Advice for returning rider (with ambition)?

[Jumile]

Hi all,

New member, first post, etc.

I've not ridden regularly for about 15 years, and not at all in the 7 years that I've been living in the UK. As I got my Australian driving licence exchanged when I moved here (gave me a full UK 'A' licence, etc), but have no experience riding in this climate and it's been so long, I'm about to sign up to a refresher course with a local motorcycle training company. It's an 8 hour course and they'll loan me all the gear and the bike for £120 all up, which sounds reasonable?

Part of the reason for getting back into riding is that a mate and I are planning a cross-Europe trip in about 12 months to Turkey and back (~5,000 miles over 4 weeks). The other parts are that I miss riding, and with the price of fuel...

My tentative plan at the moment is to do this course, buy the essential gear (gloves, lid, jacket, etc), buy a used 600cc+ bike, spend as much time on it as possible/feasible (particularly over the next year), and probably join a touring club for weekend trips to the Continent, and gradually collect the gear, experience and knowledge that I'll need for the main trip.

The refresher course will probably happen within the next week or two as will the essential gear, and the bike (hopefully) will happen by the end of the month. We're buying different bikes for the trip (probably Suzuki GSF1250 Bandits fitted for touring), so the bike I get this month won't have to survive my return to riding and the trip to Turkey.

As I'm sure this forum contains all sorts of riders at varying levels of experience, can those in the know give an indication and discuss your thoughts on this, please? I'd appreciate any feedback, corrections, statements of insanity, alternative ideas, etc.

Cheers,
Matt

[Jumile]

So this has 28 reads and nobody game enough to touch it. Can't blame you, I suppose.

Well, booked in for my refresher course. Roll on the 18th.
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Matt
Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat
The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it. --Epicurus

[Tonka]

A lot of your 'views' maybe by new riders like me and I'm not sure I'd be able to offer any help - sure it's not personal, as everyone on here is very helpful and usually pretty quick, so be a little patient?
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'The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences'
Suzuki SV650S (Clean); Yamaha XT250 Serow (Dirty)

[steppen22]

I'm not sure you've really posted this in the right part of the forum.

Who I am to speak on behalf of the forum? But this section is mainly for those who have no significant riding experience, not those who are planning cross continental trips on 1200cc tourers.

Take me: what advice could I give you about returning to riding after 15 years given that I've racked up a total of 6 months on L plates? Probably not much of any worth to you.

In general, though, I'd praise you for taking the refresher - and advise you to not be "ashamed" if it takes a little longer to pick things up again than you'd wish - and also wish you the best of luck for your trip. Post pictures here, if possible, as tales are often shared.

You'll probably get a better response in the touring/travel section of the forum, or the "general chat".

!

This is quite a friendly forum, don't feel disheartened.
____________________
no regrets, no retreat, no apology.
I've made mistakes in the past, and I apologise for FUCK ALL.

[Jumile]

Thanks for the replies. Not impatient, just cheerfully amused.

I put it in this section to kind of say hi for the first time (in the absence of a more traditional "introduce yourself here" section) and - as I've not ridden regularly since I was 21 - I figure a returning rider after all those years is (effectively) a new rider. But it's a fair point... I'll post a pointer to this thread in the Touring section.
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Matt
Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat
The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it. --Epicurus

[deanoet]

newish myself, only been biking for a year.

Good on you for doing the refresher course


You seem pretty sorted on your plans, so not much to say really.
There is a touring section on these forums, maybe have a browse through that for some hints and tips

Just make sure you have the correct stuff you need, including licenses and insurance, with good breakdown cover incase. U dont want to be stranded in Turkey.
With a year to plan it you have plenty of time

The riding will come back once you get onto a bike again
if you are to be riding regularly get some good boots and trousers as well. If you come off legs and feet are what gets landed on by the bike.
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CBT Passed 18th July 2007 : Previous Bikes> CG125 : Current Bike> Hornet 600 : PASSED DAS 30th Oct 2007
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Sounds like you have the basic idea sorted.

Bike wise choose something cheap and easy to handle to get used to things again. Maybe a 600 Bandit, or such like.

Gear varies greatly in quality. Personally I would not touch Akito with a bargepole, and would heartily recommend Spidi based on my current jacket.

Helmets come down to what fits you properly.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[YZFR1IAN]

G'day, you might get more replies in the "Touring and Exploration" section on BCF, they will be more experienced than us biking noobs
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05 Yamaha YBR125 > 94 Honda CB500 > 98 Honda Hornet 600 > 02 Yamaha R6 > 2000 Yamaha R1 > 2000 Yamaha XJR1300SP > 2000 Honda CBR929RR Fireblade
MY BIKES Past & Present

[Rowey]

Sounds like you got your head on. A refresher course will be essential if you haven't ridden in years. Also driving a car for so long, you could have picked up some bad habits that may cost you your life on a bike. Just make sure you prepare yourself as much as you think you need, and then do a little more. The instructor should be able to point out anything you're doing wrong, as well as right.

There are many advance riding courses you can take in addition. If you're planning off road, might help to do a green laneing course.

In terms of gear, get everything, it doesn't pay to skimp, especially as a learner, If you buy a lid, jacket, gloves, and trousers, if you come off, sod's law you will break your ankles. It doesn't all have to be top dollar gear, the Lidl specials will do you for a year nicely, then you can buy some decent touring gear ready for the trip, along with the new bike.

Also, there are loads of books written by many bikers, doing the same thing you are, so have a read up.

Hope this helps
____________________
ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[ajacko]

[Rowey]

And wet drain covers, they might as well be coated in diesel, very slippery.
____________________
ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Jumile]

Thanks again for everyone's responses.

Working my way through the Touring section to take note of all the logistical things like documents needed, insurance issues, etc. Definitely a lot to take it, but I've picked up a couple of touring books, a European atlas, etc, and together with forums and stuff on the Internet, I'm confident it'll come together nicely.

I'm expecting to get gloves, lid, jacket and boots fairly quickly. The plan is to do an advanced course (or two, dunno how many types there are) next Spring, which I figure gives enough time to have gotten used to riding again, gained some local experience, and given a chance to have done some weekender touring.

Thanks for the advice on oily roads and slippery surfaces. Nearly all of my past riding was done in sunny dry weather, so my main experience with slippery surfaces is that glass-bead-embedded painted road markings. In Oz they seem to pour huge amounts of the stuff on the ground (e.g. 8x4ft for turning arrows) that is hard to avoid on sliproads, unlike the small and neat markings you get here. Except perhaps painted roundabout centres...
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Matt
Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat
The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it. --Epicurus

[deanoet]

For touring i would also be tempted for you both to do a first aid course. There is one run by North West ambulance service called first bike on scene which is geared towards bikers
FBoS

I am sure other ambulance authorities will run similar courses


Best to know your riding partner is fully first aid trained if the worst does happen and vice versa
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CBT Passed 18th July 2007 : Previous Bikes> CG125 : Current Bike> Hornet 600 : PASSED DAS 30th Oct 2007
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