From the scoot to the gears

[carriusmaximu...]

Hi all

Wish me luck ......first lesson on gears today. 50% really excited to learn 50% arrrrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Really want to learn gears. Even if it takes me a while. The training and money spent will be worth it in the end.

Just wonder how hard it will be to not use the clutch as a brake? And to just grip it rip it and go 😕

[Teflon-Mike]

Good luck.

Brake / clutch? Good luck!

I've been driving auto cars for the last sixteen years, I still get confounded switching back to a manual, or more often back from a manual to an auto! But coming up to a T-Junction, and stamping on the brake wondering why it's not stopping, is a bitch!

But best advice I can offer? DON'T RUSH.. you'll try and do it all at once, slow down, do it slow, clutch in, breath, change gear, breath, clutch out.. slow is smooth, smooth is swift, do it slow, let it flow.

Have fun.
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[P.addy]

Piece of cake.

Should be using the front brake 90% of the time anyway.

You'll get it it'd very simple and in no time you'll be flying around

[Hefty]

First 30 mins or so will feel horribly alien, after that you'll wonder why you ever bothered with a twist'n'go in the first place Have fun.

[stevo as b4]

Do many people who deliberately want to drive a manual car often start learning in an auto?

I think not! Hence why I'm struggling to see that is more common and acceptable in the bike world to train on the road and spend alot of time on an automatic scooter if they only ever wanted to ride a manual bike in the end?

I'm not against twist and go mopeds and scooters up to about 400cc. I've had a few over the years myself, but I bought my first twist and go after id had a sportsbike for a year.

Just I don't know know why it's difficult for a car driver of a manual vehicle to find it hard to do the same on a bike? Or make pussy excuses about needing to train or start on a twist and go.

If anyone wants a an auto scooter and therefore wants to learn on one then fucking fair play to you and go for it. But if you want a bike then start riding on one or don't bother IMO.

To the OP good luck anyway with your bike and sorry for the off topic.

[Rogerborg]

[stevo as b4]

Am seeing your point a tad now, as I did find learning to drive a car at the time didn't feel as easy or natural in terms of gearshifting as it did on a bike, so I suppose the reverse works to an extent too.

Then again I didn't turn up for my first driving lesson, not having never had a go at driving a car in an off the road environment. I kind of assumed that alot of people wouldn't be that green to it from the get go?

From hearing what pinky and other instructors say it does seem that they like people to turn up from ground zero when it comes to driving or riding, as they are not working then to get you out of bad habits or having to tell people how to do things properly all the time to those that think they know better or at least think they have a grasp over others that have never tried controlling a vehicle before?

I guess I was one of those that didn't want to be the dumb fool that stalls a car or bike 50times an hour trying to get it to move and stop, and I'd have looked down at those that were really struggling, especially with simple things like taking a bike off the stand, finding neutral or operating a kick starter etc.

[carriusmaximu...]

For me I always wanted to ride a bike.
I don't drive. It may seem a backwards way of learning, But as I had no road use at all, a twist and go seemed right to start off. Unlike learning to drive you will have someone by your side at all times until after the test. On bike or scooter Its all solo. So I thought twist and go first for me...just to get some road awareness and some confidence. After today I am so happy I did that. Because learning gears is a lot to take in in such a short time period. If for nothing else But the fact I really enjoyed my CBT and really loved learning gears today. In my scoot CBT I could concentrate on the road and positioning, Today I felt I could concentrate on gears rather than be scared of everything on the road.

This worked wonders for me. I'm sure that many others learning to ride do it the right way. Hahaha. P.s I am also very blonde. (excuse I use often)

Also in truth it took so much courage to take a CBT having a bike still seemed a pipedream. I wasn't sure if I would just stay on a scooter.

I was knowhere near perfect today.....stalled twice on our road ride. But I loved every second. And felt like this will be the start of my biking life.

I am super super happy right now. Finally some something I feel I'm meant to do thanks for all your support and advice as always

😀

[barrkel]

I rode a scooter for about 6 months before I ever got on a geared bike. Starting out on a scooter makes heaps of sense for city riding IMO. You don't need the pressure of being sure to be in first, finding the biting point and pulling away promptly with a queue of traffic behind you, which will happen every couple of minutes in a city.

Starting out with gears makes sense if you have long stretches of country road where you can relax and get into the swing of things, punctuated by the occasional junction.

Conversion wasn't very difficult. I booked an hour's lesson the day before I picked up my YBR and rode it home through rush hour London. Stressful, a bit of a trial by fire, but it worked out OK in the end. Spent a few months taking it around industrial estates etc., while still using the scooter for regular trips. Did longer trips into the countryside leading up to my DAS. The bike test looks much more closely at country riding than it does urban riding - the examiners know you're going to be riding a much faster machine probably at much higher speeds before long.
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[Rogerborg]

[Cronik]

The CBT was both the worm in my apple and the flake in my cream.

I loved it so little!
I hated it so little!

I'd do it again in a heart-beat!
Only if my heart was beaten would I do it again!


It was such an eye-opening experience.
It is the torture that will lead me to my grave.


It gave me extreme confidence!
It shattered my every hope.
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*A Vacuous Vacancy*