muppet newbie on getting over being rubbish? Any tips?

[vangelis]

Hello guys! You seem a nice lot; help me out with a problem?
Am going to try and condense it to save you a long driveling explanation (at the expense of the grammar I’m afraid)
I’ve always wanted a bike. I’m leaving the country soon and won’t be back till March so it’s my last chance at the DAS before the changes. I finally stopped talking about it, got off my ass, did a theory test and booked an intensive course.
Did CBT (loved it) two weeks before intensive starts. Realized I was a muppet incapable of learning to ride a bike in a week, flogged all my possessions on e-bay and booked a lesson for practically every day till.
Going well, loved it all and after 1 more lesson on 125 rode a Kawasaki ER and felt soooo much safer (yes! I did read a lot of posts before bothering you all ‘time on a tiddler’ e.t.c; I just don’t get on with them)
Went to a different school (mine was booked) and got given a new, shiny 750 Honda that I couldn’t sit astride and get my feet near the floor without being completely on tip-toes. Instructor was in love with it and worried for it. I then cocked everything up for 4 hours. Dropped it, stalled it, wobbled, dithered at roundabouts and became afraid of stopping. My instructors panicky instructions made me panic and towards the end I nearly got squished by a chav in a corsa. He then told me that after I’d failed the bike tests, he might have some space to spare for lessons!
Am not normally that unconfident, just aware my judgments are bit rubbish and I never do enough obs. I have a lesson day after tomorrow and instead of being all excited and happy as usual am worried, a bit miserable and sure I’ll fail. Any advice to help me get back in the saddle? Or give up and get back in the car!
Thanks x

[PaulS]

Sounds like you were doing well until the Honda 750 where you could only get tip-toes down...if it were me, I would ask the school to set up an alternative bike with a lower seat.
____________________
CBT: 16 Feb 2012.
Theory: 2 Sep 2013 - failed the *#!@ Hazard Perception!!
2012 Yamaha YBR 125 (5 Apr 2012).

[Billo63]

It is a big step up bike wise with lots of aspects to take into account, weight, power, how that power is delivered, acceleration, braking + lots more will all seem difficult or strange 1st time out.

I'm assuming you encountered no major issues throughout cbt , if this is the case then you already know that to some small degree you can control a bike. Now tis just a case of adjusting what you were taught on cbt to new bike. This will increase your confidence therefore making learning much more pleasant.

Is there no chance of going back to riding er5, or similar sized 500

If not, then it's a case of stepping up & telling self that you can do it.
You cannot expect to learn an awful lot after a few hours on what to you is an enormous bike, that will come with road time & practise.

Just tell yourself that you cannot make the same mistake twice as the 2nd time it is a choice & I'm sure you'll relax, get right into it & hopefully bloody love it too
____________________
I might not be a gynecologist, but I know a cunt when I see one

[trikeschick]

You need a decent instructor! And you perhaps need to stop applying pressure on yourself. It is supposed to be fun - chill there's no such thing as can't.

We all mistakes, we all had to learn - even the most seasoned of riders still screw it up.

You'll be fine...
____________________
"Light travels faster than the speed of sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak"

[J.M.]

One problem is that you don't seem to be able to get on with a 125. Why not?

It's a bike, it has an engine. The problem is that it's lightweight and unstable. When you make a mistake it really lets you know. This is what you're probably perceiving as "not getting on with the 125".

The reason that you think you are getting on with the bigger bikes is simply because they hide your errors a lot more. They're more stable bikes. But clearly you're still making these errors.

If you can learn to control the 125 properly, a bigger bike should be of no problem at all for you to handle.

Also +1 to the above, ask for a bike that you're comfortable on. Also change your state of mind. If you think "I can't do this" like you are thinking with not being able to put your foot down then you won't be able to do it.

I had a similar problem on my CBT. My bike would always fall to the right when stopping instead of the left so I would put my right foot down to stop it. I asked my instructor and he said "Stop putting your bloody right foot down". Took a huge effort and burst of confidence but when I stopped the next time I put my left foot out and sure enough the bike fell that was instead.
The bike was falling right because I anticipated it falling right and pre-emptively put my foot out to stop it.
Essentially my error was caused purely by my state of mind because I thought one thing and then my body was making it happen.
____________________
2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Rogerborg]

Surely not a VT750S?

https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/_assets/images/products/full/angle/VT750S-STD-PB332X-NH138.png

Seat height is 750mm, but it'll be wide (which matters) and it's 232kg wet.

You'll be fine on the ER-5, and under decent instruction. There's no point in having a bad time on a bike that you don't enjoy.

If I'm reading this right, you've got a full week with "your" school before your test, presumably on the ER5? If so, I'd just sack off the other school. You've got enough to learn without having to chop and change between different bikes. If you've got the time already available, then get out on a pushbike - a lot of the obs and junction approaches carry over.

Biking is fun, honest, and it's a lot more fun without some randomly qualified geezer yelling in your ear. Eyes on the prize.
____________________
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

[Polarbear]

Wrong bike for you, simple as.

It's physically too big and heavy for someone with your riding experience and size. Any school worth it's salt should be able to see that.

Wrong school and bad instructor IMO.
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[thepuma]

When I read the thread title I thought it was going to be a post by UsuallyWrong
____________________
YBR125 (SOLD) - CBR250R(SOLD) - CBR650F(SOLD) Current - Street Triple
765 RS

[Ribenapigeon]

I wonder with the impending rule changes how many others are in the same situation. Esenstialy stressed out and in a hurry and punishing themselves.

This is why I chose to give myself time on a 125, so I could get confident in my own time, then do tests (or assesments, as I think of them). Keep it joyfull and relaxed. Even if you go past the rule changes in Jan, is that really going to stop you going for licences? Of course not. So stop beating yourself up about it.

[arry]

It's just inexperience mate. In the early days it won't take a lot to knock your confidence and really affect your ride. With a bit more experience, you can make a mistake and move on / get over it a lot quicker.

Everyone has days where it just ain't happening for them. It's nothing unusual mate.

In short - get back on, and keep going at it.

[Kradmelder]

What is a school doing putting a newb on a bike that you cant touch the ground properly?

Dont worry about dropping the bike. Everyone drops their bike. the more nervous, the more likely to drop when a newb. relax. You can do it. You are not the first person to be nervous leaatrning how to ride. And if you fail the test, you wont be the first.

You will drop again in future. So will I and everyone else. And in the most stupid manner.
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[vangelis]

Yes, Rogerborg, it was the bike from the picture! Am sure it’s lovely but I hated it. I’m 5’3 and everytime we stopped I had to lean it over to the left at a crazy angle in order to put my foot on the floor. Getting going again was tragic, I had to schlep it back upright and try and make it go while hopping, which took so long I generally missed my chance at junctions and had to start again. Am sure every poor fucker trying to get home that day remembers me with hatred!
Thought about what you wrote too J.M, Your probably right as well. Seeing as I already sold all my stuff to pay for those extra lessons I will use them, but ask to be on a 125 next time. The Honda scares the pants off me and its all time on the road right? Can get things like road position and obs sorted out a bit and then when I start at ‘my’ school for the intensive get going on the ER5 again.
Thanks to you too Billo63, but am pussying out of your ‘stepping up’ suggestion as I think the probable outcome is me getting squashed.
Everyone else, you made me feel lots better.
When you don’t know what you’re doing you assume your instructor does, it is nice to know that it might be a tricky bike for beginners rather than me just being totally inept. It’s also comforting that you all dropped yours and fluffed up lessons too.
Thank you all for taking the time to help me out. Am feeling excited about it again now and looking forward to my next lesson!

[wots]

I pulled up alongside one of those this morning. It's mahoosive. I wouldn't want to go on that now, let alone when learning.

Looked great, but wow!
____________________
Currently: Yamaha DT 125 LC2,Repsol Fireblade, and Bumblebee MSX 125

[MCW]

I had a good CBT and then totally freaked out later, and that was just on a Varadero 125. My fear of dropping it almost paralysed me. It was a pure mental block and took a while to work out of my system.

That 750 seems an odd choice as a teaching bike. My first requirement of any instructor is that they care more about me than a lump of metal, however shiny and new. You are not the first person to post on here about instructors being arsey (good Dorset word) and I really would get a different school/instructor and insist on a different bike. You are the paying customer and if you want to pay to be insulted and abused, there are far more exclusive clubs to cater to that particular whim than some shitty instructor.

Good luck with it. Get back to the joy.

[P.]

That is definitely an odd bike to give a new person.

I look at it with a frown and I've been riding 5 years I couldn't U turn it. Well... where abouts are you. Someone might be able to recommend a school where they use bikes, not barges.

[alexinlondon]

I can totally relate to this, I recently failed my mod 1 after 2 days of training.

On day 1 I was on a 500 (suzuki), loved it, was doing all the slow riding perfectly.

On day 2 moved onto a 650 (suzuki), which while being a new bike had smoother gear and more power for the faster riding I had a lot more problems with the slow riding balance (especially on the uturn).

As others said it's to do with size and weight and power etc. And to be fair I had problems with 2 feet flat on the ground.

So I can feel your pain. Anyway you don't need anything bigger than the 500 for now so ask your school to let you train / test on that.

[rocco66]

You need a good instructor
https://www.centplay.com/affiliate/id_134/

[Rogerborg]

That's an awful choice for a training bike, I can't think what possessed them.

Tell them that the internets said so, and they can sod off with any "It's not the bike, it's you" tosh. It is the bike, they bought the wrong one, and that should be their problem, not yours.
____________________
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

[vangelis]

So I went back to the school with the ‘scary’ bike today and asked to go on the 125. The instructor thought I was a bit of a moron but relented. Even though he makes me really nervous I got a lot done and he helped me sort out many of my mistakes, am sure my gear changes are a lot smoother now and am timing the obs better so I’m really glad I asked you all for advice.
Cheers Paddy, am up in (down in?) Surrey/ Sussex area but I start with ‘my’ school for the intensive soon with a bike and an instructor I feel comfortable with, so am all sorted out now.
Am actually hopeful that the whole silly mess will have done me some good and after you lot bolstering my ego a bit getting on a bike I can cope with like the ER5 rather than the wanking-scary-great-big-honda will seem like a nice step down, rather than being a big step up from the 125!
Got to try and make the best of it eh?

[Kradmelder]

[vangelis]

[Kradmelder]

[MCW]

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[vangelis]