General learner questions

[ayfy]

hi, I have a few questions about general riding

1) I've been told you should always ride with your lights on, is this with full beam or dipped?

2) When changing down gears I was told not to block change (ie. clutch in, change down lots of gears, clutch out). Is this just good practice or is there some mechanical reason for this (e.g. does it harm the bike)?

3) When stopped at a junction, you're left leg is supposed to be your standing leg. For some reason I find it much easier to use my right leg and also find it easier to pull away from it. Is this bad practice and is it something that they'll pick up on when doing a full test?

[carvell]

1) It's a good idea yes, dipped beam though, never use full beam when there are other vehicles that can see you.

2) It won't harm the engine, as long as you are going the right speed for the gear you end up in. It's good practice to change down gear by gear though, as this way you get engine braking when slowing down, if you get it right you hardly ever have to use your brakes.

3) They won't pick up on it on the test, but you should hold your back brake on with your right foot when at a standstill, incase anyone goes into the back of you. It's certainly something they'd pick up on in advanced training.
____________________
Yamaha TDM 850

[JodieWodie]

My bike (CG) has it lights permanently wired on (dipped).

I tend to block change quite a lot...when coming to roundabouts, etc....
Although if I am changing down coming into a different speed zone then I slow and change down.

A few people I know prefer their right leg and it is hard for them at traffic lights, etc...to force their left leg down instead.
I have never had a problem with it...I always cover the rear brake.
____________________
Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow"

[MarJay]

[T.C]

The issue of riding on dipped beam has been pretty well covered in the past, and although it is a requirement of the DSA that all test candidates on test, CBT and DAS must display dipped beam headlights, as a full licence holder it comes down to personal choice at the end of the day. Suffice to say a lot of accidents are caused by the displaying of headlights as well as quite a few prevented, and in fact there are a few countries where the displaying of headlights is compulsory all the time that they have found that the accident rate has increased. We are currently waiting for the first case to go to court where one of the manufacturers will be haeld liable for the causation of an accident because of the hard wiring of lights.

Block changing is not a problem if you are comfortable with the control of your machine, and in fact if you ever go to advanced level later on, you will be encouraged to block change.

Again, putting left foot to ground is a DSA thing where they like to see the rear brake covered whenever the bike is stationary. At advanced level you will be encouraged to put right foot to ground (avoid the Hendon Shuffle), but this is always dependant on the size of the rider, the seat height of the bike, the camber of the road surface and so on, but at the end of the day it comes down to doing what is safe at that particular moment!
____________________
It is better to arrive 30 seconds late in this world, than 30 years early in the next

[Trunecka]

How bright a light you use also depends partly on how wrecked your battery/charging system is - the battery of my 1990 two-stroke drained severely if I rode for too long with the light very bright

Needed occasional long rides, flat out in the countryside to charge it up.

You'll find out soon enough if your battery's that bad.
____________________
"I'm gonna get free, Ride into the sun..."
-The Vines

[Frost]

The way i look at the left foot down thing is this:

In a car, when coming to a stop, you apply the handbrake. This stops you being knocked forwards into the oncoming traffic and stops you rolling back/forward when stopping on a hill.

I use my rear brake as my handbrake to stop me rolling, as holding a bike on the front brake then pulling away on a hill is a tad tricky.

The only time i ever put my right foot down is for if i suddenly need to stop, and need to be in first gear. that way i dont have time to downchange to first before coming to a stop

[Gazdaman]

Sorry, I've never ridden a bike on the road.

so you would sit at lights in first with the clutch in?

I drive, and obviously you sit at lights in neutral with the handbrake on.

which is what confused me, if you had your left foot down, you'd have to have both feet up to change into first when you're stationary.

So I guess I answered my own question, you must sit in first with the clutch in..

Gaz

[PsychoHippy]

[Frost]

in a car you dont have to put it in neutral at traffic lights. you may if you wish, but i didnt do it during any of my driving tests or lessons and no one said anything about me leaving it in gear. I'm sure if your foot did slip of the clutch or something then having the handbrake applied would just stall the car?

Bikes do normally leave it in gear at a stop, allthough on a hot day i tend to take mine out of gear and turn the engine off if i'm likely to be waiting a while

[MaSh]

[Trunecka]

I usually sit at lights in neutral to save my clutch plates, right foot on brake, left on floor.

To pull away, I do have to put my right foot down then change into 1st with my left, this takes time, so I normally watch the traffic lights for the other exits and prepare when theirs start to go red.

Sometimes I get caught out though, and end up changing gear, stationary, with both feet off the floor, which you have to pull away from without delaying.
____________________
"I'm gonna get free, Ride into the sun..."
-The Vines

[Ste]

The clutch plates wear when you are engaging and disengaging it at biting point, when they are slipping against each other is what makes them wear out. Sitting with the clutch in does not wear your clutch plates at all, no more than sitting in neutral would do. Sitting with the clutch in could wear your clutch cable, but the stress on it from sitting at traffic lights will not really affect the longevity of the clutch cable.

[Trunecka]

I usually sit at lights in neutral to save my clutch plates, right foot on brake, left on floor.

To pull away, I do have to put my right foot down then change into 1st with my left, this takes time, so I normally watch the traffic lights for the other exits and prepare when theirs start to go red.

Sometimes I get caught out though, and end up changing gear, stationary, with both feet off the floor, which you have to pull away from without delaying.
____________________
"I'm gonna get free, Ride into the sun..."
-The Vines

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

lights have been covered (above)

I use right foot on brake at a standstill. Its the way i was taught and it feels "right" to me...I suppose it is safer. I usually have it in neutral as well, although if i think i am about to move i'll have it in 1st with clutch in. Again right foot on the brake.

Block changing. For most of the time i will limit the block changes to a increment or decrement of 2 gears. Simply becuase the bike feels a lot more stable with it in gear (especially round corners:wink: ). Limiting the block changes mean the bike is COASTING for a lesser ammount of
time. For learning i would say a block change of 2 maximun. Changing one at a time can help gear selection/recognition whilst learning, so i guess its up to you...

[Frost]