General advice appreciated

[newtoriding]

Hi all,

Recently passed my CBT on a automatic scooter. Got a bit of practice on a manual and it seemed like what I wanted so I bought a CBR 125.

Been riding it at night time only to get some confidence and I feel okay in general. I just wanted advice on which gears people use for corners and does everyone downshift all the way to gear one?

Any tips you have for me would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Teflon-Mike]

[WannaBeDude]

Give it a rest Mike ffs !!!!
____________________
Jogging on, destination living.

[pendulum]

Thanks Mike, as a newbie I find your posts very helpful

[Going]

Gearing depends on speed and corner, you'll learn.

On the CBR125

1st gear. Only used for moving off, walking place.

2nd gear. Used for slow corners, filtering. Good to about 30mph (high revs). Mainly used in heavy traffic.

3rd gear. Most of my town riding is done in this gear.

This is how I use it:)

Bike is good for around 70mph, depending on surface, wind and your size.

[TheSmiler]

Agree with mike here, on my bike CB125 I mainly use the gears as followed;

1st Gear: Only for moving away or walking place

2nd Gear: This is what I use for most of my riding if I'm in a 30zone. Take slow corners in this and never 1st was the advice I was given, taking slow corners in 1st can be dangerous.

(On my cbt I actually almost come off on the road experience due to slowing down and dropping into 1st to take the corner, it was a gravel road with a small incline causing me to lock the bike up.)

The rest of the gears are for when I'm going any higher, before I used to be in 3rd/4th for 30mph as I didn't like how the bike sounded using all the revs (was only using 8k instead of the full 12k). However now I've gotten used to it and know it won't hurt the bike I use them to the potential.
____________________
CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
A2 completed 23/07/15 Ready for the Golden Crisp Packet

[J.M.]

I've got the CBR125 (2004) and Mike's post is spot on

As for down-shifting all the way to gear one, do you mean in a corner? On my CBR I find it very rare that I should have to use gear one for anything except except moving off from a standstill and being stuck in slow moving traffic if I can't filter for some reason.

Most corners (even the 90 degree ones) can be happily taken in 2nd gear (at around 15-20mph) so long as your view is good enough for that speed.

But when I'm in the country lanes I may be taking corners in 4th or 5th (I rarely use 6th on mine).
____________________
2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[RIDINGforKICK...]

If you passed your CBT on an automatic bike you are not licensed for a manual bike.

Crazy, I know, but that's how the stupid system works!

[pinkyfloyd]

[.Chris.]

I'm fairly sure that's not correct. CBT does not have 'automatic' and 'manual' categories like a licence (since it's not a licence).
____________________
Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[Recluso]

There's no categorisation on CBTs.

I renewed my CBT on an automatic, 2 months later I switched to a manual after an hour's training session.

The only important things about a CBT is a. that you have one and b. when it expires.
____________________
'Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.'
Honda PS125i > Yamaha YBR125 > Yamaha XJ6 Diversion > Yamaha Tracer 900

[RIDINGforKICK...]

Take your DL196 out and have a look at it

Half way down you will see a box "category restrictions".

If the person who filled in the form put a restriction it will be in this box. If there is no restriction, you are OK, if he put "automatic" you are restricted to an auto.

He may have "forgot", but he should have restricted you.

[pinkyfloyd]

[Alpha-9]

[RIDINGforKICK...]

When I did my CBT (last February) the instructor made a big fuss about this, he had two CG125 and two scooters, there were three of us doing the course. He said that if we took the CBT on an auto, he would restrict the CBT holder to an auto ONLY.

He was most insistent that there was a issue, and I watched him fill one of the trainee's form out with AUTOMATIC in big scary print!

He may have been wrong, I dunno, I've given up trying to figure out the Brussels gobbledygook.

Anyway, if the OP has nothing written in the box on the DL196, then he's OK.

[_Iain_]

Also worth noting that knocking it down the gears too quickly i.e letting the clutch out in first at about 20mph or so seems to have more or less the same effect as mashing the rear brake in hard! bike goes all over the place...


On the YBR i usually find that about 5000-6000rpm's is where it feels happiest, lower than 4000 it seems to struggle to pull away, and over around 7000 it feels like its being pushed a little!

Most corners taken in 3rd/4th, dropping to 2nd for roundabouts/90 degree bends

Might be worthwhile taking it out into some wideish lanes - lots of bends, and at certain times of day next to no traffic. gets a feel for what the bike will do in what gear - helped me big time
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[pinkyfloyd]

[RIDINGforKICK...]

Well this is EXACTLY the problem, I paid 105 great British pounds for a *compulsory* basic training, and the INSTRUCTOR didn't even understand the rules!

I can remember last year, searching in the net for information about the bike tests/licence, as I just have now, and a huge amount of the information has changed! There WAS a lot of debate about Geared/Auto licences last year, but that seems to have disappeared completely now.

This is because NO ONE can figure out what the ACTUAL laws, written in indecipherable Belgian legaleses, MEAN.

My apologies to the OP, I WAS WRONG, as was my very expensive instructor, now what value was my CBT again?

[pinkyfloyd]

[Rogerborg]

I'm having trouble finding the actual statutory basis for the CBT and DL196. Bearing in mind that the DVLA and DSA have a track record of just inventing rules and then coming to believe that they're legally binding, I wouldn't read too much into what it says or doesn't say on the certificate.

If it convinces Plod, insurers and DSA testers, then job done.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Kickstart]

Hi

If you are suffering from insomnia the basic stuff is here:-

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/2334/made

All the best

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

[Rogerborg]

[sidewinder]

[RIDINGforKICK...]

I accept that I was wrong about the CBT and that currently you can apparently do your CBT on either auto or manual bikes.

But what I said the instructor told my is true, and a lot of the sites said the same (incorrect) thing at the time.



https://sites4bikes.co.uk/CBT_motorbikes.htm

"What do you want to take your CBT test for?

If the answer to that is just to be able to ride a scooter and you have no intention of progressing to obtain your full motorbike licence then a scooter is probably sufficient and is easier to ride, since there are less controls. A scooter is far more nimble than a motorbike in traffic and around towns. They are cheaper to buy and run and ideal for shorter distance commuting as they generally offer more protection from the elements than a standard unfaired motorbike. However you cannot ride a geared motorbike if you take your CBT on an automatic as your license will be restricted."

This site hasn't been updated, clearly, but many I looked at last February said the same stuff, but have since amended their site.

The whole thing is constantly in flux, like the tests themselves.

When I did my Mod 1, It bore little resemblance to the videos on Utube or the DSA website.

There was no - ride up to the clip board, then at walking pace behind it-, no, she told me to ride slowly toward the U turn section (?) when did that change?

No one bothered to tell the poor punters, did they!

[Kickstart]