Serious advice needed: Super Blackbird as first bike???
Discussion
Jujuuk68 said:
GTIR said:
Have you actually read the OP's first post?
He's hardly likely to ride it like an arse if it belonged to an idol of his who died is he now. Especially as it's obvious he knows the possible dangers.
IMO he's not like a typical middle aged wannabe biker whatsoever.
Theres no one who doesn't make a mistake through inexperience. If you didn't then your the first and only, and should be snapped up by team Ducati in the tragic loss of Rossi to another team. Thats not riding like an arse, its just a total lack of roadcraft. Riding like an arse isn't just going too quickly. He's hardly likely to ride it like an arse if it belonged to an idol of his who died is he now. Especially as it's obvious he knows the possible dangers.
IMO he's not like a typical middle aged wannabe biker whatsoever.
This is someone without any experience, in a bike with the level of performance where it can go very wrong, very very quickly. And it doesn't need to be *his* fault, if the inexperience simply leads to freezing, or indecision in the face of a risk caused by someone else.
You can also crash on a 125 if someone pulls out in front of you in a 30 zone. Makes no difference what size the bike is.
dowahdiddyman said:
Pothole said:
In summary, OP, as you might have expected, the BB massive reckons you'll either kill yourself first time out or you'll be fine (forget 5 years on a 125, that's just f
king ridiculous) so the way to settle the matter is obviously to toss a coin.
It'll have about as much to tell you about your possible future as anything the slack-jawed brain donors have told you so far.
In the wrong hands a 125 stepthru is just as dangerous as a blackbird, in the right hands it`s just as safe.I do not consider myself a slack-jawed brain donor or a statistic waiting to happen, just giving the op some advise as I bought at the time one of the fastest road bikes when I had just passed my test.king ridiculous) so the way to settle the matter is obviously to toss a coin. It'll have about as much to tell you about your possible future as anything the slack-jawed brain donors have told you so far.
donutsina911 said:
black-k1 said:
The only issue with getting a big/fast/powerful bike as a first bike is if you think your enthusiasm is likely to overtake your skill. It's not the first 3 months that are likely to be a risk as you'll be taking it very gently and being careful. It's the months after that when your confidence has increased but your skill hasn't. If you feel you can restrain yourself then go for it.
I would recommend getting advanced training after you have passed your test. Learn how to read the road and how to set up correctly for hazards.
Great advice ... and then book in a Bikesafe or similar soon afterwards. I would recommend getting advanced training after you have passed your test. Learn how to read the road and how to set up correctly for hazards.
Outliar said:
Personally, I think safety on a bike like the Blackbird as a first bike has less to do with the bike and more to do with your skills and personality ... So I would say that some further training is essential: to be safe - and just as important, to enjoy your riding - you need to climb the learning curve faster than most people, which means some police road craft based training with an ex or serving police officer would give you the benefit of their superb skills. They will observe and analyse your riding and give you valuable feedback on weak spots, and how to be both safer and faster. Those that do this sort of training love bikes, and are passionate about passing on their skills and keeping more riders safe on the roads.
+4 for booking advanced training soon after passing your DAS. BikeSafe is a good 'pre-advanced' intro, which is great to do immediately after your DAS.I agree with Black-K1 that the issue with getting a Blackbird is your enthusiasm overtaking your skill. As he said, the biggest risk is when your confidence has increased. Hence the many recommendations for advanced training for a big boost your skills
Whatever you decide, good luck! I hope you get a bike and have tons of fun!
Pothole said:
dowahdiddyman said:
Pothole said:
In summary, OP, as you might have expected, the BB massive reckons you'll either kill yourself first time out or you'll be fine (forget 5 years on a 125, that's just fking ridiculous) so the way to settle the matter is obviously to toss a coin.
It'll have about as much to tell you about your possible future as anything the slack-jawed brain donors have told you so far.
In the wrong hands a 125 stepthru is just as dangerous as a blackbird, in the right hands it`s just as safe.I do not consider myself a slack-jawed brain donor or a statistic waiting to happen, just giving the op some advise as I bought at the time one of the fastest road bikes when I had just passed my test.king ridiculous) so the way to settle the matter is obviously to toss a coin. It'll have about as much to tell you about your possible future as anything the slack-jawed brain donors have told you so far.
Hmmmmm!.Constructive, informative and helpful! black-k1 said:
Pothole said:
dowahdiddyman said:
Pothole said:
In summary, OP, as you might have expected, the BB massive reckons you'll either kill yourself first time out or you'll be fine (forget 5 years on a 125, that's just fking ridiculous) so the way to settle the matter is obviously to toss a coin.
It'll have about as much to tell you about your possible future as anything the slack-jawed brain donors have told you so far.
In the wrong hands a 125 stepthru is just as dangerous as a blackbird, in the right hands it`s just as safe.I do not consider myself a slack-jawed brain donor or a statistic waiting to happen, just giving the op some advise as I bought at the time one of the fastest road bikes when I had just passed my test.king ridiculous) so the way to settle the matter is obviously to toss a coin. It'll have about as much to tell you about your possible future as anything the slack-jawed brain donors have told you so far.
Hmmmmm!.Constructive, informative and helpful! Would you be OK riding a Blackbird? Yes, if you have the right attitude.
Would you learn more, more quickly, on a lighter, less powerful, less intimidating bike? Also yes.
Accept the free Blackbird, spend a year on something that doesn't have so much ability to scare you, and use the time to return the Honda to pristine condition in memory of your cousin.
Would you learn more, more quickly, on a lighter, less powerful, less intimidating bike? Also yes.
Accept the free Blackbird, spend a year on something that doesn't have so much ability to scare you, and use the time to return the Honda to pristine condition in memory of your cousin.
catso said:
Dog Star said:
Silver993tt said:
You'll need at least 5 years on a 125 or similar bike to get your road skills.
No offence, but what a load of old bks. ks indeed, in t'olden days we didn't even have 125s, I've never even owned a 125, never mind ridden one for 5 years.gareth_r said:
Would you be OK riding a Blackbird? Yes, if you have the right attitude.
Would you learn more, more quickly, on a lighter, less powerful, less intimidating bike? Also yes.
Accept the free Blackbird, spend a year on something that doesn't have so much ability to scare you, and use the time to return the Honda to pristine condition in memory of your cousin.
That sums up my thoughts very well indeed! How succinct.Would you learn more, more quickly, on a lighter, less powerful, less intimidating bike? Also yes.
Accept the free Blackbird, spend a year on something that doesn't have so much ability to scare you, and use the time to return the Honda to pristine condition in memory of your cousin.
Personally I would not ride it until you have some good experience on the road. Bring the bike home and in the time do some work to it. After all it has been a sitting duck for a while right so I am sure it will need things doing to it.
I would start off on a geared 125 to get some experience and build your confidence. If your smart about it you can buy one , do it up and sell it for a little profit. After the 125 I would move up to either a 250cc or 600cc bike but not a sports bike. Something like an er6 would be great. Spend some time with the bigger bike and get used to it and after move up to the Blackbird.
Dont rush and take your time regardless if it take you 8 months or a couple of years to get the experience and knowledge together.
Pascal
I would start off on a geared 125 to get some experience and build your confidence. If your smart about it you can buy one , do it up and sell it for a little profit. After the 125 I would move up to either a 250cc or 600cc bike but not a sports bike. Something like an er6 would be great. Spend some time with the bigger bike and get used to it and after move up to the Blackbird.
Dont rush and take your time regardless if it take you 8 months or a couple of years to get the experience and knowledge together.
Pascal
Jujuuk68 said:
Theres no one who doesn't make a mistake through inexperience. If you didn't then your the first and only, and should be snapped up by team Ducati in the tragic loss of Rossi to another team. Thats not riding like an arse, its just a total lack of roadcraft. Riding like an arse isn't just going too quickly.
This is someone without any experience, in a bike with the level of performance where it can go very wrong, very very quickly. And it doesn't need to be *his* fault, if the inexperience simply leads to freezing, or indecision in the face of a risk caused by someone else.
True enough.This is someone without any experience, in a bike with the level of performance where it can go very wrong, very very quickly. And it doesn't need to be *his* fault, if the inexperience simply leads to freezing, or indecision in the face of a risk caused by someone else.
But it does not follow logically that buying say, a 500 or 600 (which seems to be the accepted first bike these days after a direct access course) is any safer. Or even a 250. Falling off a 125 at 50 is just as bad as falling off a 600. Going too fast into a corner is a judgment error, and the judgment doesn't get better 'cos you are riding a smaller engined bike. Any recent 500 or 600 bike is plenty powerful enough to get into trouble.
Only a complete idiot would open the throttle full wack on a thousand CC bike, with no experience and so no concept of what it will be like and how to handle the forces and control the launch. Most people have a sense of self preservation that would stop them doing this. This guy seems sensible and intelligent in his approach to bikes. There are plenty of 'experienced' bikers on 1000cc bikes out there with less sense, and I know who I'd rather accept a pillion ride from. If I really had to that is, I hate riding pillion with anyone (last time was with a Parisian bike taxi, and he was actually a very good rider).
I agree that the bike in question is heavy, and hence arguably will require more skill to hustle along at a decent pace. But as long as he keeps his throttle action under control, he can stay within his limits of experience and skill, pushing them slowly. My first bike was an Aprilia RS250, not exactly a slow bike but hard to extract the performance from (I never really learned during the short time I owned it). I quickly got bored and moved up to a CBR600, which was a much more forgiving bike to ride at any speed. I immediately did road craft training, and soon after my first race school. I learned more in these 4 days of training than many riders learn in 5 years of road riding (perhaps more). If he follows a similar route, he'll be fine.
I reckon I'm quite handy on a bike, but then don't we all? But I am miles away from a Superstock racer (I know, I've been on track with club racers and could not follow them) let alone Rossi. I would not agree racers are safer riders on the road, most of them lack that sense of self preservation, which is how they got so fast (combined with superhuman talent of course!).
Lastly, your point that 'it doesn't have to be his fault' applies to anyone who rides, no matter what the level of skill or experience. There is some luck Involved in surviving as a road rider, and all of us more mature riders with biker mates know riders who have hung up their leathers no longer willing to accept the risk when kids come along.
So I say to you OP, go for it but just spend every penny you can on further training. And enjoy the ride!
To the OP: I got a Blackbird last June after 4 years of biking (I started on a Street Triple, then a Daytona, then a Speed Triple), and bloody love it. It'll last you forever, do everything you want it to and you will grow into it (as long as you take it sensibly to start with - and you sound like you will).
Your skills will grow with time, and as you get more confident, the Blackbird will keep impressing you! Two hours ago I got back from one-night trip in Wales with some friends on their bikes and another bikey friend in his Noble. Even just on this trip my confidence and ability grew quite a bit. And nope, none of us could keep up with the Noble across more twisty Welsh roads (but my Noble friend does test drive fast cars for a living). On the more sweeping bends at silly speeds, the Blackbird kept up just fine, and felt amazing leant over at utterly silly speeds.
My suggestion is this: take the Blackbird, take some time to learn how to ride it well, and go and have some bloody amazing adventures on it. You won't regret it for a moment.
Your skills will grow with time, and as you get more confident, the Blackbird will keep impressing you! Two hours ago I got back from one-night trip in Wales with some friends on their bikes and another bikey friend in his Noble. Even just on this trip my confidence and ability grew quite a bit. And nope, none of us could keep up with the Noble across more twisty Welsh roads (but my Noble friend does test drive fast cars for a living). On the more sweeping bends at silly speeds, the Blackbird kept up just fine, and felt amazing leant over at utterly silly speeds.
My suggestion is this: take the Blackbird, take some time to learn how to ride it well, and go and have some bloody amazing adventures on it. You won't regret it for a moment.
Just to add, my son was doing 30mph on a 125cc, with his lights on, when a car pulled out on him from a side street on the left, he was VERY lucky not to have his lower left leg amputated. He is left with one leg slightly shorter than the other and horrific scars from plastic surgery.
The point I am trying to make is don't make the mistake thinking EVEN 125's are safe.
Treat EVERY car driver as if they are out to kill you, and you will be OK.
That advice goes to anyone reading this thread.
The point I am trying to make is don't make the mistake thinking EVEN 125's are safe.
Treat EVERY car driver as if they are out to kill you, and you will be OK.
That advice goes to anyone reading this thread.
Wacky Racer said:
Just to add, my son was doing 30mph on a 125cc, with his lights on, when a car pulled out on him from a side street on the left, he was VERY lucky not to have his lower left leg amputated. He is left with one leg slightly shorter than the other and horrific scars from plastic surgery.
The point I am trying to make is don't make the mistake thinking EVEN 125's are safe.
Treat EVERY car driver as if they are out to kill you, and you will be OK.
That advice goes to anyone reading this thread.
And I very nearly killed myself dead on a 100cc bike when I was 20.The point I am trying to make is don't make the mistake thinking EVEN 125's are safe.
Treat EVERY car driver as if they are out to kill you, and you will be OK.
That advice goes to anyone reading this thread.
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