First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

went alright. Didn't drop it, crash it or anything..
Feels REALLY nice and very fast!
Not going to lie i was driving up to two mini round-abouts went through first one fine, dad was on SV1000, went through second one. Car suddenely indicated right round the round-about. i wasn't thinking. slambed on the back brake (stupid) back locked up (obviously) swerved everyway! scared the life out of me, stopped. the guy had stopped.. said sorry and drove of. My heart was in my mouth at the time, pretty shocked.. drove on pulled up on the left to chill out.. dad came back and found me. Then drove home.. :smt083

I'm not going to lie, started crying when i got home.. kinda in shock :confused: Lol
over all i love the bike.. REALLY nice to ride!
worth every penny, still need to get a feel for the brakes and handling etc. :(

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Glad you like the bike :)

Just take it easy until you find you get to know the bike properly.
Never take anyones indication that they are going to go that way, wait until you see them turning before you pull out.

You will get the hang of it :D

:smt056

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

What they told me on my IAM course while we were trimming our beards and drinking really strong tea. "Take an indicator signal as a sign that their bulbs work"

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Always treat every cage driver as if they were out to kill you. Always expect the unexpected from any traffic as well as pedestrians. Oh and relax and enjoy your new toy :)

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

The biggest shock I got on the first ride was just how much engine braking you get with a v twin, 30 mph drop to 1st gear and let out the clutch and nearly flew over the handle bars.

You soon get used to it though.

Anyway my point is watch out for engine braking particularly in the wet and conering, it's easy to lock up the back wheel.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

I prefer not to remember my first ride.

Enjoy :)

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Why what appened? 'just whisper it'

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Im not listening :) :p

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

enjoy your bike, and enjoy the near misses, but just try and make sure they stay that way!!!!!!!!!!

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Are you addicted to BBC weather page yet? All i ever do is look at the weather to see if i'll get out tomorrow/this afternoon/now!:mrgreen:
Not that i'm only a fair weather biker but seams such a shame to get your new bike dirty:rolleyes:
Enjoy and remember - they are all out to get you! :smt096

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Enjoy your bike mate, tis a good un :)
You'll get used to it and all shall be well

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

I kissed the Tarmac.

Ride safe.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

The main thing that the SV is teaching me so far is to be super silky smooth on that throttle... 120 miles so far and I grin just thinking about my next ride :D

I might have to try the BBC weather page, the met office weather page lies :(

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

my bbc weather is normally pretty good, but i always take waterproofs anyway, just in case.
its nice to hear that your loving the bike and the ride, and dont let a little bad weather put you off, sometimes there the best rides of all :D

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

See you have all ready learnt something on your first ride "To expect the unexpected"!, Enjoy your new bike & ride safe.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Good lesson learnt, I had a similar thing happen the second day I was riding, had to emergency stop and steer (not a good combination, the front end went out on me for a bit) to avoid someone coming onto the roundabout I was already half way across, turned out the SUV driver was on the phone!

As everyone has said expect the worst but just as importantly enjoy the best ;)

Keep safe!

On the weather stuff, met office data is used by the bbc but they can be late to update off of it, I also look at weather.com, if any of the 3 look okay I go for it! My 3 Norwich links to give you an idea :lol:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/24?area=NR7
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/...t_weather.html
http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...graph/UKXX0103

I ought to go for a ride but it's almost Sunday roast time - Pork and Beef joints today mmmmm

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Is the IAM course worth doing? how much did it cost.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Gratz on the first ride, and +1 to all the sensible advice you've been getting.

I would echo the sentiment about other road users, and if you can analyse any event afterwards and try to find any lessons you may learn from them, I find it helps - case in point for me was a huge lorry in London knocking me off my bike a few months back, he simply didn't see me at all, no real damage to the bike but after thinking about the incident for a while I came to realise that perhaps I was taking it for granted that I am visible when in reality you sometimes have to make extra sure you are!

anyways, enjoy the bike :D

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

+1 :thumright: Have fun and ride safe.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Most definately, I am really enjoying it, and my riding has sharpened up no end!

I did a Bikesafe course first and got a voucher for £50 off. It costs me £89 for all the learning I need to pass my test. Without the voucher it would have been £139-00.

Forget all the bollox about it being all old men, it's not true.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Enjoy the new bike mate! Just be extra vigilant around cars treat all traffic like they haven't seen you! You will get a few scares when riding at first, but plan ahead to minimise the risk. The more you ride you become more and more comfortable with your bike and things will naturally come to you. You did the right thing the by stopping and taking a breather to asses what had happen.

May I suggest a bikesafe course and some advanced training to help build up extra skills

More importantly enjoy your biking experience and welcome to the club!

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

I take it, it's your first Bike???

Everyones advice is good so far!

Treat everyone as idiots. And look further ahead than just the front wheel!!!!!

Everyone makes mistakes when they are new to something, as long as we live to learn from them after, thats the main thing!

The day I did my CBT, many years ago now, my Dad followed me home, (did it on my own bike), back to B.Hill, waiting at traffic lights, lights turned Green, I pulled accross the traffic, not waiting for the Filter light.
Dad had a kitten!!!!

So we all do it!!!!

Enjoy the bike, a good choice.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

wouldn't worry about it joey, won't be the last time that your s.v.'ll make you cry.:(
it's a roller coaster journey ont sv.:D

Yeah :P

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

The sooner you realise that you are invisible to other road users and adapt your riding accordingly, the better.

I got rammed while stationary at a traffic light by the car who sat behind me for a couple of minutes. "Sorry mate I didn't see you", was he's excuse. And I was waring a brand new yellow high visibility vest :( Clearly he was day dreaming.

One of my favourite quotes: "You start riding with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the luck runs out."

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

I may just have to rob that line, could become one of my new favourite quote thingys :cool:

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

My advice to you is move your foot away from the back brake. It is probably the most dangerous control on the bike as it's dead easy to lock the rear wheel with potentially nasty consequences... such as a short stay at the highside hotel. (nice view but the food is terrible)

I'd definitely recommend going somewhere quiet to practice a few emergency stops. Develop the muscle memory and confidence so a panic situation will not develop and you'll respond to a threat sensibly by applying the front brake progressively rather than booting the back one.


But... glad you had a "moment" without it getting expensive. MTFU and learn to brake properly :)

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

YC be gentle on the poor boy...don't make him cry again ;)

It's funny, when I was learning it was drummed in "use the back brake" constantly. Hardly ever used the front. Now, hardly ever use back brake, normally just the front...unless the do do has really hit the fan and I use both.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Thing is the worse it is hitting the fan the less back brake you can use due to weight transfer.

I think it was Mr Squid said the best time to learn this is now rather than when heading towards the door of a car at some speed :)

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Thats what my dad told me to do on my 125 after I passed my CBT. Learning to ride on a slippy wet grassy field also helped alot to.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Having locked up the front wheel and ended up on my ar5e I can confirm that you need progressive application of the front brake.

I rather like the suggestion that motorists can be divided into two groups. Those that haven't seen you, and those that are actively trying to kill you. Not strictly true, but a good starting point.

Keith.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Been on my sv650s for the first time today, took me a few moments to get used to the slanted handlebars having come from straight bar bikes, once i did it was all fine. but yes its perfectly reasonable to expect that everyone in a car gets 10 points if they make you cack yourself and 50 points if they actually knock you off.

the good advice i was given was imagine you have a car sized bubble around you, if anyone gets near that bubble be extra weary.

the only thing that caught me out was the engine braking on the twin, i expected some but not nearly as much, i came off the clutch and did what im told was a marvelous drift. that it was completely unintentional made my mates a little less impressed, but still impressed that i held onto it.

all in all my jaw is beginning to hurt due to the fixed grin i have on my face everytime ive bee on it so far.

oh and ps. hi everyone, new to the forums

Nice good, welcome!

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Welcome lammy and enjoy the bike!

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

dam has everyone locked a rear wheel on their first rides on an sv. i only passed my test a month ago and went out and my sv650s, loved it the first few times i rode it and then on a ride home from work in the first week on the m11 at 70mph in the wet i made a mistake with a gear change, come off the clutch and held on for dear life while the back end slid all over the place. since decided ill use it in pleasure time until im more experienced with it then commute, mistakes like that on motorways can turn nasty very fast

love it to pieces but gained a whole new level of respect for it after that

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Nope, not here.
My first ride on the SV was 176 miles from where i bought it to home, with no fuel stops :) and i didnt once nearly cack myself from the engine breaking.
OK i did get suprised by it on a test ride of a newer one to what i bought but got used to it quickly enough and figured it was due to a lack of biking for a long time.
The engine breaking actually helpl with my daily commute i feel, save the break pads for when the cage drivers do something ultimately stupid.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

Personally I didn't lock the back wheel on the first day but I almost weelied into a bus. We all had our "oh ****" moments :) Good to hear you managed to keep it upright. Is always better to learn a lesson the easy way ;)

There is no substitute for experience I'm afraid and passing the DSA test does not guarantee your safety on the road or control over the machine. The weather on this time of the year is not helping much either. My advice is take it slowly.

Re: First ride on my SV650, Etc.
 

I didn't lock the rear on mine either, I did that a week later, the first time some prat pulled out infront of me and I panicked. Since then I now know the feel and the point of my wheel locking, so I can avoid it.
Yeah the engine braking does help, I can do my entire 10mile commute without touching the brakes once, on a good day that is, but even on the worst days I only need to touch the back brake to bring me to a holt or scrub off a few mph.