Feeling a little inept!

Originally Posted by kwak zzr

revs are your friend, too many rather than too little will help.

I'll try to remember that next time I'm out.

Originally Posted by kwak zzr

revs are your friend, too many rather than too little will help.

Yep. Get used to using the full rev range of your Sv. Providing the oil is topped up and not too old then you can wind it on to the rev limiter. Not that I did. Used to change up at 10k when having a play. Try keeping it in say fourth and us the throttle to both speed you up and slow you down. Keeping the bike under power is a lot of the battle. It will be taut and hold the line you choose. Go in with too high a gear and the chances are you'll run wide and have no pull when the road opens up. However too low agear will leave revving th nuts off and having to wait until the road opens up before you can bang in next gear. It's all about experience and feel. You'll get it. We all had to.

ASH and Kwak, stop it. Those were fun times!

Originally Posted by petevtwin650

Go in with too high a gear and the chances are you'll run wide and have no pull when the road opens up.

That is definately something I do, not every corner, I think I do it on tighter bends. Fast sweeping bends don't seem to be a problem just the tighter ones, and small diameter roundabouts!

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by madness

just the tighter ones, and small diameter roundabouts!

If I may offer a couple of things to practice...

1. try and pick a gear that lets you hold between 4000 - 5000rpm its a good spot to be in, you can roll the throttle off and have a decent amount of engine braking, also you can throttle on from there and the SV will pull nicely out of a corner

2. Look through the corner at the exit point you want. On a roundabout this may mean actually looking over the grassy lump in the middle of the roundabout, if you look where you want the bike to go it'll naturally follow you. Your head weighs alot, if you turn your head and look, it'll move your shoulders and bodyweight as well which will help you turn the bike.

Pick a bit of road you know well and ride it a few times and practice those techniques. I found it really helped me with my riding when I was just starting out.

good practice is tight lanes u know well so u have no nasty surprises, keep it in 2nd or 3rd at 30,40,50 and ride the same lanes time and time again, it will come.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll try these things out when I'm next out.

Originally Posted by Thingus

Mm i know how you feel O.O you a new rider or just coming back from the winter break? Ed didn't exactly open up his Daytona but i'm sure i'd have a hard time catching up if he did aswell.

Oh? True, I didn't. I'll go faster next time then You did very well indeed. Especially on the A5, I didn't lose you, not even at *cough95*

Originally Posted by petevtwin650

Yep. Get used to using the full rev range of your Sv. Providing the oil is topped up and not too old then you can wind it on to the rev limiter. Not that I did. Used to change up at 10k when having a play. Try keeping it in say fourth and us the throttle to both speed you up and slow you down. Keeping the bike under power is a lot of the battle. It will be taut and hold the line you choose. Go in with too high a gear and the chances are you'll run wide and have no pull when the road opens up. However too low agear will leave revving th nuts off and having to wait until the road opens up before you can bang in next gear. It's all about experience and feel. You'll get it. We all had to.

One of the most perceptive comments I've read on the org in over 5 years. I tend to keep my bike in 3rd, it revs high and I take it to the limiter, even though that's way beyond peak power, but I like the noise.

Mick - don't feel inept. You did very well to do as you did, they have higher powered bikes than you. So what if they get from A to B quicker than you? I'll bet that you had every bit as much fun as they did.

Everyone has the problems you outlined to some extent. You'll improve sharpish because you're analysing yourself a bit. Ride roads you know well if technique is what you wish to focus on and build slowly, but don't set the bar too high. Also just don't try too hard, you won't learn anything if you're scaring yourself, ride at 75 -80% of your current "limit" (limit being the speed at which you begin to feel uncomfortable, which presumably you found today). Do things more slowly and you'll start to do them properly more quickly.

Originally Posted by madness

Well, I've been for a bit of a rideout today with a few biker mates from work. I was on my Pointy and the other 3 bikes were TL1000s, 996 and GSXR600 SRAD. Found keeping up with them a little hard at times, especially in the twisty bits. I was slowing for corners much more than they were. The guy leading was on the TL with his missus on the back, but even with a pillion I couldn't ride at his pace, so stuck to my own. I never got left behind or anything but it was hard work. I really enjoyed the ride and I think I improved as the day progressed, but I realise I've got a long way to go before I can maintain that sort of pace comfortably.

Thanks for your honesty here, it's very heartening. YesterdayI took my SV out for a longer spin, longer than the 15 minute commute to work I've used it for since getting it. I haven't ridden regularly for 20 years.

I was on my own, but the road is a frequent bikers trip. I was passed by every single bike on the same road, and a coupe of cars too. The younger me would have given chase, I was happy to wave them by.

I did stay pace with a couple of guys for a short while, but the corners lost them. I was braking well before they were, and don't yet have the confidence to lean greatly over.

It'll all come back I'm sure, but I was just overjoyed to be out on the open road on a nice bike.

<http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&s...651114402,,0,5>

Confidence and experience... For a start if they have ridden the route a few times then the local knowledge goes a LONG way!

For example, The Helmsley TT riding Tim in Belgium, he left me standing because he knew where the bumps were, where the man hole covers were etc, I could only ride to wat I could see (very twisty with lots of bushes so not much) having ridden the route once before... Then we got to the road to whitby from Pickering (A169) which I ride an awful lot and I did the same to him.

After a few months through winter and as few miles as youve done I would deffo expect to be left behind.

Just take your time and do it at your pace, better safe than sorry, and im sure your mates would wait should they need to.

Take care, and give it time