First time on the road, on my brand new first bike

[Ice_Monsta]

I have to say, WOW

I walk out of my warehouse door to see the coleman's ute rolling up with my brand new shiny GN250, sign off the paperwork and wheel it into the warehouse treating it like crystal.

After a while i convinced the person in charge to let me take it down the road for a spin, which i did, and previously only having ridden an bike during the basic handling skills training about 3 months ago, wow that was exhilarating. That was the first time i made it to 3rd gear and over 20 Kph. As i rode back i realised that all my workmates had come over to the wall out front to cheer me on which was awesome.

I was supposed to be waiting for my dad to come meet me after work so he could ride the bike home(Didnt think I would be able to), but after feeling how easy it was to ride, i told him i'd ride to his work meet him there. I Stopped at Kawasaki in East Tamaki to get my L plate stuck on so i'd be allowed to ride it legally and was on my way.

Only problem is, today, Auckland weather showed its true colours and bucketed down :-) my first ride in traffic was in the rain as well, dumped in the deep end, and i'd have to say it was a lot easier than i've heard. Not cold, not wet inside my gear etc

So i rode home in the pouring rain because i didn't like the thought of my new bike being all lonely in the warehouse at work all night, and in my first day i have almost gotten it up to 50kms ridden :shit:

Only tricky spot i had was coming down Sandstone Road (A big downhill). Somehow the bike stalled when I was holding the clutch in, no idea why, and i didnt realise so i let the clutch back out, back wheel momentarily locked up :no: but a speedy recovery meant no problems.

I rode around the wop wops wearing my bike in until dark.

I am glad, happy, and really excited about riding my bike around a lot more, I can't wait to get it out on the weekend and go for a decent ride. At the moment i'm not telling any of my mates, just so i can turn up and suprise them and see if they have a jealous attack hehe.

[Bren]

First of all, Welcome aboard.....I have owned GNs in the past and they are an ideal learner bike...very forgiving...

After a while i convinced the person in charge to let me take it down the road for a spin, which i did, and previously only having ridden an bike during the basic handling skills training about 3 months ago, wow that was exhilarating. That was the first time i made it to 3rd gear and over 20 Kph. Good to see you have a good boss.:clap: also good one for your first ride. But remember to always look about you not just for any hazards but also potential hazards. Us bikers have to scan the road so much more than people in cages as we are more vulnerable...Anyway, have fun But keep it safe!:clap:

[carbacca]

today was NOT a good day for riding...i was sitting nice and dry in the cage leaving work when it started bucketing down but looks like you handled it ok. take it easy and see you on some rides soon

[HTFU]

Very responsible choice of bike for an 18 year old. Well done you. :banana:

Make sure you take it easy for the first 1000km don't be tempted to take it up to the red line. Keep it below 6000rpm and it will see you right for a couple of years. Valve clearance at 12000 km and an oil filter change every 5000km and keep an eye on those chains. They need constant lube and tightening to be on the safe side. Those tyres are crap so ride them carefully until you can change them.

The GN will be a great bike around town, get some ventura flat bars on it and you will love it even more. :2thumbsup

[Steam]

Rockin dude! I remember when I was new. Actually it was only two years ago! Don't become a SkidMark now, ya hear?
Enjoy!

[EJK]

lol Like he said, You don't wanna be like Skidmark lol

Btw If you are confident enough, you should join the Auckland Wednesday Mentor Night Ride lol
The thread is under "Events/ Meetings" on this forum :)

If you need an escort, I'm the one who to call :cool:

P.S. Nice bike! Welcome to the Motorcycling world! (Thats "m" with a capital "M" lol)

[Ice_Monsta]

I got thrown a bit in the deep end, OH and i forgot to mention hehe, i took on a gravel road as well. Because i live about 400m up a gravel road. First time i went halfway first gear with feet at the ready, then i got a bit more confident and even stood up on the pegs haha. Man i love bikes, I used to love riding with pedals, now i have an engine!

I will probably be on some of the rides in about 6 weeks(after exams due to parental restrictions on the use of my bike :sick:) Only thing is, im not too sure that a mighty GN will keep up with the "real" bikes in the Motorcycle world (go the capital 'M')

[Gubb]

Don't stress it mate, everyone on here seems to remember what it was like to learn to ride, you'll find all the support you could need, and don't try to keep up with them (they'll probably slow down to accommodate you anyway), as soon as you take it outside your comfort zone, that's when accidents happen.

[90s]

I rode around the wop wops wearing my bike in until dark.


Nice to see that man and machine are already one!

Take it easy, pamper the bike for the first 1000ks, and welcome to the Motorcycle work!

[Jantar]

Congratulations on both your first bike and your first ride. The wee GN is a perfect learners bike and You'll just love it.

A few tips though. The GN is made in China and so the build quality is not as good as Japanese or Korean bikes. Therefore at the first opportunity get some oil into your cables (speedo, clutch etc). Check all nuts and bolts are tight. Lube and adjust your chain regularly. If you know an experienced motorcyclist who is near to you ask if they can show you how to carry out basic maintenance yourself.

Most of all...... Enjoy it.

[Ice_Monsta]

Well the downside is I can't do the oil and stuff myself without spoiling my warranty. I'll have a feel around for loose bolts and stuff.
Can't wait to get home and go for another blat around. I knew a bike was going to be fun, but i swear i could ride all day, apart from my lower back getting a bit sore, but thats where the other handlebars come in i guess? (also after the warranty runs out)
Have to play with the mirrors a bit still, as pretty as my right arm is, i think i'd rather see the traffic behind me :-P

[007XX]

Welcome aboard Ice Monsta...

Hang on to that awesome feeling, cos it is absolutely the best! I'm not saying we all loose it as we "grow older", but it just becomes different.

So enjoy it, and don't worry about the little GN. She's an awesome little bike to learn on. She was my first one and I never regretted it.

Have fun and stay safe:2thumbsup

[Rosie]

Congratulations on the new bike. Stay safe out there! :scooter:

[Grub]

Lube and adjust your chain regularly.

He's right you know. We came across a GN where the chain had flown off and the guy was down ... The full story is here (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=45527)

One other point but one that costs munny is that the tyres, as somebody has already mentioned, are shyte, seriously shyte. As a young guy with big nuts and bulletproof, you're going to want to test the limits. Those Chinese tyres are nylon and only for use upright. Anything resembling a lean is beyond their capabilities. If you power through a corner while you're having fun and there's a bit of dampness around you can expect to be on your arse with no warning. The trouble with falling off is you slide into stuff like fences (ahem), posts, culverts, cars and trucks. Those suckers all hurt.

If you can convince your dad to split for a new set on saftey grounds, if I were him, I would think it a good investment. I haven't priced Ginny tyres but I think you'd be talkng less than $200 for a pair.

[The Lone Rider]

Give your GN and your skills as a new rider some time to break in.

Less pain and hassle later on when you put in the baby hours first.

Pimp your GN.. just because you can :P

[Ice_Monsta]

Haha Pimping it could be quite fun, i mean, it already has a reasonable amount of chrome to work with :rockon:

Thing i'm confused about, when im engine breaking it sounds like the pistons are going to pop out through my fuel tank...is this because the bikes new, because it's a GN, or because thats a bike thing?

[sunhuntin]

yep, keep a good check on chain, all electrics, speedo set up and watch the tyres. they are good looking bikes, and great to learn on. see if you can get along to a basic maintinence night as well... screw the warrenty... that thing covers so little they may as well have typed a 2-line list of what it DOES cover [frame and engine, basically.] everything else is listed as expendable and therefore not covered.

i had an 06... racked 10,000k in a year. in that year i went through the following:

2x chain
3x tail light
2x headlight
1x speedo set up [which took 5 weeks to replace]
1x regulator [which prevented the battery from charging correctly, often leaving me stranded]
1x speedo bulb

it was the regulator that did it for me... too many hassles for a new bike. sold it and bought a yamaha. put almost the same amount of k on the yammy, and nothings broken yet except the speedo [the desert road hates me!]

[Ice_Monsta]

The other thing...and I know that it's been covered many times, but i need something to stop my visor fogging up...no matter how i breathe, or how fast i go, my helmet fogs up (and yes the vents are all open :-P). I have learnt not to buy the cheapo HJC helmets anymore...no problem noise wise though, a lot of people have said it'd be noisy, i've had the visor open the whole time and its fine....but it would be nice to be able to close it AND see where im going.

So what I'm really asking, in the East Tamaki / Manakau area where can i go to get a cheap decent anti fog for my helmet that works

[sweetp]

I have a really neat insert that is stuck on my visor, it is slightly tinted but doesn't hamper visability (even at night). Cost me $30 from the bike store. I think there are a number around, cant remember the brand of mine but go to a store and they should be able to help. One thing though - which I learnt from experience is that if your visability fogs up after you get it, and you are wearing glasses, it isn't the visor that is foggy....

But well done on your first ride, nothing like trial by fire to get you over some fears. Just watch out for slippery patches / road markings.

:)

[HTFU]

apart from my lower back getting a bit sore, but thats where the other handlebars come in i guess? (also after the warranty runs out)

If you get the shop you got the bike off to fit them then warranty wouldn't be an issue.

I had same lower back problem, tried a back rest and cruiser pegs to help make it more comfortable which they did, but didn't need them once I got the $40 venturer flat bars fitted. :apint:

[HTFU]

apart from my lower back getting a bit sore, but thats where the other handlebars come in i guess? (also after the warranty runs out)

If you get the shop you got the bike off to fit them then warranty wouldn't be an issue.

I had same lower back problem, tried a back rest and cruiser pegs to help make it more comfortable which they did, but didn't need them once I got the $40 venturer flat bars fitted. :apint:

[rainman]

I am glad, happy, and really excited about riding my bike around a lot more, I can't wait to get it out on the weekend and go for a decent ride.

Great stuff :woohoo:. Hope you have a long, safe, and happy Motorcycling career. I stopped riding for a decade or so and got back into it via a GN. Although I love my current bike, the GN will always be kinda special.


...keep an eye on those chains. They need constant lube and tightening to be on the safe side. Those tyres are crap so ride them carefully until you can change them.

What he said, although more about the chain than the tyres. The tyres are crap but you gotta remember the GN isn't a sporty so isn't good in a big lean anyway. I rode in wet, wind and dry on mine and only lost traction once (going upright and straight, in the pissing rain).


Only thing is, im not too sure that a mighty GN will keep up with the "real" bikes in the Motorcycle world

Never know, one of us crusier types may come along so there should be some company at the back of the pack :whistle:


Well the downside is I can't do the oil and stuff myself without spoiling my warranty.

As others may have pointed out, the warranty on a GN is not too all-encompassing. Either way, it doesn't stop you doing basic care... I lubed my chain on the GN regularly (ok, fairly regularly) but still had to adjust it between services. Think of it as being part of cleaning. A regular wipe and shine (check under the exhaust and on the mounting bracket for the exhaust - rust got mine there first), some kero to gently clean the road crap off the front of the pipes and the rims, bit of Autosol to shine the chrome, and you may also find use for some WD40/CRC/silicone spray. Search the forums, there's a heap of useful info in there about what to clean and lube, with what, whom, and when... some of it even applies to Motorcycles :innocent:

Oh, and Cat Crap (not literally what comes out of a cat - but little jars of stuff you can buy from a bike shop - is rumoured to be a good visor anti-fogger. I just use a teeny spot of liquid soap and a lint-free cloth, but I have eyeballs of steel :Punk:

[The Lone Rider]

The other thing...and I know that it's been covered many times, but i need something to stop my visor fogging up...no matter how i breathe, or how fast i go, my helmet fogs up (and yes the vents are all open :-P). I have learnt not to buy the cheapo HJC helmets anymore...no problem noise wise though, a lot of people have said it'd be noisy, i've had the visor open the whole time and its fine....but it would be nice to be able to close it AND see where im going.

So what I'm really asking, in the East Tamaki / Manakau area where can i go to get a cheap decent anti fog for my helmet that works

You know what the solution is? Get a skull cap. I just got one and went for my first ride today with it. Nothing like watering eyes, and a cold face and screaming pipes to make your ride enjoyable

Ok.. dont get one. :blank:

[FJRider]

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD OF MOTORCYCLING. It IS a real bike. It can do the same things any other bikes can do, just not as well. Try not to go any faster or further than your OWN abilities / confidence allows you to.Push the the boundries of your ability with CARE. They WILL come / improve...with time(miles). (in)famous quote...Get off AFTER you stop,NOT before. Keep the rubber side down.

[Ice_Monsta]

Went for another ride today. Out to Beachlands and to the Pine Harbour marina. It's quite easy for me to do trips like that because I start out at Twighlight road :-) Love the corner from Brookby road to twighlight road, such a nice cambered curve and i'll get to ride that every time i come home :)

AND DAMN, is it boring driving the cage to work in the mornings now....wish i was allowed to ride the bike to work, damn parents!

[jafar]

Went for another ride today. Out to Beachlands and to the Pine Harbour marina. It's quite easy for me to do trips like that because I start out at Twighlight road :-) Love the corner from Brookby road to twighlight road, such a nice cambered curve and i'll get to ride that every time i come home :)

AND DAMN, is it boring driving the cage to work in the mornings now....wish i was allowed to ride the bike to work, damn parents!

Give it time , you will get there, little & often is the idea when starting out. Daylight saving next week so going for a squirt after work won't be a problem:2thumbsup

[howdamnhard]

The Gn 250 is a good little bike ,I use mine to commute everyday to work come rain or shine.Keep an eye on the chain,streches amazingly fast.The tyres aren't the grippiest either.Get them to lube the speedo drive at the front wheel at its next service as mine failed due to lack of proper lube on assembly.Welcome to motorcycling,take it easy and enjoy.I'm in the area and if you ever want to go for a ride send us a message.There also the Wednesday night newbie practices and the Ride safe ride right courses to improve your skills.

[90s]

The other thing...and I know that it's been covered many times, but i need something to stop my visor fogging up...no matter how i breathe, or how fast i go, my helmet fogs up (and yes the vents are all open :-P). I have learnt not to buy the cheapo HJC helmets anymore...no problem noise wise though, a lot of people have said it'd be noisy, i've had the visor open the whole time and its fine....but it would be nice to be able to close it AND see where im going.

So what I'm really asking, in the East Tamaki / Manakau area where can i go to get a cheap decent anti fog for my helmet that works

OK, you know this has been covered, so it is up to you to test stuff out. For example, if your visor is in A1 mint nick its worth doing the insert thing as per another post. Cycle treads $25 and its a one-off solution. Visor has to be perfect though.
I got from cycle treads a $2 "magic" cloth that you rub on the inside of the helment. Its impregnated with something and seems to improve things.
And there's the whole debate about other stuff, ie. rain-x anti-fog, which I am currently trying. Not meant for use on plastic although many people are using it, and it seems to work.

Riding around with the visor all the way open is fine - until something hits you in the face. Which it will eventually. Esp. around the tamaki area with all the trucks and stuff.

As far as HJC goes, even some of the cheaper ones carry both dot and snell, so why they are no good is a mystery to me. And you can't get a better helmet than their carbon one. As long as they feel good to you and meet the safety standards helmets are all pretty much as good as any other (search on the site and you'll find links to reports that test high-end shoeis etc against the cheap crap and find in fact the cheap crap does better in tests sometimes).

[Deviant]

Great learner's bike!

I got mine from there too, black with gold/blue trim on the tank stickers. 3 months ago, been riding it to work and back for over a month (I work on the shore and live in Newmarket, it was a big step up from practicing in my street :S ).

I haven't touched the chain yet, might take it in there tomorrow and ask the guys to go over it with me.