Hi there!
I'm new to riding. I've been on my '02 EX500 for about 4 months now.
I've done lots of parking lot practice. Riding around town on residential,
city and arterial kinds of streets. I'm cool with that. I still have a lot to learn
but I can ride with caution and not fear.
When I get on the highway and get up to about 55 I just freak out.[:@][:@][:@]
The bike doesn't feel stable, the wind blows me around and I feel like
I'm gonna fall off. (or more likely, I *think* that I'm gonna fall off)

From reading around on this forum I see folks riding these EX500's at highway
speeds and much more with no problems. Has anyone else had this problem?
Could it actually be a stability problem with the bike?

At first I was gripping the bars in a death-grip and now I've stopped myself
from doing that but I'm still having problems. I'm really working on relaxing and
just letting the bike and centrifugal force do their jobs.
Any advice?
(therapy?)

 

If you have a steel grated bridge or something that really depends on a comfy feeling, try that. That may weed out some questions for ya.
Welcome to the forums

 

I got my license late last July and bought a used Ninja500R(basically the same bike I think you have) andstarted riding near the end of September before I had to put it away for the winter. If you're serious and youreally do have a problem withtaking the bike above 55then my adviceis that Ihad some problems on windy days on open highways with stability too and the only way to beat those gusts of windis to lie the upper half of your body horizontaly across thegas-tank and engine and the bike willstabilize justfine. Not my preferred style of riding but it works when the ride starts feeling unstable. I really haven'thad any other problems taking it well past 55 as far as comfort and stability go. Just relax andgive yourself some space around you on the highwayuntil you feel more comfortable.

Skip the therapy sessions and have some fun instead!!!

 

It's all in your head!

Unless your front end is wobbling, causing the bike to become unstable.

Just do what feels comfortable with you. Riding your bike on the highway especially on a breezy day can make anybody uneasy.

 

Have someone else ride your bike that has their license and is experienced and ask them how it feels. If they say fine, it's probably fine mechanicaly. I ride mine on the highway doing 80+ and it can be a little nerve wracking at first but you just have to want to have fun doing it. If you're constantly worried than it's probably not going to be fun. Like j_chris said, lean a little forward on your tank in a position that you feel comfortable with and sort of mold your body to the bike and a lot of the wind gusts and stuff I have experienced get better. There's always a little wind though, so just do it more and get comfortable with it and you should be ok.

 

Thanks so much for the advice!!! I've read a bunch of books trying to get some wisdom about riding and my favorite one so far (and most recent) is Twist of the Wrist II. It really covers a lot of how we get panicky and mess up in spite of ourselves. I've been experimenting with laying on the tank and it does help a little. I do think that most of it is in my head but I have a buddy that's been riding for years that I'm gonna have take it out today just to make sure. Since it's the only bike that I've ever ridden I don't have anything to compare it to. I think that the traffic does help to escalate my anxiety so I'm gonna be a little more careful about when and where I get on the highway for a while. I look forward to some more input and thanks so much for the ideas!!!

 

Don't overanalyze this stuff, Vegas. The more you focus on your fears, the larger they become. So focus instead on how you want it to go--smooth, relaxed, in-control and accident-free.
Remember is that you don't ~have~ to ride on the highway. Are there any deserted roads near you? Get accustomed to riding at 35, then 45, then gradually build your way up.
When it's windy, a nice light bike like the 500 can be tossed around a little bit more than a big-fat heavy bike, but if you stay loose, you and your bike will be fine. I've ridden the 500 in 35+ mph crosswinds on Hwy 666 south of Shiprock and it was pretty scary, but the more relaxed I remained, the more stable the bike felt. Focus on staying loose and those things that might seem catastrophic right now will become minor annoyances.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-Chris in Carlsbad, CA

 

Focusing on the fear is a good point. One thing that I've learned is how many skills and analogies about life can come from riding the bike. The natural tendency to go toward whatever you're looking at is something that I had
never considered before and I can see how it can be applied to so many things. This may be another one of those circumstances where I am allowing myself to visualize disaster instead of smooth, comfortable and safe riding. I'm going to consider that next time I'm out. I think that I will try not to think about it........
Thanks again and wish me luck!!!

 

One of the best and relaxing feelings you can get from riding is being on that open stretch of road nobody else drives on, and just enjoy everything around you. Don't constantly look down to see what your bike is doing, and don't look at the moving pavement either. Just enjoy all the scenery out in the distance.

By no means should you "zone out". Always be alert, but try and keep your mind as clear as possible when riding.

 

i'm pretty new to riding and my 500 since I only got it last October..... and at first highway was no option for me, since you do have to give it a nice break in period..... but anyways, after I finally decided to get on the freeway it was intimidating at first but after a while you forget about that and start enjoying the road and pay much attantion to the other stuff around you that you need to look at, like others on the road and the conditions of the road and on and on......

after riding the freeway for about 2 weeks straight, i was less aware of the speed and much less intimidated by it and it was just natural..... yes you get thrown around a bit, especailly with some higher winds like we had here lately in SoCal..... but all that is something that you adopt to with time!!!

i remember when maybe after about 1 month on the freeway I was coming back to work after a long lunch riding on the 170 freeway and got the bike at about 100 mph, didn't even realize..... yes, i did slow down right away - it was a little scarry to know how fast i was going, but that also changes with time i think............. anyways, all at your own pace - and you'll be just fine IMHO!