Discussion
CTO said:
Thanks all.
Am a fella btw
Unsure about Richard the instructor, I had a guy called Mick for most of the day and a guy called Ade for the on the road observation part.
The plan was to find something like a zx6r 636, and have tuition on that. I think the reality is to get a yzf r125 or similar and spend some months just getting used to being on a bike, build up some confidence,skills and roadcraft.
I had some positive comments about aspects of my riding, but given a kick up the arse about observations, road positioning etc.
At one stage I was going up through the gears, feeling like I was going through the sound barrier and making like Burt Monro. Then I looked down and realised I was doing a heady 28mph..........
Why don't you get a lesson on one of the schools bigger bikes, most people find them much easier to ride than the 125's. They are more stable, more grunty just a much nicer experience. If you still find you want a 125 to practice on then fair enough, an R125 is probably not a great choice, you'd be better off with a cheap CG125 or YBR125 which you can then flog on once you're done with it for the same as what you paid. Am a fella btw
Unsure about Richard the instructor, I had a guy called Mick for most of the day and a guy called Ade for the on the road observation part.
The plan was to find something like a zx6r 636, and have tuition on that. I think the reality is to get a yzf r125 or similar and spend some months just getting used to being on a bike, build up some confidence,skills and roadcraft.
I had some positive comments about aspects of my riding, but given a kick up the arse about observations, road positioning etc.
At one stage I was going up through the gears, feeling like I was going through the sound barrier and making like Burt Monro. Then I looked down and realised I was doing a heady 28mph..........
I'd put money on you wanting to just carry on with lessons on the bigger bike and getting your DAS done though. The sensation of speed wears off very quickly, especially on a 125.
Observations and road positioning you will just need to drill into yourself and it'll become second nature.
Agree with Smartypants on this; unless you were woeful with the gears, better to just crack on with your DAS.
You'll spend a good few hours brushing up on your clutch skills anyway for Mod 1 and the Mod 2 stuff is similar to driving, but with shoulder checks thrown in.
You will always feel vunerable on a bike, but far less so once you get on a big bike and realise that you have the ability to stop faster and accelerate quicker than 99% of cars on the road. Which is why a lot of the DAS is centered around defensive riding; predicting what a car driver may do and how best to make yourself safe.
The cool thing is as well, once you have a few miles under your belt, you develop a supernatural ability that enables you to accurately guess what that prick in the 3 series BMW is going to do about 10 seconds before he does it
You'll spend a good few hours brushing up on your clutch skills anyway for Mod 1 and the Mod 2 stuff is similar to driving, but with shoulder checks thrown in.
You will always feel vunerable on a bike, but far less so once you get on a big bike and realise that you have the ability to stop faster and accelerate quicker than 99% of cars on the road. Which is why a lot of the DAS is centered around defensive riding; predicting what a car driver may do and how best to make yourself safe.
The cool thing is as well, once you have a few miles under your belt, you develop a supernatural ability that enables you to accurately guess what that prick in the 3 series BMW is going to do about 10 seconds before he does it
Think I have arrived at a happy medium.
Going to loan a cheapy 125 from a friend to practice on for a month, then book 3 days and do all day lessons with mod1 and mod2 on the final day.
Hopefully this gives me the best of both worlds, some practice without unnecessary expenditure, unless I bin and then have to pay for the 125, and can get on the larger bike with little more confidence and try and get it under my belt with a shorter and focussed effort.
Today I went shopping for bike gear, boots, jacket, gloves and lid. Got some decent deals in the post Christmas sale. Love my new helmet and love my new jacket. Not loving the impending credit card bill. Man maths has offset it against the depreciation on a temp 125 though, ish, if I really man math to the nth degree.......
Going to loan a cheapy 125 from a friend to practice on for a month, then book 3 days and do all day lessons with mod1 and mod2 on the final day.
Hopefully this gives me the best of both worlds, some practice without unnecessary expenditure, unless I bin and then have to pay for the 125, and can get on the larger bike with little more confidence and try and get it under my belt with a shorter and focussed effort.
Today I went shopping for bike gear, boots, jacket, gloves and lid. Got some decent deals in the post Christmas sale. Love my new helmet and love my new jacket. Not loving the impending credit card bill. Man maths has offset it against the depreciation on a temp 125 though, ish, if I really man math to the nth degree.......
SteRB5138 said:
Nice one, I did my direct access at Streetbike, when it was at the old site up Mucklow Hill back in 2013. I agree the instructors are very good, especially Richard if he still works there.
Met him today, really nice guy and took some time out to go through my options re obtaining my mod1 and 2.So, I have my first bike
A little SR125. It had been sat in a mates workshop for two years under a cover. Put the exhaust back on, replaced the clutch lever which had been snapped when it was dropped on its last outing.
New battery and some TLC and he sailed through his MOT last week without a hitch. Taxing it was a real eyeopener. I currently pay around £45 a month for my car (Volvo C70 T5). The SR was £17 for the year. I did it via DD just for a laugh, and my monthly payment is £1.48
Anyway, here is "George", he came with the name and it suits him really.
Obligatory bike in kitchen pic:
Cheers,
CTO
A little SR125. It had been sat in a mates workshop for two years under a cover. Put the exhaust back on, replaced the clutch lever which had been snapped when it was dropped on its last outing.
New battery and some TLC and he sailed through his MOT last week without a hitch. Taxing it was a real eyeopener. I currently pay around £45 a month for my car (Volvo C70 T5). The SR was £17 for the year. I did it via DD just for a laugh, and my monthly payment is £1.48
Anyway, here is "George", he came with the name and it suits him really.
Obligatory bike in kitchen pic:
Cheers,
CTO
CTO said:
So, I have my first bike
A little SR125. It had been sat in a mates workshop for two years under a cover. Put the exhaust back on, replaced the clutch lever which had been snapped when it was dropped on its last outing.
New battery and some TLC and he sailed through his MOT last week without a hitch. Taxing it was a real eyeopener. I currently pay around £45 a month for my car (Volvo C70 T5). The SR was £17 for the year. I did it via DD just for a laugh, and my monthly payment is £1.48
Anyway, here is "George", he came with the name and it suits him really.
Obligatory bike in kitchen pic:
Cheers,
CTO
Its a Yamaha.. That's you set on a path to greatness. A little SR125. It had been sat in a mates workshop for two years under a cover. Put the exhaust back on, replaced the clutch lever which had been snapped when it was dropped on its last outing.
New battery and some TLC and he sailed through his MOT last week without a hitch. Taxing it was a real eyeopener. I currently pay around £45 a month for my car (Volvo C70 T5). The SR was £17 for the year. I did it via DD just for a laugh, and my monthly payment is £1.48
Anyway, here is "George", he came with the name and it suits him really.
Obligatory bike in kitchen pic:
Cheers,
CTO
K8-600 said:
Congrats! No minors is good!
Mod2 is far easier than Mod1!
What are you going to get for your first bike?
Well, the choices so far were initially an ER5, then it was a GPZ500 and now I think I've settled on a ZX6R 636 C6F, preferably in black.Mod2 is far easier than Mod1!
What are you going to get for your first bike?
Much time is being spent browsing eBay etc...
NDA said:
Excellent - I hadn't followed this thread, just read the 2 pages just now. From learner to qualified - very good!
I took my test back in the 80's, no longer a rider, but it looks a complex thing to get a full license nowadays.
Thanks I took my test back in the 80's, no longer a rider, but it looks a complex thing to get a full license nowadays.
I found it all ok, until mod 2. Failed twice, on the same roundabout. Separate issues and the first fail I didn't agree with, who does though
Both mod 2's I only had one minor other than the serious, and was quite disappointed.
I spent four hours yesterday riding the test routes, and even sat and ate my lunch watching the roundabout (large spiral type),to see how people got it right and wrong. I then spent another hour last night driving the routes in my car, and the main roundabout which had become my psychological nemisis.
Today, on my test. We took the first exit and never went back near it........
Well done CTO! I've been on a similar journey this year and having failed my Mod 1 about a month ago, went back on Wednesday and passed 1 & 2. Gave myself a half hour gap in between and it worked out fortunately. I also thought I'd made a mess of the first major roundabout (Bristol) but nothing said in my ear so I thought what the hell and talked my way through the rest of the Mod 2 route as if I was doing some kind of narrative. It seemed to work, the 30 minutes flew by and I knew I was doing ok. Got to the end and no faults at all, seems I was mistaken about the junction
Got home, jumped on my 'never ridden by me' ER500 and went to work on it. A bit scary being solo for the first time on 2 wheels since my moped days back in the 80's but great fun.
Looking forward to doing some miles now. Love your bike btw!
Got home, jumped on my 'never ridden by me' ER500 and went to work on it. A bit scary being solo for the first time on 2 wheels since my moped days back in the 80's but great fun.
Looking forward to doing some miles now. Love your bike btw!
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