NewBob

After taking it very steady for the past week i've realized it may be how i ride and not so much the tyres that made my front go but im not sure?! Ive realized i dont use my rear break enough (used to use only rear break on my sinnis and mix of both on the honda) as the break pedal isnt as easy to get too... takes a whole leg movement to break! On the sinnis the back break position and the break were spot on... on the honda they both felt right together but on this suzuki front feels natural and i hadnt even realized id been doing it! I keep coasting (clutch in) on aproach to junctions ready to change gear and im realizing i sometimes coast while breaking... im sure thats not good and a bad habit i may have picked up from the start but wasnt aware i was doing it till now?! I now cant stand down hill cornering, its as if i get vertigo and panic slowing down using the engine but not prepaired to apeed up even on the straights downhill! And since the slip ive been so tensed up i feel i struggle to turn at all sometimes! Last couple days ive realized im too tense and holding firm wont help and i think ive loosened up a bit but how violently that slip threw me to the floor has really affected my riding. Just cant enjoy riding atm not like i was before... loving every journey! Only a 16 mile commute to work then another 16 back every day through the winter

Knobbly tires in wet?! I have those and i slipped hard, popped back in my dislocated sholder and carried on but i never felt slippy on normal road tyres. Now im crawling like ive never rode in the wet before after being confident in the wet since i started riding last december. Riding really scares me now not like the last time when i knew why i slid (ice) but because i dont know why i slid and believe its the knobbly tires?!

Oh fyi... i have been thinking i wear too much protection, armoured knees, elbows, sholders, fingers, boots... the works... i might get more armour. Deffo worth it even if you sweat your balls off... my shoulder hurts, my elbow hurts, my pride hurts but nouthing broken

11 months of riding, 1st off was the same month i started (dec 16) on ice, stalled it on a slow embanked corner hit ice n took a v.minor slip, no damage except my bent gear lever... next near miss someone clipped my exhaust while they were changing lanes and a wobble, corrected n carried on. Next event was my slow speed front impact but stayed upright, not my fault but damaged my confidence a bit and the bike was wrote off! Locked up a few times on the poorly setup hire bike, back break was too tight and the wheel locked everytime in the wet! Learned how to correct rear lock ups as a result and stayed upright while doing so. Today was my first front wheel slip, still dont know why/how it happened? Wasnt breaking or turning, or speeding. Front just went and before i knew what was happening i was sideways and trying to keep my leg out of the still spinning back wheel that carried me round 180°! Carried onto work but my ride back was the most scared ive been so far, no confidence, too slow to warm tyres, too little grip as a result! Sadly (or not) I only have the bike or I dont get to work so winter is a time I must ride. Tyre pressure was correct, i think just bad luck/diesel on road (I hope). Next summer will be my bigger bike test so till then I will just keep riding like it never happened and learn from it if i can. Am I a proper biker yet? Ive got bruises that counts right?

Try riding with your eyes closed... you wont see but your not blind! Too many people have too bright bulbs and dont even know they are blinding... i still dont have pinlock (on the to do list) but washing up liquid does stop steaming, cracking my visor doesnt! Also if i crack it to far for some wierd reason the skid lid is designed to push the wind created directly into my eyes! Only way to stop blinding is to ban cars... 2 wheels good, 4 wheels bad