First ride! Gear, position & invisibility

[st00ji]

well... first ride on the motorway at least

so on saturday, with the help of dawn (qkchk) and her husband i got my BHS test done, and later that afternoon my learner licence. thanks again guys! anyway, naturally i've gone for a couple of rides this weekend and this morning decided i should hit the motorway - as im planning to ride it to work as much as possible, which means motorway. i found the 70km speed limit my licence imposes essentially impossible to stick to, and plumped for 80k - which still felt painfully slow. was difficult to fight the instinct to match my speed with the traffic... does anyone else think thats a much safer way to ride anyway?

anyway, my nana-ish progress back up the north-western after doing my little loop resulted in multiple cars wanting to pass me, and on two seperate occasions just about taking me out! the first time a 4wd drifted its way into my lane just a few metres in front of me, without an indicator to be seen after roaring past me in a cloud of diesel smoke. then a few minutes later as i was getting ready to exit on the outside lane of the two lane exit at te atatu, some dozy broad on her cellphone pulled across two lanes, right in front of me to avoid getting off the motorway - and drove across all kinds of ripple strips and median markings to do so, chatting away the whole time. (also sans indicator) i just about shit myself! i feel like if i were doing 110 or w/e, these two muppets would not have been a problem / way behind me etc. i guess its a good reminder of how invisible i am, i thought i was fairly aware of that already from my time on teh street magic but this was something new. should i be saying screw the rules and just keep up with traffic, or is there some, unseen by myself, logic to the 70k limit?

next subject, i wore my bike pants for the first time (on the bike at least, hah) as well. it felt like they were quite slippery to sit on compared to the jeans i had been wearing previously, sort of felt like whenever i moved the bike i would slide around on the seat. made me feel kinda detached from the bike in a way. took some getting used to, but i discovered that if i wedged myself back against the uprise on the rear of the seat and put the balls of my feet on the pegs - instead of planting them squarely in the middle as i had been - then tucked my knees in hard against the tank it was a reasonably comfortable and solid feeling way to ride. what i want to know is, is this a 'normal' way to do things? i feel like my feet are not able to easily reach the brake / gear shifter, both of which i had been covering nervously up till that point, haha. is there some way to make my pants less slidey?

i've always been a car guy, but after two days with a bike i got back in my car this afternoon and just about feel asleep. long live two wheels!

share me your wisdoms

stu

[Ixion]

They do that. 70kph, 100kph , L plate no Lpalte, they still do it.

Fundamental lesson: you ARE invisible to all cagers (except caged bikers). And they don't give a stuff if you live or die.

Pulling in front of you doesn't even warrant mention. Wait until they pull into your lane right on top of you. And keep coming even when you're hammering on their passenger window. And it will happen.

Harden up, get used to it.

[p.dath]

Don't ride on the motorway at 70km/h. Perhaps when it is congested and cars are also going that speed. But otherwise stay off the motorway until you can get your restricted licence and travel faster.

The slippery bike pants sound interesting. Any chance the bike seat has been washed with car wax, or a wax waterproofing has been but on?


Enjoy your new found experience.

[GOONR]

I'm on my L, can't afford the fine if I get caught at would be a safe speed so I'm avoiding the motorways for now, unless it's rush hour then there are no worries about keeping up with the flow.

[st00ji]

yeah, trouble is i have to use the motorway to get anywhere pretty much - anything else would involve a huge detour through west auckland (i live on te atatu peninsula)

i've been watching the average speeds on the motorway in the mornings for a few weeks and it seems to be around 70 so hopefully will work out okay, i dont want to be restricted to weekend riding for 6 months!

anyone want to comment on the way they sit on their bikes?

[p.dath]

yeah, trouble is i have to use the motorway to get anywhere pretty much - anything else would involve a huge detour through west auckland (i live on te atatu peninsula)

i've been watching the average speeds on the motorway in the mornings for a few weeks and it seems to be around 70 so hopefully will work out okay, i dont want to be restricted to weekend riding for 6 months!

anyone want to comment on the way they sit on their bikes?

Depends on your bike. If you have "indents" on your fuel tank, your knees should fit into them, so that you can "squeeze" and hold on. That usually determines where you bum should end up being.

[Bikernereid]

I understand exactly what you are saying about the 70km speed limit, it is insanely dangerous. I have found that car driver get really pissy with you and make unsafe manouvers to get past you and don't indicate what their intensions are. I would never advocate for someone to break the law but you may find that you stay alive slightly longer is you drive more in tune with your surroundings if you know what I mean.

As for stupid women on cell phones. I had an incident recently where a stupid woman pulled out of a side road and very nearly wiped me out. Luckily I have been riding slighlty longer than you have (but not much) and managed to hit the breaks. I followed her to the local post office where I hada very polite conversation with her. I found out that she had no idea that she nearly hit me and didn't even see me on the main road coming from her right. I asked her very nicely if in future before pulling out of junctions she could try looking for motorbikes. To be honest I could have lost my temper as I was a bit shaken up but decided that being reasonable and polite would probably have more affect than yelling and screaming and giving a bad impression of bikers.

If you don't think you can be seen have you thought of investing in a highvis jacket; not sexy at all but neither is tarmac scraped body parts and having limbs missing.

Happy riding.

Happy riding and

[KrazyGixxerBoy]

yeah, trouble is i have to use the motorway to get anywhere pretty much - anything else would involve a huge detour through west auckland (i live on te atatu peninsula)

i've been watching the average speeds on the motorway in the mornings for a few weeks and it seems to be around 70 so hopefully will work out okay, i dont want to be restricted to weekend riding for 6 months!

anyone want to comment on the way they sit on their bikes?

I find your comment about slippery pants a bit odd. ...what sort of pants are they, cordura or leather? If they are leather, as mentioned in a previous post, maybe your seat has a wax type application on it which makes it more slippery?...wouldn't think so though, maybe it just feels wierd because it's new to you.
As for the cars pulling out in front of you, this never goes away no matter what speed you're doing. Best advise is ALWAYS be looking EVERYWHERE! Scan the road ahead, not only for cars but for oil patches on the road, loose gravel etc etc. On two wheels you will always come off second best.
Good luck and happy riding....glad to see another convert.

[Bend-it]

Congrats on your 1st ride! Yup, I never kept to the 70kph limit, and only put the brand spanking new L plate on for me test, so there... Just don't be an idiot on the road.

About OTHER idiots on the road... Yup, you really need to develop a sense of what's happening alla round you, which is why travelling slightly faster than traffic at least removes the probablility of someone coming up from behind. And of course, the presence of mind not to panic when crap happens (and they will happen!). Learn emergency braking and swerving around an obstacle... it will save your life... and of cource practice practice practice (off the motorway ofcourse... )

[Hiflyer]

Re: The 70kph rule

If you don't wear an L plate and don't drive like a dick or a gangster (ie over 100kph) you nearly always wont get pulled over.

[CookMySock]

y anything else would involve a huge detour through west auckland

Do eeet!!! You know you wanna. Leave heaps early and just go for it.

Steve\

[st00ji]

the pants are cordura, its gotten somewhat better since i put the liners back in and stopped wearing jeans underneath. but still dont feel as 'settled' as i would like / was used to from wearing just jeans

i've decided to ditch the L plate and try and ride sensibly, though to be honest the north western has been so windy lately i've been sketchy about doing 90 let alone 110. i got the steering head tightened as part of a WOF, and its made it feel really twitchy and responsive - i guess thats just cos i was used to it being all loose.

im really enjoying the bike though! always itching to ride. i've noticed im getting quite a sore thumb, at the base where it joins the hand on my throttle hand. am i missing some technique? i guess that part of the hand is doing most of the squeezing. am i just going to get used to it?

cheers,

stu

[davebullet]

Sore thumb? Don't tense up and try to not put your weight through your hands. Use your core muscles to support your upper body whilst gripping your tank with your knees for stability. Your shoulders, arms should be relaxed as should your hands on the bars. Don't tense up around corners either. Same as above applies, lean and relax and go with the bike.

[PirateJafa]

Don't grip nthe handlebars so tight. Stay relaxed.

[CookMySock]

i've decided to ditch the L plate and try and ride sensibly, though to be honest the north western has been so windy lately i've been sketchy about doing 90 let alone 110.

If you are not comfortable with it then slow down.

i got the steering head tightened as part of a WOF, and its made it feel really twitchy and responsive - i guess thats just cos i was used to it being all loose.

Get a second opinion on this, or else jack the bike up and check the steering is smooth and free, because it is possible (and even likely) to overtighten the steering head so that it pinches and steers all funny and notchy, and it is unlikely you as a newbie will know the difference.

i've noticed im getting quite a sore thumb, at the base where it joins the hand on my throttle hand. am i missing some technique? i guess that part of the hand is doing most of the squeezing. am i just going to get used to it?

This is normal for a "forward" seating position bike. It will take some months to get past it, but your hands will "wear-in" before long. When you are able, get your hands off the bars and give them a good stretch.

Have fun, and be careful out there.

Steve