[cgreer00]

If some of you didn't read my thread on .ws, I crashed on Friday due to a bunch of crap across the road in a turn....i braked hard and ran straight off the road, where the bike washed out. I am fine, and the bike is fine, because I was only doin about 10 MPH when I went down. I went for a nice long ride today, up the foothills parkway to the gap. However, i didn't enjoy it at all because I was worried the WHOLE TIME that I would [email protected] up again and crash. I am fine on straightaways and long sweepers, but any tight turn gets me very worried, so much that I get an Oh Shit! feeling in my stomach. The two things I am worried about are:

1) crap in the road: i feel that any gravel at all will cause me to crash...if I see a small branch I am just prepared for the back end to kick out and wreck me.

2) object fixation: I am afraid I will object fixate on the crap in the road and run off the road...and at 40 or 50 mph i know it would be very bad (much worse than my 10 mph get off on friday.)

I passed my MSF course with flying colors, and before my accident I was VERY confident and felt great on my bike. I felt I was ready to run the dragon and could take on any back road and be fine. Today when I got to the Gap I just didn't feel good about it and ended up coming back home without running it. I don't want to feel this way anymore, I want to get my confidence back. So how can I do it? I would like to hear other experiences from people who have crashed. Were you all nervous when you started riding again? Is there anything I can do two make it go away? I love riding so much, but I didn't enjoy today at all because i was so worried the whole time

 

[karl_996]

just take it easy, because it does take time to build up confidence again.

I still take it easy on the road, not due to confidence, I just don't wanna crash hard again(not really worried about small slides.

 

[Tammy]

I hear you, been 3 weeks since my crash & I want to get back on but I'm also scared to death.
Maybe have someone go out with you for awhile until you can get used to it again, you know, just for moral support. Know I'll be getting Clay out with me quite a bit when I get back to riding.

 

[Teabagger]

Dude,just slow down and ride it,it will come back to you.I lost confidence in leaning bike so iIwent to big open parking lot and leaned it over and did fast transitions till I felt good again.It happens to everyone at some time.

 

[Teabagger]

I grew up rideing dirt,gravel and such doesn't bother me has much has it should.I hit a medium size dog once with no problem,weighted the pegs,stayed loose and up and over I went without a problem,dog didn't fair as well(guts out his asshole)

 

[Xtant]

Not too uncommon a feeling after a crash. I was very tenative after my mishap a few months ago as well. Just take it easy and enjoy the ride. Don't ride hard for a bit until you get back to the relaxed confident place you were in before. You learned from your mistake and that's what matters. Ride on my friend.

 

[StrickSVS]

These guys pretty much hit on the head. Just get back out there. Find a place to ride that you are comfortable on and go to it. The best thing is that it seems you will be able to learn from what happened. Just take your time and have fun.

 

[cgreer00]

i guess my main problem is that I have never had the bike lose traction underneath me from some hazard in the road, so I am not sure what to expect when I hit some gravel or sand while I am in the middle of a curve. the reason I had my accident was I was trying to avoid some big nuts all over the road so I hit the brakes and ran straight off the road into some grass, where the wheels promptly locked up and the bike went down. i guess I will just have to wait to go over some gravel and realize that things will be ok if I stay relaxed. I just know that I NEVER want to hit the brakes and go straight through a curve, I was lucky there was some runoff....if I did that at the Gap I would be fooked! :shake

 

[StrickSVS]

Just be relaxed, smooth and very little input into the bike until past the obstacle. Never look directly at what is in the road, but look through it.

 

[BrutalGSXR]

Like the others said, it'll come back. The worse overall case is that maybe you'll be more cautious than your were before. I hit a freaking armadillo one night.

It was at night and I thought I was going to go down. Quite frankly, I don't know how/why I didn't. I was really freaked out about riding at night after that. My confidence soon came back along with being a little more 'observant'.

 

[Sendero]

Don't force yourself to become 'comfortable' again. Just go out, take short rides, and pack it in when you feel not right. I don't have crash experience, but it does seem pretty similar to when you're just starting out riding. You ride whats comfortable and eventually you'll just be more comfortable on longer and more varied rides. Just don't expect yourself to be an expert too soon, and don't push yourself too hard.

 

[Hammer4]

There's not a whole lot I can add...but I've had 5 crashes..nuthin major...but it still plays on my mind sometimes while riding on the street, not so much on the track..Get back and ride..sooner or later your confidence will be back up there...If possible, try to do some track days, where it's a lot more safe. Good luck to ya..

 

[TN650S]

I was in the same situation not too long ago. Fixated on something minor in the road, stood it up, and proceeded to take a trip through the weeds. It was only dumb luck that I didn't go down--the only thing I did right was staying off the brakes.

I'm still a newbie, so my confidence is shakey anyway. It took a while to get it back. Start slow. Parking lot practice is a good idea. I would also suggest finding a twisty road, riding it slowly a couple of times to check for gravel, rocks, etc, and riding it over and over again, building your speed and lean angle slightly each time. Don't push yourself too hard, and try to end each ride on a high note. It'll come back to you.

Good luck!

 

[Shane]

Welp, I had an accident on the street a year or so ago, and I can tell you this: Don't go out LOOKING for your confidence to come back, by going a little faster, then a little more....yadda yadda. You'll wreck again. Just ride your bike(carefuly) at every opportunity, and you'll be golden. Just takes some seat time.

 

[speednuts]

I hear ya...

I high-sided my ZX12R while having a "spirited" ride far ahead of the pack, up a twisty mountain in W. Va. last summer. The guy that was hanging with me went down also in the same corner. Picked up the remains of my bike (and pride) and rode another two hours again at the head of the pack. A week later, everything changed. I couldn't bring myself to ride at the pace I was used to before the accident. I couldn't figure out what happened so I went back a week later in my car and looked at the corner I blew. Made no sense to me at all! Really shook me up at this point. Just paced myself to get my confidence back. Little by little it will return. Just be patient with yourself.
Late braking is what got you, stood the bike up and straight off the road you went. Try to be a little smoother now. Brake a little earlier and let the bike settle before the corner. Get your corner speed right (read comfortable) and tip it in. You'll be fine. Just keep at it. Good luck.

 

[WOT Chick]

I can relate. About 7 months back I had a fall the scared the shit out of me at a traffic light. To make the story short, we came up to a light that was green, then turned yellow on us. I had looked down for a brief second, looked up and saw that my dad was slamming his breaks on in front of me. I slammed on BOTH breaks and my back tire locked up on me. I skidded side to side until i fell over knocking my dad over as well. It also didnt help that there was this slick stuff all over the road. So I lay there on top of my dad's 1000 w/my 250 on top of my right leg. I was okay, physically that is, but not mentally. I couldnt believe it and my confidence was shot down hard. I was so embarassed, upset, and ashamed that I didnt even mention it on SBN. I'm still having trouble w/it today. All I can say, the longer you wait to get back on it, the harder it will be. Trust me on this. Ask someone to go w/you or just take it around the neighborhood for a while. Just dont wait too long but dont take it too fast either.

 

[PearlBlueSoul]

?Your dad rides a GSXR1k too??? Shit this is wierd...

situation: Dad and I were riding on Pacific Coast Highway, and were stopped at a light. I was busy trying to point out a Porsche SUV in the opposite side of us at the light, my dad was trying to tell me he was going to turn right into a nearby jack in the box a block away.

The light turned green, he took off, so did I. it didn't hit me fast enough (reaction time and realization) that he was turning right from the left side of the lane. I was on his right. I panicked and locked the front brake...down I went. Wasn't really that scared of falling but more of traffic coming towards me. Picked the bike up, shaking, and walked it into the parking lot of Jack In the box.


Dramatic irony: dad rides a GSXR1k and I ride a 250. lol...wierd. :creep


Relating more to the original topic, for the past few weeks I'd been checking out the road surface as I rode...was getting the creeps from my tires following grooves and the suspension getting mid-corner bumps that would shake the bike violently. I'd had a few scares in various corners where I'd fixated and wound up almost nailing guardrails or going off the edge of the road....not fun. Needless to say my tire confidence was shaken. That and various pieces of information about slick road surfaces given from people who probably knew next to nothing about riding. "be careful when it's nighttime, the roads are damp". That suggestion, coupled with my first rainy ride experience (front end slithered around a lil bit, deathly scared of rain riding now) made me think at night the roads were like ice. It's taken some time to get over that idea and just lean it over without worrying about the bike skittering out from underneath me.

There's alot of road surfaces that you have to worry about, when there's debris involved or a weather change/precipitation. most of the other times though you shouldn't have to worry about a thing. If you know a road is gravel coated from time to time, just be on the alert and really scan ahead. I mean watch the road come at you from behind the canyon and be conscious of what's coming. Don't look directly in front of your bike or watch it go under, that'll screw you up bigtime mentally and physically in how you manipulate the bike. if you need to, adjsut your lean angle to go around the debris or just ride it out.

Biggest phrase for advice here? "TRUST YOUR TIRES". I didn't understand what people meant by that untill I read into my own fears about changing road surfaces. If you're leaning right with the bike and not against it, you know how to adjust your body weight to get more pressure on the tire for more grip, and you've taken the right line in the corner, the tires will do their job. Just give them their due faith in their capabilities and they will not fail you.

 

[v65rider]

You have recieved alott of good of information so far and I would only add a few things.
Find a nice twisty road that you are familier with.
Ride a streach of the road very slowly checking for crap in the corners.
Then reride that stretch of road just a little bit quicker.
Another thing you should work on is being smooth.
Ride slow enough that you don't have to use your breaks at all. Increase your speed alittle each pass, and work on your tech.

 

[miztress6]

I just know that I NEVER want to hit the brakes and go straight through a curve, I was lucky there was some runoff....if I did that at the Gap I would be fooked! :shake

I did do it in the Gap we got caught up there in the rain. My rear tire hit a huge patch of water(before the repaving and damn battleaxes) I felt the bike start to slide as I was approaching a hairpin and the rear hit the paint liine I was out of control and I knew I was going over. I stood the bike up and pushed toward the mountain next to me and let go once I went of the road and started brushing up against it. Rashed the good side of my bike and dislocated my shoulder had to ride that thing down through the foothills and back to the cabin. I went back to the Gap this year a year later and was totally psyched about the trip I wanted to make it through without crashing this year. I made it buut I was slow and squidly and got ragged a bunch(I was mad a hurt all at the same time) The b/f at the time insisted I needed riding lessons so he watched me through some twisty that we have here and couldn't figure it out I hit all my turns correctly and power out. That damn mt intimidates me it taunts me and I will conquer it someday but I am just happy to keep coming out of it crash free and alive. It will take some time both my crashes were alot faster than yours. You will get back out ther don't fight the bike let it do what it's supposed to do and just cooperate with it. Enjoy the ride and the moment don't try to conquer anything and one day you'll wake up and find that it's threre again and the fear is gone

 

[adawg]

I wrecked last weekend at the gap, first time ever going down. The ride from where it happened (between mile 4 and 5 of the dragon) to the damn overlook was probably worse than the accident itself, I had to learn to ride all over again. I chilled at the damn overlook for a while and talked to some folks and just relaxed. 45 min's of chillin and I was ready to ride again.

You already know this but it's all mental. Your situation is a little different from mine because it sound like there were things that were out of your control that contributed to your accident. My accident was complete stupidty, I learned from my mistake, and it was fairly easy to get back on and ride after I had convinced myself that I had learned something. If you can look at it like it's a learning experience and take something away from that, maybe that will help with your confidence?