weird

[sunhuntin]

after nearly 10 years of relying on a bicycle for transport, im finally legal for the road. i reached 60 today, the fastest ive gone yet. but just sitting here thinking over what it felt like...i feel as though i was faster on my push bike at times. why?? dont get me wrong, i love being able to ride and know i can call myself a biker and not be bullshitting. it just doesnt feel like what i expected.

:oi-grr:

[White trash]

after nearly 10 years of relying on a bicycle for transport, im finally legal for the road. i reached 60 today, the fastest ive gone yet. but just sitting here thinking over what it felt like...i feel as though i was faster on my push bike at times. why?? dont get me wrong, i love being able to ride and know i can call myself a biker and not be bullshitting. it just doesnt feel like what i expected.

:oi-grr:

60 on a bike, wrapped up in protective stuff, with a full face helmet, never feels fast. On the right bike, neither does 200.

What I find fun on a motorbike, is constantly challenging my abilities and skills.

For example. Go for a quiet ride to Raetahi and back. I'm sure after 10 minutes you'll be loving the feeling of gradually leaning the bike further than you thought possible 'round the bends.

[sunhuntin]

i wear an open helmet with sunglasses. but yeh, maybe the leather and jeans detracted from it. that and the fact mum was tailing me, lol.
maybe its the idea i can let the brakes off and fly down hills anymore....used to match cars going down some hills here....no need to for brakes, just check for cars and keep going to the lights, lol. or else the wind would slow you down.

ah well....ill get her out again tomorrow and see what happens.

[Lou Girardin]

after nearly 10 years of relying on a bicycle for transport, im finally legal for the road. i reached 60 today, the fastest ive gone yet. but just sitting here thinking over what it felt like...i feel as though i was faster on my push bike at times. why?? dont get me wrong, i love being able to ride and know i can call myself a biker and not be bullshitting. it just doesnt feel like what i expected.

:oi-grr:

So many things are, the first time. Keep at it, it gets better.

[White trash]

....get up to a walking pace. Stand with your left foot on the left rear peg and your right foot on the grab handle at the back of the seat.

Experiment with reving the bike and slipping the clutch while allpying pressure with your right foot.

You'll be doing circle wheelies in no time and I promise you'll be hit with the lads outside McDonalds on Friday nights.

[StoneChucker]

So many things are, the first time. Keep at it, it gets better.
Um, yeah... what he said ;)
Take it slow, better to slowly become comfortable with the bike, until you find yourself happily doing 100 or a little more, than find yourself in trouble trying to push it too hard.

But, 100 for me on the motorway is PAINFULL. It feels so annoying that I prefer cruising at 109. Not much more, but it all helps. WT is right, and my understanding of what he said is that speed is deceptive. It would feel faster on a push bike too, as the wind is exposed to more of your body, the bike is lighter and narrower and possibly the lack of engine noise has something to do with it. Ride as a pillion on your bike at the same speed, 60 (obviously with someone else riding) and you'll see that it'll feel ALOTTTTTT faster. Weird... but true :niceone:

[Ixion]

after nearly 10 years of relying on a bicycle for transport, im finally legal for the road. i reached 60 today, the fastest ive gone yet. but just sitting here thinking over what it felt like...i feel as though i was faster on my push bike at times. why?? dont get me wrong, i love being able to ride and know i can call myself a biker and not be bullshitting. it just doesnt feel like what i expected.

:oi-grr:

Try gravel. It feels faster.

[Coyote]

100k in 6th gear doesn't feel fast. 100k in 2nd gear does

You could try 60k in the air, I'm sure the GN can jump

[sunhuntin]

im sure if i did what white trash suggested, shed jump alright! LOL

didnt take her out today...just a tad too windy. will see what tomorrow brings...might take her out in the country, then back in along a main highway from the north. should be fun with all the big mother truckers on the other side.

[justsomeguy]

i wear an open helmet with sunglasses.

Please buy a well-fitting full face helmet.

[Motoracer]

Please buy a well-fitting full face helmet.

Yep, when I binned the ol XR on that wet coro loop, I did a face plant into the tramac at about 100kmph. Just scraped up the chin of the helmet and only managed to cut my lip up as my mouth bashed into the inside of the helmet. If I was wearing an open face, I'd be eating out of a straw for the rest of my life...

[sunhuntin]

naw, im stickin to the open...got used to the pudding bowls overseas, so even the open faced feels closed in. i find the full faced ones dont allow me to hear as much as id like either.

anyways...took her out for a longer spin today. ran out of gas just around the bend so put her on reserve. took her down along a main road heading south, then took her over the cobham bridge [speed limit of 80k, i kept her to 50 or 60] around the roundabout, down past the race course. around past the intermediate, and down another fairly busy road dotted with road works. waiting at the intersection to go over the dublin bridge, bugger me if there aint a funeral going past, so i wait there for about 5 mins or so. finally get enough clear road to go. get over the bridge, turn to the left and go the oppotsite way on the same main road i was on, going north this time. head up under the railway bridge, take a right down a bad street. go past kims workshop and past williams domain and back home. took me roughly an hour. almost got shoved off the road once by an ignorant cager who was too impatient, the bitch. other than that, it was ok. just need to keep working on my gear changes, but that will come with time. :ride:

[Jeremy]

You get used to full face helmets. Having had a piece of gravel chink into my helmet from the front (damn car in front of me decided to rev at gravel) and realising that I would probably have lost an eye if I hadn't had a full face, I'd say go for the full face. Plus that it dulls the noise is what it's suppose to do. Unless you want to go deaf in a few weeks. You'll also find a lot of the people on the site wear ear plugs as well.

Also the jeans. They'll only last a couple of seconds (at the most) if/when you come off. Skin doesn't even last that long, think cheese grater. at 50km/h. If you can't afford overpants yet then at least wear knee protectors under the jeans as they'll help stop you from shattering your kneecaps.

[justsomeguy]

Also the jeans. They'll only last a couple of seconds (at the most) if/when you come off. Skin doesn't even last that long, think cheese grater. at 50km/h. If you can't afford overpants yet then at least wear knee protectors under the jeans as they'll help stop you from shattering your kneecaps.

If you can't afford pants DON'T RIDE. You could always buy second hand....

Jeans last around 1 second according to ACC info I read.

Is it worth the risk??

[Beemer]

Open face helmet? I thought only gang members and little old ladies on scooters wore those! The only time I have worn an open face helmet was codriving in a rally car - and I only got it then because I was worried I'd throw up (I never did) and apparently it's not pleasant to throw up in a full face! I remember getting hit in the face by a bee when riding at low speed with my visor up and that hurt like hell - imagine it at 100kph plus.

As for jeans, why not wait for summer and wear shorts and jandals? They'd offer about the same level of protection. Must haves as far as I'm concerned - boots, protective pants and jacket, full face helmet and gloves. I've come off a push bike and mashed myself and there is no way I'd like to do it on a motorcycle.

As for the speed - when I was learning to ride, 35kph felt so fast I was scared! As for doing 70kph - that took ages! And the first time I got up to 100kph on the motorway I thought there was a howling gale - nope, that's what it feels like on an RG150 at that speed! Got used to it very quickly and you will too!

[John]

Yep, when I binned the ol XR on that wet coro loop, I did a face plant into the tramac at about 100kmph. Just scraped up the chin of the helmet and only managed to cut my lip up as my mouth bashed into the inside of the helmet. If I was wearing an open face, I'd be eating out of a straw for the rest of my life...
Likewise, Just cut my lip full face plant - concussed but not dead, dont make me show you the pictures of those dudes that crash on the highways and grate off there face - its not pretty.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9813

[Waylander]

Nothing wrong with an open face helmet aslong as you know what you are risking and are prepared to risk it. I can tell you nothing feels better than having the wind in your face on a nice cruise. Gotta watch out for bugs though and have a look at Tristanks' "Bugjuice?... More like birdjuice" thread. Never been in a wreck where my face hit the ground, but I know I've been lucky. Also helps that I really don't care. Your choice though.

[Mr Skid]

MX style helmets are a good compromise between the ventilation offered by a open face helmet and the protection offered by a full face.

I'll be getting one for summer.

[sunhuntin]

[QUOTE=Beemer]Open face helmet? I thought only gang members and little old ladies on scooters wore those!

As for jeans, why not wait for summer and wear shorts and jandals? They'd offer about the same level of protection. Must haves as far as I'm concerned - boots, protective pants and jacket, full face helmet and gloves. I've come off a push bike and mashed myself and there is no way I'd like to do it on a motorcycle.
QUOTE]

i already explained my reasoning on the whole helmet, aint gonna bother re-typing it, cept to add, my old man, hounddog, is part of what will likely be a puppet group for the angels if the young members have their way. [heres hoping they wont, for the good of the group] the only full helmets i saw for 6 months were on jap bike riders.

and as for saying shorts and jandles, what kind of lunatic do you think i am??? hell, i wear steel toed cowboy boots, they just wouldnt look good with shorts!! i do have a pair of chaps i bought last year, gotta dig them out at some point. i wear a leather jacket [have about 5 of them, lol] but its hard getting good quality pants that will a] fit over my legs and ass and b] be comfy enough to ride and walk in. until then, the jeans will be fine. once ive been knocked off, ill come crawling back sayin you were all right :not:

[Ixion]

MX style helmets are a good compromise between the ventilation offered by a open face helmet and the protection offered by a full face.

I'll be getting one for summer.

Problem here is that they don't have a visor , and I don't think you could wear goggles with them (not MK VIIIs anyway) ? I sort of like the idea of the open face , but want the chin and jaw protection. So the MX seems good, but for fast road work you do need eye protection . Or can you wear goggles with them (I've tried goggles with a full face and it just doesn't work)

[Mr Skid]

Problem here is that they don't have a visor , and I don't think you could wear goggles with them (not MK VIIIs anyway) ? I sort of like the idea of the open face , but want the chin and jaw protection. So the MX seems good, but for fast road work you do need eye protection . Or can you wear goggles with them (I've tried goggles with a full face and it just doesn't work)
Yes, you'd wear them with goggles if on the motorway - same sort of goggles the MX riders wear to keep roost out of their eyes.

Also, if like me you wear perscription lenses the Scott 87 OTG will fit over them. Mightn't look particuarly stylish, but who gives..
http://www.motorcrossbudel.nl/catalog/images/otgKL..jpeg

[Gremlin]

Getting back to speed...

I found that toodling along the quiet neighbourhood roads at 30-40, then 50 during the quiet times was the best. You get your confidence up quickly, and the more successful rides you get under your belt the better you feel. After a total of 5 hours riding (I had no previous experience on motorbikes) I was riding into the city.

Initially I thought anyone would be nuts to go over 70 when a learner, but having done a fantastic country ride today (now 10 hours riding), (and getting to 120 - shhh)you realise that keeping in the powerband makes a difference, and safe speed is a lot of fun.

[Keystone19]

I got my learners 5 weeks ago, my VTR250 3 weeks ago and I've ridden just under 2000km since. I also race a bicycle at times, frequently over 70kph (downhill anyway). Before I got my VTR I got the full face helmet and the whole kit - pants, jacket, gloves. Cost me nearly as much as the bike. I figure if I want to ride over 70kph even if it feels slow, I'd rather have all the gear on if I do come off - it's nasty on a bicycle, it must suck on a motorbike.

[sunhuntin]

well....i found some leather pants....so big they fit OVER my jeans and still heaps of room to spare. should i be worried?? LOL. how do i soften them up? they feel as though some one got them wet and didnt dry them properly. :weird: im going to attack them with neopol at some stage to get the marks off and add some shine. will that soften them?

[froggyfrenchman]

you really need a full face helmet! mad not to! just keep riding at your pace and learning at ur speed. Dnt let ignorant cagers rush u at intersections, thats a bad 1 when learning. Practice makes perfect. remember to practice things like emergancy stops and violent swerving! pays to know how ur bike will handle when the little kid runs across the road in front of you or the cager dsnt give way. All the best. Keep the shiny side up

[froggyfrenchman]

wearing the leathers is best way to soften. dnt put anything waxy or greasy on the arse! makes it hard to stay on the seat