New rider needs advice (SolidSnake)

[SolidSnake]

Hey guys,

Im Chris (SolidSnake), Im wanting to get into motorbiking :P

I currently dont have a bike, but we should be getting one soon in the near future something like a 250cc.

Do you guys think it would be better to do one of those courses (Basic Skills Handling Test) that teach you how to ride a bike and then do the test so i can get my learners?

Or wait until i get my bike and learn on that first?

I drive a manual car if thats any help :P (not an auto fan boy :P)

Im on my restricted car licence and im 17

Im just a bit worried how long its going to take for me to catch on to motorbiking.... cause i read somewhere that you do like 2hrs practice before the test.....then the test? is that enough time to cover all the stuff the test requires?

Another question, if i get my motorbike learners what colour will the licence be ie (blue or orange) cause i have my car restricted?

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Chris

[Rosie]

Your new licence would be blue. Even if you've already got other classes of full licence, get your motorbike learners, and your new licence is pretty and blue.

I would recommend doing a Basic Handling course and getting your licence before you start looking around for a bike (and gear, of course), because all the time you are spending looking around for a bike and getting yourself sorted out is counting towards the 6 months you have to spend on your learners licence. The 70km/h restriction on your learners licence is a bit of a lose/lose situation. Either you get cut up by big trucks going much faster than you, or if you travel with the rest of the traffic you could get a $400 fine for breach of licence conditions (very few people seem to get done for that, but you don't want to be the exception to the rule).

Having said all that, I learnt to ride on a friend's bike (on private roads ), saw a bike I really liked for sale, bought it, then started thinking about getting my licence.

Especially early on, I found that learning to ride was a lot like learning to drive all over again. I'd been driving for 10-ish years, mainly in manual cars, and it still took a while to get the hang of the clutch, changing gears etc. But some people pick it up straight away.

[karmakillernz]

Welcome to KB!

I currently dont have a bike, but we should be getting one soon in the near future something like a 250cc.

What sort of bike are you looking at? Anything in particular?

Hey guys,
Do you guys think it would be better to do one of those courses (Basic Skills Handling Test) that teach you how to ride a bike and then do the test so i can get my learners?

You'll need to pass a basic handling skills test before you can get your learners, but if you're not familiar with riding you can of course do other courses before you sit the test. In fact, you should be able to find somewhere that will train and test you all in one go. That way you can learn all the techniques and do the test while it's still fresh in your mind. Someone in your area should be able to recommend a good place for this.

Another question, if i get my motorbike learners what colour will the licence be ie (blue or orange) cause i have my car restricted?

It'll be horrible and blue again I'm sorry to say...

[SolidSnake]

Thanks for the help guys.

Do you think it would be better getting a 2nd hand bike? so it doesn't get damaged etc if i crash

Or get a new one ? :P

Ill most likely be getting a kawasaki endro bike ...... 250 cc??

[Rosie]

I test rode a Kawasaki Sherpa recently, it's a 250cc, road-legal trail/dual-purpose type bike. Is that the type of bike you were thinking of?
I did a bit of a write up on it, if you are interested: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=53694
It's a good little bike. I'm probably going to buy one.

As far as the potential for crash/drop damages goes, bikes with full fairings (those shiny plastic panels on sports bikes) are more likely to sustain expensive damage in a low speed crash/drop than bikes without any fairings, reguardless of age (unless the fairings have already been scratched up by previous owners).
When you are learning, there is a good chance that your bike will end up on its side some time, even if it just gets dropped from stationary. Having a bike that isn't going to get damaged from its little lie down makes the learning process a little less stressful.

[babyblade250rr]

yeah, i learnt how to ride before getting my licence but i would suggest to anyone else to get there licence first, (wouldnt want ya getting in trouble by the authorities) When i went for my bh skills cert there was a police officer there too he had never ridden a motorcycle in his life but he still passed his cert. I guess they don't really expect to you to know how to ride prior however they did ask us if we had previous riding experience which was only to get the slightly more experienced people through the course first so they could concentrate and spend more time with the newbies

good luck either way you decide to do it!

[klingon]

Do you guys think it would be better to do one of those courses (Basic Skills Handling Test) that teach you how to ride a bike and then do the test so i can get my learners?

Or wait until i get my bike and learn on that first?

When I got my car licence, I bought the car first. There's no better motivation than seeing a perfectly good vehicle parked outside your house and not being able to use it!

On the other hand, it depends on your situation. Do you have a place to practise? (Like a long driveway and/or large property) Or do you have someone who can take the bike to a car park nearby so you can have somewhere safe to learn? If you do, then get the bike first. Otherwise, do the course first.

Im just a bit worried how long its going to take for me to catch on to motorbiking.... cause i read somewhere that you do like 2hrs practice before the test.....then the test? is that enough time to cover all the stuff the test requires?

Lots of people do the test after only a couple of hours practice and pass. I didn't! I had to go back and do my test the following week! I had never been on a bike before and had no idea how to make it go, stop or turn before I got on it for the first time. So you might take a few more than two hours to learn. Don't let that get in the way of a lifetime of enjoyment!


By the way, do you have someone who you trust to help you choose the most suitable bike for your needs? There are some very helpful, experienced bikers on here who might be able to take you around a few bike shops and help you identify what you're looking for. I recommend a KB Personal Shopper.

[avgas]

Thanks for the help guys.

Do you think it would be better getting a 2nd hand bike? so it doesn't get damaged etc if i crash

Or get a new one ? :P

Ill most likely be getting a kawasaki endro bike ...... 250 cc??

If its your first ever bike, get a cheap shitter - as long as it will still have wof/reg when you sell it you wont loose any money. If you ride on that for a few months then just buy what ever you wish.
Saves you $$$ due to damages

[BMW]

Thanks for the help guys.

Do you think it would be better getting a 2nd hand bike? so it doesn't get damaged etc if i crash

Or get a new one ? :P

Like the others are suggesting the licenses are on time. So doing the handling then looking will help with that time.

Also like my mate did, get someone ( he got me) to help you look for a bike. You choose a selection of bikes that you like and get that person to help you bring that list of bikes down to a few and test ride them for you.

Do not forget to get GOOD gear! it makes the learning on a bike better and you will enjoy it more.