Main things to teach a new rider.

[steveh]

Well my girlfriend has decided to take the plunge and get a bike..
Shes 5ft 2 with about a 27 inch inside leg measurement and shes looking at a geared 50, like an Rs, then hiring a 125 to do her test on.
Ive taught people to ride before, and they seemed to do okay, but what do you think are the main aspects of newbie riding, what to look out for, and what not to do?

things like target fixation, and braking ect.

After a while shel be looking at a 400 (restricted) possibly a Cbr

any general advice is welcome, wethere its from what bike, or the learning itself.

many thanks, Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[mr.z]

Has she driven before? or had driveing lessons?

Observation is the thing, they don't really teach you all that much on the cbt, only the minimum, doing the full set of things that are taught on the test are worth getting in when she's happy with the control of the bike maybe..

The other thing is the 50, unless she is 16 then imo its not a great idea, there just dangerous, 125's are bad enough... when rideing in the gutter is your only option your going to come a cropper at some point.. (of course this depends allot on your local roads, here it would be nigh on suicide)

Plenty of nice bikes out there, the good ol cg is an obvious one, or a cb125 has a bit more poke (only a bit) or any cg clone.. just don't go for anything chinese, there cheap but not much cheaper than a Japanese bike..
Put it this way, some are blacklisted by insurance company's.. (and some are terrific, but its a big gamble)
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[fire]

Use your back brake to come to a stop

otherwise you do that stupid noob both feet down at the same time panic thing.

ye.. you all know what im on about
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Write off! Honda NSR150 RR ('01) - Sold Cagiva Mito Evolution ('00) - Sold Honda NSR125 ('01) - Current Gasgas TXT 250 ('98) - Sold Kawasaki Z750 ('10) - Write off! Yamaha FZ1 ('09) - Current Ducati Streetfighter 848 ('14)

[Simple]

[steveh]

Shes 17 nearing 18, bit as you have guessed she is fairly small, shes ridden with me a few times, and as had a few lessons off family in her brothers car, she knows how an engine and gears work, only one thing i can imagine she hasnt done is downgearing.
The roads around here are really simple, nothing challenging so i dont think she will have any problems.

What would be a starting point to teach her, i.e finding the bite point, setting off slowly, then stopping slowly? Then move on to gears, down gearing ect, then junctions ect?

Would me trying to remember what they did on the cbt, and do that with her be of anyhelp, i really want to do it properly, so to lower the risk of her having an accident through fault of her own.

Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[Rhys]

first thing my instructor did with me was took the bike to an empty car park and got me to drive there (i'd done cbt on a 50 so no experience of geared bikes) then he made sure i was confident accelerating up through gears upto say 40. Then to be sure braking was confident with going down gears and making correct gear for speed as i slowed as i went around.

first ride let her get the feel for it, dont be hammering her for road positioning, indicating etc straight away. she'll need to come to terms with where she needs to start braking and turning in, with gears and trying not to fall off. Maybe get abit flustered if trying it all at once straight away.

maybe making sure gears are all the way down before stopping everytime will be useful. using the hand stretched out as a representation is a good way, with the thumb being 1st gear and the gap between thumb and 1st finger being neutral and so on. you wont want her forgetting, clutching out, foot up and falling over with no movement if its in say 3rd.

thats the concepts i wanted to get the grasps of when on my first lesson anyway, after that it was onto the more 'learning to pass the test' where my instructor had more involvement into what i was doing.
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Current Bike: '94 RVF 400R
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[BanditBitch]

She's got to do her CBT , to get on the road anyway, so why not just leave it to the instructors. You might end up teaching her bad habits.

[iooi]

Just teach her the basic clutch control, gears and braking somewhere safe off the roads or down a quiet street. Then let the CBT lot do the road stuff.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[Shaun]

[JonB]

If she is 17, then scrap the RS50, it would be a waste of money even for a 16 year old, go for the plunge straight onto a CG125, the engine will be more forgiving and easier to learn on than a RS50 anyway.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[woo]

Send her to do her CBT case closed!
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Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[Annabella]

As Simple said, I think she'll struggle on an RS, they are very tall bikes.

Book her in for her CBT borrowing a geared 125, she has no need to learn on a 50.
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[Pte1643]

[mr.z]

[steveh]

[Spoon261]

Why does she want a 50cc instead of 125cc bike?

[Shaun]

[steveh]

[yambabe]

[Simple]

[steveh]

This is a different mrs lol, i did buy my ex Mrs's ped off her for £45 then sold it for £100, i should of really kept it for the "new" mrs.

Once she gets on the road ill probably force her on here, perhaps call her "the mrs 2".. hmm, perhaps not.


Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Yamaha SR125 FTW. That's what I did my training on.
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[Pete.]

A few evenings in the local B&Q carpark is a good thing before tackling the CBT IMHO. If you can get them through the most basic moves (Pull away, change up, change down, stop) they will be more relaxed and not so worried about showing themselves up in front of a bunch of strangers.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[JM]

[Compo]

Hi

Tell her to treat every crossroads or junction with care if there are cars at said tell her to treat them as the enemy, cause one day one will try to take her owt.

ta
Compo