Any Motörbike riders here?

manicguitarist

Just make sure that when you've got the bike test and have had a few months (careful!) practice on the road - get some advanced lessons (IAM for example). It'll reduce your insurance, but also help you have more fun more safely. And enjoy! Biking is the most fun you can have off stage and out of bed.

octatonic

Cheers manic- I'm going to do some advanced rider stuff with i2i once I get my full license.

Daneff

A little late to the party but here's my experiences of 4+ years biking.

I started off with CBT at age 19, no real driving experience before that. The CBT was god awful, the bikes they supplied were Honda 125's circa 1970's in which the odometers had gone around the clock several times. I struggled a lot just trying to get the damn thing to operate, this was compounded by having an angry Scottish Gordon Ramsey alike instructor. I had already purchased my own bike just before taking the CBT, otherwise I might of given up after that day. I still "passed" as such, but left the day with a very dark cloud over me. The very first time I pulled away on my own lovely 2005 Honda 125, I drove it perfectly fine (despite a snow blizzard occurring halfway home.)

So for the next 7-8 months or so I enjoyed my Honda Shadow 125 cruiser immensely. The shadows are probably the nicest 125 cruiser you can buy (but most expensive), I think they're the most powerful at least. They're very big for 125's, full size bike really so I didn't look out of place on it being 5'9 70KG, you'll probs look big on it but thats the nature of all 125's. Got mine for about £1600 second hand 1 owner, Cost nothing to run!

I then took the full test, albeit restricted to 33BHP as I was under 21 at the time. I think the rules have completely changed now. I then bought a Yamaha Dragstar 650 cruiser, which scared the shit out of me with the power compared to the 125. Stunning bike and very reliable. Very forgiving, confidence inspiring and balanced ride, mega comfy, extra loud pipes . A bit more character and excitement compared to the ultra refined Honda Shadow 650 equivalent. Can be had very cheap second hand for the amount of bike you get, shaft driven also so no chain clunking and adjustment.

So I rode that for 3 years with much joy. Taking pillions on the back was effortless (as long as they're female and weigh 8 stone and less aha!). All passengers commented how relaxing it was, but I do try my utmost best to drive safely and smoothly as possible so they don't wood pecker you in the back of the head. 

Only a few gripes with cruisers is maintaining all the chrome. Its an absolute nightmare with road salt and wet weather in winter etc. If you get behind on cleaning it'll start rusting very quick, and you'll start loosing a lot of value on the bike as the attraction is them being so shiny and pretty. Once chrome starts pitting your doomed. 

Also you can't filter that much on them, as they're so wide. Back then I was never in a rush to be anywhere so didn't mind really, I was very much into the relaxed cruiser riding attitude. 

I then got a boring car and due to music stuff so I really wasn't using the bike much. I sold it eventually and took a break of about 7-8 months. 

Until about 2 weeks ago  

I got a new job starting in January, in which its notoriously pointless trying to drive a car to the area, let alone park (Abbeywood Ministry of Defence!) so it was the perfect excuse to get 2 wheels again. This time I went for the polar opposite of cruisers, I just went off them a bit and fancied a change I suppose. Didn't want chrome. So I bought a 2009 Kawasaki ZX6R. I could finally afford to insure one at my age, due to having 4 years no claims (hurrah). Impressions so far, it's about as close to flying as you get, without being superman. You look where you want to go, and your there. Endless power, with great power comes great responsibility though Comfort wise im fine with the riding position being young and average weight/height, I imagine for the older and larger folk it would be an issue. My commute is not very long either. Filtering is very easy due to the slim nature of the bike.

In conclusion, my gradual progression in bikes has probably helped me massively safety and experience wise. I had no other choice to do it that way due to my age, I would just advise massive caution with taking the direct access route as you will have massive amounts of power on tap straight away. Unless you drive a powerful/sporty car, there is just no comparison between 2 wheel and 4 wheel performance. Going from say a 1.4 litre VW Polo to a 600cc+ bike of any type is going to mess with your perceptions.

 Also don't forget the amount of safety gear you will have to invest in. You can spend up to £1200 on a jacket alone! Of course there is gear as cheap as you want, its a personal decision, i've always been advised buy the best you can afford. I think there's a balance between name brand, actual safety technology, and fashion design to be had. Once you get to a certain price level it seems most have very similar safety options, but the price goes up with how good it looks/what gimmicks they add on. 

Leathers are not waterproof, although have the best abrasion protection. Really only dry/warmer gear. Winter riding requires thermal and goretex lined Textiles. It can get horrendously cold driving at speed in winter if you do not have the right gear on. Once you start getting cold you get distracted, your safety its being affected. Cold hands impair your operation of the bike. Heated handlebars are wondrous things, although some Oxford ones I had on my Yamaha were terribly unreliable. Google Sharps helmet ratings, its a gov run site testing nearly all helmets for their safety. There's some surprising results, with some cheap lids coming out much better than brand names costing £4-500. Always buy your helmet new, even a small knock on a used helmet could impair the unseen internal structures of the helmet. Always have biker boots, the most common injuries on bikes are feet. They also makes operating the bike much easier through the designs ie, gear changing. Otherwise some great bargains can be had on ebay. I nabbed a £500 Dainese textile jacket for £120 as new. Plenty of people rush into biking and buy all the top stuff, only to find its not as easy as they imagined and sell it all off soon enough. Bide your time and your size will come up. Sizing can vary massively between brands though, so you really need to try some stuff on in a shop first (skip your business morals here).

ALWAYS wear your gear, even if "just going down the shop". All it takes is that 1 granny in the Nissan Micra to pull out in front of you and you'll be needing skin grafts as a pair of casual jeans will last 0.5 seconds skidding on tarmac. 

Sorry if this all seems obvious! Just thought i'd put it all out there any ways. 

storytimeover//

ddlooping

Just checked, my Yammy has 21689 miles on the clock.

octatonic

Halfway through the CBT. Passed the first bit enough to let out on the open road. 125cc is ok but I definitely feel they are sluggish.

Myranda

Depending on what you're on they're not always a great example of a 125 - there are better ones.

Did my CBT on a Yamaha 125 that wasn't amazing engine wise... then day one of 5 they had us on 125s for the DA. The second was a CBR125... the engine was more responsive though the steering was so light that it felt almost unsafe and unstable... bleh. 

When I got on the CBF600 with its bigger engine and heavier planted feel on the road everything was so much more pleasant

ddlooping

octatonic said:

125cc is ok but I definitely feel they are sluggish.

The idea is for you to get comfortable/familiar with the whole driving a bike thing on a 125cc and then move up to a bigger bike.

octatonic

So... I pass my CBT.

As life experiences go it is up there with getting my bulldog and the 3rd and 42nd time I had sex with my wife.

Really terrific fun- big learning curve though.

I've decided I want to spend 6 months on a 125cc bike to put the pieces together before I go for my Direct Access.

I could do it now but I reckon I'l be a better rider if I do it this way.

@ddlooping - sorry mate but I'm not going to go for a cruiser just yet.

I want something a bit more manoeuvrable- probably a Honda CBF125.

ddlooping

No worries

BenSirAmos

octatonic said:

So... I pass my CBT.

well done

snakemanStoo

BenSirAmos said:

octatonic said:

So... I pass my CBT.

well done

Ditto

octatonic

Thanks fellas.

ddlooping

Indeed, congrats.

Phil_aka_Pip

seconded, well done Oct.

IanSavage

Nice one Oct! I'm ludicrously late to the party, but been riding on-and-off for the past ten years; I'd second the shouts for shaft-drive, way more reliable and less likely to land you PROPERLY in the shit if they go wrong on the move (although my old man had a shaft seize on him pushing a ton in the outside lane of a motorway once - STILL not as bad as if a chain had snapped though). That Yam Dragster looks good, didn't realise they were shafts - on the more boring front the Honda NTVs / Deauvilles are also a really solid touring / commuter bike (essentially half a Goldwing, which really no self-respecting biker should be seen on). As Grunfeld says, also used a lot by couriers, which is a real sign of reliabilty.

Even more boring (and chain-drive) is the Honda CB500 - they're used by probably half of the riding schools and thousands of couriers for a reason, they're practically bullet-proof as long as you look after the chain. But fuck me, they're dull. 

randomhandclaps

Well done and I think you are going the right way around it.

octatonic

IanSavage said:

Nice one Oct! I'm ludicrously late to the party, but been riding on-and-off for the past ten years; I'd second the shouts for shaft-drive, way more reliable and less likely to land you PROPERLY in the shit if they go wrong on the move (although my old man had a shaft seize on him pushing a ton in the outside lane of a motorway once - STILL not as bad as if a chain had snapped though). That Yam Dragster looks good, didn't realise they were shafts - on the more boring front the Honda NTVs / Deauvilles are also a really solid touring / commuter bike (essentially half a Goldwing, which really no self-respecting biker should be seen on). As Grunfeld says, also used a lot by couriers, which is a real sign of reliabilty.

Even more boring (and chain-drive) is the Honda CB500 - they're used by probably half of the riding schools and thousands of couriers for a reason, they're practically bullet-proof as long as you look after the chain. But fuck me, they're dull. 

I was on a CG125 today.

Pretty dull to ride- but not too complicated.

BenSirAmos

I like cleaning my chain and waxing it and adjusting it - in much the same way that I like changing strings, checking relief, adjusting saddles and filing nuts. Don't be put off by little bits of maintenance - they are not that hard to do and I think they increase the pleasure. 

Myranda

waxing the chain? Was it hairy?

BenSirAmos

Myranda said:

waxing the chain? Was it hairy?

I always wear gloves - I'm never sure where it has been or what it has been through