Noob questions - be kind

[Loki]

Q: Should I use the "Kill switch" or the Key to turn the bike off..

Q: L-plate can ride 70kph, minimum speed to use motorway is 60kph I think. Can a learner use teh motorway?

Q: Is it ever OK to ride the clutch when parked on a hill at the lights instead of using the rear brake?

Q: Does a better helmet really make much of a difference for wind?

Q: When stopped at the lights, my visor fogs up and I have to pop it open a bit. What's a better solution? scarf? better helmet? open faced helmet with sunnies?

Q: Kick stand or centre stand when parking around town?

Q: Wilsons carparks seem to be free for bikes. Can you park in a regular carpark in there for free though without upsetting them? (if the bike ones are all taken)

Some of these questions may be stupid, but don't flame me too much, my leathers aint flame retardent

[davebullet]

Q: Should I use the "Kill switch" or the Key to turn the bike off..

I always use the key, as when I use the kill switch, I wonder why I cannot start the bike next time, plus it means I won't forget and leave the key in there (security) plus leave the lights on accidentally. I don't think there is any rule

Q: L-plate can ride 70kph, minimum speed to use motorway is 60kph I think. Can a learner use teh motorway?

After a few weeks of riding, I recommend you do use the motorway when confident enough and go the same speed as other traffic - ie. 100kph. If your bike can't handle it - don't ride on the motorway. If it can, ride as fast as other traffic or one of the following will happen:
1. Cagers will cut you off as they overtake you
2. Cagers will get infuriated

Don't worry about the L-plate on the back. I had a police biker follow me on the motorway when I was doing 100kph with my l-plate on the back. I was being sensible, indicating, keeping correct following distance etc... so he was ok with that.

Q: Is it ever OK to ride the clutch when parked on a hill at the lights instead of using the rear brake?

No. You'll wear it out. Get into the good habit of using either front or rear brake. For serious hills, I use the rear. For minor stuff, I use the front brake and throttle up against the pull of the brake, then slowly release while clutch disengages.

Q: Does a better helmet really make much of a difference for wind?

Better = safe in my book which may not mean quieter. There are a few posts here for a quiet helmet. the sharp ratings site in the UK lists safety. Best thing to do is take some demos from motorcycle shops at highway speeds and check for yourself. For long distance tours / cruises, I'd recommend some earplugs anyway.

Q: When stopped at the lights, my visor fogs up and I have to pop it open a bit. What's a better solution? scarf? better helmet? open faced helmet with sunnies?

Mine does too. I've heard about smearing a drop of dishwash liquid on the inside or coating with a half potato. There are anti-fog products out there. I usually just open my visor. Make sure your helmet vents are open (if any). Do you have a breath deflector in your helmet? you might be able to fit one after market. Try a scarf too. I also breath down when I know fogging is likely.

Q: Kick stand or centre stand when parking around town?

I only have a side stand. I'm guessing a centre stand provides more stability - esp. in gusty conditions so I would use a centre stand if I thought it was likely to be toppled over.

Some of these questions may be stupid, but don't flame me too much, my leathers aint flame retardent

None of these questions are stupid.

[riffer]

Q: Should I use the "Kill switch" or the Key to turn the bike off..

I always use the key. I may be wrong but it hasn't killed a bike in the 29 years I've been riding.

Q: L-plate can ride 70kph, minimum speed to use motorway is 60kph I think. Can a learner use teh motorway?

Yes but apparently you're not supposed to exceed 70 km/hr. In reality, the Police seem to be using their discretion and intelligence on this one and if you're staying with the flow of traffic and not exceeding 100 km/hr you would be okay unless you copped an HP on the wrong day.

Q: Is it ever OK to ride the clutch when parked on a hill at the lights instead of using the rear brake?

Only if you don't mind changing clutches or your bike is sooooo gutless it's the only way to take off. But I wouldn't recommend riding the clutch any more than the absolute minimum. It will last longer this way.

Q: Does a better helmet really make much of a difference for wind?

Like you wouldn't believe. Some helmets are incredibly noisy. Others have cool bits on the side that really catch the wind. This can cause neck pain and headaches. Wear earplugs too if you like to keep your hearing.

Q: When stopped at the lights, my visor fogs up and I have to pop it open a bit. What's a better solution? scarf? better helmet? open faced helmet with sunnies?

Pinlock inserts. My Shoei has them. They rock. Failing that, Fog City, spray with CatCrap (TM), or even some Pledge has been known to help too. Until I got the pinlocks I got into the habit of just popping the visor up.

Q: Kick stand or centre stand when parking around town?

Centre stand. Don't trust any other bastards to be nice to your ride. Unless you have no room at all in which case don't be surprised if it's knocked over.

Q: Wilsons carparks seem to be free for bikes. Can you park in a regular carpark in there for free though without upsetting them? (if the bike ones are all taken)

Not sure but I would say no. You're taking up a paid space by a non parking vehicle. At the least it's not polite.

[joshy28]

i would like answers to most of those questions too. Im a learner as well.

I have fogging problem as well.
I use the key to turn off.
One guy told me that the more a helmet costs, the better it is interms of wind noise.
I use kick stand.
I didnt know wilson parking was free..COOL!!!

[joshy28]

cheers for the people above

[sunhuntin]

i only use the kill switch if im stopping with the bike in gear and the kill on the sidestand fails to work [which is 9 times out of 10! and it will be getting looked at next service] i have used the kill once and then forgot to turn the key off. result was a flat battery. havent done it since! so now, i click into 1st gear, put stand down, hit the kill switch, turn key off, turn kill switch back to on, lock steering and hop off bike.

ive always used the side stand as i felt like i was going to drop the bike when attempting the center stand.

ignore the 70k rule once you feel confident to do so. most cops are pretty good, and ive never heard of anyone being ticketed for this. so long as you arent acting like an idiot, you should be fine.

[CB ARGH]

About the speed limit on the open road. Well I was pinged by a cop doing 100 on the learner's license, $400 fine. It should be up to you if you want to risk your life (do 70km/h) or risk your wallet (then do 100km/h).

[Slyer]

Skip the 70kph rule unless you want to suffer horrible horrible boringness from not being able to go anywhere.

[NZJONESY]

I'm getting ever closer to restricted time, So here is my 2c.

Q: Should I use the "Kill switch" or the Key to turn the bike off..

I use both, key then switch. I'm on an 08 so theoretically you can use just the key sweet as no worries. A point to consider is theft. If you leave it out in public, most non-riders don't know about what the big red switch does. Even if they do, in the panic of trying to steal it chances are they will forget about it, and in that extra time someone else might see them pissing about with your bike and become suspicious. On mine I have also removed the printed icons which give away what the switch does.

Q: L-plate can ride 70kph, minimum speed to use motorway is 60kph I think. Can a learner use teh motorway?

You can but riding at 100kph is a lot different to riding at 50-70kph, especially with a head wind. Legally your not allowed too ride over 70, everyone knows that. You can ride at 100 if you are being sensible and the police may overlook you, if your not wobbling over the lane or doing anything reckless that is. I would highly recommend getting confidence up at lower speeds then ride motorways (if you decide too). Also decide if your prepared to pay the fine if you are pulled up. If not just wait till your restricted. (In the restricted practical there is a 100kph part. Logically it seems better to have don't this a few times rather than for the first time ever in a test)

Q: Is it ever OK to ride the clutch when parked on a hill at the lights instead of using the rear brake?

Nope, Just wears it out quicker than needed.

Q: Does a better helmet really make much of a difference for wind?

The cheaper helmets normally have not so aerodynamic shapes. You might find they wobble side to side at high speed etc etc. This causes sore necks and headaches. I use earplugs all the time however and this is far better than paying for a million dollar helmet claiming to be really quiet.

Q: When stopped at the lights, my visor fogs up and I have to pop it open a bit. What's a better solution? scarf? better helmet? open faced helmet with sunnies?

You can get products like CatCrap to put on the inside of the visor which reduce this. A breath shield in a helmet with a visor vent work quite well too (In the better helmets).

Q: Kick stand or centre stand when parking around town?

If parking near other bikes or public areas, Id use your main stand. Way less chance of other bikers/morons knocking it over. At home in the garage id use the kick.

Q: Wilsons carparks seem to be free for bikes. Can you park in a regular carpark in there for free though without upsetting them? (if the bike ones are all taken)

The owners will most likely frown at you maybe even have it removed, Its a space that could be making them money. If you don't want anyone (cager) messing/possibly keying your bike I would not advise that.

Some of these questions may be stupid, but don't flame me too much, my leathers aint flame retardent

No question seeking knowledge is stupid.

[Gremlin]

On a gpx, the kill switch probably isn't a major, but on fuel injected bikes, you definitely want to turn it off with the key, then feel free to kill switch it for safety. The issue is how the kill switch vs the key turn the bike off, and since they have computers etc, you need to be more careful.

From my own experience, I would avoid fog city, the damn thing didn't stay stuck to my visor for more than 24 hours after I applied it, and then fell off when I gently tossed the visor on my bed.

[Devil]

From my own experience, I would avoid fog city, the damn thing didn't stay stuck to my visor for more than 24 hours after I applied it, and then fell off when I gently tossed the visor on my bed.

But at the same time, mine is stuck fast 6 months later and it's fantastic...
:P

[rphenix]

Better = safe in my book which may not mean quieter. There are a few posts here for a quiet helmet. the sharp ratings site in the UK lists safety. Best thing to do is take some demos from motorcycle shops at highway speeds and check for yourself. For long distance tours / cruises, I'd recommend some earplugs anyway.
.

Also the price of the helmet doesnt always mean quality you can pay around the $100 mark for a piss poor helmet that has a visor that flicks up in the wind and you can pay a $100 that you will get 2 years of riding out of it till your ready for a better one. I don't recommend getting an expensive helmet at the start as you will more likely do daft things that scratches the visor you will cry less if the replacement visor is $30 instead of $300.

I recommend buying from a local shop not trademe they will often let you pay then take it down the road if you don't like the helmet then you can bring it back no questions asked (just don't scratch it before you bring it back). Always make sure the helmet you buy has the right safety standards on it so it can take a hit in a crash situation.

[DarkLord]

Skip the 70kph rule unless you want to suffer horrible horrible boringness from not being able to go anywhere.

Agreed, plus the fact that it's bloody dangerous doing 30kmph under what most cars are doing on the motorway.

[NOWOOL]

Good thread!
Answered some questions I hadn't thought of yet!

some questios: dish soap and potato? what works best? is it 100% soap or dilluted? do you wipe it off or let it dry?

[Loki]

Great answers guys! now I have some more...

Q: What exactly is a "Pinlock inserts" is it like an inner visor?

Q: I typically ride in 3rd gear around time, gives me better acceleration when I need it, and I can use the engine braking to slow down.
Is engine breaking a bad thing?

Q: In the wet, if I change down a gear too soon, the back wheel tries to become the front wheel (wants to slide around the bike)
Aside from "don't change down too soon", what is the best way to correct this when it happens? Clutch in? Break? Stand up?

Q: I ride in the wet (see above) but it takes forever to put my wet weather pants on. Is there something easier... like pants with velcroe seams at the back :-) ?

Q: What is the minimum safety gear you legally need? Helmet of course, but are shorts and a t-shirt ok?

Q: If you have an open faced visor with sunglasses on, do you get lots of bugs in your teeth?

Q: I'm still learning, and find turning at slow speeds tricky (roundabouts, etc) I'm practising at a local carpark after work. Anyone have any tips?

Q: I've seen a few characters around. Are you allowed to add things to your helmet? (blue mohawk, foam reindeer antlers, etc...)

Q: Can you "roll start" a motorbike?