This is somewhat a noob question but I hear just about all the experienced guys saying that inexperienced riders shouldn’t get a bike . My question is what the most common mistake a inexperienced make that leads to a crash? My first bike was a 1200 and I never came close to a crash or had a close encounter.(knocking on wood)

Too much throttle IMO

when i first started i was a little scared of the bike my dad had to pay cash for it because the dealership wouldnt sell it to me with no riding experience i dont think i went over 70mph for the first three months and that was on the interstate. i was just happy to have a bike

I'm going to go with cornering, which is actually in keeping with blue07's suggestion - new riders don't turn their head to face where they want to go and can become fixated on what's directly in front of them while leaned into a corner. They end up misjudging the depth of the corner either because they didn't slow down enough before the start of the curve or the curve is blind enough that they don't see it turn sharper until it's too late.

Ego is what gets most of us in trouble.

My question is what the most common mistake a inexperienced make that leads to a crash?

I find that the new riders don't give enough respect to other vehicles. What I mean by this is, just because you are doing everything right and following the rules road YOU do not have right to assume the vehicles on the road with you are doing the same. Example, just because the light is green it does NOT mean Go. In traffic you must always be on the defensive. Spend more time looking into the eyes of drivers in the other cars and stay out of there blind spots. If they are not looking at you........ Stunting is another story.

My first bike was a 1200 and I never came close to a crash or had a close encounter.(knocking on wood)

If your first bike was a 1200 it will all come back to you. Others are the # 1 reason for bike crashes.

I hear just about all the experienced guys saying that inexperienced riders shouldn’t get a bike .

hmmmmmm I guess these "experienced" guys were born with extreme gifts. We all have to start somewhere.

This is what came right before many of my bad situations :

"Hey, watch this !"

This is what came right before many of my bad situations :

"Hey, watch this !"

Followed up by the voices of your friends in your helmet saying "Did You see That".....Lol

Mine was"AW SHI#!"....followed by, "are you alright?"(some minutes later).

* Last updated by: blue07 on 2/24/2010 @ 1:04 PM *

An inexperience rider should not get a zx14 that’s for damn sure. Let’s say you bought one anyway and you were very careful you might never have a problem. However trying to learn on a zx14 is just pointless you will be in survival mode 95% of the time and there’s no way you can become a better rider. The zx14 is a lot of bike for anyone to handle it makes tons of tq right from idle and is heavy as hell. That’s not a combo you want to learn to take even low speed corners on. Turn the throttle 1 inch to far while its leaned over in the first three gears and you'll wake up in the Hospital. To be honest it’s a very easy bike to ride when you are just cursing but make a mistake with the throttle and you’re done. Ridding a zx14 or Busa is kind of like owning a Pit Bull with schizophrenia one moment it’s an affectionate lap dog but with a little provocation at the right time it will rip your throat out. If you really want a sportbike think about a newer 600 they are fast as hell more forgiving when it comes to mistakes with the throttle and will run circles around a zx14 in the “twisties.”

when i first started i was a little scared of the bike my dad had to pay cash for it because the dealership wouldnt sell it to me with no riding experience i dont think i went over 70mph for the first three months and that was on the interstate. i was just happy to have a bike

My point is made in this persons post "i was a little scared" "i dont think i went over 70mph for the first three months and that was on the interstate" This is what I mean by survival mode good luck becoming a better rider when your scared of the bike. Not to knock the person that posted this because he is simply relying his experience

* Last updated by: willidx4 on 2/24/2010 @ 1:19 PM *

I dont know how old you are,but most young riders do OK the first year,The second year they become cocky/overconfident and screw up.She is like a woman treat her with respect and she'll let you ride her.Ride her hard with out respect and she will lay you out all over the road

Complacency will get ya thrashed.Just the other day-cruising,comin up on a nice semi aggressive sweeper-one I've done many times-a left hander.Speed-around 90-safe for this one.Ya-just come off the straight,turnin in on this curve...I'm watchin the double yellow slip farther and farther away from my left side through my periphrial vision.Okay,nothing registered.I just kept on allowing that to occur.Kinda suddenly realize-"hey,F-head-see that white emergency lane paint-ya might wanna do something like-NOW".Okay,realized what was happening.I'm now drifting INTO the shoulder...yep,there's a hell of a lot of gravel right there.And I'm not even 3/4's the way through my turn yet.WAKE UP BRO!!DO SOMETHING!Ya-pushed a tad harder on my left bar there.She's not doin enough.Gently scrubbed a tad of speed,pushin harder on my left bar.Anyway-it worked out fine-this time.But I was rollin down the road thinkin for at least 10 minutes-"WTF are you doing?Geez-get yer head in the game will ya?"Ya-stupid and easy to happen.I gotta remember-PAY ATTENTION !!!!My bike runs so dern good and smooth,it's easy to forget just how much can happen so quickly.I was definitely fortunate there.Another foot and I'd be writin about my recent CRASH.Note to self..."Make steering corrections immediately,and look ahead through the turn where you want to go".Being angry at myself was much better than regretting my inaction-I was lucky.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 2/24/2010 @ 4:08 PM *

Biggest mistake made by rookie riders is buying the wrong bike. Buying "whats cool" (Pride)instead of what they need to learn on. Second, not getting training. Third, not taking it to the track. And fourth is target fixation, especially when cornering.

of all of the six wrecks with my group this last summer, I'd say target fixation had to have been number one!

A big one is...
Not practicing emergency maneuvers BEFORE you need them. Practice panic stops in a nice safe place BEFORE you suddenly have to stop in time to miss that truck that is pulling out in front of you. Practice so that you know how quickly YOU can confidently stop the bike from different speeds.

A number of things thats been mentioned. Target fixation is a biggie along with not being smooth. New riders with high power bikes like the 14 that generate high speeds before you realize it can get people in over their heads quick.

Riding a motorcycle goes against our natural instincts, that being to focus on what we percieve as being a threat. Another is controlling panic and remaining calm. On A bike thats disaster and it takes time to train ourselves to ignore our natural tendencies. In a stressfull situation if you let panic set in, adrenalin gets to pumping and people end up grabbing a handful of break or just stabbing on the rear without modulating the pressure and lock up the brakes.

I guess the biggest thing is having enough sense to stay out of situations that start this domino effect in the first place. By that I mean not giving into peer pressure, not showing off and practicing alot so that you get proficient with not only properly controlling the bike you ride but controlling your own body and mind

* Last updated by: heathun on 2/26/2010 @ 8:45 PM *

Hi Heathun...Glad yer doin okay there.Ya-good stuff Bro."avoiding things that get you in Over Yer Head".....Yeppers...Since my little "wake up call"...I've been payin more attention to staying focused and thinking.Had a really great ride today-concentrated more on entering the curves and picking a line than on speed.Think I only hit 160 today at one point(a straight natch).I love my bike-best ride I've ever owned!I've got vids of my rides but can't get em on here.??????Ride safe Bro-have fun!!!!!Since my first(and only with this baby)crash back in 07,I've continued to remember"she'll accelerate A LOT faster than she'll stop!!!!"

* Last updated by: blue07 on 2/26/2010 @ 8:48 PM *

Hey Blue, glad it was a good day. The corners are the funnest, sounds like your working on them well. Thats where being smooth pays the biggest dividends and makes ya grin in your helmet or start singing like I do. Stay focused bro, it only gets better

* Last updated by: heathun on 2/26/2010 @ 8:51 PM *

So I'm not so strange afterall!

Were all strange, thats what makes us different.

Some are Stranger than others!

got vids of my rides but can't get em on here.

Hi, blue.

If you can get your videos up on youtube, I can help you with the link that will put them in messages you post in the forums... -bg

Okay BG.Thanks.