First time on the interstate today. Gee was that fun . But I survived, and discovered that my butt does not actually become permanently clamped to the seat when someone tries to mergebeside me at 70mph, from the right,when there's another car hanging out on my left (though I was pretty sure it waspuckered uptightat thetime). By the time I got home half an hour latter, the vibration must have broken it loose and I was able to get off the bike easily.

Just to make things interesting, in the joy and relief of making it to my exit alive, I decided toforget downshifting to first, took off in second, and stalledthe bike in the middle of a right-hand turn (with a car climbing right up my tail-pipe, naturally). Fortunately I seem to have developed some instinct properly because I had the clutch in and was coasting to a stop on the shoulder (safely out of traffic) almost before I realized what hadhappened. Nothing hurt but my pride, thankfully.

Other than that, it was a great ride. In JANUARY!
Winter can go on like this as long as it wants to.

 

It'll get easier and more funner when you learn to relax. And take the Motorcycle safety riders course if you haven't.
Congrats.....

 

eesh, i will probably never ride on the highway next to me.

ranked #4 worst highway in PA according to my drivers ed teacher. a motorcycle on there would be hell

 

I did take the MSF course a few months back. I just haven't got a lot of road experience in yet because my old bike was always broke down and I didn't get the newBob till late this fall. I've been lucky to get the new ride out at all.

 

Congrats! Try and leave yourself an escape route as much as possible and watch those cagers their all out to get us!

 

Oh I remember my first time on the highway. I was in tears! [:@] It gets easier and now it doesn't bother me at all. Hang in there !

 

I can believe that. I can't remember what route it was, but I took one of the interstates through PA that was pure hell in a cage. It was like 80mph, bumper to bumper, and construction would bring it from 80 to a dead halt with no warning at all. Scared the snot out of me, and there were several close calls before we made it through. You couldn't pay me enough to ride that road on my bike.

What I was on was pretty light traffic really (as 4-lanes go), semi-rural area on a Sunday afternoon (I like to work my way up easy). It was mostly just the newness that made it a white-knuckle event. In the car I wouldn't have even noticed it.

 

Last May, I took the Police M/C Cert Course.

One of the guys in the class had never EVER ridden a M/C on the street before, so they tried to put more experienced riders around him, as we rode to and from the training area side by side, with MAYBE 12 feet separation from the bike ahead of you.

Well, they put HIM ahead of me. 1st exit ramp we came to, he downshifted from 5th to 3rd, and let the clutch fly. Had I not been watching, I would have drilled him. I veered right and braked, and the guy that had been behind me, ended up in the spot I HAD been in.....

The guy NEVER did that again.

The reason I tell that little story madelf? DON' T do that when exiting the highway. The idiot tailgating you will shorten your tail-light !!

 

Sounds like you did OK. Keep riding and enjoy. Be safe.

GT

 

Oh, heck no!
I'm almost paranoid when it comes to letting people behind me know I'm stopping or slowing. If there's someone behind me I always try to flash the brake a couple times before downshifting, or slowingat all, and I don't downshift hard like that anyway.

Sounds like that guy (and you) was luckyone of youwas paying attention that day.