Scratching an old itch
Discussion
I'm an old fahrt looking to scratch a long standing itch, namely bikes.
Some background. I'm 63 , mostly healthy but with a chocolate back. I rode a bike way back when a 250 was ok for a learner, did my cbt when it came in and then gave up.
Yesterday as a start to removing the itch I did my cbt with CAM rider at Kettering. I throughly enjoyed it but have a few nagging doubts. Which is where you gentlemen may be able to help.
I struggled with the low speed riding, being somewhat inconsistent. Is it all down to practice or is there a need for some inbuilt ability?
Also at the end of the day I felt exhausted, my arms were useless! I know I was badly tensed up at the start but relaxed as the day went on. I suspect it was down to technique, any words of wisdom?
As for my chocolate back, I couldn't get a 125 on the centre stand🙁
So, DAS or not?
Some background. I'm 63 , mostly healthy but with a chocolate back. I rode a bike way back when a 250 was ok for a learner, did my cbt when it came in and then gave up.
Yesterday as a start to removing the itch I did my cbt with CAM rider at Kettering. I throughly enjoyed it but have a few nagging doubts. Which is where you gentlemen may be able to help.
I struggled with the low speed riding, being somewhat inconsistent. Is it all down to practice or is there a need for some inbuilt ability?
Also at the end of the day I felt exhausted, my arms were useless! I know I was badly tensed up at the start but relaxed as the day went on. I suspect it was down to technique, any words of wisdom?
As for my chocolate back, I couldn't get a 125 on the centre stand🙁
So, DAS or not?
Do you mean the really slow stuff like U turning and going between cones? It's all about technique, you just need to practise, you'll be fine. Try setting your clutch and throttle hands and controlling the bike with the rear brake, you'll be quite clumsy with your clutch and throttle to begin with so using the rear brake to control speed makes it easier and frees up your hands to concentrate on steering.
I wouldn't worry about it btw, some people never get very good at it
I wouldn't worry about it btw, some people never get very good at it
Slow speed isn't any fun. You will get better without much practice and like lots of bike control it's as much about confidence and therefore being relaxed as anything. The more you think about it the harder it seems.
I couldn't get the 125 on the centre stand on CBT to start with either. It's just technique, you need to use your leg / foot more than your arms / back.
The discomfort you are feeling is partly being tense and partly that unless you are quite small most 125 aren't comfortable.
Stick with it and it'll come good.
I couldn't get the 125 on the centre stand on CBT to start with either. It's just technique, you need to use your leg / foot more than your arms / back.
The discomfort you are feeling is partly being tense and partly that unless you are quite small most 125 aren't comfortable.
Stick with it and it'll come good.
Morrisboy said:
R1dave-yes the cones stuff. As I got more tired through the day I got more and more ragged.
Trickywoo-thanks for the advice. Guess I just need to find some confidence.
As you get tired it's natural for your fine motor skills to drop, don't worry about it. Just keep your head up and control it on the brake. I'm 6'3 and did my test before all the cone stuff came in but I struggled to ride a CG125 on my CBT as the bars hit my knees! I had to stick my knees out to stop them coming into contact. Trickywoo-thanks for the advice. Guess I just need to find some confidence.
I did the cone stuff (plus figure of 8s and various other things) a few years ago on a big BMW RT tourer thing for a work training course and think it's a good development of the training, making you develop some slow speed manoeuvre skills. Keep practising, it'll come
Don't overthink it. As already mentioned the 125s are actually harder to ride than the bigger bikes, and your ability will likely come on leaps and bounds with more time in the saddle as you start to 'feel' how to ride rather than having to concentrate so hard on the basics.
Book some more lessons and get that test passed!
Book some more lessons and get that test passed!
I came to biking in my early 30's and struggled at first too. I did my CBT on the Sunday and then practiced through the week and passed my Mod 1+2 on the Friday and then got on my GSXR600 on the Saturday and rode from that day forwards.
I found it really difficult at first even though I usually adapt to new things very easily.
I found I was quite heavy handed but with a bit of practice and keeping at it, I got it and now I'm very comfortable on bikes. My first bike is a GSXR-600 which I actually found even easier to ride than the ER6N I learned on.
I also didn't really enjoy learning or riding initially but I'd agreed with myself since I had paid for my CBT/DAS I'd see it through and get a bike and ride it for a while before coming to any conclusion and I'm glad I did! It's so much more enjoyable than driving a car and it's great for beating traffic!
Just takes a bit of time/practice for most of us!
I found it really difficult at first even though I usually adapt to new things very easily.
I found I was quite heavy handed but with a bit of practice and keeping at it, I got it and now I'm very comfortable on bikes. My first bike is a GSXR-600 which I actually found even easier to ride than the ER6N I learned on.
I also didn't really enjoy learning or riding initially but I'd agreed with myself since I had paid for my CBT/DAS I'd see it through and get a bike and ride it for a while before coming to any conclusion and I'm glad I did! It's so much more enjoyable than driving a car and it's great for beating traffic!
Just takes a bit of time/practice for most of us!
Hi takes a bit of practice. Low speed control needs good clutch control and higher revs. Be prepared to slip the clutch a lot rather than reducing the revs. Also look where you are going (where you want to be) rather than keep looking down.
I know some trainers will turn up the idle to help
Tiredness is due to the adrenaline and concentration the more control you have the more relaxed you will be and less tired
With regards to putting bike on the main stand use your foot more on the lever on the stand, let the lever do the work rather than try and pull it up with your arms. I think it was Archimedes said " give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum to put it on I could move the world"
Good Luck
I know some trainers will turn up the idle to help
Tiredness is due to the adrenaline and concentration the more control you have the more relaxed you will be and less tired
With regards to putting bike on the main stand use your foot more on the lever on the stand, let the lever do the work rather than try and pull it up with your arms. I think it was Archimedes said " give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum to put it on I could move the world"
Good Luck
As we used to teach at our school:
Easy as A-B-C
- Accelerator busy power source
- Brake dragging, imagine sand paper-ish
- Clutch - gentle millimetre movements to manage A vs B
- Don't look down; where your look, the bike will follow.
- Aim for decent walking pace, at the same time not revving the nuts off the bike or burning the clutch out.
The ability to slow ride is a vital skill dismissed by too many riders.
Also, 125cc bikes aren't harder to ride than bigger bikes. No idea why people claim this. One is merely a stepping stone to another, Rather like going from a Tiger Moth to a Harvard.
As for the importance of slow riding, I shake my head at how many 600 and litre drivers can't/don't know how to use slow riding techniques at junctions turning left or right from stationary or in general slow moving traffic. So many riders prefer hanging their feet out there to balance themselves. Always a dead cert that's the first of their riding problems.....
Re the stand. make sure your foot was facing rearwards on the tang top, parallel with the bike. Then imagine you were crushing something you didn't like! Feet on tang facing bike at 90 degrees won't get a bike on its stand in a month of Sundays. Bear in mind failure to demonstrate you can get a bike on its stand is actually a CBT termination - I kid you not! At DAS level, we ensured one of our bikes had the centre stand off it so a person who struggled with it couldn't be caught out by the examiner.
Easy as A-B-C
- Accelerator busy power source
- Brake dragging, imagine sand paper-ish
- Clutch - gentle millimetre movements to manage A vs B
- Don't look down; where your look, the bike will follow.
- Aim for decent walking pace, at the same time not revving the nuts off the bike or burning the clutch out.
The ability to slow ride is a vital skill dismissed by too many riders.
Also, 125cc bikes aren't harder to ride than bigger bikes. No idea why people claim this. One is merely a stepping stone to another, Rather like going from a Tiger Moth to a Harvard.
As for the importance of slow riding, I shake my head at how many 600 and litre drivers can't/don't know how to use slow riding techniques at junctions turning left or right from stationary or in general slow moving traffic. So many riders prefer hanging their feet out there to balance themselves. Always a dead cert that's the first of their riding problems.....
Re the stand. make sure your foot was facing rearwards on the tang top, parallel with the bike. Then imagine you were crushing something you didn't like! Feet on tang facing bike at 90 degrees won't get a bike on its stand in a month of Sundays. Bear in mind failure to demonstrate you can get a bike on its stand is actually a CBT termination - I kid you not! At DAS level, we ensured one of our bikes had the centre stand off it so a person who struggled with it couldn't be caught out by the examiner.
Edited by kurt535 on Sunday 30th April 21:54
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