Inexperience After Test

[andrea]

I have my test next week, and could do with a bit of advice... Not for the test itself, as i'm fine with that... its my first few rides afterwards. I feel completely ready for my test, have been having lessons since february in all weather conditions and i've had between 20 and 30 2 hour lessons.

My last lesson last week we did 120 miles and were out for around 5 hours, in a group of 8 (Three instructors (one was being supervised) three pupils on L plates, one guy on a refresher, and another girl just out for the ride) Bit of dual carriageway work but mostly twisties. On the way there, a new girl was leading. She wasn't too confident as it was her first time in the twisties, so we took most of the bends at a very sedate 30 - 40 mph. Honestly i was so bored! I didn't blame the girl as I think i did no more than 25mph on my first go, but still i was bored. So on the way back I got to lead the way. I had one "oooohhh shit" wrong gear moment in a bend where i managed to find neutral instead of 2nd, but the rest of the ride i felt great, liberated in fact. Took most of the bends at the speed limit (some 40's most nsl's).

My problem is that even though i will have passed my test, that still only makes me a new rider... and i can just tell what i will be like. I'm very competetive, I don't like to lose, I'm stubborn and hot headed and although I KNOW i'm inexperienced and i need to build up slowly, i'm already wanting to learn to wheelie and get my knee down. Why am i like this? I'm a 25 yr old mom for crying out loud, am i having an early mid-life crisis??!!

I'm going straight into advanced training, doing IAM and ROSPA as i'm training to be an instructor at the school i'm with. I think i just want to know if there is anyone else that feels like this... like although they should be sensible and just enjoy a leisurely ride, feel the need to push the limits...and how do you stop it???

I'm self employed and can't afford any time off work, apart from that I'm a mum and i have responsibilities, so i can't be taking risks. Maybe i shouldn't be doing my test, but i feel like i know where i belong when i'm on the bike...like i finally know who i am.

So apart from doing every training possible, do i need traction control and a restrictor or what???!!!

[alex_t]

course not u WILL have the need/feel/wanting/urning (not urine ) to go fast but u will get over it wen u ahve done it, make sure u do it when its quiet n straight though after a day of riding on ur own u will relise it is all cool and chill out then... good idea for advanced though. just try n take it easy, dont rush cos getting ur knee down is harder than it looks as for wheelies, well u will start doing tiddlers withing a few days wen pulling off at lights and such and then u will build up i suspose

so take it easy as ya feel like and relax and enjoy
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[CBT - passed 29.04.06] [Theory - passed 19.05.06 *34/35*] [DAS - passed 09.06.06]

SV650, blue

[ISLAND GIRL]

Andrea, I passed my test in january and all I can say is riding is like anything, confidence will come in time with experience just dont try to rush yourself or be pushed into racing runarounds. I too have ridden all winter, through the wet and the cold since last October and if you can cope with that riding in summer is bliss.
As for thinkin you are having a mid life crisis at just 25 and being a mum then what on earth can be said about me! I am ten yrs older than you and with a grown up son as well as a younger daughter. I really hope you pass your test, by the sounds of it I am sure you will, just enjoy the bike and take it easy, dont let the other road users bully you on either.
When I ride alone or with Nick my riding is fine, I am relaxed and confident but when we go out with friends on theirs it becomes like one big race, we seem to just race from point A to point B and its not enjoyable even if I do keep up but then one or two of them are younger (twenties) so that could explain the speed gene that they seem to have embedded in them
Take care and have fun, what else is there
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Live on the Isle of Wight and ride a CBR600F

[BanditBitch]

[andrea]

Cheers for replies, sounds like i'm normal after all then! By the way i meant EARLY midlife crisis - hope i'm not half way through already

@ BanditBitch, my lessons are £35 each...most people that train there do it in an average of 7 - 10 lessons, but i'm special and need more! TBH although i really wanted to learn it didn't come natural to me at all, after all I do hold the record of most drops in five lessons (9 - lets hope they're all out of the way now!). However, i do now feel a competent rider and more than ready for my test. Fingers crossed

[ISLAND GIRL]

£60 a lesson! No way surely not well I know that I didnt pay that thats for sure.
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Live on the Isle of Wight and ride a CBR600F

[tony532]

as written before.

30 2 hour lessons .


my god thats nearly 2 grand on riding lessons and you are worried about riding after you pass your test.

i'm speechless.
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bikes owned :-

aprilia rs125 - suzuki gsxr400rrsp 1990 - yamaha yzf600r thundercat - honda hornet 6

[andrea]

tony532, i'm not worried about riding... i'm worried that even though i'm sensible most of the time, that I won't have as much self control as I'd like to have after i've passed and i'm out on my own or in a group. My point is that as much as i hate to say it I find it "boring" riding slowly but want to stay safe

[BanditBitch]

Sounds like you got it all sussed..... good luck for your test.

[suzi_bandit]

Sounds to me like you have the makings of a damn good rider

Do be careful when you pass your test though. You will be inexperienced, you will make a lot of mistakes and there really are a lot of dangers.

When I first passed my test I was in a less fortunate position than you because I only had about a dozen hours on road riding experience. I had to think about everything I was doing when I was riding and would feel quite drained after a ride. The more I rode the more mistakes I made and the more mistakes I made the more lessons I learned.

Be prepared to make mistakes and make sure you learn a lesson from each and every one of those mistakes. Being competitive you'll likely to want to ride fast. To ride fast and safe you have to be one step ahead of every other road user. That way when the little old lady pulls out right in front of you you're ready for her and have already got your escape route planned!

Good luck and above all, be careful
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I want a big boys bike, preferably a Speed Triple. To date I have ?7:42p stashed away to put towards one. Need to get it in the bank & earning interest asap.

[nick.h]

My lessons were £90 for 3 hours

I only need the 3 though.

Nick
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[Italjet MM5A] ll [Rieju RS1 Evolution] ll [Suzuki GS500e] ll [Suzuki GSX600F] ll [Honda CG125] ll [Pug Elyseo 125] ll [Yamaha YZF750R] ll [Yamaha Thunderace] ll [Yamaha R6] ll [Triumph 955i] ll [Hayabusa RZK3] ll [Suzuki RGV250] ll

[mr.z]

Might be worth booking some trackdays, a safe way to go a bit nutts, find limits of your riding and your bike, gain experience and improve...

Dont have a fast bike myself, it will still beat the majority of cars on the road if i'm in the mood to upset chavs or even yuppies, but most bikes over 125 then generally not.. but thats not why i have one, the roads in the uk just aren't suitable for going over the top, there full of potholes, gravel.. and last week i came home one night and passed..

1dead crow
1dead rabbit
and had run in front of me
2 foxes
1 badger!

in 10 miles... and i already know where all the potholes and gravely bit are..

Main thing is ride defensively, if you dont have 2x the space you think you'll need for an overtake then dont, if you see a volvo in a junction to your left then where possible move over to the right of your lane so you can avoid if you need to + they are more likely to see you (if they bother looking )
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[andrea]

Thanks Mr.Z you have actually reminded me of something... i live next to cannock chase, which could be a lovely bit of road to ride through... only problem is the deer that seem to have suicidal tendencies and have already written off my car. I now mostly avoid this road, even in the car and find an alternative way to get home. Does anyone else try to avoid the roads that have deer warning signs on them? Has anyone had a deer run out on them? Surely there's little you can do to avoid them if they run out, and they can do so much damage!

[mr.z]

A good friend of mine has his arms held together with steel rods because a rabbit hit his wheel while he was banked over at 60 one nightdown a dark country lane... (he very nearly died infact)

There realy isn't allot you can do afaik, personally on an empty road i'll use allll of it where safe, so i'll often be in the middleish of the road (or even the other side where appropreate) , gives the best view, and most time to avoid darling creatures attempting to murder you.. you'd think the engine noise would keep them away from the road but apparently not :/
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[tony532]

it does sound like you are a sensible rider and i cant see you hooning it around to be honest.
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bikes owned :-

aprilia rs125 - suzuki gsxr400rrsp 1990 - yamaha yzf600r thundercat - honda hornet 6

[TOM M]

Good luck with the test
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Now owner of a 1200 Bandit