Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Whilst i agree that a faster car can potentially be more dangerous, you only have to look at the number of clapped out 1 and 1.2 litre cars that kids have crashed, to know that they are fast enough to have accidents/kill people.

Its the same with a motorbike...even a 50cc can get to 40+ MPH, so there comes a point when you just have to accept that crashes happen, or significantly raise test standards.

However that won't work as drivers from countries with less stringent test standards will still be on the roads, as well all the unlicensed/untaxed drivers who make up a decent proportion of road users.

Personally i have given up caring....the average motorist is a pretty incompetent driver and that isn't going to change any time soon. :)

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

This is the same round my way - in fact a friend of mine crashed several of his cars until he decided purposefully to buy a 1.2 Mazda specifically because he knew it didnt have enough power.

I was almost taken off my last bike when a guy zoomed past me doing at least 80 in a 30 on a country lane where a lot of accidents happen. Thankfully he didnt get me otherwise I would have been a goner - altho, chances are the DVLA would have put my bike on one of their stands to demotivate people from riding bikes!

EDIT:

Read this after my post above. I guess this is very true - but potentially speed isnt the killer, and bad driving is - something that can't be restricted without a more stringent test.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I'm 19, and I couldn't afford to insure anything bigger than that anyway, but I guarantee I'd still be capable of being a tit in it if I was so inclined.

Can't be restricted by power restrictions either, you can be stupid in anything, at least you're likely to respect something faster, rather than rag the nuts off something slow.

Not hard to put bigger engines in cars either, so who say's these "restrictions" to car drivers would deter anybody anyway.

That's the thing with laws, they only deter people who wouldn't be inclined to misbehave in the first place!

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

poor buggers, only two;)

the IOW won't have any test centre once they force the new rules on us...

see www.mag.org.uk

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

It really is a desperate situation. Unfortunately for those who voted Labour in the last election have got what they deserved. Choice is not a word that this government understands.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

They know best of course. :rolleyes:

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by dizzyblonde http://forums.sv650.org/images/buttons/viewpost.gif
i jumped on an Sv straight after a DAS. me too, never ridden before did cbt first weekend, 500 next weekend and test on monday. failed. passed 10 days later and went and bought sv because it looked nice - no test ride nothing. did 400 miles first day and couldnt move for 3 days as i was soooooo sore.
Take the Raptor1000, he claims its a pussycat, it really is. lovely and low seat with high bars - i love it.
I've never ridden any of his bikes, you should try the raptor its just like a big sv.
So I got a girls bike....which incidently half of you ride :lol:

oooo kitkat you naughty girlie...XXX yes indeedy I would have a go on the raptor only thing is the damn thing is sooooo big n heavy my girlie muscles can't move it round the garden, so I can't pinch it when he;s on nights...lol

and Yorkiechris is right about the new rules to give only 2 test centres in Yorkshire.he got the info when he accompanied myself on the quest to go and instruct. I am still in two minds at the mo, personally I don't fancy travelling to Rotherham to take someone to a test, when at the moment the school has the choice of half a dozen, Halifax, hudds, bradford, barnsley amongst them.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I think I'd rather live with some mormons

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I believe that we would get increasingly more restricted whatever shade of govt we had. :rant:

When youngsters pass their (car) driving test in Australia they have to display a special provisional driver plate for a couple of years. Any infringement of the traffic laws and they are stamped upon. :smt021

The lack of traffic cops in my area means that the boy Clio chavs can virtually do what they want. And they do. Seems to me like the police or the govt or both have abdicated their responsibility to protect the public from lunatic driver/riders. :smt064 Cameras won't do it.

I bought my SV in sept 2006 after a long absence from biking. :elephant: It wasn't until about 6 months had passed and 6000 miles that I felt safe riding it. That was a buzz now I think about it. Logic :confused: tells me that I should have had to resit a test before getting back into the saddle :-dd

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

oooo kitkat you naughty girlie...XXX yes indeedy I would have a go on the raptor only thing is the damn thing is sooooo big n heavy my girlie muscles can't move it round the garden, so I can't pinch it when he;s on nights...lol

.[/quote]

Get away! Raptors are tiny, light things! It was probably one of the easiest bikes I have ever had to manouver about and I'm a shorty.

Have a go on it - you'll love it :D

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Matt's (dizzys feller) raptor feels really tiny, and TLS engine note ... mmmmm

I'd love one if it wasn't Italian (due to the parts situation)

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Oh they are teensy little bikes which is one of the reasons I had one (I'm about 5'2"). Mine was probably the best bike I've ever owned, and the one that suited me the most but I got rid because of it was giving trouble and no-one could fix it :(

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Let me guess, electrics?

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I dunno really. From what I've learned since, the clutch switch breaks on them causing it to run the wrong map when it's cold or something, leading to bad running. Cost me a fortune to not have it fixed too :rolleyes:

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

maybe if it were a 650, but the sit up bars and the weight make it difficult to shift. I'm hypermobile, and got scores of dodgy muscles n joints, especially my shoulders, which are unstable. The Sv clip ons give me a chance to oomph it round without having to get my shoulders in positions that give me masses of pain, plus I have to lean it against my hip in an odd way to counteract my back giving in. I'd have nochance lifting it if it went and thats jus the SV. I'd love to give her a go, but i'd only get more deaf with them M4's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plus he's not very often here, so I don't get chance

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Nah that's rubbish I'm afraid. The test is harder now than it used to be yet more kids are parking their cars in brick walls.

It's not a problem of power, speed or training - simply attitude.

This is something the police already know - your attitude towards them once pulled over is as much likely to determine if you get a ticket than whatever it was you did to get pulled over in the first place. Probably why we used to have the safest roads in the world. Now with all the governments 'improvements' which seem to rely solely on technology and beaurocrasy to we're falling behind.

Anyway - road safety is as much to do with people attitudes than anything else, something for which there is no quick fix.You can try to socially engineering it out, but as this governments done a good job of demonstrating, it often causes more problems than it solves.

But mostly, other peoples safety simply isn't anyone else's business.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

So we should do away with zebra crossings and lollipop crossing attendants? Free for all on the roads? I always watch out when I see small childre playing by the road - their safety is certainly my business. What a lot of nonsense.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

A wee bit harsh ejohnh.

I'm going to fall somewhere in the middle on this one. Other peoples choices on their own safety are nobody elses business. If I want to ride in shorts and a T-shirt I bloody well will. It only affects me so we don't need a law which says I must wear protective gear.

However when a safety issue starts to have an impact on the wider society, I think society has a right to demand laws be made. Speak to the parent of the 14 year old who was killed when the 17 year old parked his car in a wall whlist "cruising" on a Saturday night, and they will think they have a right to be concerned about what other peoples 17 year olds can and cannot drive. I happen to agree.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Claire. Great story. Made me smile. I know the area that the test ride was in and its great. Obviously spoilt on Hugh Heffner though.

Why do some people think it is big and clever to go out and buy the biggest, fastest bikes on the market. Have they got a screw loose. What are there DA instructors teaching them.

Heard a great quote on Top Gear recently (yes, I am into cars as well). A car (can't remember the type) was designed and built to be easy to drive cos, as the manufacturers put it, all the money in the world can't buy talent.

I had the offer of a GSX-R750 from a guy I work with recently. I told him that I'm more than happy with my SV at the moment but to come back to me in 2 years when I have got a few more miles under my belt. He ended up selling it to someone else I know. The guy that bought it told me that I ought to get the GSX-R750 (or a similar sports bike) as a first bike as it will help me learn quicker. When I told him I had only been riding a month or two and that I wanted something that was a bit forgiving of my supreme lack of talent his only comment was that it makes no difference what you ride, its all about how you move your right hand. He has offered to take me out later on in the year to show me how fast a bike can be ridden. I think I'll call in sick that day.

Here's hoping you see and old guy on a GSX-R1000, just to prove we are not as bad as we think we are.

Have a great year to you all and ride safe.

Stradders.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

:laughat:
"Help you to learn quicker"

Thats a classic. Never heard that before.:)

This thread is as mad scary as the "I don't use the front brakes in the wet" thread.

Laugh or cry , I'don't know.:(

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Yep, I know an old chap who rides a GSX-R1000. He's a good rider and fairly quick, but I've yet to see him do go/accelerate any faster than he could on a 750. That said, I've never seen him do anything dickish/unsafe to other people when riding and that is most peoples' main gripe with power rangers.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I think this is the point I originally tried to make - so what if someone endangers their own life; its when it endangers others that I struggle to understand the comprehension behind it.

When I passed my car driving test back in the day, I used to drive like a wally on my own, but when I had other people in my car it would be like driving miss daisy - but I think thats because my experience at that time saw a lot of crashes by young drivers killing occupants in their cars due to their own pride getting in the way of general courtesy and logic.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Dragging this kicking and screaming back to the original topic....

I'm a (40 this year) novice biker ( 1.5 years now riding, passed DAS test in June 07). Went from CG125 to SV650S, use both for my commute to work, and not much else.

Never once crashes/dropped/pranged my CG125. Bought SV650S in September, fallen off it twice since then, both times at less than 15 mph.
Once I braked in wet (and I now know this is what happened since the 2nd off) and I slid straight off the wet seat over the handlebars, slow speed as I had turned right out of college on a mini-roundabout main road, 50 feet to next mini-roundabout where car was pulling out, so hadn't accelerated at all from 1st). Went splat, but NO skidding at all, just flump onto road. 2nd time, also in wet, slowed to nearly stopped at roundabout, nothing coming, slowly accelerate away (traffic at standstill 100 yds ahead, so not very fast at all) and backwheel goes sideways from under the bike (I assume diesel or something on road), wheee splat and a foot of skidding.

Sooo since I moved to a big bike 2 crashes in 4 months as opposed to none in the year before, but neither linked to it being a bigger bike (as far as I can tell anyway)

And the reason for a bigger bike? The CG125 loses all grunt at 50, have to be going downhill to get to 60, and on my work commute traffic averages 55 (in a 50 limit) on a 2 lane a-road, so continually being passed was scary. The cost for a 250/500 (which would have suited me fine for commute) was just about the same as the 650, with the caveat the bike magazines all say would get bored of it and trade it in within a year. As I can't afford to trade bikes in all the time, and there was a 0% offer on, I bought a bike I intend to stick with for a long time.


Do I need a 650? No. Would a 250 be happy on a motorway? No. Magazines all saying 500 nice learner bike that will be traded in within the year. So I'm left with 600/650 as lowest powered bikes worth getting.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

The post above leaves me wondering what defines a 'big bike'?

I dont consider the SV650 to be a 'big bike' for a newbie.

I have alway just assumed that in dicussions like this people defined a 'big bike' by its power and engine size?

Therefore meaning that most 1000cc bikes are considered big bikes and the majority of bikes with over 80-90bhp, so most 600SS bikes as big bikes.

I have not read through all 16 pages so if I'm missing the point the I apologies.

Its my opinion that people can ride what they can afford and what they want, yes they may be putting themselves at more risk but its their choice. People can ride like idiots and give bike riders a bad name on any sized bike.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Tis if you're vertically challenged... :smt003


<runs away with coat>

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Its in the most expensive road tax class for bikes, along with the 1400cc monsters, so it must be a big bike. At least according to our elected officials.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Before the advent of the superbike in the late 50's early 60's, a 650 was considered a big bike. eg Triumph Tiger 110, BSA Road Rocket etc. A triumph tiger 500 was also considered a powerful bike. Below that you had 350's 250's and 125's. The only bigger bikes, as far as I recall, were things like an Ariel square 4 and of course the Vincents. What was the bhp of the original Bonnevilles? Probably less than 70. In comparison to the high HP bikes the sv650 is considered a comparatively 'small' bike. (It beats the pants off the AMC CSR 600cc Sportstwin I had back then). I still think it's bloody big though. :D

As for your offs, I was wondering if you were still leaning over when you applied the front brake. If you were then the bike would stand up very quickly and possible tip you off. You second slide could be something to do with your rare tyre being cold, not much tread, bad tyre?

John

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

*Shrug* Wish I _knew absolutely_ what happened then it wouldn't happen again.

Just done 16 miles back from Preston, within 1/4 mile of home, 50+ most of the way, so tyre not cold, tread is fine, I wouldn't know a bad tyre aside from that if it bit me. Same tyre as was on bike from new in September, around 2.5k miles done on it so only just worn off the shine.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Dizzyblondes feller has an SRX6, which being 608cc is a "big" bike, it does 80mpg and is the size of a 125 (makes them a hoot to ride), there's 250's faster.

Obviously those "elected officials" know best :-P