First solo ride

[Ayup_Mi-Duck]

YES!

Last night, got the 125 insured and taxed, then skipped out the house and started my epic journey around Notts I know it might sound silly, but even tho its a 125 (don't have the spare cash for my DA etc) It had me smiling like a plonker.

I must also have looked a plonker too as im 6'7'' my YBR125 is surprisingly comfy.

So, yes, I came home from my first solo spin full of beans and excitement. unfortunately im off on holls tomorrow so will have to wait till I get back to go out again... bah!

[Rogerborg]

A bike's a bike, you can have plenty of laughs on a 125.

Don't worry about how you look, people will just think you're a normal human on an MSX125.
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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

[Bozzy]

Have fun and ride safe!
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2004 SV650S >>> 2009 Street Triple R

[MahatmaAndhi]

I had my first solo ride in Nottingham. Mine wasn't as fun.
Me, the wife and the kids drove to Nottingham nice and early, went to Cookie Shake near the Victoria Centre and then trundled off to Arnold to view the bike. So far so good.

The bike was a bit of a junker, and if I knew what I know now (which isn't much) I wouldn't have gone near it. A Piaggio MP3 125. Anyway, blinded by the thought of owning my own bike, we went to the bank, got the money and made the deal.

The idea was that we meet up in Grantham's Asda on the way back to Peterborough. My wife set off in the car.
I begin to ride off with only two hours CBT under my belt.

I get about half way to town and realise that I haven't insured the bike. Idiot mistake. So I pull off and try to ring the insurance company, but my wife has my wallet and card in the car. And she's too busy getting lost in Nottingham to pick up. And it begins chucking it down.

I found a bus stop and was sat in it, soaking wet. And for two very long hours, we tried to navigate my wife to where I was. She's shit with navigation, so I was using Google Maps, telling her where to go, then waiting for her phonecall when she reached another landmark or street name.

Eventually she made it to roughly where I was. St-fucking-Anns! I've heard lots of stories about this place, so I wasn't keen on hanging about. I decide to go meet up with her - uninsured - as it wasn't too far away.
I find her parked on a dead end street with a steep hill. Bear in mind, I'm from Peterborough. We don't have hills here. I ride up the hill and attempt a U-turn, but with the hill and my absolutely dogshit riding, I topple the bike. And it's a behemoth of a bike to try and pick up. Scraped to buggery, I park it up and we sort out the insurance, over the phone, doing my best to remember details.

So, finally we're insured and ready to ride back home, extremely frustrated at this point.

I get a short while away and I must have taken a wrong turning because I've no idea where I am again. So I pull over. She pulls over too, and tells me that my bike is pissing out oil all over the road.

At this point I've given up. It was a stupid idea. I call the AA and sign up for a new membership to get them to come out. So, we're there, waiting, with the kids getting pissed off in the back of the car, for Mr AA to arrive. Which he does and hour later.

After looking up and down the bike, he tells me he can't do anything because the bike isn't taxed. It's Sunday. Every post office is closed. I explained my best intentions, but his hands were tied. No tax, no fix. It's not a road worthy bike.
He gives me a number for a bike collection service and off he goes.

So we wait. Another two hours. My daughter's busting for a wee and there's nowhere local to go. Eventually we went in the worst Nisa supermarket I've ever had the misfortune of entering.

Mr Motorbike Collection Guy turns up, with a face like a slapped arse. He isn't interested. But it's £350 for a 90min drive. Easy money. So we load the bike in to his van. He doesn't want to do it himself. Then he realises that his paddock isn't suitable for a bike with two wheels at the front and we have to fart-arse around looking for a compromise.
Eventually, we got it secured (notice the amount of 'we' and not 'he') and away we go, wife and kids in tow in the car.

I got back to Peterborough at about 7pm. Completely lost track of time. Lost value on the already overpriced bike because of the drop, plus the cost of transportation too.

Worst-fucking-day-ever.

I'm sorry to regale you with such a horror story. I think I needed to get that off my chest.
My first ride was awful. I'm glad that you enjoyed yours. And hope you have many more in the future.

Tl;dr: I got lost in Nottingham and had a shit day.
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

[andyscooter]

Has TEF hacked your account
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Kaya75]

Nice, first time out on a 125, makes you smile, makes you laugh. Nice one. Loads of fun. Like losing your virginity slightly awkward, wondering if wtf, grinning like the big man afterwards, never forgotten.

I remember reading about starting on a 125, and reading that anyone with experience would treat it like a toy and recommend a car, or a van, even better her parents bed but hey, the up shot was that you got the bike and even though she's bin round the block a bit, it's still some of the best unforgettable fun you'll ever have.. Well fuck knows where they had bin, but even though it's fun, twisting the throttle of a 600 through the powerband solo is something else happy daze!

My first experience on a 125 was solo out of West Ham on the north circ (?) A13 to Essex, same as losing my virginity, wide eyed, trying to keep it in lane, to hyped to notice anything but for keeping blind panic under control!

Happy bike spotting on your hols too
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ybr125 Sold, GSF600 K1 Bandit (For Sale), FJR13000 gen2.

[onlyJaz]

[MahatmaAndhi]

I think I went past confidence and well in to arrogance territory. I was soon humbled though!
This was a few years ago. When the tax followed the vehicle. But it didn't have any.
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

[Pie-Roe]

I am also in Notts. There are some pleasant roads around here.
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Previous: GSF600, FZR600 x2, ZXR750, XT600 Tenere, CB125, CZ125, ETZ 250, ER5, CCM R30, DRZ400, RF600x4, RF900x2, GS500, VTR1000F, 640 SMC, CB250 NIGHTHAWK, GT550x3, GPX750 TE610, CB500, X11x2, SV650, ZING 125, TL1000R,CB250 Superdream, CBR1100XX

[Falco]

My 1st 125 ride was more of the stress inducing nightmare variety. Stalled bike at traffic lights having just filled it up. Wouldn't start. Guy that sold it to me came out and fiddled with it for about 30 minutes. Finally bump started it and told me it just needed a good run to charge the batter (yeah right). Cue a terrifying 3 hour ride to work, with 2 more stalls and 2 more bump starts. After a week the problem was found to be a dud starter motor.

3 Months later, when the bike was working, I couldn't get enough of it. A 125 is plenty good enough for most biking, I even took mine on a 180 mile trip to a music festival - I wouldn't recommend it unless you enjoy not being able to feel your fingers or your ass (only took 1 tank of petrol though! )

125s get a lot of stick but there is much to recommend them.

[Ayup_Mi-Duck]

AYUP!
Thanks for the replies, its been nice to come back to. I didn't like New York in the slightest. Id rather have gone to Skeg Vegas lol... tbh im going to try and get there on sat for a proper blast out

sounds like you had a shitter in Nottingham. yes Arnold isn't too bad and St Annes isn't to either tbh... then again ive just stayed in the Bronx for 5 days so its been a bit of a 5p 10p situation at night.

I did read it all

[MahatmaAndhi]

At least it wasn't Hyson Green, eh. I nearly moved there once.
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2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

[Ayup_Mi-Duck]