1st week on a bike - update

annemarie · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 18 Jul 2019 Karma :

So I got my first geared bike Honda CBF125 last weekend.

We went to pick it up and i had to ride it back home with just 1-CBT-worth of experience.

Riding back home - the usual: stalled going uphill to a roundabout and shifted couple of times into neutral instead of 2nd Laughing

but because you can't learn without practice so I decided to start going to work on it into Bristol (15 miles of A roads + going through the city centre)
I think I've learned a lot more of slow control now, having to crawl through bumper to bumper traffic downhill and uphill through Bristol, not filtering at all but just patiently learning to move at very slow speeds + a lot of take offs from stationary.

The only BIG issue i had every time on my way back was this really long hill that you have to climb and it's national speed limit. Once my speed dropped to around 35mph near the top of the hill and once my bike died completely Embarassed

This is where I have found some 3 year old essay-post from Teflon Mike in some old thread and all the advice made so much sense. Thanks a lot, they should quote this on CBTs Cool

So, yes, me as a new rider, I do all that:
-upshift too early and not use the revs at all
-think the sound of high revs and the vibration is 'wrong' compared to the smoother ride if you upshift
-don't think early enough to downshift (from the unnecessary upshifts)
-don't really know how or when to downshift on a long hill and that i do have to rev the shit out of the bike and keep the revs high

So to put all that in practice I've gone yesterday and never really used 3rd in the city, sometimes was staying in 1st smoothly and didn't feel the need to go to 2nd, even though on the CBT I was told to change to 2nd asap after moving. As long as the revs were happy I tried to stay as low as possible.

Only used 4th going over 45-50+ on A road, and gone uphill on the long one in 3rd keeping the revs high - surprisingly the bike climbed at steady 50 and the car behind didn't feel like they had to overtake.

Also getting about 5-8 nods a day which is a fantastic improvement over the 0 nods on a scooter!

And something funny to finish up:
https://i.ibb.co/B2GrhhL/cute-bike.png
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HD Street 750, ~~Honda CBF125~~

bigdom86 · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2015 Karma :

all sounds good to me, I would do that big uphill in 3rd or 4th gear and will keep the revs up.

on a 125cc 1st gear has no use other than to get going (sometimes I would even start off in 2nd), as soon as you are moving go straight into 2nd, literally 1-2seconds from moving you should be in 2nd, even bumper to bumper traffic I would be in 2nd and simply slip the clutch and play on rear brake, i still often do this on my 600 rather than downshifting to 1st

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

MCN · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :

Try different gears on different inclines that have different speed limits.
30, 40, 50, 60.

You will learn to get the 'feel' for what the machine is comfortable with.

Hanging onto a lower gear for a hill is not a crime so long as you don't wring it's neck in the process (and have old men and women stood on the pavement sucking air through their teeth.)

If you find a gear that lets you make the hill with some reserve ability to still accelerate a little then use that gear.

Although I never like to agree with chickenstrip on ANYTHING Smile

he makes a fine point.

Ride and Ride some more.

Smaller engine bikes are a bit of an exercise in The Law of Energy Conservation and Thermodynamics Smile

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_conservation

You will learn where you must roll-off the throttle coz you MUST slow down and where you can maintain velocity and steam through.
Just Build the Skill over time.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

Riejufixing · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Jun 2018 Karma :

annemarie · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 18 Jul 2019 Karma :

MCN · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :

Grubscrew · Scooby Slapper Joined: 23 Dec 2018 Karma :

Yep, ditto really.
Watch your revs too, if it’s nearly red lining it up the hill you probably have enough “legs”to go the next gear.
Also look at the road ahead, so if you have a hill coming up get yourself a slight run up if poss......road laws apply .!
Enjoy your geared bike, a bit daunting after a scooter, you’ll get there.
Even me after 35 years of riding I cock it up occasionally.....it’s ok to make mistakes....we’ll , thats my view!
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FJR1300/CBR1000F

UncleFester · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :

What they all said - as long as you're out on it and thinking about it then you'll get better at it.

1st again - used to get moving / for low speed stuff. then once going, whatever gear is appropriate. The nice thing about it is that this is entirely your choice Smile

Look where you want to go and look where you are going.

That's it really. Oh and enjoy it, otherwise you'll hate it and that's not what this is about.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.

annemarie · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 18 Jul 2019 Karma :

Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

bigdom86 · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2015 Karma :

i'm not suggesting starting in 2nd, I'm just saying you can and I have on the 2% of occasions in heavy London traffic. I agree you can ride in 1st with good clutch control no problem on a 125cc, I just found it much smoother to shift up quickly to 2nd and slip clutch in 2nd in heavy traffic (I still do that on my cbr600), perhaps the cbr125 has a short 1st gear? as if I kept it in 1st it would be screaming at around 20mph so generally I would start in 1st, probably once up to 10mph shift up to 2nd which was always very quick

blue_painted · Nova Slayer Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Karma :

+1 to pretty much everything said up-thread: keep on keeping on and ride! Smile

When you get to the bigger bike, you might be surprised how much *easier* it is to ride slow -- all because of torque!

There's general BCF sport of taking the piss out of Tef but if you've got time most/all of his posts are worth reading - especially on the smaller bikes.
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GP-100 -> CB250RS -> CBX550F2 (pause) KR1S -> RD350YPVS -> ZX6-R (pause) CD200 ->Mash 400 -> T100 (current) & (R1100RT scrapped pile o' shite) (CB250 Nighthawk - SORN in shed) Meteor 350 (current)

Evotion · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 15 Aug 2019 Karma :

Cracking bike this, and the YBR.

Don't feel any pressure to go up through the higher capacities though there is an argument that 300 -500 can actually be safer as you have more 'outs' using the power.

annemarie · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 18 Jul 2019 Karma :

Fisty · Super Spammer Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Karma :

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

GSTEEL32 · Traffic Copper Joined: 24 Feb 2010 Karma :

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Yeah... don't listen to Tef. I've never seen a poster on a forum or social media who so enjoys the sound of his own virtual voice and yet manages to be wrong so much. I don't generally stomp on people for the sake of it but I don't think this is for the sake of it.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

Easy-X · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :

MCN · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Your shiny new bike looks like it needs some stickers. Twisted Evil

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

^^ spam
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

chris_hu_cheng · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 06 Jul 2018 Karma :

Sounds like me, but last year, even down to the 15 or so miles of A roads commute into Bristol Smile

I was on a CB125F Smile

Practice, and having fun is a good recipe. I seem to love everything on two wheels with an engine. Advice from people is good and then you adapt it and do what works best for you.

My CB125F seemed to be geared with a longer 1st and 2nd than some 125s, I could ride slow speeds in first quite happily just on the throttle.

Just added a 2016 Herald classic 125 to my growing collection (my wife has a CBT booked and we are also adding a Scooter this weekend). The Herald 1st is significantly shorter, you get out of it immediately once moving (well on mine anyway). The Herald copes better with hills though can actually pull up in 4th and even 5th sometimes.

They must have to make compromises when gearing 125s, the Herald doesn't pull away quite so nippy from fast standing start, have to do a couple of very quick gear changes but carries on through the end of 3rd, 4th and 5th, better than the Honda did.

For some journeys I still prefer getting on a 125 and then other times I want to get on big bike. I love them both. I am even looking forward to scooting around a bit on the twist and go.