Got on the freeway for the first time. Pretty exciting/exhilarating/intimidating. Scared out of my wits when I got above 50 though. I held on so tight that my hands went numb! Got super windy in the afternoon on the return trip, thought I was going to blow over. In a sick and twisted way I look forward to doing it again. Even got in a lane split when the traffic slowed down.
First Time On Freeway
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You'll be asking for all she can give you before long.
It is intimidating at first, but like anything you will get used to it. Just relax and take it slow. Get comfortable but not too much. When a person gets totally too comfortable (completely desensitized) they get careless.
I enjoy driving mine on the highway at 75-80mph. I love to go fast, but not Stupid Fast.
It is intimidating at first, but like anything you will get used to it. Just relax and take it slow. Get comfortable but not too much. When a person gets totally too comfortable (completely desensitized) they get careless.
I enjoy driving mine on the highway at 75-80mph. I love to go fast, but not Stupid Fast.
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My first time was like that too. It took a few runs before I became alright with it. The first time was like, "Wholly ********************, I'm on a bike going 125kph!" The thing that really made me nervous was traffic... still does, but I was over-worried for a while (I use that in a relative sense, don't shoot me people). When you're new, there are lots of things to look out for but I'd say if you're new on the highway, if you have to focus on one thing more than the other, take the road ahead and the operation of your bike first, then worry about traffic.. but worry about them equally because they are the same thing.
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Release your deathgrip. If you search the forums there's a really great video from TxDJ that shows his two-finger grip.
You'll enjoy the ride more when you don't feel like you're trapped in a room with a venomous snake. When you're all stressed out the miles are difficult to do. I took a 180mi round trip with my brother this summer. Every part of his body hurt cos he wasn't relaxed on his bike yet.
You'll enjoy the ride more when you don't feel like you're trapped in a room with a venomous snake. When you're all stressed out the miles are difficult to do. I took a 180mi round trip with my brother this summer. Every part of his body hurt cos he wasn't relaxed on his bike yet.
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I open my fists and rest my palms on the grips periodically to remind me to keep a looser grip. I also alternate a press on each handle with open palms causing a weave ( not on the highway) to feel the countersteering affect.
Unless you're in California or not in the US, I think lane splitting is illegal.
Unless you're in California or not in the US, I think lane splitting is illegal.
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My first time on the interstate came after only a week of riding and I probably wasn't ready, but I survived. I had been riding about a week when my start button died, I was okay push starting it, but had to get it fixed under warranty. The bike was at the dealer almost a week and when my friend took me to pick it up, we had to take the interstate 20 miles home. So about a week riding experience and nearly a week without riding made for a shaky interstate ride, but I survived. Now I ride the highway for hours on end.
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Same same as MTC. Also, try to focus gripping the tank with your knees along with relaxing your hand grips thus helping with more efficient steering. It is natural to apply a death grip on the bars, but I'm sure as you know this can be counterproductive. You may have to continuely remind yourself to relax lol.
Congrats on your adventure.
Congrats on your adventure.
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Just the other evening around dinner time, for the first time ever I got on the superhighway for a short distance as a shortcut. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but neither was it particularly fun! Just blasting along, checking mirrors and keeping out of the blind spots of other vehicles. Felt really good to pull off the superslab and return to carving my way down winding country roads!
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I actually like the superhighway as compared to country roads. The highway that I take most often is 264. It is a 4 lane with a super wide medium and not a whole lot of traffic like an interstate highway. I could take a much slower 2 lane highway (back country road) but I dont feel as safe on them. On the 4 lane all I have to worry about is the traffic going with me. On the 2 lane I have to worry about the traffic coming at me, especially with the way people text and drive these days. So even though the 4 lane is boring, doesn't provide as good a view, and creates a flat spot on the center of my tire, I think its safer.
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I was pretty nervous my first trip on the interstate. It was 5 o clock traffic and I rode about 50 miles. The speed didn't bother me but traffic did. Especially 18 wheelers. being behind one, passing one, it didn't matter. I was getting blown around pretty good. Idk if its because im only 125 lbs soaking wet, or if its my riding stance but i was catching alot of wind. been practicing getting tucked has cut it down a little bit but im still not fond of the interstate.
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You're right lambert350...the trucks are the worst. Not only do they have huge blind spots and change lanes surprisingly fast, but they create a lot of wind turbulence as well. Not to mention, the chance of a big high-pressure tire blowing up a you happen to be passing or riding behind them.
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even if i'm on the back roads, or city streets, or highway, i try to stay far enough back where i would have enough time to swerve, brake, etc. around a blow out. I've seen videos of tires blowing out on big rigs and hitting a car next to it and it will spin the front/back end of a 4 door sedan around so i can only imagine what it would do to a bike and rider weighing a whopping 480 lbs combined weight. I'll use this cushion i keep to accelerate and pass as safely and quickly as possible. thats the best thing i've found to do with them. Either way back or in front.
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At the first the wind can be daunting, but once you get used to it and adjust its not bad. Some people think this bike is bad in the wind due to its low weight, but my Harley Sportster was just as mad and it weight about 600 pounds, and I also weigh about 125-130.
Was on the 15 north to Rancho Bernardo. Out of the corner of my eye I see this green helmet and a blur passes me at 70+ and I start cracking up. Guy on a Piaggio with an Italian tricolor open face lid and his fine european shoulder bag flapping in the wind hops onto the carpool lane. Big balls son! Big balls!
yes scary at first. really scary is being on the hwy on a 150cc scooter 
Was doing 105kph with throttle pinned.
On the CBR speed/traffic was no issue for me. (my bike b4 the honda was a 460cc maxi-scooter so speed was equal to cbr250) The wind was something that took a bit to get used to. Side winds were unnerving at first, the bike leans into the wind and felt weird going in a straight line with the bike leaning to one side.
now after 14500km of riding i no longer notice the wind, or atleast it does not freek me out as much as it did.
Was doing 105kph with throttle pinned. On the CBR speed/traffic was no issue for me. (my bike b4 the honda was a 460cc maxi-scooter so speed was equal to cbr250) The wind was something that took a bit to get used to. Side winds were unnerving at first, the bike leans into the wind and felt weird going in a straight line with the bike leaning to one side.
now after 14500km of riding i no longer notice the wind, or atleast it does not freek me out as much as it did.
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