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SpiderCall
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Joined: 12 Jun 2017
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PostPosted: 05:16 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Another newbie Reply with quote
Having stalked and read for a while now I really thought I should join and actually post. Sooo just dropping in to say hi <3
After nearly 12 years of umming and ahhing I've finally bitten the bullet and decided that yes yes I really really do want a bike. Planning on doing direct access and am currently trying to memorise things needed for theory test. No idea how I'm going to remember all of the braking distances and that is what is currently letting me down on practices Embarassed

The other thing is, I do not want a 125. Hence not just doing CBT. Most of the guys I've spoken to have suggested doing direct access as I'll get bored of a smaller bike etc (knowing me probably true and I do honestly want something bigger) however some of the people I've spoken to don't seem to think (being female) that I'm actually going to be able to handle a larger bike. Soooo to any ladies on here, how heavy is yours? People seem to think if I get a larger one I'll drop it and not be able to get it back up Laughing
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ThatDippyTwat
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PostPosted: 06:52 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ignore the twats, DAS is perfectly fine. You may not get it first go, irrespective of gender, but as long as you're aware of that, go for it.

As for picking up bikes, it's all about how you do it, not brute force. If you can ride it reasonably well, you can pick it up with the correct technique, no matter if it's a 'motard or a Goldwing.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 06:55 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
(Fnar)

Honorary skirt-wearer mansplaination:

I'd do your CBT first at least to see if you get on with a 125, then take it from there.

Weight isn't so much of an issue as how the bike carries it and whether you can keep it upright. There are plenty of low, stable bikes, and worst case, techniques for lifting even a heavy bike - you'll find something to suit.
____________________
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
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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Joined: 22 Nov 2012
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PostPosted: 07:18 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Re: Another newbie Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
some of the people I've spoken to don't seem to think (being female) that I'm actually going to be able to handle a larger bike.


Yeah that's shit. But - then again - there's a lot to be said for cutting your teeth on a 125, even though the loose BCF consensus is against it (and indeed, a "stepped" sort of approach to learning to ride more generally).

Spending a year on a little bike imo means some of the trickier little skills can be finessed to quite a good standard - I'm talking particularly about the finer bike control tasks e.g. slow speed manoeuvres, town work shit, urban faffing, all that crap. When you can do that smoothly and relatively seamlessly on a diddy bike, it's piss easy on a big real proper one (which strictly speaking, a split-arse like your good self shouldn't really even be allowed to point at). You WILL look even slicker and more experienced courtesy of those 125 miles.

Also, there can be a sense of fun and innocent enjoyment on a 125 which sometimes goes amiss on bigger, more serious bikes - where there's often an onus to perform (from both yourself and other riders).

You *can* be a bit limited by the routes you can tackle on a 125 - there's no getting away from that. They generally don't do 70 without severe sturm und drang, so busy dual carriageways can be a challenge, ditto long, steep hills, headwinds, people shouting too loudly, fleas, air molecules, electrons, sub-atomic particles, photons and certain wavelengths of light.

So yeah - fuck 125s. They're bloody awful. I jest!!! They're so crap they're great. Get a square light CG with an enclosed chain, or a vanvan. Something like that. Potter around for a few months, learning to cancel your indicators and not crash at 90 miles an hour.
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Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

Last edited by trevor saxe-coburg-gotha on 07:24 - 16 Jun 2017; edited 2 times in total
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SpiderCall
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Joined: 12 Jun 2017
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PostPosted: 07:20 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the replies Smile I'm planning on doing the CBT first to see how I fare and whether it is for me. I just am planning on doing DAS fairly quickly if it is as I would rather have the extra taught training before being let loose on the world by myself Smile After watching a young lad nearly get swiped off a couple of days ago pulling a very wobbly u turn in the middle of the road without so much as a glance first, and another wearing not a lot with another lad on the back with no helmet I get the feeling some people really really could do with being forced in to more. I want to keep myself as safe as I can and just feel having the extra may be a good idea.

As to the 125/bigger thing...I just want something stable, the aunt always had bigger bikes up until her last one and the 125 just really didn't do it for me looks wise and although it probably was it just didn't look as stable. I was originally actually going to still stick with a smaller one but after taking to people about stability, getting yourself out of potential trouble etc the general consensus seems to be go bigger but be sensible, don't act like an idiot, drive fast etc.

I am aware that I may not get it first time and have already anticipated not doing so and have put aside a bit more money to cover extras that I may require. With my working hours the days are going to end up having to be split up a bit anyway rather than doing them all together unles I book a few nights off so I suspect it will end up taking longer than normal anyway.


On the stopping distance thing, how is it divided up? I know the way to work out the stopping distance as a whole but I'm having trouble with breaking/thinking distance when they are asked for specifically?
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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Joined: 22 Nov 2012
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PostPosted: 07:23 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
looks wise


*groans inwardly but says nothing*
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Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
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SpiderCall
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Joined: 12 Jun 2017
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PostPosted: 07:33 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha wrote:
SpiderCall wrote:
looks wise


*groans inwardly but says nothing*


I honestly don't see the point in owning something I'm going to hate looking at. I'm not actually even looking at what I really like because it's not practical but equally I don't like bikes that look like they are about to fall over if you blow on them. I'm not a skinny girl and some of the smaller bikes really do look like they are about to fall over if you prod them. I'm not even talking big when I say big, just not one of the things that look like they came from an affair between a motorbike and a bicycle.
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CyrilSwan
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Joined: 24 Dec 2012
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PostPosted: 08:04 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just. Get. A. Grom....

Or a Benelli TNT!
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Last edited by CyrilSwan on 08:18 - 16 Jun 2017; edited 1 time in total
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madcow87
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Joined: 15 Jun 2017
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PostPosted: 08:14 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
On the stopping distance thing, how is it divided up? I know the way to work out the stopping distance as a whole but I'm having trouble with breaking/thinking distance when they are asked for specifically?


I'm not 100% sure but I'm sure I read somewhere that a good estimate is if you're doing 40mph, its a 40ft thinking distance, 50mph = 50ft, 60mph = 60ft...etc etc

I've just done my bike theory last weekend, honestly if you're failing any practices its probably not the braking distances alone that are causing it. I've done 3 theory tests now (passed them all but that's another story) and in that time I've had 1 braking distance question. If you're confident enough about the rest of the areas, like road signs, attitude etc etc then don't worry about dropping one or two on braking distances just have a good go at them and think logically.

Don't forget to get some practice in on the hazard perception (which I personally think is the biggest waste of time of the theory test) something my CBT instructor said to me was identify the hazard and click for it then give it a second click not long after to make sure you do pick up some points for it. Because of that window of opportunity to score points you may click too early and miss all the points, the extra click just makes sure you pick something up (hopefully Laughing )

Also, I agree with the 125 statement. I too thought long and hard about what to do regarding getting a bike, and had people telling me to get a 125 and throwing all sorts of suggestions at me, absolutely NONE of which I liked the look of. At the end of the day, no its not the reason you're getting into riding, but you don't start driving and just buy any old thing because it was a sensible option, you try to balance it and get something you at least like the look off.

IMO if you're proud of what you own, you'll look after it much more.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 08:23 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
I just am planning on doing DAS fairly quickly if it is as I would rather have the extra taught training before being let loose on the world by myself Smile

I agree. There's no sense wobbling around essentially untrained on a small, slow bike with limited brakes, tyres and suspension. It's unnecessary risk and doesn't get you any closer to a full license.

And I say this as someone who did ride a 125 for a year. It was fun, but in hindsight it wasn't smart or a good use of time.
____________________
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
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CyrilSwan
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PostPosted: 08:26 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Horses for courses...

I use my bike 99% of the time for the commute. It's 20 miles each way and mainly London traffic. Highest speed limit en route is 40mph. So for me, a 125 is a no brainer. Perfect for my needs.

However, if my commute was to involve roads with the national speed limit then I'd switch to a bigger bike in a heartbeat.
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grr666
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PostPosted: 08:27 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Why all the waffle waffle waffle , I swear women like talking endlessly about stuff more than actually doing them.
Go and DO a CBT course , you can't ride anything until that's done then we'll set Tef onto you so you, he's a 125 expert
and will show you how waffle is done. LOL at 'braking distances', a locked front wheel equals faceplant.
Whether after 1 metre or a hundred. Braking technique is a practical skill which you learn by doing it.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 08:42 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
grr666 wrote:
LOL at 'braking distances'

That's an issue with passing the theory test, you racist.
____________________
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
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 08:50 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
the aunt always had bigger bikes up until her last one and the 125 just really didn't do it for me looks wise


Soz but you're betraying your ignorance here. Cubic capacity has little if any relationship to aesthetic qualities, nor even physical dimensions. The Honda Varadearo 125cc appears larger than my '90s CB500 - it certainly looks a *lot* bigger than e.g. an old Honda CB250RS. Then there's height to consider - a '90s DT125 with off-road wheel sizes (and, say, Michelin AC10 tyres) could to many pairs of eyes look like (and in some ways, behave like) far more bike than e.g. a Suzuki GS500. Similarly, that self-same DT125 could look like the *same* amount of bike as a KTM350EXC.

By all means, get a big bike - the bike you have probably already decided you're going to get (yet which you've actually not named in the above). But be clear in your mind why you have chosen it - and don't get hung up on superficialities. Most bikes look like shit these days, afaic - but otoh, most of them ride and handle well. You can't see them while you're riding them, after all.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
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SpiderCall
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Joined: 12 Jun 2017
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PostPosted: 09:23 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for the helpful replies. Other people have posted pre CBT and haven't been told they are waffling by doing so. I posted today because I am booking it now that I have the funds to do so and wanted a bit of advice on a couple of things. I could understand if I'd been posting about it for weeks but I've waited until I'm actually at the point of booking it to post.

I've got one that is telling me which answers I'm getting wrong, the majority I'm absolutely fine on anyway and can get above the % needed so it shouldn't be an issue I just didn't know how it was worked out and was interested. I know it's about 20 = 2x 30 = 2.5x stopping distance in fair conditions etc but just wasn't sure how that was divided between thinking and breaking. Seem to be ok on hazard perception thankfully.

And yes, it's definitely not the reason I'm getting in to it but I don't want to just go for whatever if I'm not going to like the way it looks. I've had many suggestions some of which I like and some of which I don't. Ultimately it just needs to be practical but I agree that if you like something you are far more likely to care for it properly.


Yes i am ignorant on bikes and haven't claimed I'm not which is why I'm actually trying to learn. As I said her 125 didn't do it for me and from the bikes I've also been suggested by other people the ones that I do like the look of happen to just be larger. I haven't actually decided on anything specific as I won't know what I'm going to actually like until I do it so couldn't say. Yes there are some I really like but there is no point until I actually know whether practically I'm still going to.
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grr666
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PostPosted: 09:28 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sigh...
Laughing
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 09:34 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
The only real considerations from a riding point of view are the ergonomics of the bike and how they fit you, particularly your inside leg.

https://www.cycle-ergo.com is a reasonable starting point but it's not the whole story - suspensions compress, and seat width is significant.

You'll find something to suit. Are there any particular styles of bike that appeal to you?
____________________
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
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SpiderCall
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PostPosted: 09:52 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rogerborg wrote:
The only real considerations from a riding point of view are the ergonomics of the bike and how they fit you, particularly your inside leg.

https://www.cycle-ergo.com is a reasonable starting point but it's not the whole story - suspensions compress, and seat width is significant.

You'll find something to suit. Are there any particular styles of bike that appeal to you?


Thank you Smile I shall have a look.

Looking at cruisers as a more upright position is required.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 10:38 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
Looking at cruisers as a more upright position is required.

https://static.stuff.co.nz/1377728556/480/9101480.gif

I'd keep looking. If you want upright, then a generic naked bike like an ER6 will do just fine, or an 'adventure sport'. A feet-forward cruiser isn't necessarily as comfy as you'd think, they tend to be lardy as all get-out and the dynamics are compromised.

I'm not saying there's no place for them: a neighbour just changed from a CBR600F sportsbike to a Harley and is happy enough, but I'd urge you to consider other options.

Anyway, your training and test bike will be an upright naked so it'll give you a decent basis for comparison.
____________________
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
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Alpineandy
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PostPosted: 12:57 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
Other people have posted pre CBT and haven't been told they are waffling by doing so.

Plenty of them have...

Just find a local bike training school and talk to them.
Book your CBT and tell them you're interested in doing your DAS as well.
They'll tell you what you need equipment-wise.
After you've done your CBT you'll know if biking is for you, and they'll be able to tell you how much practice you'll need for the DAS and give you info on what questions are likely to be asked etc etc.

Don't worry about 'what bike' until you've passed your DAS.
Many people change their 'preferred bike' as they learn to ride, and many will change it again within the first year of regularly riding (when they learn what's really important for them).
You may prefer sportsbikes now but they may give you back/wrist ache, or maybe you prefer a cruiser style until you find that cruisers aren't comfortable for everyone and forward pegs can be difficult for some.
A 'Naked' or 'Classic' style bike is IMO the best 1st bike as you can then move into other styles of bikes with some experience of actually riding a bike, rather than having to learn on something that isn't necessarily that learner friendly.
When I say 'Learn' I mean that you will learn every day for the rest of your biking life, but the 1st year or so after passing your test, will be the steepest learning curve.
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 20:26 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
SpiderCall wrote:
People seem to think if I get a larger one I'll drop it and not be able to get it back up Laughing

ThatDippyTwat wrote:
As for picking up bikes, it's all about how you do it, not brute force. If you can ride it reasonably well, you can pick it up with the correct technique, no matter if it's a 'motard or a Goldwing.


Err... if you can ride reasonably well, should be no need to pick up a heavy bike, I would have thought?

As to correct technique; a suggestion I would agree with for most things bike related... but what would be the correct technique for picking up a toppled Gold-Wing? Would that be the sailboard approach of a rope on the low-side and jumping up and down on the up-side foot-peg and chucking yourself backwards? The hail a taxi and borrow the scisor jack, technique? Or the Yuppie-Phone and AA-Card aproach? Wink

Actually, the 1/4 ton 'Seven-Fifty' went over this week... on the Patio! Snowie had shifted her bludi-guzzi to take the battery out, and left me inced over for a parking spot; so I left it on the side-stand, rather than the cetre, and it seems stand had found the 'hole' in cracked slabs. Sat there quite hapily for two days, every time I saw it through the kitchen window when I filled the kettle; then had one of them moments when I went to make a coffee, and 'something' was amis... Oh SH!T! What the effs the bike doing on it's side!?! When after third glance I twigged....

Curiousely; my first reaction was to check the yard gates, and fence panels for signs of forced entry and swear about the local scroats... then eye the cats on the fence suspiciousely.... but seems that living on a hill, rain water took its time to filter through the top soil and soften that TINY little bit of mud that happened to be holding up the kick-stand!?!?!?

Meanwhile Snowie had chucked her shoulder under the hadlebars and tipped it back on its wheels, muttering something about "MEN! Can NEVER get it up when they need to!"

So I deffer.. correct techique, is probably that you need to be a woman Wink

SpiderCall wrote:
The other thing is, I do not want a 125.


Hmmmm.. 125' do make great training tools. And they aren't necesserily any lighter than 'big-bikes'. Weight of a bike is almost utterly independant of thier displacement, which is just the size of hole in the engine where fire happens.

My 250, is twice the 'size' of our 125's but half the weight; and there are many many similar examples where a lot of 125's, noteably the much vaunted Honda 125 Very-oh-dear-oh, which is actually heavier than many 500 middle-weights.

More still, regardless of how 'big' a bikes engine, or how heavy it may be on the scales, that has very little relevence either to how 'manageable' it is to either push around or ride slowly, or even pick up if it topples.

That 250 I just mentioned is a comp-trials bike; for 30 years I have chucked the thing around quarreys and woods and stuff, and even though it is delberately very very light, as in about 75Kg, and I can litterally pick it up and throw it on the trailer to go to an event; on a section, falling off the ruddy thing can be a complete pregnant pig to haul out of a hole or the mud, or whatever, depending on 'how' it's gone over, or whether I happen to be underneath it at the time....

Actually THAT has been the most common case! When a bike goes down, there is a perverse reaction to try and 'save' it! I have actually bounced down a 30ft cliff face, with the bike on top of me,and when I got to the bottom, a little huddle of observers, marshals and spectators, all peering down asking "Are you alright?!"... Ugh? I have just fallen off an effin CLIFF! What the bludy hell do you THINK! Dont ask stuuupid questions.... Hows the bike? Lol

But as said, if you still have a few marbles left, you shouldn't be going out of your way to find situations where you 'need'pick up a toppled motorcycle; and it Is somethg you should try avoid, for the most part, and it is should be a rare occurance, that you just deal with when you have to, as best as.

For where yu are at, seems you are letting other peoples predjudices and your own pre-conceptions hugely influence your ideas and opinions in the abscence of actual experience... and they, if anything are most likely to be hinder to more meaningful 'learning'

I DO so often advocate tiddlers; as said they can be great trainig tools; they aren't so daunting to look at, or to get on and ride; they ARE usually lighter and often that bit easier to man-handle; though that is signifcantly influenced by 'style'.

The 'boring' 125 learner/commuter like the Yamaha YBR125, is the defacto choice of first bike, for very very many reaons; mostly economic, BUT, that 'style' is a no nonsense one. The ridng position is normal, and netral, 'sit up and beg', makes the erganomics pretty unversal, and fits most folk reasonably well, whether you are tall or short, skinny or porky. From that upright rding position, you have best balence and control over the machine, as well as best all-round visability; this all makes them 'easy' to get to grips with and get on with the job of learning, without undue compromises.

Snowie (my 5'4" 1/4 ton seven-fifty lifting O/H!) had a string of 125's from sporty Yamaha TZR's to the AJS Cruiser-Thing she had when she met me... That cruiser thing is actually a pretty useful case example; she was steered towards it on the misguided notions that as a woman, of shorter leg, its low seat meant she could 'comfortably' prop it up, flat boot both sides.... err... yeah! Pity that the footpegs on 'forward controls' stretched her little legs to the extent she couldn't really use the back brake ad struggled to hange gear, whilst took me AGES to spot her cornering problem was down to the high-wide bars, and the fact that shen she had to turn she was having to lean the wrong way, to keep hold of the ruddy hadlebar as it turned!! Be warned, these are often suggested to lady-riders for similar reasons, if the shiny chrome doesn't have the bling effect on them ayway! But they aren't a partcularly useful learning tool, for any-one really. Similarly the dressed up sports bikes; which tend to have a more bum up, head down riding position, that's not so wonderful for low speed control, and oft hampers alrond visability, whilst the narrow handlebars and limited steering lock can make them peculiarly hard to weave through slow speed cones and things.

NOW, as a training tool, a regulation learner/commuter can be a wonderful thng; uncompromised for any percieved sense of style, they do tend to be one-size-fits all, and they are reletively 'easy' to ride and let you get to grips with the basics.

Even if you Do-DAS, you will have to complete CBT and you will likely do that, or most of it, on a 125 for this reason, before steppig up to the bigger bike.

On CBT excersises, a 125 is a lot less of a hand-ful to get to grips with straight off the stops; AND in many ways is actually more 'demanding' to ride... this is how they 'teach' you dont learn if its tooo easy!

Low powered and usually lighter weight; a 125 will take some revs to launch from a stand still without stalling, and once moving wthout s much weight to 'damp' clmsy movement or control nput they will be a lot more nclined to wobble as you flap feet around, wonderig what to do wth them, before gettig them on the pegs and stuff, which is whe you will likely make it wobble more.. and then some, when you quite rapidly have to make a gear-shft as they run out of thier limited power at quite a low speed.

BUT, if you can learn to launch a lightweight smoothly and aquire the discipline to get feet on pegs early ad not flap about, and make smooth gear changes on one... you are onto a winner... smoothness is KEY to almost all in biking.

On a 500 or 650, that has more weight and more power; you can very much more readily launch smoothly, as the engine has that much more stomp not to stall and has that much more 'flexibility' you dont need to be so precice with it, and it has that much more mass to 'damp' wobbles before they begin, and give you more chance to catch them or rde through them, and appear 'smooth'... but you wont get that inate feel or instill that diligence and discipline that a ligtweight can....

So they can short-cut you to geting going, side-steppng that foundation stone of being smooth and tidy and learning that diligence and discipline a 125 can instill, and get you off the stops that much sooner, and out on the road and doing..

And here-in lies the pit-fall of DAS; A short 'crash-course' is not going to teach you to be a master rider in a friggng week; when EVERYTHING you need to learn, and all the oportunity you have to pactice it, and probably the tests, have to be crammed into maybe just 30 hours of saddle time....

Might get you a licence; likely teaches you a fair chunk more than just CBT, BUT, big dager is that skippng over key-stones like the diligece and discipline of slowspeed control and being smooth, it doesn't actually instil those foundations very well, and likely deminishes thier importance, as you rush to cover all you need to do the tests.

Two common outcomes of intensve DAS, which are to a degree 'imersion learning' in which for a week, you eat sleep and breath nothng but 'BIKE'.. you come out all bouted up and over confident, covinced you have done the course, got the licence, you are ow ready for anything.... OR you get out, and left to your own devices, bereft of the instructons in your ear over the radio, no longeri n 'DAS World'... your mind goes blank, and you dont remember a thig, and are left to try and remember what you were told, and put the peces together for yourself and make some sense of it.... quite possibly on a very large displacement, potentially very high performance motorcycle, that likely wont suffer fools lightly.....

Oh-Kay.... you dont want a 125... well... as mummy used to say you want your pudding, you gotta eat your veg!

Your first bike is just that; it doesn't have to be your only, once and forever till death do us part ONLY motorcycle! Its JUST a stepping stone along the way!

Crickey, you are buyng the darn thing, not marrying it! Thank gawd! It wont take your house if you try and get rid! It wont even moan if you have a little harem of the ruddy things, let alone ride some-one elses!

So, for where you are at; drag your field of vision back a bt to the bit of road you are riding here and ow, not the road two thousand miles ahead on an intercontental balistic tour, you may ever go on! And dont get lost n that bit of gravel under your front wheel here and now, find the centre, somwhere between where you are at, and where you can 'see'. Dont obscess on the minutea of the gravel uder your front wheel, or get lost in fatasy of what must be over the horizon! Deal with the heare and now!

And for that, a 125 Learner/Commuter IS likely a step along the way; ehether its for the first twenty minutes or hour or two of CBT on your course, covering the basics and getting started, OR buying your wn as a trainng tool, so that you can practice what you learn in lessons and nail down that key-stone of 'smooth'.

Little heads up for you, to conter anti-125 snobbery; I have been riding bikes best part of 40 years, of all szes and shapes and in dfferent disciplines; and like many borng old farts mature long standing riders, I still apreciate ad actually LIKE 125's and have a little collection of the ruddy things....

After the machismo 'race' to get as much bigger-better-faster-more' as you ca after a full licence, often becomes aparent that the bigger-better faster, ISN'T actually delvering very much 'more' of anything.... and often LESS can be 'more'..

Have mentioned the fact that 125's can be great traig tools, not having the flexbility or mass to make stuff seem so easy whe first starting, so can beg you aquire that much more diligence and discipline. But after umpety years of bigger-better-faster-more, and bigger bikes, often doing little more than go ever faster, ever more easily (and usually costing ahell of a lot more money for it along the way!) Tiddlers, CAN be a revalation when you get back to them, begging that much more rider discipline, diligence, skill and involvement, JUST to make decent progress... and suddenly bacome a LOT more 'fun' to ride than bgger bikes.. oft excentuated by the fact that they do it on a wiff or petrol, and less money, and just dont beg the same level of 'seriouseness'.

Many long-standing riders, find this and ether return to tiddlers, or have one or more in thier lttle harem, for this exact reason.

They AREN'T toys or kiddie bikes! To be demeaned and ridiculed. End of the day, on a bike we face the same risks and dangers of the road, whatever we ride. most significant one is the numpty holding the handlebars. Now 125's can usually go as fast as ANYTHING is legally allowed to go in this country; and they ca break a heck of a lot of speed-lmits alog the way. Their lesser performance is NO guard against crashing! So bigger bikes, oft just make it easy to go as or faster; and IF you are a numpty just crash quicker!

Ironically, most 125's, these days, are most often every-ay low cost utility transport, that work for thier living, frequetly cranking up more miles little and often, than big bikes, so often pampered in the garage, where they live most of the year, until the su shines, to be thrashed aroud the lanes or pottered to the wine bar.. 'just for fun' Hmmm.. which sounds more like a 'toy'?

This MAY influence how you percieve 125's and influence some of the reaons you think, here and now you dont want one... may not convince you that getting one is a great idea, BUT.. fact that they aren't rediculouse, that they are like Thomas the Tank engine, VERY 'useful' little machines, that can deliver a heck of a lot of usefulness, and fun FAR out of proportion to thier engine displavement, I hope might suggest how one, COULD be a useful tool for you, even if t's not your ultimate ambition...

Like I said, its first bike, not once and forever ONLY bike; EVEN f you Do-DAS and get a full licence; a 125 can be a damneably useful training tool, to get out on on your own after the crash-course, to do your REAL early rider learning, putting the pieces into place, getting the practice you had to short change on course for tests, and get the early mile experience and cement that diligece and discipline and SMOOTH into your riding, with.

As said, Ride THIS bit of road you are on now, not the one over the mountans you may never get to; and keep an open mind; DONT let predjudices and preconceptions, worse, other peoples predjudces and preconceptions worse still, ambitions and aspirations, take you where THEY would like to go, rather than explore for yourself and find the stuff you likely may ind more interesting and rearding, they would just ride straight past.

When you have the twist grip in your mtt, YOU are the one in control... dont let other people, whether that's frinds or relatives, or tali-gating twats make your decissions for you! STAY in control, and make your OWN decissions based on reason and fact and GOOD information, NOT myth, lore, legend and predjudices!

SpiderCall wrote:
I honestly don't see the point in owning something I'm going to hate looking at. I'm not actually even looking at what I really like because it's not practical but equally I don't like bikes that look like they are about to fall over if you blow on them. I'm not a skinny girl and some of the smaller bikes really do look like they are about to fall over if you prod them. I'm not even talking big when I say big, just not one of the things that look like they came from an affair between a motorbike and a bicycle.


Preconceptions and predjudces.... You know, I like to look at nubile young women in bikini's, they look GREAT! Doesn't really make me want to wear one! NOT that I would see much of it when its on me.. might look pretty on the washing line, but rather looses some of its appeal when parked and not in use...

Apart from the odd glance though the ktchen window alded to earlier, when I make a coffee, I tend to spend a lot more time ridng my bke than looking at it; nd in the saddle, I dont get to see much of t apart from the speedo-and tacho, a bit of the petrol tak ad maybe the rust in the middle of the handle-bars... and I SHOULD be paying most of my attension to all the twits out on the road trying to knock me off ANYWAY!

THEY dont care how wonderful by bike looks! I am LUCKY if they gve me a second glance! Usually after they have pulled out of a T-Junction on me, and I am hard on the brakes with my thumb on the horn trying not to pile into thier boot!

It REALLY isn't something that need EVER be a sgnificant factor in your decissin making about bikes, and certainly not important here and now, on your bit of the learning curve.Park that notion; along with a lot of other's and keep an open mind to learning.

Bikes rarely blow over in the wind, and what 'looks' skiny, is again deceptive. A lot of folk have the perverse ntion that skinny tyres wont have good grip and they MUST have a bike with fat tyres, because they 'look' more substatial... its yet another common miscoception; and so often a light bike on fat tyres is actually MORE likely to 'skid' than one with a skinny tyre, which is like an ce skate, cutting through the surface slime and able to 'bite' and find grip, where, if you tryed walking out onto an ice rink in waders you would be slippng all over the plae as the welly soles dont 'bite' like an ice-skate blade.

More pre-conceptions and predjudices, that you dont have the experience to know why they may be errant, and if you follow those pre-conceptions you will likely engrain rather than dispell, and will hamper learning rather than help.

SpiderCall wrote:
I posted today because I am booking it now that I have the funds to do so and wanted a bit of advice on a couple of things.

>>Braking Distance<<<


Theory/Haz-Pep... which is the bit of road you is on at the moment, and ALL you really need be too bothered about...

Is usually a pre-requisite f DAS as they cant book you in for the practical tests until you have passed it, and its oft a sticking point for many, particularly thems of us who's experience of the world isn't mostly derived from Call-Of-Duty ad Grand-Theft-Auto games!!!

Teenagers, weened on 'virtual-un-realty' after a decade of learnig by rote at school, DO ted to fare better with this test, I have to say, so no shame if you dont pass it!

When the theory was first introduced, it was quite revealing when a bunch of nstructors got round a lap-top to try the demo, and only about 2/3 could pass THAT then much less exhaustive highway code test first time... and it has not got better!

Snowie who I metioned earlier, had to do the modern Theory, for her bike tests just ahead of teh 2013 Euro 3DL changs.... as a more hands-on kid of girl (she built her own bike to do it on!) it was the bt she was less enthusiastic about tackling, and I got her a practice disk to just do ad do ad do over, to learn by rote....

At one point we actually had quite a domestic, as we aproached I thik her second attempt, and she was sat wth the lap-top, ad I told her to get off FaceBook 'Hospital' games ad do her bludy homework! And DIDN'T believe she was doing her practic disk! Honestly! I REALLY ddn't believe that the computer asking her how many compressios a minute she needed to give some-one who had just had a heart attack could possibly be part of the motor-cycle theory test! Sorry, dear, Oh-Kay! It IS!

Bludy government... NHS s failg they are still cuttig back thier fundng but HEY! Lets make every new driver learn basic first aid, before we give them thier licence so they help out before the ambulance never arrives! There's genius for you, eh!

Once upon a time, you could blag the theory questons a drivig examiner asked you as part of the practical test, in the test centre car-park; most of it was common sens, and road-related; NOW? Geez! There's a shed load of politial indoctrination in there about whether a tram is more enviromentally worthy than a ferry, as well as the first aid crap! Ugh! But hey-ho.. that's the 'test'.. they could ask you to guess the weight of a jar of jelly beans... may not be relevent to buger all, but that's the test!

And now there is a lot more in the theory part that isn't common sense, and much more, you know it or you dont obscurities of the hughway code, like whats the rules over a puffin crossng.... of whch I believe there's only one damn example in the country! But still.. you know how heavy the jelly-beans are or you dont!

Haz pep, is much the same, and most existng drivers/rders cannot pass it. The clips often dont show anythig we would percieve as a 'hazard'; its stuff we encounter all the while, and just deal with almost sub-conciousely! So f we start to thnk about it, ad go "Oh yeah! Change speed or drection!" We either start sporring stuff far to late to meat the click wdow DSA think we should spot it in, or click ages to early.. ad STILL ruddy fail...

Its a computer game for teenagers.. they can do well at it.. we just have to keep tryig until we get it, it seems!

I am NOT going to offer any tips on the braking distances; I'm pretty sure when I did my tests, they still gave them in Yards on the back of the Highway Code book! There was a formula, and hat seemed to hnder more of my mates than help any!

It's something you probably just need to learn by rote, and both thinking and stopping and cumulatve overall distance at any speed.

IF there is a big hint, on the comuter test, it is READ the question, RE-READ the question.. read the answers THEN read the question again before answering.

Of the data-base of questions, theres a good chace that you wont eve get one on braking distances; but if you do, and you get it wrong it will as like as not be because you give the right answer to the wrong question; they DO sem to love wordig the question and the answers to lead you astray; and on frst glance, the 'obviouse' aswer is actually to what you THINK they have asked, not what they have.

I cant remember the time they allow for the test Snowie's reccolecto was she had half an hour to answer, I think 35 questions? It is almost a minute a question, but most folk only take barely fifteen minutes, answering what seem 'simple' questions on frst stab, and not taking the time to re-read and look for the trick in the question.

Advice I so oft offer new bikers is DONT RUSH, rushig be fast way to hurt on a bike, and off it! This be good example.

Braking distances are small part of he test; dont obscess teh small stuff, worry about the big picture; dont get bogged down in the detail, and get kicked by the elephant you didn't see! Take your time, relax, and dont sweat the small stuff.

Haz-Pep, Is a pain in the proverbial; you probably wont pass it first time, especially if you have spent more of your life worrying about avoiding balifs letters tha getting a detensio for your socks being the wrong colour or length!

Its just one step on the journey; one you likely will have to take over; so dont sweat t; and as far as the rest goes, dont rush, keep an open mind, and remember, you haven't even got out the garden gate, there's a very long journey ahead of you, and many many different roads you can go down; so worry about this bit you are on, keep an open mind, make your OWN decisions, and DON'T RUSH... it will start to come together.

And a 125, COULD be a very useful tool along the way, IF you want to exploit it; if not, remember DAS does not make you a master in a week; and the world of biking is a very large one, in which road bikes are but a part, and big bikes just a part of that.

RELAX; Don't Rush; keep a open mind, and fer-gawds sake STOP over thiking it all; Stop Thinking get riding!

Yo HAVE been teffed.. everything else should now be easy Wink
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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?'
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
World Chat Champion



Joined: 22 Nov 2012
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PostPosted: 20:37 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Eat that!!
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Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
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Rogerborg
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Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 21:46 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Teffed-in-the-A.
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SomersetWolf
Derestricted Danger



Joined: 03 May 2017
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PostPosted: 22:18 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
My very-dear-oh is SO humiliated by you saying she looks like a bastard child of a bicycle and a motorbike. How very dare you Razz

Edited (thanks Tef) because I'm nearly as bad at inserting photos as I am at right hand junctions on my bike. Oh and the bastard comment was aimed at the OP.

All joking aside - slow down!!! Get your CBT. Take a breath. Get a bike. Take another breath. Enjoy.

Last edited by SomersetWolf on 08:02 - 17 Jun 2017; edited 1 time in total
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Nobby the Bastard
Harley Gaydar



Joined: 16 Aug 2013
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PostPosted: 22:56 - 16 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jeezuz fucking H christ, Teff. You do klnow that you can be done for manslaughter if you cause a suicide?

Anyway, just to point ouut I'm a 9 and a half stone weaking thats 5'4 and ride a fuckoff gert litre triumph...
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