New biker questions

[snikks]

Hi All

Been lurking for a while now, felt it was time for a first post to say hi and ask some advice on some issues.

So I passed my CBT around Jan 2nd, and I've bought myself a XL125V Varadero second hand. I had a read around Re: dropping first bikes and not spending too much and admittedly bucked that advice for two reasons:

1: I fell in love with it once I sat on it (mostly this one)
2: I plan to keep it around for a while rather than upgrade as soon as I pass my restricted license, use it as a commuter for my 15 mile jaunt to work and back.

In any case, I have it now and love it, I have one question on the bike, the back brake pads were new (replaced to pass the MOT) when I bought it, and at low speeds a slight squeaking is noticeable from the rear wheel which I presume to be brake related. It quickly fades out as I speed up and seems to be getting less severe over time. Is this anything I should be concerned about, or can I just leave it and hopefully it'll disappear if the brakes are just slightly maladjusted?

My second question is, what is the best way to practice solo for the test? I'd rather do this as much as possible as money is currently tight, and then take just a few lessons to check standards before I do my test. Do most people buy cones and disappear to a car park at 4am, or can most of it be practiced on road legally and safely? Or is it a case of really needing that tuition?

Thirdly (last one I promise) what things would people suggest practicing in addition to test passing skills? Obviously getting out on the road as much as possible to gain experience, especially since I don't drive cars, but are there any specific things I should try to practice that maybe aren't included in the test, in order to be a better rider?

[Teflon-Mike]

On your own bike, lessons are about £20 a go.
No idea what you have just paif for the bike, but thats peanuts in comparison!
Come on, put the Horse INFRORNT of the cart, mate, and do the training FIRST, the practice second!
What the fuck you going to practice is you haven't been tought anything? Savi?
Remember, your on L's, and untrained you are THE most vulnerable motorised road-user out there.
Would you hand some-one a gun, and say, "tell you what, take this, have a few pot shots at any pidgeons you can find, try not to blow your foot off, and I'll come tell you what your doing wrong later......."
GET TRAINED FIRST
What YOU need to practice will depend on what you are good and bad at.
I cant tell you! - not without seeing you ride some, least wise!
Thats what training is for.
Instructor will assess what your weaknesses are and work on them with you, and set you excersises to practice.
May be junctions, road possitioning, e-stop, U-turn, cornering, I cant say what. Instructor can.
If funds tight and you aren't in a hurry, spread the training out, if you have to, but DONT stack it all at the end and hope to cram.
Doing it in small chunks with practice in between is a good way to learn. Weekly or fortnightly lessons, give you enough time between sessions to practice and get some experience, without so long you forget what you did last time and spend half the time re-covering old ground. At the very longest, take one a month. Thats a fiver a week..... its worth it.
Sooner you know what you are doing, and practicing doing it 'right' less time you are crashing blindly through the bushes without a clue whether what you are doing is right or wrong, veinly hoping not to shoot yourself in the foot!
An hours training at trhe very beginning is worth a day at the end, meanwhile, can save an AWFUL lot of hurt!
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Rogerborg]

Slight counterpoint: don't train or practice for the test. Train and practice to ride safely on your commute, then just do the test when you feel ready. That's the way it's supposed to work - that you're tested on your normal riding, not that you cram for the test then forget it all.

Of course, the majority of candidates are cramming for the test - the number of people over 21 doing A2 is insignificant - but if you're happy with your bike (and Varadero riders do seem to love them) then there's no need to rush.

You will need to practice for the theory test though, especially the hazard clips, as your perception of a developing hazard may be different to the DSAs. You can get a training DVD for a few £££ from any supermarket.
____________________
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

[snikks]

Okay, so the advice is that training is definitely worth getting sooner rather than later, and to not feel pressured to race to do the test, but to train to ride safely on the commute makes sense.

I've completed the car hazard perception so as long as it's not much different, that should be no real issue.

Anyway, thanks for the input
____________________
- CBT: 02/01/11 Theory: 26/04/11 Mod 1: 19/05/11 Mod 2: 19/08/11
- 2007 Honda XL125V Varadero (Sold), 1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer (Sold), 2001 CBR600F

[Rogerborg]

The hazard clips are the same in the bike theory test. In fact, there's only a handful of bike specific questions in the multiple choice part - it's almost totally pointless making people do both tests, but that's bureaucracy for you.

There is no right or wrong answer. Some folk cram for their test to get onto a bigger bike, some just enjoy riding a 125 and do the testing at their own pace. Some people enjoy and benefit from training, others would rather learn from experience, or not at all. It's all good.
____________________
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

[Teflon-Mike]

Yup, point of training is to make you a safe competant rider, not merely passing a test. Passing your test, SHOULD be a natural result of becoming a safe competant rider.
However, there is 'stuff' that an instructor will teach you, which is pretty much JUST to impress a test examiner.
For example, lfe-savers, cheap trick, but always make sure your nose passes your mirrors when making one.
Makes very little difference to your riding whether you turn your head that extra inch or not.... makes big difference on test, becouse Examiner gets to see clear distinct life-saver that cant be confused with a mirror check.....
Its little nuggets like that you'll pick up along the way, that will make a difference come test time.
As will getting you doing life-savers or whatever, and making them nice and distinct and an ingrained habbit from the very start, so you dont have to 'correct' anything thats a bit sloppy, or risk 'lapsing' into bad habbits come test.
But 'good-training' should get you doing PROPPER lfe-savers, and observations, and KNOWING why you are doing them, and when to do them, and understanding thier importance, and what you are looking for, and why, rather than just going through the motions, that the examiner will be looking for.

Training 'Panic' students, cramming for test near the end of thier CBT's life, its something I have seen a fair bit, and having read the manuals, the student comes out on a lesson, and their helmet is bobbing about like a bouy on a stormy sea, and when you see thier faces, they have ABSOLUTELY no idea what they are looking at or what they are looking for!

On a two hour road-training lesson, I get to see that. I have perhaps four times the observation time, in the saddle a test examiner does. On test, folk like that often pass, becouse the examiner doesn't have that luxuary.

Anyway, your not going to do that.... so not an issue. what IS an issue for you though, is picking a good school, and one that has the emphasis on improving your competance, rather than getting you through a test. There are lots of schools out there, and they all have different instructors with different attitudes. Vet them carefully, but volunteer schools tend to have more of this mind-set. They are doing it for the love, not the money.

And, having said, your not working to a deadline, you can take your time, but the more and earlier your traing, the better, it Is worth a little thought and giving yourself some limits.

First off, at least a lesson a month, preferably one a fortnight, to keep you 'on the ball' and give you something new to tackle each time. This is where training can be 'fun' not a chore. It also gives you some points of reference, and loads of confidence from those 'little' pats on the back, having been shown something in the last lesson, 'cracked it' in the practice time until the next, and been given the thumbs up by the instructor at the beginning of your next lesson.

Also so as not to let it drag out, and feel you are NEVER going to get anywhere, or, get a bit lax and skipping the odd lesson.

Six to eight two hour lessons, SHOULD be enough to get most students up to test standard. so working on the notional one a month, you could comfortably be looking to put in for test around June or July.

This is PROBABLY a good goal to set yourself. Gives you plenty of time to get comfy in the saddle, get some training and road miles under your belt, and in that period when days are getting longer, weather getting better, it will be encouraging you to ride more, and have more fun the whole while. Also gives you a good three months of the 'season' between August and October, for 'slippage' if you cant get a test date, or have to repeat your Mod 1 or anything daft, before the weather starts to turn, and things start winding down for the winter, and the idea of going out for practice rides in the cold and wet and dark, discourage it.

And remember, it isn't all over when you get your ticket to ride, its only just beginning! But means you can dump the L's, carry a pillion, go on motorways, as well as get better insurance deals! And if the learning experience has been fun, enough, you can carry on, and do pass-pluss, RoSPA or IAM to go that bit further, again, in monthly 'byte-size' chunks. But, whgatever, your biking can take you in any direction you like, and while you may stick with the Veradero, MANY of us have more than one bike........
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'