The road to passing your licence

[Baryonyx]

Well, I've booked my first proper lesson on a big bike for next Monday.


The driving force behind it was twofold. First of all, I wanted to get my car through it's MOT in February and I wasn't really sure what the damage would be. On the one hand, it seemed solid and mostly fault free. A few creaks from old bushes at the back but mainly fine, and a noisy wheel bearing. But it's an ageing Jaguar, so prices could easily be refreshingly 'Ford' or depressingly 'Jaguar'! The ultimate cost was only £160 (and a lot of stress, if you've read about the fking nightmare I had with both car and bike last week).


That, and I just can't be arsed riding a 125cc bike anymore. Everyone at work kept asking 'when are you doing your test, Cliff?', so before my CBT runs out in December I thought I better get on with it. Don't get me wrong, the 125 experience has been invaluable. Although I initially found riding it quite nerve-wracking, I soon settled into controlling the bike and managing different situations. I've had lots of experience in the wind and rain, during busy rush hour traffic when everyone is going hell for leather to get home and in the early morning when most commuters are still half asleep. I'd recommend such learning on your own to anyone (if you hold a driving licence, that is, not sure I'd recommend riding a motorbike on a CBT as an introduction to the road these days!). However, not being able to top 60mph at the best of times soon gets tiring, and a complete lack of weather and wind protection isn't ideal for a commute that takes in a long uphill D/C stretch). I decided I'd look to sell my CG125 come May, to bank my NCB and get a bigger bike. And if I'm going to do that, I'm going to need a full licence.



So, I've been on the phone to Newcastle Rider Training at http://www.motorcycletraining.net/index.html, of whom I did my CBT with, and I've booked a lesson for next Monday. They come with good recommendations for the DAS, as a few of my friends have passed with them and had a great time doing it. So I've started this thread to document my progress and hopefully I'll have passed soon. I'd like to have done a quick course to test route but I don't think I'll be able to fit that round my work shifts. On the other hand, at least I get time off during the week so I won't have to duke it out for a Saturday test spot!

[BuzzBravado]

I recently done my DAS and i found the big bikes much easier to ride than the 125's. Way more relaxing on a big bike too. You will enjoy it.

[thatdude]

Best of luck with it, although like many I found a bigger bike easier to ride (felt more planted, the clutch was better, the brakes worked better, the suspension didnt pogo everywhere and the tyres felt like they had grip!)

You'l have a great time!

[Mastodon2]

Good luck, you'll find the power of the bigger bikes more than adequate, but really they're no different to ride than smaller bikes. All the controls are the same, they're just bigger, more comfortable and don't need to be ridden with the throttle to the stop all the time.

[gwm]

Good luck mate, I echo the comments that I found bigger bikes much easier to ride than any 125 I'd had beforehand.

[Baryonyx]

thatdude said:

Best of luck with it, although like many I found a bigger bike easier to ride (felt more planted, the clutch was better, the brakes worked better, the suspension didnt pogo everywhere and the tyres felt like they had grip!)

You'l have a great time!

That pretty much sums up my thoughts on what I don't like about 125's. Gripless tyres with no shoulder to lean down on, soft and bouncy suspension that isn't made for husky boys like me, awful brakes and diving forks and wheezing engines. I'm happy with the clutches on them but I can see that they're harder work than on a big bike as you've got to get the throttle and the release right to push the bike off and avoid stalling or bogging down. The upsides are the extremely cheap running costs and the minuscule footprint and width means you can filter them with great ease. Inner city work, they feel fine but on the open road their failings become apparent.

I've ridden a mates CBF600 round a gated car park at work during the night and found it very refreshing. Pulls away with almost no throttle, very stable and graceful feeling. Doesn't 'sag' when you sit on it. I can see why they'd be a nicer thing to ride on the road. Looking forward to getting on with my lessons and enjoying myself now.

[Deranged Granny]

Good luck and enjoy. Would echo what the others said about bigger bikes; miles easier to ride.

[CaptainSlow]

I thought 125s were the bees knees?

[Baryonyx]

CaptainSlow said:

I thought 125s were the bees knees?

Great for learning on, definitely. And great for commuting on, providing you're not going too far, or need to go too fast.

Just had my first proper lesson after doing my CBT in December 2013. It was very enjoyable. The time I've put in with my own bike has definitely helped, and after a quick couple of circuits I was on the road on the school's CG125. Being a different model to mine, it felt quite different to ride. The biggest difference was after about ten minutes of riding, the instructor advised me to get as close to the tank as I could, rather than sitting upright with my legs in a relaxed position. I can't say if this helped or hindered me massively, but as I tackled some tighter corners and mini-roundabouts I did think the bike felt very stable so I suppose the benefit of centralising my weight on the bike was felt.

The riding was fun, and we did a few B-roads, stopping about halfway through the session for a leg stretch and a talk about bends, positioning and steering. I then did a quick pillion ride as the instructor demonstrated how little force was required to turn the bike, pushing the bars with one finger to turn it. It's the first time I've ridden pillion and I didn't particularly enjoy it, so I won't be rushing back to a pillion seat.

The only real issue I had was the U-turns, I could not consistently perform them on tighter roads. I've done hundreds on my bike at work in the back yard, although probably not as tight as the kerb to kerb ones I did on a small street today. We moved off to an industrial estate afterwards where there was maybe another foot between the kerbs to work with and they were much easier there, although the biggest issue remains cramp. Being a big lad, sat forward on the CG125, as I was doing the U-turns I could feel the outside of my thighs and arsecheeks cramping up. This pain was distracting, and my concentration suffered. I stood up on the bike and punched my leg and arsecheek, which numbed them and loosened the cramp and I was able to get another couple of successful U-turns before the pain came back again.


I'm back again tomorrow, riding a CB500. Hopefully, having a bit more space to flex on the bike should mean I can successfully perform those U-turns with a degree of consistency. When I picked my bike up from work at the weekend, I'll be practising many of them in my own time. I'm hoping the bigger bike will smooth this rough edge off, as I've found them much easier to ride slowly in the past.

[Tall_Paul]

Enjoy that moment when you open the throttle all the way in any gear apart from 4th/5th/top, it'll stay with you for a while

I remember opening the throttle fully in 3rd at 15-20mph on my er6-n school bike, I was not ready for the 2 seconds of acceleration up to 35 mph :

[CaptainSlow]

OK good luck.

I was/am crap at u turns...my first successful one was on my MOD1. They will be easier on the bigger bike.

[Baryonyx]

You were brave to go to the MOD 1 test without having done one. Did you go through as a private entrant or was your instructor confident you'd nail it on the day?

[BobSaunders]

Did my Mod1 today. U-turns are my nemesis. Everything else is great - slow ride, slalom and figure of eights are no problem.

I failed my first Mod1 because of them, and nearly failed again today - i put my foot down (again), basically i ran out of steam during the maneuver, but i had made it to the other side - just..! I thought i had failed.

Basically due to nerves, and making a thing out of something that wasn't really there i had screwed up.

Onto Mod2 next week and trying to figure out what bike i want...

Good luck OP.

Edited by BobSaunders on Monday 9th March 19:26

Edited by BobSaunders on Monday 9th March 19:35

[Baryonyx]

How do they mark out the U turn on the MOD 1 course? Is the cone on the outside or the inside of the space you have to turn in (ie is the width marker on the offside or nearside of the bike when you turn into it)?

[Mastodon2]

It's two white lines painted on the ground. The key to U turns is setting the gas and clutch while moving forward, lifesaver, turn in and keep the power on. I found I used to use the clutch to feed in more power on the way out of the U, make the bike feel more stable as it stood up out of the turn. When you start cutting the power to the wheel mid-turn, that is when you make an arse of it. As long as you're giving the back wheel decent drive, you can actually do incredibly tight U turns.

[BobSaunders]

Baryonyx said:

How do they mark out the U turn on the MOD 1 course? Is the cone on the outside or the inside of the space you have to turn in (ie is the width marker on the offside or nearside of the bike when you turn into it)?

It is between two lines - no cones except to mark out where the lines start and end. Approx three car parking spaces wide, two in length. You need to treat it like a road so life savers, then proceed.

I learned to lifesaver enter, stop, life saver and set off. I learned to give it some welly and then pull the clutch in and coast round - for me this was the best technique, others slip the clutch, or welly it round.

On slalom, figure of 8, and slow ride i just use the clutch to give drive - so opposite. It just works for me.

[groundcontrol]

Good stuff, I did the same as you OP and had a 125 for a little while before going into my lessons on the 600s, which was a significant step up in comfort. (Un)fortunately my dad was paying for everything so my own guilt didn't afford me the luxury of wasting his money on very many lessons, so it was just one before each test. Guess the pressure worked out in the end as I passed, and he smiled a smile of financial relief. I think this was due to the experiences on the 125 though, the tests were more about knowing speed limits and doing lifesavers enough, etc.

As mentioned on the u-turns going a bit quicker is better than a bit slower I found. I was also told to focus on a point in the middle of the road and ride round that point while keeping an eye on it, which helped greatly. Similarly, during the figure 8 just stare at the cone you're riding round and the bike will follow.

[carmadgaz]

Baryonyx said:

How do they mark out the U turn on the MOD 1 course? Is the cone on the outside or the inside of the space you have to turn in (ie is the width marker on the offside or nearside of the bike when you turn into it)?

A Pair of white lines on the course (no cones). Can take as much or as little of the space as you need, just don't cross the lines.

This video sums it all up nicely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8qoQ5d3rA

The whole thing takes no time at all once you are out there. The assessor will go through each exercise (with a diagram) with you before you execute them.

Are you going for A or A2? I find my GS125 like riding a bicycle but oddly (to me anyway) the CBF600 I'm doing my test on does feel more stable even at low speed.

[BobSaunders]

I went from 125, to 500, to 650 (in a space of three days as a newbie biker).

Huge difference between 125 and 500, and again a considerable gulf between 500 to 650. 650 is so much easier to ride and such a pleasure.

Quite excited about seeing the difference between 650 and a litre, but, i am unsure if i want a litre as a newbie with only 16 years of car driving. Only trying them out will tell.

Good luck OP.

[mga32]

BobSaunders said:

I went from 125, to 500, to 650 (in a space of three days as a newbie biker).

Huge difference between 125 and 500, and again a considerable gulf between 500 to 650. 650 is so much easier to ride and such a pleasure.

Quite excited about seeing the difference between 650 and a litre, but, i am unsure if i want a litre as a newbie with only 16 years of car driving. Only trying them out will tell.

Good luck OP.

I passed last year onto a CBR 600 RR, then onto a Fireblade 4 weeks later! The power is insane on these bikes, I don't think I have managed past half throttle yet!

Very good fun though