Getting my learner licence

[vegan_virgin]

hello fellow forum goers, at the super age of 43 and having recently bought an old scooter for commuting to work i have been shocked that i havent taken to two wheels sooner! then again i didnt get my car licence until i was in my 30's :blink:

so, i have booked in a course to teach me the basics to ride a geaared bike and then do my test- i have 1 3/4 hours to lelarn......im guessing that will be enough even for somebody of my yearage?

i have been reading all sorts of learn to ride a motorbike articles online so think i have the basics in my head, as far as where the brakes and clutch are anyhow, and get another three hours lessons once i have my licence to put it all into practice.

not got any questions or anything at this point in time, i just thought i would share with you all my sense of excitement which feels like :woohoo:

[CookMySock]

not got any questions or anything at this point in time, i just thought i would share with you all my sense of excitement which feels like :woohoo:It's great innit. :niceone:

Suggestion: Decide RIGHT NOW if you ever want to be able to steer a large and heavy motorcycle around a tight corner at open road speed.

Decided yet? If you do, then google "countersteering" right now and read and digest, then ride everywhere steering ONLY by pushing on the bars. Embed it in your brain like your life depends on it, coz it does.

edit: if you want to putt-putt everywhere, then don't worry about it. ;)

Steve

[The Everlasting]

Welcome to KB,riding a bike is real good fun.

[vegan_virgin]

Suggestion: Decide RIGHT NOW if you ever want to be able to steer a large and heavy motorcycle around a tight corner at open road speed.





i do want to!

thanks for the advice, been reading up and watching various videos. i pretty much drive like this on the scooter (and in my car) so hopefully i can now be a bit more conscious of doing so and apply it to my bike riding which i am expecting to be a diferent experience altogether :)

[Pascal]

i do want to!

thanks for the advice, been reading up and watching various videos. i pretty much drive like this on the scooter (and in my car) so hopefully i can now be a bit more conscious of doing so and apply it to my bike riding which i am expecting to be a diferent experience altogether :)

I'd say "Welcome to the fold" but you're already hooked :) The only words of advice I have is to take all advice given with a pinch of salt. There are some on this site that you should almost never listen to. So, look up Mentors in your area. They are the people with a ME tag in green next to their name and there should be a list of them around here somewhere. They're good people, know their way around and can sort you out with the type of skills you need and help you progress.

[CookMySock]

bike riding which i am expecting to be a diferent experience altogether :)Yes indeed.

Write it across your forehead in vivid marker - steer only with the bars.

It will feel odd for some time, but a year down the track you will begin to believe it, and at that point you will have developed an ability that many will never have, and some will argue does not even exist.

Steve

[Ferkletastic]

Welcome to the fold man. It's the only way to fly.

Like has been said, take any advice from KB with a huge grain of salt as the signal to noise ratio can be pretty intense.

[Slyer]

I don't know why you are so insistent on countersteering DB?
As far as I know it's the only way to steer.

What kind of bikes are you looking at? :)

[Cayman911]

Welcome to KB !

now.. DB ...For some reason i seem to refuse to understand conter steering? usualy i just turn, i dont think about how i turn. it just happens.

now ive been watching videos on countersteering.....why would the bike go right if you turn left? :S i usualy just....i dunno slightly turn and lean? dunno never thought about it

[Pascal]

For some reason i seem to refuse to understand conter steering? usualy i just turn, i dont think about how i turn. it just happens.

You've ridden a bicycle before? Then in all likelyhood you've countersteered intuitively. I asked the same questions (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/87489-Countersteering-and-leaning?p=1838074#post1838074) when I started. I found that for me, overthinking it made it too complicated. I'd ridden a pedal bike before and knew the principles already although my brain didn't know it. I practiced it a bit on a straight road, doing normal speeds and that cemented it for me. Now - it just happens.

There should be lots and lots of discussion on the topic, I haven't bothered to search again.

[one fast tl1ooo]

Welcome to kb

[CookMySock]

For some reason i seem to refuse to understand conter steering? usualy i just turn, i dont think about how i turn. it just happens.First of all, can we please people, not go hard out into yet another countersteering thread?

@Cayman911, sure you can just ride around and let it happen, but the problem is when you get a fright tipped deep into some corner, all your training(sic) goes out the window, you stand your bike up and brake hard in a straight line, and then you die.

"Just letting it happen" is what I call "steering with your arse." Everyone who rides can do this without thinking, but not everyone can tighten a widening corner by pushing on the inside bar when they are already laid wayyyyyyyyy over, but for those who have been brought into motorcycling by only steering with the bars - it happens naturally.

Steve

[Cayman911]

hmm ill pay more attension to what im doing next time i go for a ride. maybe i am doing it, maybe im not. but ill give it a go anyways if im not and see how it goes.

it's definitely caught my interest. cause i have had the couple corners that made the line "Shit shit too fast too fast Sloooooooowdown" run in my head, but somehow i magicaly made it ,or skillfully. you decide haha

[CookMySock]

i have had the couple corners that made the line "Shit shit too fast too fast Sloooooooowdown" run in my headAnd that is the problem. If you could steer with the bars and keep your feelings in check, you would be a much safer rider.

This is the number one thing that kills bikers.

Steve

[Cayman911]

And that is the problem. If you could steer with the bars and keep your feelings in check, you would be a much safer rider.

This is the number one thing that kills bikers.

Steve

just come back from a ride having a go at counter steering, im pretty sure i must have done it before. but now that i was actually focusing on that point, its awesome.

i see why they say its handy for quick or high speed turns. its responsiveness is uncomparable to the old lean and turn method.

Thanks Steve for bring it up

[CookMySock]

No worries bro. Try consciously riding everywhere actively countersteerng regardless. The idea is to embed it to such an extent that you revert to it in an emergency, rather than braking and standing your bike up.

Transition later to a large, heavy, and powerful machine is then much safer, particularly if you want to hoof it everywhere, as ya do. :niceone:

Steve

[vegan_virgin]

ok so let me check ive got this right.......countersteering is a bit like the force? which makes me luke skywalker? put that way it makes perfect sense to me :)

somebody asked about what bike i might get? being a bit of a traditionalist i ike a bike that looks like i think i motorbike should look like and will be getting a gn250 or a volty. depends on how much money i can raise, in the proecss of selling anything non-essential on trademe to build up the funds!

[CookMySock]

ok so let me check ive got this right.......countersteering is a bit like the force? which makes me luke skywalker? put that way it makes perfect sense to me :)Probably more like Fluke Skykicker in the short term, but you will get there. :niceone:

Steve

[JMemonic]

Welcome to the nut house, I would suggest you take up Mainland driving schools offer (http://www.driveschool.co.nz/motorcycles?09c5f185b512e01c2d7e863db048d1d6=c637f 586ad882d636a9350bdc7538112) that is subsidised by ACC for a little more tuition than just getting you through the basic handling course well worth the extra dollars.

You can also come along to the Wednesday night rides (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/106734-Chch-Wednesday-Night-Cruises-2009-10) for the sumer and maintenance evenings which are run through the winter if you have time, local folks who are willing to lend a hand and knowledge.

[vegan_virgin]

tis the mainland course i have booked, seemed like too good a deal to pass on. glad to hear you say its worthwhile :)

i may wait until i have spent a bit of time practicing around the side streets before i inflict myself on company! diont want to be causing a scene!!

[Old Steve]

Yeah, I've been riding three days and have just discovered countersteering. I understood the theory, to turn through a left hand curve you have to lean over left into the curve. So you can subtlely move your weight and the bike does lean left and around the curve you go, but you're unbalancing the bike, you're moving your weight to control the bike (this may be Ok for some knee scraper at Paeroa on a superbike, but not really a great method for an everyday rider to change direction quickly or to change your line half way through a tightening curve, say).

Now if you come up to a left hand corner and push slightly on the left handle bar, the bike really wants to turns right. It leans out to the left, natural centipetal reaction, and you go smoothly around the curve to the left, leaning into the curve. Piece of the provebial. You can even tighten up the corner by pushing more on the left handle bar. Now understanding the theory is one thing, I never believed it until I pushed on the left handle bar and the bike went around the curve to the left. Act of faith, yeah, but it works.

So, beginners, try it, it's a lot easier than moving your weight.

[JMemonic]

tis the mainland course i have booked, seemed like too good a deal to pass on. glad to hear you say its worthwhile :)

i may wait until i have spent a bit of time practicing around the side streets before i inflict myself on company! diont want to be causing a scene!!

Dont worry about the practising first bit its a cruise so easy on new riders, only a few more to go before we hit winter so come along.

[howdamnhard]

tis the mainland course i have booked, seemed like too good a deal to pass on. glad to hear you say its worthwhile :)

i may wait until i have spent a bit of time practicing around the side streets before i inflict myself on company! diont want to be causing a scene!!

Welcome to KB and riding vegan_virgin it's good to see your keen to learn all you can . The fun thing is you never stop learning. There are a few useful threads in here amongst the survival and 250 forums. It's also good to get some practical training to as I see you are,well done.

[CookMySock]

So you can subtlely move your weight and the bike does lean left and around the curve you go, but you're unbalancing the bike, you're moving your weight to control the bike (this may be Ok for some knee scraper at Paeroa on a superbike, but not really a great method for an everyday rider to change direction quickly or to change your line half way through a tightening curve, say). It isn't really possible to unbalance the bike. You can stand off the side of it on one footpeg and it will still ride in a straight line.

Tempting as forming your own theories are, you will be much better served in the medium to long term, to buy some books and read the real business from the horses mouth.

Steve