It does get easier!

Having now been riding for 2 weeks and done around 850 miles I have got to say I am in love with my bike!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s a great bike and as it is restricted can only imagine the fun I will have once the restriction comes off (102 weeks time!!!)

I know I still have a lot to learn but I can tell my riding is has got a lot better from that Friday when I jumped on my bike after my test.

The last two weeks have been a very steep learning curve (very steep indeed) and I am glad I decided to keep with it as my mind started to think…. Do I really want to do this?! Should I just stick to being pillion?

Know this may seem as a stupid thread but I just wanted to say to all the other newbie riders as I know there are a few of us….. It gets easier and well worth keeping at it.

This morning I drove to work and up until about half an hour ago when it started throwing it down I was mad at myself for using the car!

Please let’s have an Indian Summer!!!! I want to ride my bike every day!!!!

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by lily

I want to ride my bike every day!!!!

Then get used to riding in the rain... its just like riding in the dry, the more you do it, the better you get at it.

It also adds another dimension to your riding to. If you can ride well in the wet it'll really improve your dry riding to.

Glad to hear you are progressing well and with confidence lily! Just keep taking it easy, learning gently - theres no rush, and with 33 bhp you dont have to worry about teh rear wheel stepping out. I always found on my carb'd restricted SV that keeping the revs about 4000 rpm provided good engine response (bear this in mind if you want to make overtakes) and it was happiest at 60-70 mph in 5th gear (5100-6000 rpm or so).

Fizz's has good advice - riding in the rain is a good idea, you'll learn alot about how well your bike grips. I was a bit nervous at first, but there was one time I couldnt avoid a metal manhole cover mid corner (becasue I'd just corrected my line to avoid a previous one!) and hit it. The bike slid a bit, but quickly regained grip.

Oh, my dads advice to me, which I pass on to you; If you find yourself running wide in a corner, just push in the inside handlebar (I have since found this works better when you also relax your arms a bit...)

Keep on riding!

Matt

well done lily, glad you stuck with it, comming on pretty well too, time for a gixxer1000 soon, with your skill level

you are my hero

Well done Lily.

Sounds like you're coming along in leaps and bounds!!

Personally, the timing for de-restricting my bike was just right as I felt ready for it.

As for riding in the rain, it's honestly not as bad a you're probably imagining. I have Avon Storms on mine and they are fantastic in wet weather.

Originally Posted by alpinestarhero

with 33 bhp you dont have to worry about teh rear wheel stepping out.

You dont have to on any bike as long as you control the throttle

Originally Posted by neio79

You dont have to on any bike as long as you control the throttle

Doctor needs some of his own medicine

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

if you can ride well in the wet it'll really improve your dry riding to.

+ 1,000,000

Originally Posted by Ed

Doctor needs some of his own medicine

true, although i have never span the rear in the wet, yet!

[fastdruid]

Wet riding can be fun, if you've never spun the rear then you're not trying hard enough!

Smooth is king in the wet, you can brake and accelerate nearly as hard as you can in the dry but you need to to be gentle. A snatch at the brake that would see a chirrp in the dry will lock a wheel in the wet.

Druid