Newbie - first 200 mi reflection

I'm into my second week of riding and just broke 200 mi on my Intuder 800. I allways thought I could drive anything with gears. I'm very smooth driving my car allways knowing what gear I'm in, my engine speed, etc. Boy is a bike different.

So many things to do at one time. Its difficult enough to get a smooth start, never mind that you have to keep the bike balanced and look good doing it. I realized that getting caught in heavy traffic can be quite intimidating. Balancing the bike at a 5 point major intersection with all those huge cars glaring at me like there gonna tackle me all at once, boy I actually got nervous at one point. Just kept breathing though and got thru it.

Shifting thru the gears on a bike sure is different than a car. I never seam to know what gear I'm in. I almost wish there was an indicator of some kind. Thank goodness I can hear my engine and use it as a guide. I keep looking for 6th gear when on the road, and seem to allways find neutral when starting, its a good thing I keep my eyes closed (just kidding).

Riding along at 50 or 60 mph doesn't even compare to 100 mph in a car. It is simply a different world.

Overall, I'll rate my experience for the first 200 mi as somewhere between 7 to 9 (with blips hitting 15) out of 10. I'm looking forward to getting more comfortable and truly becoming one with my bike. Right now its more like we are just getting acquainted.