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Arcane1729 This post is not being displayed because the poster is banned. Unhide this post / all posts.

arry
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PostPosted: 18:08 - 24 Aug 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Good luck and we'll done on getting all booked up.
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Arcane1729 This post is not being displayed because the poster is banned. Unhide this post / all posts.
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NJD
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Joined: 11 Mar 2015
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PostPosted: 13:23 - 29 Aug 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arcane1729 wrote:
So I told all my 125 motorcycle rider friends at deliveroo I had booked my mod 1 and 2 and 5 days training- they all said I was being stupid because I hadn't enough experience on a 125 and it's much different on a big bike because you need supreme clutch control- are they just scare mongering? Starting to worry a little that I've saved up for this and it could go down the drain... Sad


Bollox. Big-er bikes are easier and safer to ride.

5 days training, even more so if they're all full days, is way more than enough. The amount of hours and miles that you'll cover on the bike will be a huge increase in experience and you'll wonder what all the worry was about after a couple. You'll be relaxed and well into it by the 5th.

Friends are either inexperienced/no idea what they're talking about or jealous that you're riding big-er bike and they're not.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 14:59 - 29 Aug 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
You do need good clutch control with a big bike but you don't learn that on a 125 Smile Someone I work with told me a year on a 125 wasn't enough experience but I passed first time, and that was on a 3 day DAS.
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Evil Hans
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Joined: 08 Nov 2015
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PostPosted: 15:18 - 29 Aug 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
M.C wrote:
You do need good clutch control with a big bike but you don't learn that on a 125 Smile Someone I work with told me a year on a 125 wasn't enough experience but I passed first time, and that was on a 3 day DAS.


Yep, I did it in 3 days too. no bother.

5 days will be plenty. There was a girl doing her DAS training when I did mine who had never ridden a bike before - apart from her CBT. She had booked 5 days in total and she passed both mods first time.

The only thing she struggled with was the pushing bit. She was about 4 foot 10. Seems really unfair on lightweight riders that bit ....
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MCN
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PostPosted: 15:35 - 29 Aug 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Be careful you don't get a license instead of a licence. Laughing


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WmDrmVJTZk
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Rogerborg
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Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 09:06 - 30 Aug 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Evil Hans wrote:
The only thing she struggled with was the pushing bit. She was about 4 foot 10. Seems really unfair on lightweight riders that bit ....

The EU heard your concerns and have addressed them by introducing a minimum of 50kW and 180kg mass on A test bikes from 2019.

No, wait... Eh?


Arcane1729 wrote:
However what's the reason [bigger bikes] are easier and safer to ride?

More stable. More torque makes it easier to pull away without stalling. More forgiving of being in the wrong gear. Able to get out of tight scrapes using instant acceleration. Generally better brakes and suspension than a budget 125. A bit more visible.

There are downsides: the extra weight at very slow speeds, and needing to use the clutch more for low speed control.

Going back down even to a 250 again is eye opening. Far more gear-changes, much more critical to keep the revs up, and the traffic light GP needs $MANY revs and clutch slipping in order to not get bogged down.

Useful skills, Tef will tef, and sure: for a small capacity bike. Move up to a bigger bike and they instantly become obsolete. It's like learning to sew your own clothes in an era of cheap sweatshop merchandise. Sure, you can, but why would you?
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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
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NJD
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PostPosted: 10:17 - 02 Sep 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arcane1729 wrote:
Thanks for the explanation-I've had a go on the Yamaha R125- got the body shape of a big bike and it feels almost impossible to U-turn because the handlebars dont turn that far- is that that same experience on a big bike- am I just not doing it right...


Sports bikes <very sudden hard prolonged cough> aren't known for having great turning circles. R125 in your view might look like a bigger bike but it's still a lightweight pee shooter in a fancy frock. I wouldn't waste time expecting it to be anything like the bike you'll be riding for training / tests.

U-Turns IMO are a test only thing, even on my lightweight tiddler out on the road I put it into neutral and do a 3 point turn, why risk dropping it when the end goal is the same? As for the test pad the space that you get to turn in is quite large and generous. You might not currently be able to perform a great U-Turn but some practice over those five days should see you right. Also worth noting (that for the local test centre pad at least) that they've been resurfaced with tarmac beyond description, makes you realise how crap our roads are.

Shoulder check either side, pull away and roll slowly, shoulder check then look forward, look around again at where you want to go, lean the bike in and keep looking, ease it round and then stop near the end of the line. Takes probably as long to do as does to type out / read.
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Rogerborg
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Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 10:48 - 02 Sep 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arcane1729 wrote:
I've had a go on the Yamaha R125- got the body shape of a big bike and it feels almost impossible to U-turn because the handlebars dont turn that far- is that that same experience on a big bike

No, it's the sportsbike experience.

My Ninja 250 has a poorish turning circle, the GS is OK, and the Enfield is excellent. Its entirely down to the style of the bike, not its engine size.

You'll be fine.
____________________
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
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arry
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PostPosted: 11:06 - 15 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arcane1729 wrote:
my mod 1 is on 15th October


Step closer today then?
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arry
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PostPosted: 12:33 - 15 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
No laughing here. That's a real shame. I was rooting for you to post much success.

And I'm saddened that you've given up, albeit I understand the reasons. It's not for everyone - my wife had a stab at it, and I bought her a YBR, but she didn't get on with it and I ended up selling it after a couple of years with her only having used it a handful of times.

What I will say is I'm absolutely positive my wife COULD do it, if she really wanted it enough but she doesn't. If you don't think you want it enough then definitely time to knock it on head.

A real shame and I'm genuinely sorry to hear it.
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Azoth
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Joined: 07 Jul 2016
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PostPosted: 12:48 - 15 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sounds like your instructor can identify the problems but hasn't been able to help you overcome them. A lot of those guys are very skilled and experienced riders, but basically have next to nothing by way of teaching strategies, short of telling you to relax when doing this or that on the bike, after the tea/cigarette break. As an instructor, it's good to know what you're doing, but unless you have a clear and structured lesson plan to teach clutch control, then you're doing the student a disservice. Typically, they aren't unkind people - they just don't have a plan.

Time to try a new instructor before throwing in the towel, perhaps.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 14:05 - 15 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Any bike is better than no bike. You can enjoy a 125 and there's no reason you can't pass the A1 tests on it just to prove to yourself and any future instructor that you're quite capable of it.

The only thing is, the difference between a 125 and a 600+ is... clutch control.
____________________
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
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M.C
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PostPosted: 15:12 - 15 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arcane1729 wrote:

I had 3 days of lessons- the instructor said my clutch control was dogshit. I was awful with slow control and this showed on the road when I went wide with junctions all the time. He said I kept I kept going fast around corners and really slow on the straight. He said the bike shook like crazy cos i was holding onto the handlebars so tight and was tense. Kept stalling at junctions and always in wrong bloody gear- basically me and the bike weren't friends. I'm retiring- I suck at this and I'm sticking to driving. Yup 4 months of yack. Chuckle your head off Embarassed Crying or Very sad
I obviously cancelled them.

Sounds like me (except for the stalling). You do have to get it into your head slow in fast out on a bike. Having a death grip on the bars makes everything more difficult, for example if you tense up approaching a corner you won't take it as well as if you tell yourself to relax. Seems somewhat counter-intuitive but it works.

When you say gears do you mean stopping in the wrong gear? I had the same issue, I was always stopping in 2nd and therefore was slow away. Only when I went for a ride with a mate did I see he was downshifting before coming to a stop > clutch in whilst in second > downshift to first. Somehow seeing someone do it made it make sense.

Buy a YBR, I reckon you could find a decent one for £800 and sell it on for the same amount easily. Cheap 125's are normally cheap for a reason. You might get something like a nakard old SR125 for £500, but it'll be a heap of junk, and won't give you the road experience you need.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 16:24 - 15 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arcane1729 wrote:

Yup in 2nd gear sometimes 3rd. Pulling away was slooooow and often split up from others at traffic lights because of it.
Hmm YBR or CBR it is then... thanks!

It's wimp-out season so I'd be keeping an eye on all 125's. Someone on here got a 125 advertised for £700 for under £400 (iirc), as the seller let slip he wanted an Xbox Smile Think that was a CBR or XR.
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Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 9 years, 72 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
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