennies worth of course.

But I would hate to see you put off what is such an enjoyable hobby from one bad ride out.....

About the rear brake... it could be a small problem with the set-up/asslignment of your rear brake... a friend with an R6 (Who rarely uses the rear brake) had his rear brake down to almost nothing without realising it as his brake pads were constantly resting against the brake disc!
Nevertheless... you'll want to get that checked out.

About maintenance, it's a learning curve... but as long as you remember your basics, you'll be fine!
These being:
- Check chain (Weekly - how often it will need re-lubing will vary depending on how much you use it)
- Check oil level (One a month)
- Check brake pads (Depends on use, but one every few months will give you a good idea of how fast they are wearing)
- Check tyre wear (Should be obvious when you need to change)
Everything else will be in your manual to do with actual servicing stuff.

With regards to feeling like a bad rider... it's all about building up your own comfort zone where you still enjoy it. There's been a few times that have been buttock clenching, but you learn from them more than anyone can ever tell you!

Keep it up and you'll get there!

[Viney]

The only thing i'll pick up on is the caliper thing. Get that checked. It may have siezed, and thats not through use, just poor suzuki brake quilty. Other than that, ride your own ride. My better half has issues with low speed riding. She will have until she can get her head around certain things. It took me 2 years of riding to 'look through' corners and the point where you want to be, not at the floor. Its all about how you deal with it. Dont jusdge yourself by others. No ones perfect, not even Baph We are all on a constant learning curve. For the record, i use my rear brake all the time, its what you get used to and makes you feel comfortable.

Originally Posted by Viney

No ones perfect, not even Baph

I'm perfect at spending money on repairs at the moment Both my only off's on the SV have been a direct result of, erm, me!

Oh yea, and lets not talk about the time I dropped it in a bush, eh?

Originally Posted by Baph

Oh yea, and lets not talk about the time I dropped it in a bush, eh?

I could. But I won't.

[Richie]

Originally Posted by melody

THEN,
My mate noticed that my chain was as dry as a bone, and I have been riding it all along blissfully unaware. So the ride was a bittersweet experience.

My next door neighbour... (WRCSitxythree knows him also... )
asked me to help him to adjust his chain as it came off yesterday.
it's a Honda 04 plate 125cc and he's had it since new.
on inspection, the chain was so loose and bone dry(he had never ever oiled it) you could put it back on like a push bike chain, and the rear sprocket was so worn it was catching the chain with its bent worn teeth....
Now he says he passed his bike test 18 years ago...

AS much as I enjoyed the ride and company, I've started beating myself up about things. If I can't even diagnose a dry chain, what else could be fatally wrong with my bike that I am unaware of??

Hopefully not a great deal, I see your going to the rideout in the morning, I'm sure someone will gladly give your bike a quick once over.

At the end of the day, my knowledge on bikes is ZERO

You will learn new things every time you take your bike out for a ride, They only teach you to pass a test... not to ride the bike.

my riding is RUBBISH,

So you say, you haven't seen me ride a bike yet...


my confidence is PLUMMETING and I'm feeling very sorry for myself.

Don't... Biking is a pleasurable experance, as said before "Chill, and your riding style will come on in leaps and bounds."

^^^^ Chill ^^^^