I don't know s**t. Where do I start?
Discussion
Do you have license? It's usually a good place to start assuming you're planning to ride on the road!
Do your CBT (1 day course on a 125cc bike), this will give you some idea of whether your interest is more than a passing fancy.
If you go a bit further than this then get down your local bike shop, have a good mooch around, chat to people, sit on a few bikes.
Then you can start thinking about what sort of riding you might do... All year commuting? Bumbling round town? Summer road rides? Green laning? Track days?
Do your CBT (1 day course on a 125cc bike), this will give you some idea of whether your interest is more than a passing fancy.
If you go a bit further than this then get down your local bike shop, have a good mooch around, chat to people, sit on a few bikes.
Then you can start thinking about what sort of riding you might do... All year commuting? Bumbling round town? Summer road rides? Green laning? Track days?
CBT - often done in a day at a weekend. Let’s you ride smaller bikes on L plates (125 essentially). Once you’ve done that, if you enjoy it, book a 3-5 day direct access course.
Edit: You’ll have to do a theory test too, so if you enjoy CBT book that straight away to avoid any delays.
Edit: You’ll have to do a theory test too, so if you enjoy CBT book that straight away to avoid any delays.
Edited by syl on Saturday 27th April 07:34
Don't be put off if you don't like the CBT bit.
When I did mine a lot of the day was spent telling you all the various ways you can die on a bike followed by riding round a carpark in 1st gear being told off for slipping the clutch even though any revs meant you were too fast for some of the cones.
TBH its an expensive ballache getting an unrestricted bike licence these days. Worth it though. I'd find life a lot less enjoyable without a bike in the garage.
When I did mine a lot of the day was spent telling you all the various ways you can die on a bike followed by riding round a carpark in 1st gear being told off for slipping the clutch even though any revs meant you were too fast for some of the cones.
TBH its an expensive ballache getting an unrestricted bike licence these days. Worth it though. I'd find life a lot less enjoyable without a bike in the garage.
RammyMP said:
I’ve thought about doing it then was speaking to a biker at work who said “it’s mid-life crisis men like you who get a bike and then kill them selves” that put me off! I still fancy it though, might do the CBT on the quiet this year without telling the wife!
Stupid comment by him. Life and road experience pays dividends on a bike.It used to be the born agains that were the cliche because they would have been off bikes for 20 years and then bought a 'modern' superbike with no TC and scared themselves because it had 100bhp more than what they rode before they got married and had kids.
Lakeside - you an Essex boy?
As already said, do your CBT, pass your bike test ffs buy some bike kit and find something you like. Depending on what you want there are some great choices out there. Bikes can be more quirky with twins, triples, IL4, V4 etc
MT09 is a good 115bhp triple and sounds great, Sports 600's like the R6 if you want a superbike look, there is so much choice.
Just a heads up though 100bhp on a road bike working on the above bikes weight is ALOT faster than most typical sports cars
As already said, do your CBT, pass your bike test ffs buy some bike kit and find something you like. Depending on what you want there are some great choices out there. Bikes can be more quirky with twins, triples, IL4, V4 etc
MT09 is a good 115bhp triple and sounds great, Sports 600's like the R6 if you want a superbike look, there is so much choice.
Just a heads up though 100bhp on a road bike working on the above bikes weight is ALOT faster than most typical sports cars
anonymous said:
[redacted]
That was like me with a Revo Stage 3 Golf R. He claimed 520bhp and I can believe it, damn thing would pull on a standard R35 GTRThis 'Rider' in 'Mexico' was giving that Tuono some beans! https://youtu.be/hjSrluLO17A
Dibbers, do it! Ignore the prejudiced nay sayers who say it's instant death and get your licence done.
Take it at your own pace and don't be afraid of going slowly at first, even if that's much slower than the cars behind you want you to be going. It'll build up, and imho it's the most satisfying road fun there is.
In and of itself it's no more satisfying than driving a great car on a great road, but it's how much easier it is to find an empty road, squirt past that annoying bit of traffic, etc, that makes it achievable to have great fun every time you go out.
Take it at your own pace and don't be afraid of going slowly at first, even if that's much slower than the cars behind you want you to be going. It'll build up, and imho it's the most satisfying road fun there is.
In and of itself it's no more satisfying than driving a great car on a great road, but it's how much easier it is to find an empty road, squirt past that annoying bit of traffic, etc, that makes it achievable to have great fun every time you go out.
If you fancy some off road to see if you like it there are a number of off roads schools throughout the UK. You can hire a 125, all the gear and get basic tuition for a couple of hundred quid. Good fun for a morning or day out. Obviously they have beginners tracks where you can just go around and around until you get the hang of it. No need to go anywhere near the real mx track.
Best thing I have EVER done, been riding mountain bikes all my life, and then onto road bikes, so the thirst for two wheels has always been there.
I am about to hit 42 this year, so I am certain this is a pure mid life but I am LOVING IT!!..
Here's what I have done:
Feb 21st - An hour taster session with local bike shop
Feb 28th - CBT - Passed
March 2nd - Picked up my Aprilia Tuono 125cc with L plates
Commuting to work / rides with friends at weekends and the odd evening ride, covering 1200 miles since I picked it up to now.
Have been practicing the theory test & hazard perception about 5 hours per week, and now passing the mock tests at 90-100% every time, using three difficult websites.
I watch hundreds of YouTube videos covering the Mod 1 & mod 2 and get all the pointers from them.
May 2nd - Theory test booked
May 21st/22nd - Mod 1 booked
May 30th/31st - Mod 2 booked
June 1st - IF I pass, then going to local bike shop and buying my Ducati Supersport S I am so freaking excited!!
No feeling like it!!!!
I am about to hit 42 this year, so I am certain this is a pure mid life but I am LOVING IT!!..
Here's what I have done:
Feb 21st - An hour taster session with local bike shop
Feb 28th - CBT - Passed
March 2nd - Picked up my Aprilia Tuono 125cc with L plates
Commuting to work / rides with friends at weekends and the odd evening ride, covering 1200 miles since I picked it up to now.
Have been practicing the theory test & hazard perception about 5 hours per week, and now passing the mock tests at 90-100% every time, using three difficult websites.
I watch hundreds of YouTube videos covering the Mod 1 & mod 2 and get all the pointers from them.
May 2nd - Theory test booked
May 21st/22nd - Mod 1 booked
May 30th/31st - Mod 2 booked
June 1st - IF I pass, then going to local bike shop and buying my Ducati Supersport S I am so freaking excited!!
No feeling like it!!!!
Find a local motorbike school. They will do CBT, DAS etc and arrange everything. I did the lot over 3 weeks in summer 2011 aged 40; what mid-life crisis..... I’d been riding a scooter for years and driving/racing cars. I used an outfit called First Gear in farnborough who had their own private area that mimicked MoD1 which really helped over the first few days.
I still think of myself as a good driver but a poor rider, but I’ve got loads of road awareness and I assume other road users are all out to kill me when I’m on the bike. This means I ride within my capabilities and try to get better, but aware of my limitations.
I love having a bike in the garage; I ride 5 miles to the station each day and have a different bike for weekend outings. Makes me smile to have the metaphorical wind in the hair and sense of freedom a bike brings. It might be me, but I do also like the fact that it’s a calculated risk and that there’s a little bit of a rebel without a cause aura to biking.
Do it
I still think of myself as a good driver but a poor rider, but I’ve got loads of road awareness and I assume other road users are all out to kill me when I’m on the bike. This means I ride within my capabilities and try to get better, but aware of my limitations.
I love having a bike in the garage; I ride 5 miles to the station each day and have a different bike for weekend outings. Makes me smile to have the metaphorical wind in the hair and sense of freedom a bike brings. It might be me, but I do also like the fact that it’s a calculated risk and that there’s a little bit of a rebel without a cause aura to biking.
Do it
RammyMP said:
I’ve thought about doing it then was speaking to a biker at work who said “it’s mid-life crisis men like you who get a bike and then kill them selves” that put me off! I still fancy it though, might do the CBT on the quiet this year without telling the wife!
I manage to deal with comments like that by not giving a dog's wet cock what other people think. It's jolly liberating.OP (and Rammy) Step one is do a CBT. If you decide to go for it (and I recommend you do) then you'll have to do a CBT anyway. If you don't, well, you've had a day playing round on bikes. It's not the worst thing in the world.
As far as advice goes: Lots of well-meaning people will say "ooh, you can be the best rider in the world, but someone might still pull out on you".
This is both true and not at all useful. You absolutely CANNOT stop some areshole pulling out if they're determined to, but you can prepare yourself. Is that junction obscured? Can you roll off the throttle to gove yourself some space, or move to the right of your lane slightly? Is there a car coming the other way? If someone stops suddenly to turn right into a side road, have you got enough space to slip up the left of them (or safely stop of course)?
There's no need to ride terrified, but having a Plan B might help to keep you alive.
Related to the above: if you can't see that the road is definitley clear IT IS NOT CLEAR. Blind bends, hills, etc. I've gone round a blind corner much slower than the bike is capable of and ended up staring at a f
king combine harvester. Which I easily didn't crash into because I'd taken that into account.I sound negative, but the right bike on the right road is absolute heaven. And there are lots of different types of bike to enjoy. Personally I enjoy ragging the pants off a lower-powered bike round some twisty country roads, or pootling about on a classic I've rebuilt. Other people ride customs to bike rallies, or go on tours round europe, or go off roading. It's great and most people are nice.
I started last year (36 years old). Mod2 test next week. For me, i wish I had done it on a more accelerated basis, ideally a one week cbt to mod2 done and dusted. It’s not cheap to get the licence. I’d provision 1-1.5k for training and basic gear. Most schools lend kit out, but expect it to stink and fit badly. I spent about 300 on a helmet, boots and gloves. When I pass the test I will purchase the clothing. Good luck.
Just go,and do your test and see if you like it. If you do great, if you don’t it’s hardly cost the earth to get to that point.
crofty1984 said:
I manage to deal with comments like that by not giving a dog's wet cock what other people think. It's jolly liberating.
OP (and Rammy) Step one is do a CBT. If you decide to go for it (and I recommend you do) then you'll have to do a CBT anyway. If you don't, well, you've had a day playing round on bikes. It's not the worst thing in the world.
As far as advice goes: Lots of well-meaning people will say "ooh, you can be the best rider in the world, but someone might still pull out on you".
This is both true and not at all useful. You absolutely CANNOT stop some areshole pulling out if they're determined to, but you can prepare yourself. Is that junction obscured? Can you roll off the throttle to gove yourself some space, or move to the right of your lane slightly? Is there a car coming the other way? If someone stops suddenly to turn right into a side road, have you got enough space to slip up the left of them (or safely stop of course)?
There's no need to ride terrified, but having a Plan B might help to keep you alive.
Related to the above: if you can't see that the road is definitley clear IT IS NOT CLEAR. Blind bends, hills, etc. I've gone round a blind corner much slower than the bike is capable of and ended up staring at a fking combine harvester. Which I easily didn't crash into because I'd taken that into account.
I sound negative, but the right bike on the right road is absolute heaven. And there are lots of different types of bike to enjoy. Personally I enjoy ragging the pants off a lower-powered bike round some twisty country roads, or pootling about on a classic I've rebuilt. Other people ride customs to bike rallies, or go on tours round europe, or go off roading. It's great and most people are nice.
I’m sure this advice is well meant, but it just reads so patronisingly to me. Equally, it always seems to come from someone who has just read a book on roadcraft or something similar. OP (and Rammy) Step one is do a CBT. If you decide to go for it (and I recommend you do) then you'll have to do a CBT anyway. If you don't, well, you've had a day playing round on bikes. It's not the worst thing in the world.
As far as advice goes: Lots of well-meaning people will say "ooh, you can be the best rider in the world, but someone might still pull out on you".
This is both true and not at all useful. You absolutely CANNOT stop some areshole pulling out if they're determined to, but you can prepare yourself. Is that junction obscured? Can you roll off the throttle to gove yourself some space, or move to the right of your lane slightly? Is there a car coming the other way? If someone stops suddenly to turn right into a side road, have you got enough space to slip up the left of them (or safely stop of course)?
There's no need to ride terrified, but having a Plan B might help to keep you alive.
Related to the above: if you can't see that the road is definitley clear IT IS NOT CLEAR. Blind bends, hills, etc. I've gone round a blind corner much slower than the bike is capable of and ended up staring at a f
king combine harvester. Which I easily didn't crash into because I'd taken that into account.I sound negative, but the right bike on the right road is absolute heaven. And there are lots of different types of bike to enjoy. Personally I enjoy ragging the pants off a lower-powered bike round some twisty country roads, or pootling about on a classic I've rebuilt. Other people ride customs to bike rallies, or go on tours round europe, or go off roading. It's great and most people are nice.
Lindun said:
I’m sure this advice is well meant, but it just reads so patronisingly to me. Equally, it always seems to come from someone who has just read a book on roadcraft or something similar.
Apologies for the tone. No offence intended. It was told to me when I started riding at 18 (35 now) and it's stood me in good stead. Mostly it's common sense, granted.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff