A complete biker newbie
Discussion
evil len said:
But that comes with years of experience and instinct. You cannot expect a newbie to have level of observation when at first they are nowhere near subconsciously competent in riding the vehicle, and the majority on their concentration is on the pure mechanics of riding the bike itself, changing gear, not falling off, and getting round the next corner. Therefore it's safer to tell a newbie to be overly cautious ... with time they'll develop the skills you speak of, but not straight after doing their CBT.
Observation and instinct are the preserve of car drivers as well as bikers. So if the OP has spent many years on the road before now, it shouldn't be an issue.If you're having difficulty changing gear and staying upright after more than a few weeks then you have a problem.
evil len said:
4. Get good kit. Then wear it. All the time. If you are too hot/too cold, you're wearing the wrong kit.
What kit would you suggest to stay cool in hot weather? Nothing I have ever worn with even a hint of protection has been cool enough. I currently use kevlar jeans and a Spada mesh summer jacket over a thin T-shirt and frequently feel way to hot.Mr2Mike said:
evil len said:
4. Get good kit. Then wear it. All the time. If you are too hot/too cold, you're wearing the wrong kit.
What kit would you suggest to stay cool in hot weather? Nothing I have ever worn with even a hint of protection has been cool enough. I currently use kevlar jeans and a Spada mesh summer jacket over a thin T-shirt and frequently feel way to hot.Mr2Mike said:
What kit would you suggest to stay cool in hot weather? Nothing I have ever worn with even a hint of protection has been cool enough. I currently use kevlar jeans and a Spada mesh summer jacket over a thin T-shirt and frequently feel way to hot.
Even when moving ? Maybe I'm just cold blooded ...evil len said:
Even when moving ? Maybe I'm just cold blooded ...
Yep, if it's a hot day I often feel too warm even when moving. I do feel the heat though, I only wear a T-shirt or work shirt under my textile jacket in winter unless it's properly cold. I can understand why some people wear T-shorts and shorts on a bike/scooter in summer, even though it's an immensely stupid thing to do.
Joey Ramone said:
For a start, don't listen to people who tell you to ride as if every other road user is trying to kill you. Logically, if that were the case, then as a human being of even basic intelligence you simply wouldn't get on a motorbike.
They key is to understand, quickly and subconsciously, which road users present a threat (about 1%) and which do not (the remainder). That's a combination of instinct and observation. And a lot of it is down to eye contact. When I'm behind a car I'm looking at their rear view and drivers side mirrors. I like to see eye contact if possible. If not, you can sort of tell quite quickly whether they are competent/predictable just by the way they drive. At junctions, eye contact again.I want to see them looking right at me (and even then I'm prepared for the possibility they've actually looked right through me). Overtaking is what being on a bike is all about, but never into a closing gap. On that note, you need a firm understanding of precisely what your bike can do in what gear. I'm on a Blackbird so overtakes are a piece of piss - muchos power and heavy engine braking make it easy. But I got given a 750cc Deauville as a courtesy bike one day and utterly overestimated its capabilities in that respect, causing myself a few jitters in the process. Never buy a Deauville.
Watch out for road surfaces. Wet metal (manhole covers) and wet paint (road markings) will have you off if you brake hard on them. Gravel too. Fog is an absolute b
h. Ice is a no-no. Filtering is great, and should be done when possible, but at a sensible speed, and watch out for turning front wheels indicating that a driver is about to swing out in front of you. When filtering along a packed motorway or dual carriageway, when cars are jammed side by side, you can relax. When gaps start opening up however, that's when people decide that they simply must change lanes instantaneously and without looking. So if you're filtering and see a car with a gap to one side, watch out.
Cornering is a piece of piss. If it doesn't come naturally then you shouldn't be on a bike. As others will say, just look where you want to go.
More tips to follow, I suspect.
For you. They key is to understand, quickly and subconsciously, which road users present a threat (about 1%) and which do not (the remainder). That's a combination of instinct and observation. And a lot of it is down to eye contact. When I'm behind a car I'm looking at their rear view and drivers side mirrors. I like to see eye contact if possible. If not, you can sort of tell quite quickly whether they are competent/predictable just by the way they drive. At junctions, eye contact again.I want to see them looking right at me (and even then I'm prepared for the possibility they've actually looked right through me). Overtaking is what being on a bike is all about, but never into a closing gap. On that note, you need a firm understanding of precisely what your bike can do in what gear. I'm on a Blackbird so overtakes are a piece of piss - muchos power and heavy engine braking make it easy. But I got given a 750cc Deauville as a courtesy bike one day and utterly overestimated its capabilities in that respect, causing myself a few jitters in the process. Never buy a Deauville.
Watch out for road surfaces. Wet metal (manhole covers) and wet paint (road markings) will have you off if you brake hard on them. Gravel too. Fog is an absolute b
h. Ice is a no-no. Filtering is great, and should be done when possible, but at a sensible speed, and watch out for turning front wheels indicating that a driver is about to swing out in front of you. When filtering along a packed motorway or dual carriageway, when cars are jammed side by side, you can relax. When gaps start opening up however, that's when people decide that they simply must change lanes instantaneously and without looking. So if you're filtering and see a car with a gap to one side, watch out.Cornering is a piece of piss. If it doesn't come naturally then you shouldn't be on a bike. As others will say, just look where you want to go.
More tips to follow, I suspect.
OP, miles under your belt at your own pace is the best way to learn.
Joey Ramone said:
Overtaking is what being on a bike is all about, but never into a closing gap. On that note, you need a firm understanding of precisely what your bike can do in what gear. I'm on a Blackbird so overtakes are a piece of piss - muchos power and heavy engine braking make it easy. But I got given a 750cc Deauville as a courtesy bike one day and utterly overestimated its capabilities in that respect, causing myself a few jitters in the process. Never buy a Deauville.
I can see how riding the once world's fastest bike and then riding a Deauville without making an accommodation for the performance difference could leave you in some trouble. 
srob said:
OP, miles under your belt at your own pace is the best way to learn.
I've been getting that impression. It was a pain in the arse having the bike and no CBT, now I have that the bike is in bits and it's' really frustrating 
New forks should be here shortly though
Thanks for all the info and tips guys, will let you know how I get on after some miles have passed
Joey Ramone said:
For a start, don't listen to people who tell you to ride as if every other road user is trying to kill you. Logically, if that were the case, then as a human being of even basic intelligence you simply wouldn't get on a motorbike.
They key is to understand, quickly and subconsciously, which road users present a threat (about 1%) and which do not (the remainder). That's a combination of instinct and observation. And a lot of it is down to eye contact. When I'm behind a car I'm looking at their rear view and drivers side mirrors. I like to see eye contact if possible. If not, you can sort of tell quite quickly whether they are competent/predictable just by the way they drive. At junctions, eye contact again.I want to see them looking right at me (and even then I'm prepared for the possibility they've actually looked right through me). Overtaking is what being on a bike is all about, but never into a closing gap. On that note, you need a firm understanding of precisely what your bike can do in what gear. I'm on a Blackbird so overtakes are a piece of piss - muchos power and heavy engine braking make it easy. But I got given a 750cc Deauville as a courtesy bike one day and utterly overestimated its capabilities in that respect, causing myself a few jitters in the process. Never buy a Deauville.
Watch out for road surfaces. Wet metal (manhole covers) and wet paint (road markings) will have you off if you brake hard on them. Gravel too. Fog is an absolute bh. Ice is a no-no. Filtering is great, and should be done when possible, but at a sensible speed, and watch out for turning front wheels indicating that a driver is about to swing out in front of you. When filtering along a packed motorway or dual carriageway, when cars are jammed side by side, you can relax. When gaps start opening up however, that's when people decide that they simply must change lanes instantaneously and without looking. So if you're filtering and see a car with a gap to one side, watch out.
Cornering is a piece of piss. If it doesn't come naturally then you shouldn't be on a bike. As others will say, just look where you want to go.
More tips to follow, I suspect.
Good advice especially from a dead guy! have you been near that pet cemetery again!?They key is to understand, quickly and subconsciously, which road users present a threat (about 1%) and which do not (the remainder). That's a combination of instinct and observation. And a lot of it is down to eye contact. When I'm behind a car I'm looking at their rear view and drivers side mirrors. I like to see eye contact if possible. If not, you can sort of tell quite quickly whether they are competent/predictable just by the way they drive. At junctions, eye contact again.I want to see them looking right at me (and even then I'm prepared for the possibility they've actually looked right through me). Overtaking is what being on a bike is all about, but never into a closing gap. On that note, you need a firm understanding of precisely what your bike can do in what gear. I'm on a Blackbird so overtakes are a piece of piss - muchos power and heavy engine braking make it easy. But I got given a 750cc Deauville as a courtesy bike one day and utterly overestimated its capabilities in that respect, causing myself a few jitters in the process. Never buy a Deauville.
Watch out for road surfaces. Wet metal (manhole covers) and wet paint (road markings) will have you off if you brake hard on them. Gravel too. Fog is an absolute b
h. Ice is a no-no. Filtering is great, and should be done when possible, but at a sensible speed, and watch out for turning front wheels indicating that a driver is about to swing out in front of you. When filtering along a packed motorway or dual carriageway, when cars are jammed side by side, you can relax. When gaps start opening up however, that's when people decide that they simply must change lanes instantaneously and without looking. So if you're filtering and see a car with a gap to one side, watch out.Cornering is a piece of piss. If it doesn't come naturally then you shouldn't be on a bike. As others will say, just look where you want to go.
More tips to follow, I suspect.
Well the forks arrived on Thursday, I dropped them off to see this sad sight...
On the upside I got a phone call about 930 that night telling me she was good to go
Had a quick run out on 'er home in the dark (headlight turning with me was novel
) and popped 'er back in the shed.
After work I decided to take 'er out for a run up the road, only 20miles or so (with a tea break halfway
) and found I really need to relax more while out on the bike. Spent too much time over analysing everything. Sure that will settle down after a while. Did manage to find a straight for a top speed run though (98kph woo 
).
I have found that the bike has already had an effect on my car driving, my observations on the road are much improved!
On the upside I got a phone call about 930 that night telling me she was good to go
Had a quick run out on 'er home in the dark (headlight turning with me was novel
) and popped 'er back in the shed.After work I decided to take 'er out for a run up the road, only 20miles or so (with a tea break halfway
) and found I really need to relax more while out on the bike. Spent too much time over analysing everything. Sure that will settle down after a while. Did manage to find a straight for a top speed run though (98kph woo ).I have found that the bike has already had an effect on my car driving, my observations on the road are much improved!
I've been thinking of embarking on the same path after having a recent realisation that, theoretically at least, a quick bike would be much more suited to me and much more cost effective than a fast car. Quite fancy pottering about on a 125 for a bit and seeing how I like the whole biking thing first(not counting my scooter days as a 16 year-old!). It's good to see how someone else is getting on.
Gypsum Fantastic said:
I've been thinking of embarking on the same path after having a recent realisation that, theoretically at least, a quick bike would be much more suited to me and much more cost effective than a fast car. Quite fancy pottering about on a 125 for a bit and seeing how I like the whole biking thing first(not counting my scooter days as a 16 year-old!). It's good to see how someone else is getting on.
Yes, they are a lot cheaper in the long run, but they're expensive in the short term, if you factor in licence cost and safety gear. For performance, they offer way better value for money, and unless "fast car" to you means something seriously quick in car terms, even a 600 sports bike will make them look silly in comparison.I'm sure riding a 125 will serve as a good indicator as to whether or not you'll like biking - I loved riding them when I was learning, I still wouldn't say no to a go on one, but they are very, very different to riding a big bike. A 125 is probably the slowest thing on the road that you're likely to encounter day to day, the 0-40 is not bad but they generally struggle above 50mph and most top out aroud 65-70mph, whereas when you're on a big bike, you'll probably be the quickest thing on the road, apart from other bikes. That said, I defy anyone to ride a 125 and not fall in love with things like filtering through traffic jams, getting away first at the lights, free parking, bus lane usage etc.
vonuber said:
Small point, but shouldn't you have L plates front and rear?
Anyway, be careful if you enter and underpasses with dips as these are likely to collect a lot of oil etc; they can be especially lethal when combined with a bend (kingsway underpass I'm looking at you).
L-plate on the front was out of the way while the forks were dismantled, is currently mounted to the RHS (oddly you can't see it in either pic) but will be moved back to the center now it has forks again.Anyway, be careful if you enter and underpasses with dips as these are likely to collect a lot of oil etc; they can be especially lethal when combined with a bend (kingsway underpass I'm looking at you).
I'm yokel so I should be safe from underpasses for a while, biggest issue here is trying not to hold up the A-road traffic as the bike is happiest at 50mph (60 is possible if I basically lie down).
Gypsum Fantastic said:
I've been thinking of embarking on the same path after having a recent realisation that, theoretically at least, a quick bike would be much more suited to me and much more cost effective than a fast car. Quite fancy pottering about on a 125 for a bit and seeing how I like the whole biking thing first(not counting my scooter days as a 16 year-old!). It's good to see how someone else is getting on.
This is my current plan, hopefully next year I'll be confident enough to start DSA. Biggest ballache at the moment is the having to maneuver the bike out of its garage every morning! Mastodon2 said:
Yes, they are a lot cheaper in the long run, but they're expensive in the short term, if you factor in licence cost and safety gear. For performance, they offer way better value for money, and unless "fast car" to you means something seriously quick in car terms, even a 600 sports bike will make them look silly in comparison.
I'm sure riding a 125 will serve as a good indicator as to whether or not you'll like biking - I loved riding them when I was learning, I still wouldn't say no to a go on one, but they are very, very different to riding a big bike. A 125 is probably the slowest thing on the road that you're likely to encounter day to day, the 0-40 is not bad but they generally struggle above 50mph and most top out aroud 65-70mph, whereas when you're on a big bike, you'll probably be the quickest thing on the road, apart from other bikes. That said, I defy anyone to ride a 125 and not fall in love with things like filtering through traffic jams, getting away first at the lights, free parking, bus lane usage etc.
My current car is an Evo 9 FQ-340, so it's certainly quick by car standards, a sports bike is obviously in a different league. As much as I like the car, being my second Evo I've got a bit used to it and I have begun to yearn for something a bit more lively and involving. I'm sure riding a 125 will serve as a good indicator as to whether or not you'll like biking - I loved riding them when I was learning, I still wouldn't say no to a go on one, but they are very, very different to riding a big bike. A 125 is probably the slowest thing on the road that you're likely to encounter day to day, the 0-40 is not bad but they generally struggle above 50mph and most top out aroud 65-70mph, whereas when you're on a big bike, you'll probably be the quickest thing on the road, apart from other bikes. That said, I defy anyone to ride a 125 and not fall in love with things like filtering through traffic jams, getting away first at the lights, free parking, bus lane usage etc.
The problem I have is that it is my only car (don't have space for another), so I use it for the daily commute and everything else. The short service intervals mean I haven't had it a year, and will shortly be getting its second service done. Added to fuel, tyres, etc it all mounts up while I'm racking up the mileage.
My logic is that I can sell that and can afford a car to use daily, a bike for the performance/fun, and have change to spare. The 125 would just be a learner tool really to get to grips with handling a bike, the controls, awareness, filtering etc. It's a good point you make about essentially going from the slowest thing on the road to the fastest! I'd just be dinking about town and going out on random rides on local backroads on the 125, so the lack of power won't bother me much and hopefully more biking experience will make me better prepared for when I get on something quick (which is another thing to get used to in itself!)
Well I have been out and about for a month now and I have to say I'm loving it
Starting to get the confidence on the bike which is helping me to relax which in turn is helping the handling and my confidence. Getting quite attached to the little buzzbox too!
Had the opportunity to try out a mate's Jinlun Cruiser yesterday, took it down to the MOT station and I was very glad I ignored the lure of a newer Chinese bike and went for and older Jap. Very comfy but all felt very cheap. As a bonus jumping back on mine after the test made mine feel like a BMX (apparently the Suzi is only 30kgs lighter, it feels a LOT less).
Going to have to look at doing my theory soon, I already fancy something with a little more poke
not R1 territory but something I can cruise on at 60 on the A-roads rather than a bike that has to be ragged to go more than 55 (and I don't want to rag the poor thing).
Starting to get the confidence on the bike which is helping me to relax which in turn is helping the handling and my confidence. Getting quite attached to the little buzzbox too!
Had the opportunity to try out a mate's Jinlun Cruiser yesterday, took it down to the MOT station and I was very glad I ignored the lure of a newer Chinese bike and went for and older Jap. Very comfy but all felt very cheap. As a bonus jumping back on mine after the test made mine feel like a BMX (apparently the Suzi is only 30kgs lighter, it feels a LOT less).
Going to have to look at doing my theory soon, I already fancy something with a little more poke
not R1 territory but something I can cruise on at 60 on the A-roads rather than a bike that has to be ragged to go more than 55 (and I don't want to rag the poor thing).carmadgaz said:
Well I have been out and about for a month now and I have to say I'm loving it
Starting to get the confidence on the bike which is helping me to relax which in turn is helping the handling and my confidence. Getting quite attached to the little buzzbox too!
Had the opportunity to try out a mate's Jinlun Cruiser yesterday, took it down to the MOT station and I was very glad I ignored the lure of a newer Chinese bike and went for and older Jap. Very comfy but all felt very cheap. As a bonus jumping back on mine after the test made mine feel like a BMX (apparently the Suzi is only 30kgs lighter, it feels a LOT less).
Going to have to look at doing my theory soon, I already fancy something with a <b>little more poke</b> not R1 territory but something I can cruise on at 60 on the A-roads rather than a bike that has to be ragged to go more than 55 (and I don't want to rag the poor thing).
Keep it in the same family and get yourself a nice Suzuki Bandit! Perfect step up and great value for money.Starting to get the confidence on the bike which is helping me to relax which in turn is helping the handling and my confidence. Getting quite attached to the little buzzbox too!
Had the opportunity to try out a mate's Jinlun Cruiser yesterday, took it down to the MOT station and I was very glad I ignored the lure of a newer Chinese bike and went for and older Jap. Very comfy but all felt very cheap. As a bonus jumping back on mine after the test made mine feel like a BMX (apparently the Suzi is only 30kgs lighter, it feels a LOT less).
Going to have to look at doing my theory soon, I already fancy something with a <b>little more poke</b>
not R1 territory but something I can cruise on at 60 on the A-roads rather than a bike that has to be ragged to go more than 55 (and I don't want to rag the poor thing).stoneb09 said:
Keep it in the same family and get yourself a nice Suzuki Bandit! Perfect step up and great value for money.
I have had a glance at the larger members of the Suzuki family, will at some point go take a look at a few, see how I get on fitment wise. Despite being 6'2" I'm quite comfortable on the GS125 position wise Had a run out to Shelsley Walsh hillclimb today. Felt a little bit of an impostor parked among the big boy bikes (especially when Robin turned up on the big orange monster above
) but really enjoyed the ride out.
Hadn't appreciated before how much the wind affects a bike on the road until today though
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff