A question for the motor cyclists new and old

Been riding 25+ years now, started on small two stroke and then moved onto bigger and bigger, never really went sports bike mad, lairiest was a firestorm with yoshi pipes. years ago my work put me through the full police advanced course which was one of the toughest courses I’ve done but a hoot and learnt loads, firm believer in advanced training and something based on roadcraftrather than racetrack. Just a commuter now but have found it almost impossible to be without a bikeeven to the extent of buying a shonker which i barely rode when my last big bike fell apart. So my advice is go for it.

#firstworldproblems

Hire one? When I did my DAS, I did the lessons and test on the bike school’s bikes.

IMO the recommendations of needing to be the next Marquez to be able to ride on the road is rubbish. Being able to control a bike is a small part of being on the road.

The most important thing is the roadcraft: identifying dozy b******ds who won’t check blindspots/are on their phone; keeping an eye out for road surface changes; making yourself visible when passing through junctions; road-positioning, etc, etc.

I agree, I found IAMS training really good.

Definitely THE best riding experience I’ve ever had. I learned so much and gained a huge respect for traffic plod

Yes, but just remember that most of them are use to riding a big POLICE emblazened bike so other road users see them.

Also their lines while giving the best visability can easily put you in the wrong part of the road, ie either in the gutter (grit and punctures) or on the white line and in a position to be wiped out by a dozy driver coming the other way.

Weesky is spot on, the whole point of a bike to me is for its speed.

Adrenaline is without doubt the best drug in the world!!!

Try a few things & see what floats your boat before you take the plunge, I started out on 4 stroke trail bikes 30 years ago & would recommend the same for any one just starting riding, at one point had a company motorbike, never actually owned a jap four but right now I’d be quite happy to give up road riding & invest in a track day bike for blowing the cobwebs away every now & then.

I took my test a couple of years ago but haven’t ridden since for a variety of reasons.

Now I realy want a Harley, shoot me now!

For a totally different ride experience, i have just bought and put this BSA back on the road after 25+ years of non biking and loving it- doesn’t necessarily have to be fast to be fun! 😀

OP I passed my test at 40 (4 years ago) as a typical middle aged crisis biker though I did need something to commute on as well.

Lots of ground covered already in this thread but a couple of observations:

A lot of bike gear is crap. Expensive and crap. Crap jackets which aren’t waterproof and don’t fit properly for £250 etc. Same goes for boots gloves etc – compared to mtbing kit lots of it is useless and not fit for purpose. I can’t believe bikers have put up with it. Just be careful what you buy unless you can afford Rukka or one of the other top brands – even then a lot are massively overpriced

The exception is Kriega which are fantastic and worth every penny

Buy an ‘adventure’ bike or fit crash bungs – this way you can drop your bike as many times as you feel like it.

Always carry a headtorch and a high viz vest. This way when you breakdown you will be visible

I learnt to ride a bike off road by riding trials and dirt bikes and thought I was pretty handy on a bike. When I eventually decided to get my license, I quickly learned about life-savers, road positioning and how much you’re dependant on other road users for your safety. Also if you make a simple mistake or mis-read a road, this can have huge consequences. IIRC a large proportion of M/C accidents have no other parties involved.

Motorbikes are great fun, but learn your ‘craft’ by riding within your limits.

I’ve gone off motorbiking a bit (after 30 odd years of riding a bike). When I look out the window today, I wish I was going a run up the West Coast of Scotland. However, I remember once I get there I would rather be on a push bike, instead of being cooked in protective gear.

……One KTM Adventure going up for sale.

‘Course, if the OP is just after a bike for fun, then he should forget tarmac altogether. Buy a slightly tatty crosser for 2k, another few hundred on gear, then find the nearest club running hare and hounds.

Or more sedately, a classic trials machine should be available from £500, and there’s more of that about as the events are easier to run and need less space.

Also their lines while giving the best visability can easily put you in the wrong part of the road, ie either in the gutter (grit and punctures) or on the white line and in a position to be wiped out by a dozy driver coming the other way.

only if you are doing it wrong

Safety, Stability then View

One KTM Adventure going up for sale.

£500??? 😆

b r – Member

Also their lines while giving the best visability can easily put you in the wrong part of the road, ie either in the gutter (grit and punctures) or on the white line and in a position to be wiped out by a dozy driver coming the other way.

Er… The idea isn’t just to gain extra visibility, it’s to make use of it (for example, to avoid bits of road covered in grit, or oncoming vehicles). Anyone who finds Roadcraft positioning puts them in danger just hasn’t understood how it works.

Classic trials bike for £500? I’m in ……….

Oh wait seems like they go for more than that!

Get a bike and you’ll put on weight fast because the extreme cold makes you hungry for calories and you can park at your destination and never walk anywhere. But motorcycling is more fun than anything else, especially when you’re out on the open road in a place like Scotland or Wales. I rode for 12 years, covering up to 12,000 miles a year until I got in trouble for speeding then moved to France.

Now I realy want a Harley, shoot me now!

anagallis_arvensis – Member

One KTM Adventure going up for sale.

£500???

replace one of the question marks with a zero 😀

Always carry a headtorch and a high viz vest. This way when you breakdown you will be visible

I used to carry flares….

I used to carry flares….

Setting the Ducati on fire was easier than fixing it ?

I definitely would if I could find a decent older 125 that isn’t a bloody nail.

I’d prefer to do it this way than jump straight upto a 600 etc.

Get a Yamaha 125 Supermoto Hora.

Also their lines while giving the best visability can easily put you in the wrong part of the road, ie either in the gutter (grit and punctures) or on the white line and in a position to be wiped out by a dozy driver coming the other way.

only if you are doing it wrong

Safety, Stability then View

+1 it was drummed in our course – never sacrifice safety for position. Plod bike makes little difference first two weeks on mine were on red vfrs

Yamaha 125 Supermoto

Oooo these look nice.

‘Course, if the OP is just after a bike for fun, then he should forget tarmac altogether. Buy a slightly tatty crosser for 2k, another few hundred on gear, then find the nearest club running hare and hounds.

I’ve been doing just that since Nov. Don’t use a trailer. My bike was stolen this weekend :sniff:

Or more sedately, a classic trials machine should be available from £500, and there’s more of that about as the events are easier to run and need less space.

Even more sedate still, how about Long distance trials?

Oooo these look nice.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-Yamaha-WR125-X-Learner-Legal-Supermoto-Style-Less-than-1k-miles-/141322100508?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item20e7741f1c

mine is the bigger brother. A slightly fettled and tuned XT660X

The KTM version is also pretty cool

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KTM-DUKE-125-SUPERMOTO-learner-legal-/321436312498?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item4ad718e3b2

I definitely would if I could find a decent older 125 that isn’t a bloody nail.

Have you ridden a 125 since you were 17 and weighed <75kg? I rode from Oxford to Reading and back on one once, it was intolerably dull and slow as a full grown bloke/fatty, I was worried the local chaingang could catch me on the hills!

Even the 500’s aren’t so quick as to give you the heebie jeebies once you get past the fact they have more power than a 125 with the throttle barely cracked open.

The pride of owning a 916, the ease of spannering on it, the smile every time you see your bike and fire it up.

Given the amount of time it’ll spend in the garage because the electrics have packed in (again), the odds of having an accident due in inexperience are slight, that’s true. And on the rare occasions when it does decide to go, a couple of miles around town with all your weight pitched forward onto your wrists make it one of the most uncomfortable experiences you’re ever likely to suffer.
Just as well it’s such a good looking bike because you’d spend more time looking at it and polishing it than riding it.

classic trials bike for 500 quid? i ll have two dozen, i have the cash and will collect..

my latest drayton bantam build cost me just shy of 7k..

Hora, look at Derbi Terra’s Usually can be had for £1k or 1.5k and sold for the same

I did my direct access last year – never even been on a 125 before I did my cbt. Passed everything first time with a couple of days training. Cost about £550 all in I think.

I bought a SV650 and have ridden it lots around where I live (france, italy, switzerland, spain ect) loved every minute of it… it’s great getting to places that are a pain on cars and its great being on empty roads with sweeping bends and the sun shining down on you.

I’d imagine a lot less days to be had in the UK and I’m moving to Scotland in a few weeks so I’m going to sell it and get a project bike that just comes out for special days.

I’d be tempted by a BMW touring or something for big trips but I think a sporty bike in the UK will spend too much time in the garage.

Any regrets or tips? nope just do your test and have fun!

Passed my Mod 2 for an A licence week. Did the CBT in February, bought a Suzuku DR125SM (for sale if anyone’s interested!) and put on about 1300 miles before doing the direct access. Passed mod1 and mod2 first time with clean sheets.

I’m 52, a qualified driving instructor, and thought it would be a good form of “continued professional development” as they like to call it.
It’s improved my teaching and my road skills are better too.

I didn’t enjoy the CBT and at the end I said that I wouldn’t take it any further. However, I felt I’d be quitting if I didn’t give it another try and so bought the bike.

Once I’d got past the stage of being nervous of the bike and felt that I was controlling it rather than the other way round I was much happier and have really enjoyed it.

The bigger bike I used on Mod1 and 2 (A Suzuki Gladius) was much easier to ride than the 125 – more manoeuvreable and able to keep up with the traffic.

I’d certainly say do the CBT and see how it goes. It’s obviously not for everyone but it’s an itch that won’t go away until you’ve scratched it.

Rich.

Well after a 26 year hiatus from bikes (I had a crash on my brothers bike) I decided to do a DAS last year. I managed to put my foot down during my u-ie but passed everything else first time…. The theory test, although a pain to have to do, was actually a good ‘refresher’ course and I even got something out of the hazard perception bit.

Anyway, I passed the beginning of September and bought a Suzuki DL650 V-Strom (I really fancied the Triumph Tiger but it was knocking on £2k more expensive) which I really like. I’m off to take it for a 200 mile round trip to get its 4,000 mile service today. It’s fast enough to be scary, but not scary fast (important on a first bike I’d say), has a comfortable position and I’ve done a couple of 400 mile days. Position is good for view and it’s manoeuvrable in the twisties. Gets low 60’s mpg too, even with an eager-ish right wrist….

The fun part is actually learning how to ride. Being a v-twin the DL has engine braking which I use all the time. The mate I do most of my riding with is an IAM observer (I’ve done a couple of IAM club runs too) so I’ve been pointed in the right direction i.e. ‘Roadcraft’ lines, keeping the gas on going round corners, filtering and ‘positive’ steering. I’m now a lot smoother (and faster) than when I started out. I’m comfortable ‘making progress’ hovering around the speed limit (obviously). The fact my mate rates me as being pretty decent (especially being a new rider) has helped my confidence on the road. It’s also helped me notice how crap a lot of other riders out there really are! Mind you, it’s quite easy to make mistakes (it’s good if you can recognise this fact too) but I think I’m improving

I’m definitely glad I did it (good to face down the crash demons) and like others for me it’s an expensive hobby (although I do use it for commuting (a 30+ mile round trip) the majority has been pleasure miles. Been for lunch in Plockton and Lochgoilhead, got plans for the NW & the islands later on.

All in it cost me around £600 for the CBT & DAS plus the theory test. Bike hire and gear (helmet, jacket & gloves) were included. Didn’t like the 125 for the CBT. The DAS was on an ER6 which I quite liked. The bigger engine was easier I found and actually having brakes more so…

I’ve been riding bikes on and off for 28years but decided to pack it all in last year.

They can be good and you can make some good friends. I’ve also lost two friends through motorcycling, one killed by a car driver and the other we will never know what happened.

As others have said get the best training you can and buy a sensible bike for your first year or few!

I sold my Ducati 749s to a guy who had only just passed his test and when he picked it up I had to wheel it off my flat driveway as he was confident enough to move it backwards by 6 feet! He then rode off looking terrified!

Er… The idea isn’t just to gain extra visibility, it’s to make use of it (for example, to avoid bits of road covered in grit, or oncoming vehicles). Anyone who finds Roadcraft positioning puts them in danger just hasn’t understood how it works.

Yes, I know that I did the original Bronze/Silver/Gold training over 30 years ago as a ‘sop’ to my parents when I got my RD250 on ‘L’ plates. Probably took me a couple of years and two written off bikes to learn properly though 🙂 And then no accident since.

I was making an observation of what I’ve seen, plus having followed many police bikes over the years of riding.

And, not sure now, but statistically a police rider use to be at an higher risk of an accident when on their own motorcycle compared to your average ‘Joe’ on theirs.

What Rich says is right – CBT is utter tosh – the bikes are horrid as well – doesn’t give much inspiration.

Big bikes are easier to ride and the respect of them is certainly there unless you’re a bit simple.

I actually dropped my bike the other week in Italy for the first time since I passed my test.

If you want 1 bit of wisdom – even if you think you are feathering your front brake very softly before going into a junction… then just make sure you are fully aware of the road surface.

I put it down at about 5mph because of a perfect stretch of gravel making me go rubber side up in about 0.2 seconds.. anything under 15mph now I’m just using my rear brake.

SV650 is a great first bike… vtwin engine so lots of torque… its light enough to pick back up (now experienced) and the torque means you don’t touch your brakes as much and you can just let the engine brake for you.

I’d get another if I was doing it all again.

Bump stops are your friend – the only damage to the bike when dropped was a snapped rear foot pedal and a small scuff on my mirror.

£30 probably saved me £500.

CBT is utter tosh

Totally disagree. 🙂 Might not be a hoot or a blood-curdling white-knuckle ride, but I found it really useful, even after doing two to ride on L plates for four years, then a third one when I did my full licence.