Basic skills and early riding problems

[rebyl]

Sorry but I don't mean to crash your site but I have been reading it and feel the pain some of you are going through.
I am a Rider Trainer as well as an Assessor for all the larger Classes of Licences...2,3,4,5,P,WTR, DG's etc.
Top Marks to those who go outside their comfort zone and become or want to become ...NON Clingons, (pillions).
The Basic Skills test should not be to hard and most Assessors will give some free Tuition as well as advise on riding..well I do anyway...But the best advice that I can give is to get to a quiet area with your bike and practise your braking and bike control, make sure you keep your eyes up off the ground just in front of your bike...that is not where the hazards are on the road.... the hazards are out in front of you.
Try to beg or borrrow some cones to practise around, on the day of the test the cones have to be 3.5 metres apart and each cone needs to be offset from the centre line by 0.5 metres...there is some discression to move the cones out to 4 metres depending on the bike you are riding...longer wheel based ones....ask your tester about this if you are having problems...you have to keep your feet on the pegs and two attempts are allowed...The secret here is learn how to "Feather", the clutch and use the brake at the same time and remember to keep your head up...if you look down that will affect your balance...in a bad way....Same when you are doing the slow ride...focus on a point in the distance and use your perifial vision to stay within the lines, if you look down you may start to wobble or put your foot down...remeber to practise practise practise.
I have to make sure you are up to the standard and that you are not going to cause injury to yourself or other road users, so please don't be to upset if you don't make it on the first attemt...remember your life is in my hands.
Bikes are fantastic and a great way to meet people and even see the world but if you don't take time to learn they can bite you in the atse real quick.
Keep up the good work ladies.
Last thing...if you can go to some of the Ladies only Track Days...you really will learn heaps and then be able to kick the Ol Mans butt in the twisties

[klingon]

...
Top Marks to those who go outside their comfort zone and become or want to become ...NON Clingons, (pillions).
...

Oi! There's nothing wrong with being a klingon!

Thanks for the input though. I think sometimes people (men and women) who have been riding bikes sice they were youngsters don't realise that for some of us, it's a big step to learn to ride!

So it's always nice to hear advice from someone who's directly involved with the training and testing.

[boomer]

...sometimes people (men and women) who have ...

What other types of people are there?

[Ixion]

Got a mirror?

[klingon]

What other types of people are there?

Sometimes people (and this attitude is not confined to either men or women) who have been riding bikes for ages...etc

This thread is in the Biker Angels forum, so I just wanted to point out that not all women are new to biking, nor are all men experienced riders.

[JellyBellyKelly]

hey thanks for the tips. had my learners for a few years now, had to put learning on hold while i had my second son. brought a scorpio a couple of months back so am practising lots at moment - got any suggestions/hints for sitting your restricted????? (i get really nervous at tests)

[Mumbles]

What other types of people are there?

Aucklanders

[rebyl]

Nerves are natural and we all suffer from them doing tests, if your Instructor/Assessor is aware of it being a real problem he may be able to help you calm down...talk to him. I once had a lady who was so nervous that I called off the test and took her to a different part of the car park to give her some tips and extra training then got her to go back and try again, but I put the clip board down and she thought she wasn't doing the test...she did it perfectly...it was just nerves. Just take a big breath, keep your eyes up and smile..good luck...PS My Training/Testing bike is a 2008 225cc Scorpio, good little bike and will fly through the test, it handles the cones no sweat

[cc rider]

rebyl, thanks for your take on things. Is good to know instructors are thinking about the Learners beyond the test track.
If you're able, some blogs for Learners would be very helpful. Well for me definitely.

Haha! I never knew a pillion was called a clingon. We (aus) call pilllions - pillions. Go figure! (I do not cling, I merely am) Damn, does this make me a pill?


Having my first ride of a scrambler (dirt bike) on the farm, this wknd. No cows to run into, bonus.
Very excited, in a controlled orderly fashion.

[rebyl]

Forget the controlled orderly fashion and just let it rip and have fun, the farm and off road is the place to let loose...just watch out for electric fences...

[cc rider]

Forget the controlled orderly fashion and just let it rip and have fun, the farm and off road is the place to let loose...just watch out for electric fences...

...lol For me that is a controlled orderly fashion

All good rebyl, the fences haven't been replaced yet, so boundaries may merge (& the damn is empty)

Looks like a wet ride tomorrow, so should be able to really rip it up

[rie]

Try to beg or borrrow some cones to practise around

squashed coke cans work nicely.

[BiK3RChiK]

Breathing exercises help to calm nerves. Usually people forget to breathe properly when they are nervous and this stuffs up their oxygen levels in their blood supply and then they can't concentrate properly....

Also, it's good to remember that some other people on the BHS test are noobs also and will be in the same frame of mind you are.

Good suggestions, rebyl!

[CookMySock]

[...] if your Instructor/Assessor is aware of it being a real problem he may be able to help you calm down...talk to him.

Instructors aren't mind readers, so you must speak up and tell them how you are feeling - an important skill in any part of your life. You must see that they are concerned for how you are feeling.

When I did my full bike license, I told him I was a little nervous, and he just paused and said "ok" and paused again, and said "well, when you are ready" - that was enough to help a lot. I went on to comfortably ace the test - enjoy it even.

I am sure instructors have methods up their sleeve to help the nervous - they are not experts in just riding, they have to be skilled in people as well. Simple things, like taking a break, talking about it, having a chuckle about something funny.. all help.

Steve

[Qkchk:Me]

Nerves are natural and we all suffer from them doing tests, if your Instructor/Assessor is aware of it being a real problem he may be able to help you calm down...talk to him.

Ahem, there are such things as FEMALE Instructors too. (Who also do Heavy Vehicles as well as Bikes...)

A good Instructor quickly learns that every single student/customer is different and picks the best way to deliver what they intend to achieve. Each person has their own strengths and weaknesses. It always makes me chuckle when someone excels on the cone-weave (part of the BHS test) and then does terrible on braking then the next person excels on braking but does bad on the straight line.... No one is the same. People learn differently as well. Some like demonstrations / hands-on where others do better by explanation and breaking it down into consumable tid-bids.

What bugs me is complains I get from my students about other Instructors who verbally abuse, be-little and embarrass them (and not teaching them enough fundamentals!). Bad people skills.