Returning to riding after 8 year break (confidence gone).

[Chrisrp]

Firstly, hi. First post here.

 

I've recently returned to riding after an 8 year hiatus, with a previous 8 years experience before that. Kids, mortgage, missus, an off -usual stuff made me hang my lid up when I was 30. 

 

Anyway, convinced my wife that it's time to get back on two wheels. A friend of mine had his 2002, one owner, absolutely mint R1 5PW for sale at a price I couldn't turn down. It's now been in my ownership for a month but tbh... It scares the absolute s**t out of me. My last bike before stopping was a TL1000R, previous to that a Speed triple. I rode them shall we say "enthusiastically", no fear, like a bit of a tool in all honesty. I'm absolutely no Rossi, at all, but was a  relatively competent rider back then. 

 

Now, I'm frozen, target fixation, lines are terrible,  FEAR. I did not expect this one bit. 

I'm not sure a smaller bike will remedy this. Is it my age? More to lose? Kids? Guilt? 

 

I'm not sure I'm even after any advice. I'm just venting as it's upset me! I think I would just like some validation/gratification for my fragile ego

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Chris.

[Steve_M]

4 hours ago, Chrisrp said:

Firstly, hi. First post here.

 

I've recently returned to riding after an 8 year hiatus, with a previous 8 years experience before that. Kids, mortgage, missus, an off -usual stuff made me hang my lid up when I was 30. 

 

Anyway, convinced my wife that it's time to get back on two wheels. A friend of mine had his 2002, one owner, absolutely mint R1 5PW for sale at a price I couldn't turn down. It's now been in my ownership for a month but tbh... It scares the absolute s**t out of me. My last bike before stopping was a TL1000R, previous to that a Speed triple. I rode them shall we say "enthusiastically", no fear, like a bit of a tool in all honesty. I'm absolutely no Rossi, at all, but was a  relatively competent rider back then. 

 

Now, I'm frozen, target fixation, lines are terrible,  FEAR. I did not expect this one bit. 

I'm not sure a smaller bike will remedy this. Is it my age? More to lose? Kids? Guilt? 

 

I'm not sure I'm even after any advice. I'm just venting as it's upset me! I think I would just like some validation/gratification for my fragile ego

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Chris.

Back in the dim and distant past I became an observer for the IAM. Many riders who came along for our try-out days had similar concerns. I would recommend taking additional training with a reputable organisation, whether IAM, RoSPA, Rapid Training, i2i, Zen school of motoring (he also instructs for Hopp at Cadwell). 

[Chrisrp]

32 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Back in the dim and distant past I became an observer for the IAM. Many riders who came along for our try-out days had similar concerns. I would recommend taking additional training with a reputable organisation, whether IAM, RoSPA, Rapid Training, i2i, Zen school of motoring (he also instructs for Hopp at Cadwell). 

This is the exact course of action I was thinking about taking. Thank you for taking your time to reply

[Mold]

It's not your ego, it's age and wisdom. I rode from age 18, had a long break because of other commitments and started riding again about 10 years ago, by then I was in my mid 40's. My last two bikes were a Honda CB900 and a Yamaha XT 600Z, both of which I thrashed. When I started riding again, I bought a Yamaha YZF600 and I was pretty shocked at the speed and the (heavy) weight, which I never gave a second thought to when I was young. I'm assuming you thought you would just jump on and it would be like 'the good old times' (like I did). If there's an open space like a big empty carpark near where you live, go practice on there for a couple of hours as it's probably just your nerves until you get used to riding again. If you really feel you need training, go for that as it's better to be safe than sorry. I took the easy way out and sold the YZF and bought a Kawasaki J300, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned and it's more than fast enough for the roads, so if the worst comes to the worst and you still don't feel comfortable, trade it in for a smaller lighter bike. No matter what you ride, you need to look forward to getting on your bike and not fearing it.

[Simon Davey]

Hi @Chrisrp, I had exactly the same issue just 18 months ago.

Came back to biking on a ZZR1200, took me a couple of thousand miles to really get my weight into the bends etc.

As for target fixation, I found a great tip from YT worked for me, checking mirrors, simply making a point of checking mirrors more often, and briefly looking around bends at the white line as you go, and then looking further on. These are what we do anyway, but as an overly-cautious returnee, you're sub-consciously trying too hard. This was me, I found my target fixation was my nerves, I was concentrating too hard on where I was going, and thus, ended up staring at everything.

It'll come back naturally as you relax.

Edited Wednesday at 18:46 by Simon Davey

[RideWithStyles]

Agree with all.

it s not guilt but knowing and having responsibilities make you look out for more things that might get you…

agree with training program.

the car makes you lazy and the camera and AI ones are worse for degradation.

Continuing self training for visual references and dangers even if your in the car will keep you sharp.

youll calm down and filter the info subconsciously on the bike.  
for some It might be a thing where you rate conditions in your head, cars on the wrong side of the road/pulling out might be a 8 yet one’s are infront might be a 3 but if the are old or young it’s a 5, 6 if it’s a Peugeot, a bird or a cyclist might be a 2.

 

There is an augment of If your looking at a single thing for more than say a second and a half while travelling it’s fixation as your not looking far enough or at other objects.

id use your focal point for reading the road ahead (its horizon) while get used to using your peripheral vision to filter less important stuff.

[Throttled]

If more bikers admitted to being out of practice and did some extra tuition, there would be fewer deaths and injuries. Since passing my driving test in 1983, I did the police "blue lights" driving course in 1990, my bike test in 2011 and a council driving assessment in 2017. Each acts as a refresher, or adds to skills. I ride my bike pretty much weekly. I think every road user should have to do an assessment, say every ten years, appropriate to the vehicles they use. A quick quiz on the Highway Code and a half hour assessed ride or drive.

[Chrisrp]

Fantastic replies. Thank you, very inspiring. 

[Fender1515]

I winertize my bike for a couple of months each year, too old to tolerate the cold wet conditions, also not happy with the extra risk of riding in winter conditions. 

I have a route in the North of the Peak district which is very technical and challenging, probably 4 mile section, on my first trip out of the year I head for this route, I will do the same section, perhaps 5 or 6 times  until  I feel I have dialled in, and I am riding light, not clamped onto the bars, toes on the pegs, when I feel I am dropping the bike into the turns, seeing and riding the entry and exit points  and driving through them relaxedish, I feel confident and it's time to love the bike wold again!

 

It works for me !

 

[Chrisrp]

Again, very very helpful responses. Thanks all, what a lovely forum!

 

Went out today with a few friends - me at the back obviously. Being out with others, following their lines, and taking it easy I felt nearly at one again with my bike (excuse the terminology).When I posted my initial thread, I'd just got back from a solo ride and was just so angry with how s**t I was and needed some sort of validation and encouragement which you've all 100% delivered. 

 

Thanks again.

 

Chris.