Advice for new rider please

[overbooost]

Hi guys,

only been a week since I passed my CBT and I am really anxious to get out there more and more and improve my riding skills. I have brought a mint Honda CBR125 (as 125 is all I can ride on a provisional + I needed something to jump on straight away) and I am riding every other couple of days.

One of the biggest things that I wish to do right now is practice higher speed cornering, leaning over and possibly getting my knee down however as the 125 is such a light bike and I weigh 15.5 stones I am worried that it may not be upto the job with the skinny tyres and low weight + me being a 15.5 stones. Am I just being paraniod or do I have a point? I would rather get some constructive feedback from people with experience rather than find out the painful and expensive way.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Thanks - Sunny.

[BorderHooner]

the bike will do it. but you have to have the experience first.

concentrate on improving your riding before you try and do the GP on public roads matey. or you will crash it.
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Benelli. Happy as a pig in cacky.

[ncrn]

only advice i can give is to pratice, try to find some kind of circuit on roads around your area, and just keep going round the circuit.

i did this when i got my nsr, and within a couple of hours i was getting fairly low, not quite knee down (but i was in jeans so you know ) you just need to learn where your bikes limits are, and the only way you'll find out is by praticing, and pushing yourself a little further each time.

and please dont just try to go for as low as possible straight off, you may find you pass your bikes (or even your own) limit and go down, and its not fun to do that.

[MRX Steve]

Just concentrate on improving your riding before attempting to be the next Rossi, you have only been riding a week and probably not ridden more than 6 times. If you are going to practice do it in a big empty car park where if you do come off you are less likely to hit some thing or some one. Dont try and run before you can walk.
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Rieju MRX 50 Castrol Edition

[Dazbo666]

[strag]

Practice the corners, forget the knee down. Concentrate on getting the right gear, line, road positioning etc. This will make you a smoother, safer and faster rider than trying to get your knee down, standing the bike up and heading for the nearest lampost or oncoming car.
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carbon bling

[RickHolt]

[overbooost]

Sound advice....thanks lads

IMO you need to have confidence in your bike before you attempt to do or work your way upto through practicing any moves. I was just very concerned with a CBR-125 being extreamly light, equipped with very thin tyres and a 15.5 stone guy hanging off it resulting in BANG!!!! Just knowing that the physics isn't an issue gives you some confidence alone.

[ncrn]

the more you pratice the more you'll get used to the bike, and the further you'll be able to go, but for now just concentrate on learning how the bike handles, and what works and what doesnt, stay in your own lane and stick to the speed limits

[Squiffy_The_Wombat]

Getting your knee down can be done on pretty much anything,

However i have to echo everybody else and protest that your pratice common every day skills before you pratice quick cornering!

IE: get the emergancy braking right down! There no point being a rossi style god flying round the corner with your knee on the deck if you can stop for mr. white van who pulls out in front of you!
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Squiffy_The_Wombat
Eagles may soar but wombats dont get sucked into jet engines

[BanditBitch]

Only ride to your capability..... or else you may come a cropper !

[Zimbo]

Don't worry about the bike being light, or the narrow tyres, they still offer more than enough grip.
If you don't believe me, try following a classic racer round a circuit, I got comprehensively trashed on a recent trackday at oulton park by a manx norton, on 100 profile front and 110 profile rear tyres, it just didn't bother slowing down for the bends and I found it nearly impossible to match it's corner speed.

[SoND]

On such a light bike the thin tyres will probably start to be a problem when you really start to push them at 60+. At a normal quick pace they shouldn't be a problem.
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Go back to bed - You have no rights - "Streetfighters ~ Mainstream motorcycling's crackwhore sister."

[Dom_]

Really noobish advice here, but it's the best i was given after i passed my cbt.

Plus with you driving a car as well you may or may not already know, but, basically when your on a bike, you look where you want to go.
If you look at the curb because you don't want to hit it, you will ride into it. It's just the way it works, always look as far ahead as possible, look through the corner as you are going around it.

Second best bit, if you've gone into a corner too fast (which you will do when your learning) there is a mental block on how much you can lean the bike whilst feeling safe that it wont lose grip. Now if you go into the corner, the most natural reaction will be to slam on the brakes, which will almost definitely end up with you in a ditch whilst you are banked over.
What you /have/ to do, is just lean the bike through the corner, it will be uncomfortable, you will shit yourself, but when you come through the bend you'll feel like a hero.

[v4forlife]

screw gettin your knee down or ridin really fats round long corners. you have a cbr125, good for what...75, they arnt meant to go really fast round anything. concentrate on learning better road positioning, looking out for hazards...basically becoming a more aware rider. the more aware you are, the better you can judge things, the better you judge things, the better you can ride the road. simple. wanna get your knee down that badly...get some sliders and attach them you your leathers/textiles/jeans/bare leg, find a decent roundabout, go round and round and hang off like a gibbon till you get it. swap sliders and repeat. there you have worn sliders, now get back to learning how to ride the road well.
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www.wilcollinsphoto.co.uk