Obviously i "know how" to ride, and luckily haven't laid her down. But i definitely still feel inexperienced even after 2.5 seasons of riding now.

1st bike was an 04 Heritage, now on a 14 RK

I have absolutely no problem when riding solo, because i can ride at my own pace and stay in my comfort zone. But as soon as i jump in a group i have a hard time keeping up on the turns. Even easy turns, i find myself feeling like we are going too fast and i get shaky.

The last ride i went on with my buds, i swear i felt like i was going to lose it on a turn. It was an easy turn on a highway where everyone is doing like 70mph ... the 4 bikes i was with all hit it no problem, not even tapping the break!

But i got in the turn and heart instantly began racing, i realize im not comfortable at this speed so i begin on the front brake, then the back break, then fear of locking up and sliding out since im on a turn ... i nearly had a panic attack. And yet they all hit it with ease, and would laugh at me if i said anything at all about it (wasn't even a turn, more like a bend in the road)

So yes i feel like i need more saddle time, and will stick to riding alone for a while. But wondering if anyone else went through this when they first began riding?

All the guys im with have been riding for 30+ years, and its second nature to them. How do i get there? I feel like im missing out on enjoying the "trip" because im too busy playing catch up on the straightaways since i lost ground on the turns.

 

Miles...
The more miles, the more comfortable...

Go find a cloverleaf without much traffic and ride it around and around and around. All four ramps make One time around.
25 round trips a weekend for a month and you will gain confidence in your bike.

People are going to tell you to watch videos and read books and understand counter steering...

Just ride until you are comfortable.

 

Ride and Practice.

 

Read this thread:

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/gener...-too-fast.html


Read this book:



Find One Friend who rides a little faster than you. Stop trying to keep up with the pack, when you aren't comfortable. Recipe for disaster.

You have ridden a few years but how many miles?

I didn't start feeling comfortable in turns until I let the bike countersteer , without resisting. This took about 10k miles. I don't know if this is an accurate description, but when I need to turn tighter I just let the bike fall over more.



I usually ride solo. I have a friend that has been riding 40 years, and races cars, and flies planes. When he takes off like a bat out of hell, I catch up with him in the next town. Not going to try to take a 35 mph curve at 90mph.

Ride your own ride.

 

Thats a great idea, thank you !

These guys all go looking for routes with "twisties", i find myself avoiding those trips and looking for trips that have only straight roads. NY to FL on I95 would be perfect for me hahaha

 

First of all, DO NOT try and keep up with those that ride at a higher skill level than you. It will get you killed. Know your skill level and ride within it.

An advanced rider course is an excellent way to increase your riding skills. There are also videos available that will help. For me the basics are these;

Reduce your speed BEFORE you enter the turn.
Look where you want to go, not where you are or don't want to be.
Steady throttle in turn
Accelerate out
Lower gears, higher RPM in the twisties.
Practice safely on a twisty road. You can increase speed as your skills develop.

 

Ride alone and at your own pace.

 

What you describe is a recipe for disaster. I strongly advise you to ride by yourself and ride your own ride until you have a comfort level with the new bike. Pushing yourself to keep up with more experienced riders at speeds beyond your comfort zone is a big mistake.

Practice and put miles on by yourself when no one is watching and you feel no pressure. The more miles you ride on that bike the more comfortable you will feel. You just need more experience on the RK. One thing you will come to understand is that the RK handles MUCH better than the Heritage you were used to. It has much greater lean angles. But only saddle time will give you that confidence.

You'll get there brother. Just give yourself time and don't push.

 

Just an observation from your opening post. You say,

"Obviously i "know how" to ride" but in the same post you say,

(well, the rest of the post).

Have you taken any riding courses, such as the basic MSF course? If not, you need to. If you have, you need to review your class manual and practice, practice, practice, and not ride in a group. You need to totally understand how to approach a curve, and ride through it. Braking in a curve as you have described is a recipe for disaster, which you apparently realize.

With all due respect, if you can't navigate a simple "bend in the road," you don't know how to ride, and need to go back to the basics.

 

Knowing how to ride and knowing how your new bike rides aren't the same. Takes a minute to learn new bike's characteristics regardless of your skill level. Ill never corner with my softail like I did with my race bike LOL.

When I was youngster an older rider who used to race told me he gave up riding at 44. He was taking a corner aggressively like he'd always done and as he put it--completely lost his nerve.

Stay just in the borders of your comfort zone. That'll expand as you ride more.