New to riding, new bike! (Lozza2442)

[Lozza2442]

Hey all!

First of all, I'm a chick rider, early 20's and my fiancee just got me into riding. Soooo. I've just gotten my learners and secured a bike off trade me. A suzuki GN125, something small with the aim of not killing myself. Haven't been on the road yet, haven't done any corners yet, so WISH ME LUCK!

I'm nervous, but the interwebz seem to have all sorts of tips.
What are YOUR main tips? What do you wish you'd know when you first started riding?

Looking forward to talking to y'all more.

Loz

[f2dz]

Welcome!

Only been riding a month or so myself but there's a few things I was told when I started riding that were good to know.

Mostly about riding in the wet, about how slippery white lines are. When it's dry I still practice staying off of the road markings.

Also be aware of the weight and physics of your bike. For example, when going downhill use your front brake mainly and try to stay off your back brake if possible. All the weight is transferring to the front anyway so if you pressure the back it'll lock up a lot easier than normal, and probably give you a good fright too.

I'm just a newbie though so I'm sure others can offer you more advice.

[BigAl]

Hi there,

It would certainly pay to book into a riding school/clinic.

Have a search through this site or browse yellow pages.

Have fun.

[Lozza2442]

Hi there,

It would certainly pay to book into a riding school/clinic.

Have a search through this site or browse yellow pages.

Have fun.

Heya, I've done training with RiderTraining but there's only so much they can teach you in that time, I was meaning for tips on things like the white lines are slippery, how to break in gravel etc. Just general tips and words of wisdom

[Akzle]

Hey all!

First of all, I'm a chick rider, early 20's and my fiancee just got me into riding. Soooo. I've just gotten my learners and secured a bike off trade me. A suzuki GN125, something small with the aim of not killing myself. Haven't been on the road yet, haven't done any corners yet, so WISH ME LUCK!

I'm nervous, but the interwebz seem to have all sorts of tips.
What are YOUR main tips? What do you wish you'd know when you first started riding?

Looking forward to talking to y'all more.

Loz

forget anything you think you know.

get on your bike, head for somewhere with "gorge" in the name.
don't try pushing it, if cars queue behind you then pull over and stop.
pay attention to what your bike does underneath you. there is no point in fighting it. by the time you're ridden there and back you'll be competent.

then read up, go hard and get some l33t skillz.

[Akzle]

Also be aware of the weight and physics of your bike. For example, when going downhill use your front brake mainly and try to stay off your back brake if possible. All the weight is transferring to the front anyway so if you pressure the back it'll lock up a lot easier than normal, and probably give you a good fright too.

this is good-bad advice.
the first part being good, the rest bad.

when you're on your front brake the weight of your bike (~80%) is on your front tyre, which is usually smaller. this is not a good thing, nor how bikes are designed.
this also LIFTS the weight OFF you're rear (big grippy contact patch) which makes it MORE likely to lock up, slip, or wash out.

the ideal weight balance of your bike is about 60% on the big tyre (rear) and 40% on the front. that gives your front tyre enough stick for steering, not so much that it'll make it heavy and handle like a pig, nor push out the front.
as a n00b, you WILL NOT recover a front end going out. having one while you're heading downhill is the opposite of what is good, particularly if there's a corner coming up.

my advice for n00bs going downhill would be engine brake as much as possible, light trail braking and lightly on the front. if you can feel the bike diving, you're too hard on the front.

[Lozza2442]

forget anything you think you know.

get on your bike, head for somewhere with "gorge" in the name.
don't try pushing it, if cars queue behind you then pull over and stop.
pay attention to what your bike does underneath you. there is no point in fighting it. by the time you're ridden there and back you'll be competent.

then read up, go hard and get some l33t skillz.

I like this idea. Time for a long ride I think.

Thanks for your comment re braking, I got told that it should be 60% rear breaking 40% front from my instructor, ie use the front brake a half second after the rear brake to keep the rear end on the ground. For some reason when I was getting trained I was too heavy on my rear brake (got freaked out about slamming on the front brake suddenly and flipping the bike I guess). Need to practice that, need to put in the hours in a parking lot I reckon, and defo go for a long ride soon!

[george formby]

I like this idea. Time for a long ride I think.

Thanks for your comment re braking, I got told that it should be 60% rear breaking 40% front from my instructor, ie use the front brake a half second after the rear brake to keep the rear end on the ground. For some reason when I was getting trained I was too heavy on my rear brake (got freaked out about slamming on the front brake suddenly and flipping the bike I guess). Need to practice that, need to put in the hours in a parking lot I reckon, and defo go for a long ride soon!

The more time & money you invest in practice & training the more you will get from riding.

With braking always be smooth, don't grab the front, apply pressure gently so the tire has time to push into the road & grip properly. Same with the rear, smooth, it locks up easily when the weight is transferred forward as the front brake bites so practice to get a feel for it. Practice braking upright, in a straight line. On the road brake before a corner, the dynamics change if you have to brake leaned over. You need both brakes for stable, efficient braking. Every time you ride set a few minutes aside to practice, good braking is the most fundamental thing to riding safely, avoiding trouble is a close second so keep your head up, look ahead & anticipate the consequences of what is happening around you.
It does not matter what kind of surface your riding on, wet roads, dry roads, gravel etc they just have varying levels of grip. You have to be smooth & learn how your bike behaves. The less grip, the slower you go because it takes you longer to stop.
Practice practice practice. Training, learning thinking. It never stops!!

Have fun!

[GrayWolf]

by the time you're ridden there and back you'll be competent.

then read up, go hard and get some l33t skillz.

This is exactly the kind of 'advice' any noob needs to avoid. One ride up and down a gorge will NOT leave you competent.
every season will present different (weather/road/other driver behaviour) riding conditions. So expect to be 0n a steep learning curve for a whole year.
Go to a recognised training school and learn to 'road ride' beyond the BHS course.
I'd agree partly with not being concerned about going slow, however there is always ONE numbnuts who will start to pressure you (tailgate etc).
Practice your braking skills, these are often the most under practiced techniques. Learn correct braking, front and/then rear. PANIC grabbing a handful of front lever is going to contribute 50-90% of loss of control in an 'emergency requirement'. Unlike a car, a front wheel lock up is 'agreed' very difficult to recover from when a new rider. It's not THAT easy at any time. You'll need to learn about 'suspension loading' under braking and how it affects the bike's handling.
I'll say it again BRAKING is the most critical skill you'll need to learn. Cornering and road position you can learn at a slower 'self comfortable' pace. You'll rapidly find the 'keep left' of lane touted in the road code doesnt always give the safety they quote. Keep too far left? Joe numbnuts turbonutter bastard, will crowd you into the kerb. Go too far to the right? You'll get a fright from him coming round your left hand bend over the white line.
Dont get egged on by others to get a bike thats the schizz, as it seems to be called these days (yes I really AM an 'old bastard'). The little ginny 125 will be resiliant (if you drop it) and very forgiving of rider error. GN/Scorpio/SR250 are all known to be good learner bikes, its usually 'male ego' young dumb and full of shit that dictates buying a CBRFZGTX 250.
Be aware of the human (yourself) factor when learning... Competency is learning a skill and practicing till it is 'second nature'. While a newbie, a good 80% or more of your mental process will be focused on the actual task of riding the bike, your 'peripheral' concentration (awareness, noticing oil, wet drain lids, pot holes granny/WRX drivers etc etc) is going to be greatly reduced. Riding a bike actually requires more cerebral input and 'motor control' than car driving. Although many riders seem to have a cerebral lobotomy when they climb onto one.

Enjoy, relax, take YOUR time, not in anyone else's expectation to perform a skill. What you learn now if done correctly will be the skills that keep you safe through your riding lifetime.

[george formby]

Enjoy, relax, take YOUR time, not in anyone else's expectation to perform a skill. What you learn now if done correctly will be the skills that keep you safe through your riding lifetime.

Were you pecking your key board at the same time as me Graywolf?

[oneofsix]

Welcome to the wonderful and exciting world of motorcycling.

George and GreyWolfe have given you some good advice.
Practice and build on the basics you required for your BHS until they come easy.
Do a more advanced course, try to score one of subsidised ones.
As said above, at the moment so much of your concentration will be on the basics that it is easy for you to miss the tell tale signs for the driver that doesn't see you or doesn't think you count, not to mention road condition etc. The more you practice the BHS the more concentration you free up spotting the danger signals.

[GrayWolf]

Were you pecking your key board at the same time as me Graywolf?

yup, I'd guess so.... sux to be old and a 'non typist'...

[george formby]

yup, I'd guess so.... sux to be old and a 'non typist'...

Oh good. Thought there was an echo in here.

[Lozza2442]

The more time & money you invest in practice & training the more you will get from riding.

Has anyone done this course? http://www.ridertraining.co.nz/119527.html

If I had more money I'd do all the courses available. Unfortunately due to being in my early 20's and not paid much, cashflow is a serious consideration when doing everything.
Riding is already working out more expensive than anticipated. Didn't realise how much gear costs... Ah well, worth it!

[george formby]

Has anyone done this course? http://www.ridertraining.co.nz/119527.html

If I had more money I'd do all the courses available. Unfortunately due to being in my early 20's and not paid much, cashflow is a serious consideration when doing everything.
Riding is already working out more expensive than anticipated. Didn't realise how much gear costs... Ah well, worth it!

LOL, moneys to tight to mention, da da dee.

Practice what you have learned now, go ride your bike, get betterer. If you need to think about something (braking, pulling away, gears etc) then you need to keep practising. Basic bike control will become second nature. You need to have time in the saddle to make the most of advanced riding training, whether it be at a track, playing in the mud or riding on the street.
The more you ride & practice your basics the more time & resources your brain has to develop your road craft.

Spend your money on petrol & bike maintenance & use the resources here on KB to meet others who can train you or you can train with.