Should I practice mod 1 manoeuvres on a 125?

[daifuco]

So as some of you know I failed my mod 1 (A license). I really didnt practice the U turn that much for a number of reasons... end then:

I got too nervous.
I didnt play well with clutch/gas
I focused on the line rather than on the exit...

Foot down!!!

Ok I have been on a 600cc before . I know the handling is much different. And I know that the clutch and gas feels different.
But I am considering to practice a lot on the 125 so I automatically do the right things and hopefully my brain just has to work a little bit compensating for the 600.

One of the good motorcycle training business around offers just a few hours of training and mod 1 on the same day (late afternoon) for a reasonable price, so I could use that time to get used to the big bike. (and they have a MT-07 so if Im lucky I could try one of the possible candidates once I pass)

My instructor said it was NOT a good idea to practice on the 125, but now I know they are awful. So I'd better ask BCF!. Should I practice on the 125?

It is mostly the figure of 8 and the u turn what I will practice. Leaving the others for the hours before MOD1

[Rogerborg]

They're both motorcycles, physics doesn't magically change on a bigger bike. Not that an MT-07 is that much bigger than a 125 anyway.

Just practice with lots of revs and slipping the clutch.
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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

[NJD]

[Beehive Bedlam]

[Acemastr]

slip slip slip slip slip the clutch and look where you want to end up, more revs = more balance so don't worry if it's screaming along and keep the clutch where it is if you're going slow enough. I can actually just about do a decent U turn on the R6 now, steering lock is horrific but loads of revs and clutch slip makes it easier
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[daifuco]

The problem is that I am too used to the cbf125 and its soft clutch that you dont need to use because the engine is so mild you control it ok with the gas.
Once I went on the Hornet I felt afraid of using the clutch and throttle, when you are nervous it is difficult to keep cool.

[Teflon-Mike]

[winz]

[Acemastr]

Mike, I was under the impression that the turning of the engine actually provides centrifugal force, thus balancing the bike more.

Worked fine for me so far!
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[alex965]

I saw a guy doing a DAS who failed his mod 1 by locking up the brakes during the emergency stop on the 650 he was using. The instructors couldn't understand why he'd messed it up, he had apparently been really switched on throughout the course and done really well in the mock mod 1 tests.

He later told everyone that he'd taken his Varadero 125 out on a 300 mile road trip the day before and had been practising emergency stops throughout. Evidently, he didn't take into account the fact that the brakes on a 650 behave differently to his 125.

Imho practice on a 125 is good, when I transitioned to a bigger bike, I found that the years I has spent on 125s meant that I picked up riding a bigger bike really quickly. So it is a translatable skill set.

It only seems to bite people on the arse when they forget that they need to take into account the differences in handling and performance that bigger bikes have.
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Passed A2 licence 19th Dec '14.

[Teflon-Mike]

[daifuco]

So recaping:

Practice on the 125 as much as possible
Spend some time on the test bike before the test.
Rev and slip the clutch... because I have to do it.

[NJD]

[daifuco]

[NJD]

[Rogerborg]

[Barnoe]

The problem most learners have with tight control is the fear of leaning the bike.

Keeping the bike as upright as possible is a skill in itself when doing sharp turns, but as a learner you will turn a lot easier if you use forward momentum and lean a little while looking where you want to end up.

If you need to slow the bike pull the clutch in, rolling the throttle off quickly during a sharp turn will make the bike unstabe.... you could end up putting a foot down :/

like everything in life... practice makes perfect.

If you ride correctly, the engine size and weight makes no difference..... if you ride like an idiot, smaller bikes are more forgiving to errors
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You know you are old when you're told to slow down by your doctor and not the police.

[talkToTheHat]

When I was training for my mod 1, the site the training school used had some extra obstacles from the forklift people that also used the area, so the turn radius for the approach to the fast manoeuvres was very tight. Not a problem on the das bandits, but to achieve 50kph I learned how to get a pseudo-cruiser to skim pegs without catching my boot. Much noise made about the difference between needing to torture my 125 and the effortlessness of a 600, as 90kph through the speed trap was technically not a fault but makes the examiners really twitchy.

Some of the days course riders had their own 125s and were encouraged to practice on them, but the differences in acceleration and braking performance were noted.

A 125 is easy to catch if you topple at walking pace and is easier to pick up than a big bike, so work on your low speed manoeuvres, see how how tight you can get the bike turning and get comfortable with a bit of lean during low speed agility tests. You won't have anywhere near as much to think about getting on a big bike then.

When I did my cbt the year before, it had been ten years since I had been on a motorcycle and I had not been on a push bike for maybe 5 years. I had asked to split my CBT into sessions no longer than 2 hours due to my epic lack of health, and after the first session, was very pissed off with myself for having lost skills i knew I used to have. I was encouraged to try slaloms and figure 8s on a pushbike, so I sorted out the random junk bike living in the shed, cut some tennis balls in half, and after a few short sessions I had my balance and confidence back, and it transfered directly into my ability to ride a ybr.

You can learn useful skills with any two-wheeler. You won't get clutch control on a pushbike and a big bike needs a fine touch where a 125 needs wide open throttle, and in the case of my gz, a very firm braking hand, but where there are similarities, use them.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[daifuco]

To be honest I have noticed that I am very afraid of u-turning even on my cbf125 so for once I think the system has worked catching a fault that needs to be addressed.

[Taught2BCauti...]

[Beehive Bedlam]

[Taught2BCauti...]

I'm actually quite good at 'U' turns - and weaving in and out of cones - it's just my personal preference not to do them myself on the road.

Watching other people do them badly on YouTube is enough for me
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Teflon-Mike]

[talkToTheHat]

Practice those U-turns. It's cheaper than failing a mod 1 on a hired bike. You might find some bikes have better steering lock than others, so technique for a bike with lots of lock won't work for a barge.

If the turning circle is marginal, start the U-turn about 2 feet from the kerb/white line as if you had pulled up in a slightly lazy manner. Turn towards the kerb then turn hard away from the kerb. This way you can be at or near full lock as you pass closest to the kerb.

Given how countersteering works, done at with enthusiasm, the above can feel like one motion. Importantly, leave yourself room for the front wheel to turn left to initiate a right turn.
____________________
Bandit. does. everything.

[daifuco]

Tomorrow I am going to uturn the shit out of my cbf (first full day off since the drama-failure last week) I think the best is trying on different roads with different widths.

Can I damage the bike by using the clutch too often? I have heard you can't but I have heard a lot of bullshit lately (and not necessarily in BCF)