learning to ride, A newbie's tale
Discussion
Evening all,
i've recently got into biking and am absolutely loving it. i've seen lots of posts about learning to ride and taking tests etc, and i thought i'd put up my tuppence worth (from a fellow newb!) and introduce myself.
i discovered my passion for bikes after i got back from new zealand last year, and much to mother's disapproval booked my DAS. Whilst she wasn't best pleased (i guess most mother's wouldn't be) i explained that i would make sure i got the best kit i could and be as safe as i could. And besides, i was going to do it anyway so she may as well give me her blessing than trying to stop me. It seemed to work, but i know she's still worried if she know's i'm out on my toy, and relieved when i get back.
Still, full of beans, i booked my theory test and dutifully bought a how to pass your test computer CD. written test, easy as pie. hazard perception - nonsense. as has been mentioned on the forum, passing the hazard perecption is about knowing how to play the game. it took me three goes to pass the hazard perception (i only got one answer wrong on the written).
Word of advice, learn how to read the clips and what the DVLA are lookking for. it's completely removed from reality and bears little resemblance to real life, but it's just another hoop we have to jump through
Then came the fun bit. okay, not so fun bit pootling on a 125 first, but then i got to play with a 500. Actually the pootling was a really rubbish day. there were two of us, and the other chap was a 18year old motocross dude who'd been riding for years and sailing through whilst i'm nearly thirty and never ridden a bike before.
couldn't slalom, coudn't ride in a circle, could ride in a straight line though. Pants day, i think they just passed me cos they knew i was coing back the next day to start das. Still, went home and reflected and came back on sunday full of more beans and seriously apprehensive. Chris the instructor was great. really put me at ease and just coaxed me through.
biggest problem was slow speed stuff, and high speed stuff, and city riding. everything esle was fine.
ok, from a newbie to other newbies, relax your arms, look at where you want to go, and NEVER dump the clutch. very scary, not done on purpose, but very scary.
don't think too much, relax and be aware of everyone else and keep a lot of space around you.
oh, and when it comes to the mystery of countersteering, it's quite simple really. just push forward on the side of the bar to which you want to steer and bike will tip into the corner. if you want to turn right, push on the right bar, bike tips right. simple
As for the u-turn, revs high, trail the back brake, control the speed with the clutch. Chris had me doing uturns in top gear controlling the bike with the clutch and brake just to prove to myself that i could.
ready for the test. it was a rubbish test ride. no clutch control and my roundabouts were rubbish. but lots of lifesavers and i was generally safe and the uturn was on a road with huge camber and on a downhill slope
. i still passed.
word of advice. treat it as just another ride. once i felt i'd failed, i rode much better cos i wasn't stressed anymore. the ride back was the best i'd had. no stress, took the communicator out of my ear, and just rode. felt great.
and now where am i? bought a fzr600 and do a 100mile a day commute on it. great fun and my riding is just getting better because i'm getting more miles under my belt. filtering is coming along, and high speed filtering on the motorway is way loads of fun (and makes me feel super smug too!), needs loads of concentration though.
word of advice to everyone thinking about getting on a bike, just do it.
to anyone who's just passed, just keep riding and get lots of practice.
i've still got loads to learn, and have posted lots of questions on this forum and everyone's been really helpful. Cheers guys.
PS, if there are any PHers in the east midlands (leicester) area who'd like to meet up for a ride out and drinks (make mine an orange juice!) drop me a line. it'd certainly be good to ride with some more experieced chaps-and have a load of fun along the way
Ta Ta for now, (apologies for the long post)
i've recently got into biking and am absolutely loving it. i've seen lots of posts about learning to ride and taking tests etc, and i thought i'd put up my tuppence worth (from a fellow newb!) and introduce myself.
i discovered my passion for bikes after i got back from new zealand last year, and much to mother's disapproval booked my DAS. Whilst she wasn't best pleased (i guess most mother's wouldn't be) i explained that i would make sure i got the best kit i could and be as safe as i could. And besides, i was going to do it anyway so she may as well give me her blessing than trying to stop me. It seemed to work, but i know she's still worried if she know's i'm out on my toy, and relieved when i get back.
Still, full of beans, i booked my theory test and dutifully bought a how to pass your test computer CD. written test, easy as pie. hazard perception - nonsense. as has been mentioned on the forum, passing the hazard perecption is about knowing how to play the game. it took me three goes to pass the hazard perception (i only got one answer wrong on the written).
Word of advice, learn how to read the clips and what the DVLA are lookking for. it's completely removed from reality and bears little resemblance to real life, but it's just another hoop we have to jump through
Then came the fun bit. okay, not so fun bit pootling on a 125 first, but then i got to play with a 500. Actually the pootling was a really rubbish day. there were two of us, and the other chap was a 18year old motocross dude who'd been riding for years and sailing through whilst i'm nearly thirty and never ridden a bike before.
couldn't slalom, coudn't ride in a circle, could ride in a straight line though. Pants day, i think they just passed me cos they knew i was coing back the next day to start das. Still, went home and reflected and came back on sunday full of more beans and seriously apprehensive. Chris the instructor was great. really put me at ease and just coaxed me through.
biggest problem was slow speed stuff, and high speed stuff, and city riding. everything esle was fine.
ok, from a newbie to other newbies, relax your arms, look at where you want to go, and NEVER dump the clutch. very scary, not done on purpose, but very scary.
don't think too much, relax and be aware of everyone else and keep a lot of space around you.
oh, and when it comes to the mystery of countersteering, it's quite simple really. just push forward on the side of the bar to which you want to steer and bike will tip into the corner. if you want to turn right, push on the right bar, bike tips right. simple
As for the u-turn, revs high, trail the back brake, control the speed with the clutch. Chris had me doing uturns in top gear controlling the bike with the clutch and brake just to prove to myself that i could.
ready for the test. it was a rubbish test ride. no clutch control and my roundabouts were rubbish. but lots of lifesavers and i was generally safe and the uturn was on a road with huge camber and on a downhill slope
. i still passed. word of advice. treat it as just another ride. once i felt i'd failed, i rode much better cos i wasn't stressed anymore. the ride back was the best i'd had. no stress, took the communicator out of my ear, and just rode. felt great.
and now where am i? bought a fzr600 and do a 100mile a day commute on it. great fun and my riding is just getting better because i'm getting more miles under my belt. filtering is coming along, and high speed filtering on the motorway is way loads of fun (and makes me feel super smug too!), needs loads of concentration though.
word of advice to everyone thinking about getting on a bike, just do it.
to anyone who's just passed, just keep riding and get lots of practice.
i've still got loads to learn, and have posted lots of questions on this forum and everyone's been really helpful. Cheers guys.
PS, if there are any PHers in the east midlands (leicester) area who'd like to meet up for a ride out and drinks (make mine an orange juice!) drop me a line. it'd certainly be good to ride with some more experieced chaps-and have a load of fun along the way
Ta Ta for now, (apologies for the long post)
Dudd said:
I tend to be laughing out loud as i filter past cars, it's a great feeling!!
There was a moosive queue on the M1 this morning (rubbernecking looking at an accident on the opposite carriageway, Grrrr) but no probs for me. was following behind a chap on a hayabusa filtering and had a huge grin on my face.Cheers guys, i spent most of sunday afternoon in hein Gerricke looking at an arlen ness race suit, but i think it's a bit hardcore for commuting to work. i literally had to peel myself out of it. would be very icky peeling myself out of it and then having to do some work. did see a very nice arlen ness jacket though. looks like Mr Visa is going to be my new best friend
Jimmy5 said:
South Notts so not to far away and the 6047's always tempting
the sun is out, it's a glorious day and i've just spent a couple of hours on the bike hooning down the 6047 from leicester to melton. Saw a few of the bikesafe guys coming the other way. i was going to do the bikesafe this weekend, but thought the weather would be rubbish. oops, how wrong i was. what a fantastic stretch of tarmac. the only problem with country roads is that you can never really see around the corner or see what's coming the other way so you can't really give it full beans. Trackday, here i come!
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