too embarrasing. None involved cars or traffic. All involved stupidity of one sort or another.
Lessons learned in no particular order.
1) You go where you look, or said another way, you don't go where you aren't looking. When you're cornering, "look through the turn" rather than straight ahead.
2) Get your braking done before you start to lean in until you're advanced enough to learn about trail braking.
3) You can't carry as much speed as you think you can around a downhill corner (gravity is working against you)
4) Watch out on right handers, if you blow it, you'll be in oncoming traffic (which is very fatal)
5) Watch out on left handers if some jerk blows the corner coming in the opposite direction, they've just entered your path, which is a bad scene.
6) Don't corner aggressively at intersections for several reasons, even ignoring crazy drivers. For starters, if you're putting around on the street, the edges of your tires probably aren't up to temp for good traction. Secondly, slippery car fluids (oil, antifreeze, gas) tend to accumulate at intersections. Thirdly, the painted surfaces all over intersections are very bad for traction.
7) If it's 105, you've only had 3 hours of sleep and you're getting mad dehydrated, go into the pits rather than pushing for 'one more lap'.
When the wear bar on your tire is no longer visible, replace it post haste.
9) Beware of gravel that is the same color as the pavement, if you do hit it, take your weight off the seat and put it on the pegs dirt bike style, Bikes are naturally self correcting, and usually you'll simply go, "whoa, oh *expletive deleted*it" but keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.
10) When riding desert trails, beware of ruts in the direction of travel, high siding is hilarious, unless you break something (fortunately I was fine)
11) Riding in a mixed skill level group as a newbie is a BAD idea, unless everyones pace is the slowest persons pace. When group riding it is VERY hard to to try and ride the pace of the person ahead of you, and trying to ride someone elses pace is just as stupid as having a few drinks before a ride
12) Protective gear is your friend. Thankfully for my aerostich and leathers, expensive Sidi's, good gloves, back protector and shoei helmets, I'm here barely worse for it.
13) Oh ya, "that guy" who never drops their first bike that they keep for more than a few months, I'd really really like to meet him.
14) Seems silly, but DON'T come to a halt with the bike more than 5 or 10 degress off vertical, or you will experience the very embarrasing, "laying down a 400 pound object on its side in front of pedestrians".
Just some tips and suggestions.
atek3
