…that I noticed when taking the MSF course (on a 250cc bike moving at low speed in a parking lot) was how quickly I could provoke that peculiar sensation you get when you start to lose control.
For me, it’s a combination of a fleeting mental realization that something’s not right + a queasy feeling in my stomach that there’s trouble coming fast.
In my riding since, I still get it from time to time when I screw something up like get a line in a turn wrong, or jerk the throttle open.
It’s scary, and always soon after I bring things back under positive control (fortunately), I’m flooded with a sensation of being incredibly grateful for having a forgiving bike. And that sensation is WAY stronger for me than any feelings on inadequacy/envy I get when I roll up next to a supersport in traffic.
I agree with Gary…there’s no such thing as respecting a bike. You either have the skill & judgement combination to handle it, or you don’t. When it comes to supersports, I envy those that do, either naturally or through their experience; I’m honest with myself that I don’t, so I stay away…for now anyway!