Passed my test, the learning begins!

[TheStudent]

Passed my test last week, since then, riding is just so different out on your own, maybe it's because the bike is faster, or i ride faster, maybe because i haven't got that voice in my ear. But riding just seems so much harder, not in a bad way, just alot more to consider, and i'm constantly forgetting alot of the things that i learnt passing my test, recipe for disaster.

Was riding down some A-roads towards my brothers house yesterday, and although i have only been riding a week, my corner preparation is awful, speed, gears, road positioning, something i really need to work on, bottom line, need to slow down and take it easier, just build that sort of thing up.

I was at some traffic lights, front wheel accidentally came up, surprised and scared the hell out of me, legs out, throttle off, came crashing down snaking all over the place but thankfully didn't drop it.

On another occassion i went into a light bend a bit too fast and crossed the centre of the road, ofcourse breaking in a corner there aswell, probably why i went wide, should have just leaned over a bit more.

This was all yesterday, worst ride ever, so annoyed at myself! :smt085

[Tim in Belgium]

Just try and take it easy and smoothly and the pace will come with time.

Remember to enjoy yourself and stay safe.

[GeeMac]

I was at some traffic lights, front wheel accidentally came up, surprised and scared the hell out of me
Don't worry about this...I did the same early on with my SV too :)

At lights, nobody about...let's see what this can do then...open throttle...left hand slipped and dumped the clutch...oh look there's the sky!!!

Making mistakes is not all bad...it's a long learning curve. I've only been riding 10 months or so and I still go out every day and focus on something I want to improve (usually cornering!) every single time I ride. It's a whole different mindset from anything else I've ever done and I'm sure that in 10 years time I'll still be going out looking to get better...

In my opinion the most dangerous time on a bike or in a car is when someone has just got their shiny new licence. Just cause you passed doesn't mean you know how to ride...it just means you know how to be safe! Don't put too much pressure on yourself...if you make a mistake just smile and make a note to focus on what you did wrong the next time you are out. Before you know it, it will all start to flow without you realising it.

Especially with corners, treat each one coming up as a challenge to get right and practice on a route you do regularly. Ease off and take it a bit slower, give yourself time to plan the line and get the basics right...then the next time you do it, you can do it a touch faster!

:)

[petevtwin650]

Congrats on passing.

Positioning, observation and speed in the gears.

Use all your side of the road to see around bends. Eventually you will have the confidence to use the full width of the road to do this

Never switch off. Always watch out for...............well............everything.

And stay in a gear that'll let you accelerate out of trouble or use the engine to slow you down rather than the brakes. Will help smooth your progress.

Good luck.

[TheStudent]

And stay in a gear that'll let you accelerate out of trouble or use the engine to slow you down rather than the brakes. Will help smooth your progress.

Good luck.

Yeah i think that is one thing i have been doing wrong, changing up too quick, should keep the revs up a bit more, i tend to bimble along at about 4000rpm.

[scorpion]

Well done at passing. Slowly does it. Confidence comes with time. Don't try and run before you can walk. It will all come together soon. Good luck and ride safe :cool:

[Mogs]

Congrats on passing.

Positioning, observation and speed in the gears.

Use all your side of the road to see around bends. Eventually you will have the confidence to use the full width of the road to do this

Good luck.

You must be able to react to what you can observe. The best position to observe around a left hander is out to the right, but this will put you in the collision zone for the oncomming corner cutter. If you take the whole road you must be abe to get back into a safe position in half the distance you can see.

Do not corner cut on a right hander unless you can see the whole corner, even on the correct side of the road your head will be in the decapitation zone.

These skills you cannot easily learn from a book (or forum) get yourself on and advanced course (like IAM) before you learn bad habits, believe me if you get them they are very hard to shrug off.

[kwak zzr]

well done on the test! take it easy out there and keep it rubber side down on these wet roads.

[G]

I know that feeling, when i first passed it felt extremely odd not having someone tell you to slow down in your ear etc.

I also had the odd dodgy moment (and still do) where I was going to fast and nearlly forgot to go around the corner.

You soon get used to it though, I recommend going back to the riding school or another school and paying for some advanced riding lessons. I'm fortunate enough to have my missus's dad who is abit of a legend on a bike and teaches DAS and just about everything else. After being out a couple of times with him its suprising just how quick you learn and just how much progress on the road can be made.

And it really really shows on the road, I was following a couple of R1's and a 750 gixxer just the other day who were taking some very silly/slow lines and had clearly never done any advanced riding courses in their life, they were trying their hardest though bless em but everytime they looked over their shoulder I was there :smt074

[TheStudent]

I know that feeling, when i first passed it felt extremely odd not having someone tell you to slow down in your ear etc.

I also had the odd dodgy moment (and still do) where I was going to fast and nearlly forgot to go around the corner.

You soon get used to it though, I recommend going back to the riding school or another school and paying for some advanced riding lessons. I'm fortunate enough to have my missus's dad who is abit of a legend on a bike and teaches DAS and just about everything else. After being out a couple of times with him its suprising just how quick you learn and just how much progress on the road can be made.

And it really really shows on the road, I was following a couple of R1's and a 750 gixxer just the other day who were taking some very silly/slow lines and had clearly never done any advanced riding courses in their life, they were trying their hardest though bless em but everytime they looked over their shoulder I was there :smt074

How to corner properly is the base issue!

Does my curvy 2001 have a rev limiter? At what RPM?

Cheers

[Redster]

Buy this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/202-6274743-6819869?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=police+riders+handbook&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

[Defender]

I got my copy from here:

http://www.dvd.co.uk/Books/Motorcycle-Roadcraft/011341143X/product.htm?sr=gsp

They may take a few more days to deliver but postage is foc.

[Nostrils]

Well done on passing! I had been riding for about a year on my CBR125RR before taking my DAS last week and surprised myself at how many bad habits I had picked up - With the CBR being so light and east to chuck around all my safe, slow work had gone out the window. On my DAS I learned how to use the back brake properly again assisting balance at slow speeds.

As all have said so far, take it slowly and if you make a mistake concenrate on those aspect on each ride until they become natural/instinct. My biggest problem was riding in the rain and roundabouts, the smaller the worse I was - Since my DAS 3 day training I can honestly say that roundabouts are just that, roundabouts....no wobbles, no slowing down in panic....observation observation observation is my key words at the moment.

When I get my SV I will be going to familiar roads and learning about my new machine.

Ride safe and good luck

[sinbad]

This was all yesterday, worst ride ever, so annoyed at myself! :smt085

We all had them. I would fluff shifts, jerk and wobble out of junctions, leave an indicator going etc etc. And I was always furious with myself too.

I think the best thing anyone told me (post-test) was that to do things more quickly, just doing everything more slowly. Like sat at the lights, in neutral, on a hill, holding front brake. Lights turn green, loads of cars behind you. Don't rush, trying to get the gear, get your foot on the brake, other foot back to the floor, hand off front brake and on the throttle, clutch in and out all at the same time. Just do it one thing at a time, slowly, methodically, and you get better in no time. Nuts to "making adequate progress" too. If you feel the need to stop at every single give way sign you come to, then do it.

[TheStudent]

Had another today, approaching a bend on an A-road, was doing only 30mph'ish, leaning over a bit around this bend, all of a sudden there were a couple of grids and loads tarmac joins where some pipes or something had been laid after the road. My immediate thought was that the bike was going to slip on them, paniced, leaned up, went wide, off the tarmac onto the dirt. Confidence has gone through the floor, i'm a menace! :(

[Redster]

Take a chill pill. Your bike can handle it at 30mph, you are barely leaning at those speeds, and todays tyres rock and roll! Confidence will come with time and miles under yer belt. Dont let it bite you it was your lack of confidence that lead you to the confidence hit, not the other way around.

Dont panic and know your limits. Get those miles under your belt and untill you are happy, stick to the speed limits and pay attanetion to those road signs on the bends. Dont push it untill you know you can.

R

[yorkie_chris]

We've all had a few like that, personally I've had about 4 incidents (in 2 months) of hitting things like road kill, puddles that were too deep for the tyres and manhole covers and feeling a tyre skip a few inches off to the side. Brown trousers yes, but definately one way to learn to be more careful!

Just be careful, go steady, watch out for scameras and find somebody experienced to go out and play with. (Somebody sensible who you're not going to race with)

[John 675]

On another occassion i went into a light bend a bit too fast and crossed the centre of the road, of course breaking in a corner there aswell, probably why i went wide, should have just leaned over a bit more.


This will be what sent you straight on, as soon as your grab that right lever the bike will want to right itself up because the laws of phisycs say so lol,
you be better to practice your corners nice and early on a sunday morning when there is no one around.
one more thing try and be in 3rd for the nicer ( NOT BLIND ) sort of corners i found if im traveling above 30 i can drop into a corner and still have a good amount of power for a fast exit, i now find that i hardly let off of the throttle in the corners at all with keeping corner speed the goal, then you can work on your knee downs. after a year of riding i know consider my self ready for the Knee downs. i havent really rushed my riding and im not that stupid anymore to think because i passed my test i am rossi because im not. i already trashed my bike once because i thought i was gods gift to biking.
Honestly take your time and learn your bike, because falling off hurts . . goes without saying . . . but crashing hurts SHED loads more...
Be safe.

LyleJ :D