riding a 500cc tomorrow

[root]

so I've done 125's and rode in a straight line on a yamaha thunderace 1000.

But tomorrow I'm going to see my friend who's a bike instructor, he's letting me have a go on his 500cc so I can decide if I wanna do my DAS or mod2 and wait 2 years.

what are 500cc bikes like? heavy obviously, any tips or anything to know? thanks

I'm quite excited

[Tonka]

I did a sort of DAS route albeit not officially DAS more of a CBT and practice on a 125 and then a couple of lessons on the GS500 before my test.

Ironically I found the GS500 much easier and more responsive than the CG125. I really struggled to get to 60mph on the dual carriageway as I couldn't get used to the feeling of hanging onto the bike for dear life.............now it's a rather different story, I look at the speedo and think $hit, slow down else you'll lose your licence!!

You'll love it - enjoy
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'The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences'
Suzuki SV650S (Clean); Yamaha XT250 Serow (Dirty)

[root]

tar very much, he said I'm a natural rider, I'm more excited than nervous..just worried about the size/weight of the machine.

[pinkyfloyd]

[root]

[Villers]

It will be relatively heavy in comparison to a little 125 but the weight will be down low and after five mins wont be a problem! They are easier to ride since you dont need to slip the clutch as muchmand the power wont be so narrow. Dont worry about flipping it, unless you give it full throttle and dump the clutch in first gear you should be just fine!

Remember that its natural to be nervous of a bigger bike but its not exactly a 180bhp litre bike!

Best of luck!!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[pinkyfloyd]

just take it easier than you would on the 125

yes the first thing you will notice is the weight. its not so much that its a heavier machine. you will feel that its sturdier than the little 125cc your on at the moment. the weight is easy to get used to and you might even find it reassuring.

as for flipping it, just take it easy, gentle twist of the throttle and gently release the clutch and you will be fine.

the chances are the bike will be a kwak ER5 or the suzuki GS500, both of which are great bikes for beginers.

you'll be fine on it.

when it comes to chosing the DAS or not then i would go for the DAS. if your going to pay for lessons then you might as well go DAS as it will cost the same.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[Tonka]

[waffles]

I did a few days on a 500 last week (part of my DAS y'see) and I found them a lot easier to get on with than my 125. Because you have more power there you can get through turns better (slow in, power out) and they are way more responsive. It made me feel like I was more in control of what was going on and therefore a lot more confident when I was riding.

Of course the slow speed manouvers required for Mod 1 were a little harder for me. Couldnt get my head round "if you feel the bike tipping over, give it some gas and it will right itself naturally" and put a foot down on the figure of eight I was so used to a lighter bike and manhandling it round!

And dont worry about flipping it, take some time to get used to the throttle and you will soon learn not to pin it and dump the clutch at the same time. Have fun!
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[root]

I'm quite natural when it comes to balancing the 125 at low speeds etc, also picked it all up very easy, all the gears, everything. My friend (the instructor) thinks I will pass my practical, no problem.

I can't wait to get some power out of a proper bike but obviously I will be nervous. Looks like it will be light rain tomorrow at 1pm where I am..hopefully clear & dry by 3pm

[EUMP]

You can still do the DAS but don't have to buy a 1000cc or anything like that
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C.B.T - Expired
MOD1 04/08/10
MOD2 10/08/10

[Inkognito]

How did it go then?

[Frost]

A 500 is just like riding a CG but a bit heavier and as a result more stable feeling. They're not powerful really and are very easy to manage. Most important thing is slow speed stability and steering lock.

Personally i find a 500 easier to ride than a 125, but then i spose it's more like what i'm used to.

[gearboxkart]

bigger heavier bikes feel a lot more stable and planted to the road.

[root]

well im good at low speed control on 125's..

erm, it hasn't gone yet tbh, he accidentally booked me in for today, rather than tuesday! so Im riding it today at 3pm instead

[root]

literally just got home, IT WAS AWESOME.

I love the power delivery, it's all there when you want it. It's amazing, I need to get through my test asap, I love bikes!!

I rode an er-5, pretty comfortable, easy to get used to, nice acceleration

[pinkyfloyd]

[root]

cheers, I intend to. Riding that 500cc was SOOO fun. I was nervous but I picked the handling up after about 20 mins. Then I was swaying the bike whichever way and very used to it.

The power delivery was awesome compared to a CG 125. I did feel the front end want to pull up a couple of times when I got too excited but it never left the ground.

All in all, I had an awesome time and I really wanna do my DAS. Fuck the "wait 2 years" scheme. DAS is where it's at

[pinkyfloyd]

wait till the DAS course and they teach you counter steering and then they take you out on the roads and you practice it. after a day out on the bigger bike its horrible getting back onto the 125 to go home.

best thing i ever done bike wise was the DAS course. i cant imagine what it would be like having to wait 2 years to be able to ride without restrictions
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[root]

well my friend is the instructor, so on the 18th Im off out again, this time on the roads. Can't wait to open that beauty up...

SOOO doing my DAS asap

[Frost]

Front end weight feels a lot more exaggerated then it actually is. Making a 500 wheelie would require a fair bit of clutch at low speeds. But compared to a 125 it will obviously feel like a rocket ship. A heavy rockets ship, but the extra power somehow make it feel lighter...