Steep learning curve!

[MattShill]

I took my CBT on Saturday so yesterday was my first solo ride. Scary stuff! I was the only person on the CBT with no road experience, there was one lad retaking it after 2 years and the rest were all car drivers. Once I'd got my clutch/throttle control better and had the bike started I thought 'this it bloody easy!'. Left, right, round the cone, follow the other guy, pull in, use both brakes...

They don't tell you anything about what its like on the road! After lunch we went out and it's a completely different way of riding. The others had an idea of what to look out for and what to do in different circumstances, but no amount of time looking at the highway code can teach you what it's like at a busy roundabout with cars pulling out on your right, up you arse, changing lane in front of you just when you think its safe so you end up stalling when you try and pull out. Twice. You've got the rest of the CBT guys behind so after putting it into first (so THATs the problem!) you give it too many revs and the front lifts on your way out. Then they tell you to take the lead! After a while you wonder where they've all gone and a lone instructor flags you down to ask why you didn't take the first left like they told you. Get some proper bloody radios. I got better after a while, got the certificate and got home, but all in all, pretty terrifying! 5 stalls on the road.

Then yesterday. I went out for an hour or so round town, getting the hang of the gears in traffic and practicing roundabouts (don't talk to me about double mini roundabouts!). I did a fair few lights, did some good giving way and turning right, and when I went out of town got it up to 65mph. Not much, but when you've just started it feels bloody marvellous! Not wanting to hold people up at lights at one point I set off pretty sharpish, the acceleration's great! I put a decent gap between me and the first car straight away, but as soon as I hit 35 he was straight back again. When I came back home I was grinning like that tosser on Doctor Who. The only thing to do was go out again. Not so good this time, 3 stalls but I was always in the right gear, I just didn't have the confidence to give it enough revs. When I hit 50mph (country roads this time) the left mirror started to move, so when it was quiet I'd push it back. It was only after a while I realised it was actually the stem working loose in the bar. On top of that I got lost, nearly pulled out in front of a landrover and left indicators on too many times to count.

Its a bit of a bugger, when you make a mistake it really knocks your confidence and you make more! It feels great when you get it right though, I did a bit of this blipping lark when changing down and got it quite smooth on occasion. Anyway, not much point in all this but I felt like sharing my first biking experience. Can't wait to get out again!
____________________
Living life in the second overtaking lane!

'98 Kwak ER-5

[.....]

Glad you enjoyed it

Ride safe

[tribal_tiger]

I remember how scared i was the first time i went out on my own. Like you i had no road experience.

Being the fool i am my first trip out was my 20 mile trip to work during rush hour, and by the time i got there, i was trying to think of a way to get the bike back, and go on the train! I stuck with it, and in no time it seems so natural. You've a good solid bike to learn on and build your confidence with. (Same bike as i had!)

I found that to begin with i as running through all the steps i needed to do to pull away, but after a while you realise your not thinking about it anymore!

Congrats on getting through the CBT. Happy Biking!

Be Careful!

[Fruit'n'nut]

Nice one

Have fun next time you go out, ride safe and remember if you stall, make sure you're in a safe position while getting restarted.



Hmm, brings back memories of a couple of years ago ... I stalled a CG125 attempting to pull away after waiting at a pedestrian crossing.

I was trying hard to kick the thing back into life during which time the lights had changed again and people were stepping round me to use the crossing because I'd lurched forward a few yards at the start of the episode
____________________
Power Ranger

[MattShill]

Cheers, I'll keep that in mind! I had a crowd of kids watching one of my stalls, strange how quickly that feeling of biking coolness can drain away so fast!
____________________
Living life in the second overtaking lane!

'98 Kwak ER-5

[ProXimaCore]

If you're having bother with pulling away then give it plenty of revs like you've been doing. But just remember you don't need to dump the clutch out. Just let it take the bite slowly and smoothly release the clutch lever. As long as you've got a decent amount of revs going, you can't really stall. Good luck.
____________________
Honda NSR125R -> Suzuki GSXR400R GK76a -> Kawasaki ZX636 B1H -> Honda CBR400RR NC29 -> Nothing

[Fruit'n'nut]

[pop]

have just returned to "biking " after some 18 years it's great but am very warry years ago had a sidecar outfit and did not need the cbt knowledge just a prov licence and away you go rode outfits for 18 years failed test on a norton comando outfit SO WHAT at the time just carried on but still got it in my blood anyhow got myself a new cbr125 Great done the cbt but its a different world now we HAVE GOT TO BE SO AWARE OF THE IDIOTS WITH THE STEREOS ON AND ALL REMEMBER WHAT THE INSTRUCTOR SAID BE AWARE OF ALL DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE PUT INTO THE GUTTER you have paid the tax sod them that whould like to overtake you you go over the white line you aint gonna force me into the kerb do not be bullied into a situation you cant get out of safely

[binge]

When I did my CBT. I was concentrating so bloody much on my shitty indicator switch which didnt recenter when you push it. I Jumped the bloody lights right outside the CBT center...

Luckily they were on amber, but even so, Shouldnt do it on a CBT...

After like a week of riding, I was much more confident with the roads. The key is not to get too over confident... Thats when you loose concentration and end up comming off..

Nice to see you are getting the hang of the gears... Therse nothing more fun that riding a bike with a clutch, After scooters, I jumped on my mates SR125 and the clutch was SOOOO smooth! I loved every minute of it!

Ride safely mate!

<|BeN|>

[NSR125-Kid-UK]

It gets better mate, it gets so much better

"if there's nothing over there, you can go right over to the other side of the road, kiss the kerb and scream off back onto the left at almost as high a speed as you had when you entered "

the experience of fast road riding is amazing
____________________
https://www.bikepics.com/members/nsrandy/96rs250/ My Bike!

"I'm either going to teach andy to get his knee down, or I'm going to get him killed. One of the two" - Teaman