NewriderDave21 Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Hello everyone, I just wondered if anyone had some advice on building up confidence when it comes to speed. I passed my CBT about 2 months ago and bought a Honda CBF 125. I'm loving the bike and riding and find in town centres and slow traffic I'm fine. When I get to a open bit of road that is 50mph I seem to tense up and can't get passed 40 or 43 which on a main road can be dangerous. It's almost like I have a feeling I'm going to fall off the bike or It's wobbling underneath me and then I back off speed. Any tips would be great Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Bike should be more stable at speed, make sure there is not an issue with the bike first. If you are too tense and grip the bars you are fighting what the bike is trying to do, you need to relax. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_M Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 14 minutes ago, NewriderDave21 said: Hello everyone, I just wondered if anyone had some advice on building up confidence when it comes to speed. I passed my CBT about 2 months ago and bought a Honda CBF 125. I'm loving the bike and riding and find in town centres and slow traffic I'm fine. When I get to a open bit of road that is 50mph I seem to tense up and can't get passed 40 or 43 which on a main road can be dangerous. It's almost like I have a feeling I'm going to fall off the bike or It's wobbling underneath me and then I back off speed. Any tips would be great Thanks I know this sounds tricky, but relax. Ease your grip on the bars, and look a long way down the road. A tight grip doesn’t allow the bike’s suspension / steering geometry to work properly and can cause the bike to weave / wobble. Bear in mind that your bike has two feck off big gyroscopes (the wheels / tyres) keeping the bike stable, it takes a lot to unsettle the bike. EG. I did a course with a chap by the name of Tom Killeen (i2i) and he had us ride over a block of wood while sitting on the bike not holding the handlebars. Nary a wobble from my VFR800. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 (edited) I agree that if you're tense the bike will feel unsettled, which makes you nervous so you're more tense, so it's a vicious circle. But it won't just be you. Smaller bikes are less stable at speed because they can be affected relatively more by wind and poor road surfaces. Take it easy and increase speed in small increments. But don't try to ride at speeds or conditions you feel are beyond you. You won't gain any confidence that way. Edited October 11, 2021 by Mississippi Bullfrog 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SometimesSansEngine Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Definitely build up to it, try to grip the tank with the knees and keep your arms loose (can you do the chicken dance? If not you're too tense) and if you can't get by this blocker then pay a trainer to go back out with you - it'll be money well spent. We'll all have been there, to varying degrees. Modern bikes are very straight line stable (ever seen a bike in MotoGP carry on quite happily without a rider?) and even if the bike was to hit something it'll soon regain its balance... but if you're tense you'll be fighting the bike's willingness to settle itself 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuRavary Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Go and find some roads with no traffic on them and just get used to travelling faster. I also find that any given speed feels faster on a smaller capacity bike. Even at relatively low speeds the bike might feel as though it’s working hard giving an impression of speed. The more you ride the more comfortable you will become. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinlim Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 I was the same when I started. The sensation of speed compared to a car is immense. Build up slowly to it. Find some quiet 40 mph roads. Grip with your legs and keep your arms loose. The advice that if you can't do the chicken dance with your arms then you're holding on too tight is right. The bike will move a bit on its own but that's ok. The bike wants to stay upright so don't fight that. It takes time to accept it. Check your tyres are properly inflated. Even a couple of psi will make a difference. Also you're on a small 125 with 9bhp and fairly narrow tyres. Going say 50mph on that will feel much rougher than on a bigger bike with more weight, better suspension etc. But give it time and you'll learn what to expect and how the bike feels I different conditions. Just go at your own pace and soon you'll be wondering what you were worried about 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SometimesSansEngine Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 22 minutes ago, daveinlim said: Check your tyres are properly inflated. Even a couple of psi will make a difference. This is very true - when I had a 125 I was riding home not long after getting it, went over the crest of a hill and oh my god the bike felt terrible. I knew something wasn't right but didn't know what. Got home and realised I'd lost some pressure from the rear. I was always adding air a couple times a week but didn't know if that was just motorbike tyres, this had lost a fair bit though. I got it checked at my local place to be told the valve was leaking. The tyre had been put on brand new by the (well known) seller/dealer. I know my big bike is more tolerant of a few PSI difference here and there but those narrower tyres definitely weren't. You may want to start with what the manual advises and play around up and down from there. It may not be the magic bullet (as it sounds like there's some worries in your mind, which as many of us said is normal at the outside so don't think you're the only one) but may help a bit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Your amygdala is playing up. Distract it. Get up to speed and try reciting your phone number backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulCa Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Holding on too tight. Trust the bike. If you suddenly disappeared I guarantee you, it will carry on, on it's own perfectly fine without your input.... for a while, in a straight line. The bike will need to make continuous little movements in the steering to keep the bike stable, especially at speed. Holding it with a death grip stops that happening and fights against the bike's inherent positive stability at speed. Totally different ball game below 10mph though. A very simple way to think of this, is how you car steering wheel wants to spin back to centre and go straight. Your bike will try and keep itself upright without your input. Deep breath, smile, sigh and wiggle your elbows and knees like a "funky chicken", helmet sound effects are optional, but often cheer you up. When you are relaxed and thinking straight try again, trusting the bike and identify what is it that you are afraid of. Then approach that very thing slowly and carefully until you are riding along with it and it hasn't killed you, hurt you or even frightened you. After a few thousand miles of doing it everyday, you are still aware of the risk, but, you have enough positive experience doing it, you don't freak out doing it anymore. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulCa Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 On the risk. I, long ago, stole this saying from an old grey beard. "Learning risky things is sometimes about borrowing from the bag of luck to fill the bag of experience." I think the safer option is to have a good stock pile of caution to pay with. It's not as valuable as luck, but it's more reliable. Still need luck though. Good luck. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewriderDave21 Posted October 12, 2021 Author Share Posted October 12, 2021 Just been out on my lunch break and tried the chicken thing but still kept backing off the speed. I just feel every single bit of movement underneath me from the tyres on the 125 and think if I don't slow down the bike is going to go from underneath me and I'm going to come off. Once that's in my head I then back off the speed and put the bike down a gear. So frustrating because I love riding the bike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 1 minute ago, NewriderDave21 said: Just been out on my lunch break and tried the chicken thing but still kept backing off the speed. I just feel every single bit of movement underneath me from the tyres on the 125 and think if I don't slow down the bike is going to go from underneath me and I'm going to come off. Once that's in my head I then back off the speed and put the bike down a gear. So frustrating because I love riding the bike! Find someone, anyone who can ride to have a go on your bike and rule out the bike having issues, it's OK doing the relax thing but if it is the bike your not going to be able to relax Where abouts are you? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewriderDave21 Posted October 12, 2021 Author Share Posted October 12, 2021 Oxfordshire Must have looked like a right sight moving my arms like a chicken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackholesun Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 (edited) The more you ride the more confident you'll get.for ages I was certain going round a corner my 125 would career from under me but it never did Edited October 12, 2021 by Blackholesun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 3 hours ago, NewriderDave21 said: Oxfordshire Must have looked like a right sight moving my arms like a chicken Bit far from me but I'm sure someone must be near you.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Blackholesun said: The more you ride the more confident you'll get.for ages I was certain going round a corner my 125 would career from under me but it never did I never had any issues with my little cbf, it never felt like it was doing anything it shouldn't have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuRavary Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 (edited) Never ride at speeds that both you and your bike are not comfortable at. Edited October 12, 2021 by DuRavary 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Westerly Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 Let's face it some folks are speed demons, some aren't and most are somewhere in between. If you are not comfortable going faster then you shouldn't push yourself out of your comfort zone unless you really want to. If you do want to then it sounds as if you need to build confidence which is something you can only really do for yourself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianco2564 Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 I work in Banbury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Frog Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 If it`s any help I will be going down the A34 from Bicester all the way to Stockbridge on Sunday morning passing Oxford at about 0800 if you wanted to meet and let me have a spin round the block ? Let me know if I can help but I warn you I won`t be able to spare a lot of time but if it has issues I am hopeful I will be able to tell you swiftly and give you more to get on with. Or if it`s ok maybe give you a little reassurance to try the good advice already given by others on here. Cheers Ian 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewriderDave21 Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 Hi Ian, Thank you for your offer and that's really kind of you but I'm off to Brands Hatch on Sunday with my old man for the day. Thank you again, I'm going out again today after work and just keep going and practice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewriderDave21 Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 Evening everyone, Just a heads up I went out this evening by myself and really enjoyed it. I practiced my MOD 1 in a car park and just really threw the bike around to get used to the feeling. Then hit the main road hitting 40 and staying at it as well. Thank you for all of your advice it helped massively and I definitely used it tonight which made a huge difference. Thank you again 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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