125 Noobie riding at speed question/concern

wal2 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Karma :

Hey Folks

Been riding for a grand total of 8 days now and have an older Honda NS 125 F.

I have been driving for 18yrs (35yrs old) so comfortable with being on the road etc but as soon as i hit 50+ i start getting nervous.

The problem is the air/wind buffeting and how that translates to the bike. I know the 125 is light and will 'bounce' a little but i fear it bouncing out of control and going *splat*

I try and keep relaxed and not grip on for dear life and i know that the bike probably isn't suddenly going to do one from underneath me....any advice, thoughts and similar fears to help me rationalise this would be great.

Cheers folks

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Check your tyre pressures and accept that this is one of the reasons I tell people to do their DAS instead of spending time on a 125. Wink

Davo · Davo To The Rescue! Joined: 04 Apr 2004 Karma :

As Bendy says a bigger (heavier) bike is not affected anyway near as much as the lighter bikes are.

Chances are if the tyres aren't over inflated and the suspension isn't overly stiff the bike should be OK. You've only been riding for 8 days, give it some time and you should adapt to how the bike feels & handles.

Have fun.

wal2 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Karma :

My mate said i can have a go of his Monster sometime (i.e. when i have had more experience/practice) so i can experience speed with none of the 'bouncing' ... i cannot afford my DAS so i will persevere.

The tyre pressure is rated as per the Haynes manual for my bike but being an older model the suspension probably is a little stiff (read old)

Maybe i just need to grow bigger balls Smile

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

not sure its a good idea u borrow your friends monster without training

its quite common to drop a 500 during training (i know i did) which doesnt matter much as they have engine bars, but your friends monster might get a bit damaged, he may get cross, and you might have to pay. if you cant afford your DAS i doubt you can afford to fix any drop damage.

bigger bikes are easier at high speed but can be more tricky at low speed
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beatnck · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 29 May 2006 Karma :

your not alone mate! ive been feeling the same, but its getting better. everytime i go out i feel a bit more confident, and my speeds are creeping up (slowly!) Smile

wal2 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Karma :

I think i need to get myself on a nice long stretch of dual carriage way and just keep going Smile

Cheers so far folks.

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Another possability, being an older bike, is when was the fork damping oil last changed?

From personal experience it is a mistake to assume this was done when it was supposed to have been, even if it has been dealer serviced and they charged for it.

I have a better suggestion. Why don't you get your mate with the Ducati to go for a ride on your bike? The chassis should be able to cope with speeds of 100mph+. He would probably have a better idea if there is something wrong with the setup on your bike and what is causing it if he has ben riding for a bit. If he says it feels fine, it will put your mind at rest.

wal2 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Karma :

Never thought of that, just asked him and he will take it out. Fortunately we work together and we have a rather nice stretch of straight road leading out from work.

Top Idea Thumbs Up

sunbear · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Karma :

A wobbling 125 at speed? ? Thats the fun of it ! ! ! ! Laughing

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Bikes had : BMW F650, suzuki tr50, gt125, SV400, GSXR600 SRAD. Honda CBR900RRP, CBR600FX, CBR1000F, VT600, Transalp 600, mtx125, nsr125r, CB500T, Yamaha fy50, tzr125, tdr125, XV535, Diversion 600, Fazer 600, TDM850 MK1 & MK2, Majesty 400, XV 1100. Cagiva mito evolution, Aprilia rs125, Piaggio x9 125. DNA 125 . Suzuki Bandit 600, GZ125 Marauder, RF600 , RF900RS2, Kawasaki ZZR400, ZX6R Ninja, ZZR600 . Ducati 750 Sport . Triumph Tiger 955i. CURRENT : 2004 Kawasaki Z750 and LOVIN IT !

Trickypl4 · Nova Slayer Joined: 21 May 2006 Karma :

When I first did my cbt (about 15 years ago) I can remember bricking it, and that was only at 30mph Embarassed

I never even so much as sat on a bike again until I did my cbt for the second time about 3½ weeks ago. Now I'm blasting along at the (not quite) eye watering speed of about 50mph on my 125 Cool

Maybe it was nerves, or maybe I wasn't quite ready for a motorbike. Either way I'm older (35) now and it doesn't bother me.

Keep riding, then in 3 or 4 weeks time re-read this post and see if you feel the same way. Bet you don't Thumbs Up

simon1221 · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Karma :

You wobble probably because your nervous, try to calm down a bit (using the ways suggested here) or just go at a slower pace for a while.

If I get blown about by the wind I just get used to it and compensate by steering back into the road.
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DNA50 (sorry) ->> TZR125l >> GPZ500S

Lanman · Derestricted Danger Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Karma :

When I first got out on the road with my 125 about 3 weeks ago, 30Mph felt uncomfortably fast. 40Mph seemed insanely fast, and 55 on the NSL roads made me sweat! In the first days, every now and then I'd pull into a car park or side road, get off the bike, peel the helmet off and shout "*holy f@*@ing cow!!!* with the rush I was getting out of it (kinda wish those days would come back now!) Laughing

.

Three weeks later, I'm totally de-sensitised (for better or worse) to 30Mph and 40Mph, and accelerate to them without thinking about it. On NSL roads, the only limit to my speeds now is the acceleration of the bike itself, and my own limited cornering ability.

Get out practising regularly and give it a couple of weeks - things will get much better. Thumbs Up

Make sure you got your visor down to reduce wind noise, try and relax so you're not all tensed up on the bike, and make sure you keep your distance from traffic in front, so you know you've got space to slow down if anything develops up front.

Alan

wal2 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Karma :

Cheers folks.

I am quite happy up to 50 so i am just going to bite the bullet and hit the dual carriageway and build up a little at a time.

Didn't ride in today as severe weather warnings had been issued..nice and sunny up here in Newcastle...damm! Smile

Psychonaut · Spanner Monkey Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Karma :

I remember the day I picked up my 125 (day after CBT - no bike experience but driving 12 years) I rode round on the 30's for an hour and went home, had lunch.
In the afternoon I thought I'd open her up (LOL) and went down some NSL and flying down the straights I got upto 75 (ind) but I shit myself when I came to a left hand bend and started going right (into the other carrigeway) turns out I was trying to stear the bike using the bars (and countersteering took me the oposite way I wanted to go) never been so scared in my life.
Luckily I kept my cool and backed of the throttle and tried leaning - its all good. So dont feel to daft, just cos your a experienced car driver, it doesnt mean you should have instant knowlege or riding all vehicles.
Take your time and confidence will grow
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