Newbie!! (Miss.L)

[fjones]

Welcome to KB!
Both me and my wife have GPX's. Fun bike, no issues and I've dropped mine once and not even a scratch on the fairings. The exhaust now that is a different story

Again welcome!

[Dodgyiti]

There are people as 'green' as you on here for sure.
Everyone starts out somewhere, and you have already started out

The Wednesday night training nights are great.
I saw people there get a heap better as the evening progressed, and the instructors, well they are saints really.
And if you are 'greener' (lol) than most, the great folk will perhaps give a bit more in depth assistance.

And if you really have your heart set on a faired bike (and it is suitable to your height etc) then take the fairing lowers off for a few weeks/months?

[Coyote]

The GPX250 is a very suitable machine for a learner. The only thing you may wish to consider, is that learners very often end up dropping the bike. Usually at very low speeds , and without injury to themselves (I would not classify them as crashes). But a faired machine will often be scratched in such an event , whereas a naked bike, having no extent of vulnerable plastic, will suffer no injury.

Naked bikes aren't immune to being knocked around, they still suffer. Handlebars, footpegs, engine sidecovers, water pump & radiator hose, muffler/s, etc. still hit the ground. I'm running my RG without side fairings (streetfighter stylz yo) but I've still gone through 3 footpegs, engine has a few scratches, I'm missing a bar end and my muffler has turned square

[NZsarge]

Yeah, get stuck in, you'll be out there and lovin' it in no time, "enjoy" is the word.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Only bugger about the comet is its a pretty tall bike... a newbie who happens to be a shortie wont ride the thing with great ease...

So it would depend how tall our newbie is!

Yes I am a shortie! all of 5'4"
Yesterday went much smoother than the first time so off to the AA tomorrow to do the paperwork.
Has anyone done Riderskills confidence building course? worthwhile? Wednesdays sounds good but I think I'll do the one on one training first so I don't make too much of a fool of myself

[Donor]

One one one is good, but you can pretty much get the same training via the awesome volunteer mentors we have here on KB.

Personally, the one on one that worked best was one of me on one motorbike.

But seriously, think about talking to a KB mentor and get them to check you out... errr... riding wise!

(...MOTORBIKE riding for the dodgy b'stards that will be waiting to swoop on that last comment...)

:edit: Look into RRRS fairly soon too... well worth it by all accounts...

[Titanium]

i have some rellies in the panel&paint industry

The perfect girl / catch for the 250 club!, racing club!

Your Dad would not own a brewery by chance?

Welcome.

Cheers

[Little Miss Trouble]

Your Dad would not own a brewery by chance?

Sadly no, we did have a small vineyard in the family until recently though
haha now I've gotten into bikes my dad wants to get back into it!

[Colapop]

The thing that will help you the most is riding. You don't have to ride fast - just ride. A mentor or trainer will be able to give you tips, but for the most part you'll get the feel of how the bike behaves and move according to it naturally.
Have fun, relax and take your time.

Welcome to the world of KB too. The crazy, weird and Disco's are all here - but then, so are the knowledgeable, wise and generous...

[mstriumph]

Yeah so guess ride naked to avoid injury and damage to your gear....

........... well, at least we got to THREE posts before the predictable 'lets hit the new girl with suggestive double-entendres' posts cut in ................

*sigh*

take no notice gal - they are mostly harmless - oh, and welcome to the site

[Hawkeye]

Welcome to the wonderful world of KB.

The best way to learn is to practice, practice, practice.
The more you get out, the faster the learning curve.

Have a look at BuckBuckNo1's threads. The man is a legend in his own life time.
If you want to do it right, just follow his example. He set himself goals, worked on techniques, did specific practice sessions and shared all of his experiences blow by blow with others. He also had the privilege to work and become friends with the mentor of mentors in UncleB, who sadly is no longer with us.
(R.I.P. UncleB).

As others have said, get yourself a mentor on KB. But be warned. Be prepared for them to become your best friend. Because that's what they will be. They will nurture you, encourage you, and at times, push you. To them, no question is a stupid one. It's all part of the learning. They don't do it for $ . It's all about sharing the passion, the excitement, the freedom.
They will be there when you need them and will always look out for you. They will share your excitement the first time you do something new and also your pain or frustration when things don't quite go to plan. They are also very patient.

The community of KB never fails to amaze me. Yes there is the crap that regularly appears. But in general, they are a good bunch of people who all share the same passion and will go out of their way to help if they can.
If they can't help, they will know someone who can.
Big ups have to go to Spank for giving us this home. Without it, I would probably be riding alone.

Good luck with the choice of bike.

and in the words of BuckBuckNo1 'Heads Up and Enjoy'

[Mrs Busa Pete]

...oh and watch out for Disco, since your a girly.

If that is the size of it i would suggest you put it away disco.

[Rosie]

Hi there Miss L!
Good luck finding a bike and getting yourself out on two wheels!
I also went down the pretty, shiney, faired bike route, and, gorgeous as the bike is if I was learning all over again, I'd go for something a bit more droppable.

[kiwifruit]

welcome to the site

[vamr]

Hi there Miss L!
Good luck finding a bike and getting yourself out on two wheels!
I also went down the pretty, shiney, faired bike route, and, gorgeous as the bike is if I was learning all over again, I'd go for something a bit more droppable.

KRs are fairly droppable for a faired bike due to their weight and lack of complex bodywork.