Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: gwEm on April 03, 2011, 06:17:29 PM
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so last november/december i did my CBT and a couple of lessons, with the plan of continuing in january. first there was a the snow, and since then theres been a load of gigs, work and other stuff going on so i've kept putting it off.
anyway, i've put a stake in the ground and booked my last four lessons and my test (the test is in two parts), and they are coming up in May!
i know theres a few people here on the forum who ride. any tips for the test?
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Good luck mate!
Practice your U-turns, as a foot down is an instant fail. I think you have the slalom thing to do now as well, so that's worth a practice too :)
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Backing Dave up, I realised that the U-turns is the hardest thing to concur. Put the most in that & you'll be fine. Once you've passed it's great fun all the way.
BTW, wanna buy a bike (Honda CB600 going dirt cheap!)
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I'll be sure and practise that U-turn then!
BTW, wanna buy a bike (Honda CB600 going dirt cheap!)
thats one of the ones on my list of possibilities, but I won't be doing anything until I pass :) thanks for the offer though.
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Are U-Turns that difficult? Or is it just maintaining the constant speed with the weight of the bike, that's the issue?
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u-turns were easy on my bmx, surely it can't be THAT much more difficult ?!?!?!? :wink:
good luck on the test, would love a bike myself but all the cost associated with getting lessons is cash I ain't got for something I'll ride 6 months of the year at best.
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U-turns are all about balance - the bikes weigh 160kg + your weight, so it's not easy turning around at 2-3mph!!
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It's that thing of letting the engine do the work and not trying to force it, took me ages to get & fortunately mastered it on the day of my test
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Cool, the only problem I had was actiually the emergency stop. I never did one until the morning of my test and low and behold I just couldn't master it. I could have joined a speedway team though! Lol...... it was all good on the test though. I'm sure you'll be good, all the best with it. Summers coming and my poor bike sits all alone and under cover, probably gotta sell it...... Arrrgggghhhhhhhhh
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u-turns were easy on my bmx, surely it can't be THAT much more difficult ?!?!?!? :wink:
good luck on the test, would love a bike myself but all the cost associated with getting lessons is cash I ain't got for something I'll ride 6 months of the year at best.
yeah, its an expensive business no doubt! i may not even get a bike at the end of all this. but its something i've always wanted to learn, so i'll see it through 'till i have my license
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Can't remember any particular issues with mine, although it was over 20 years ago now!!!
I remember the radio mic cutting out, and I had to pull over and get the guy to explain where he wanted me to go!
Still passed though.
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i did mine 40 years ago, it consisted of a figure 8 on some streets on a hill. On the emergency stop, the examiner jumped out from between 2 cars. I stopped OK but did lock up the back wheel a bit (older Japanese tyres didn't have the grip of British ones). The instructor told me I had a bit of a lead foot, but I still passed! On my car test I didn't have to make the test emergency stop because a kid ran out in front of me as we were driving around. The instructor said that it was a better emergency stop than what he had in mind.
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Road position is everything, especially at junctions. Make sure that a car can't sneak down the inside (or round the outside) of you. My mum had trouble with this on her test, but passed second time.
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I loved the emergency stop in the car. It's probably the most amount of fun I'll ever have in a car. Not that I want to out of test conditions.
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Good luck gwEm. I took my bike test in 1983 and it's changed so much since then but don't do wheelies.
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i hired a 125 at the weekend (70 quid for 3 days - not bad!!). its not a powerful machine, but i'm inexperienced and i'm not sure i could handle too much more at this stage - and it would be illegal.
anyway - had an absolutely blast cruising round the countryside. in the evenings i did some U-turn practice following advice here. i fact, except for the first time, i was able to do it time and time again without putting my foot down. this was on a learner 125 of course, its bound to be harder on the 500 i'll have to do the test on.
i have to say though - it was completely a toy no doubt. i can see why dave traded his ducati for a pearly gates. they both reach needless toy status, and i think i'd have probably done the same in his position.
furthermore, i'd just like to say car drivers are just total c_nts, really rude and unhelpful. its amazing how differently you are perceived on a motorbike.
i don't reckon i'll get a motorbike after my test at all. though maybe hire from time to time - amazing feeling with weather like this.
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Interesting experience for you then mate??
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furthermore, i'd just like to say car drivers are just total c_nts, really rude and unhelpful. its amazing how differently you are perceived on a motorbike.
It's the same on a road push bike! On Saturday I almost ended up over the bonnet of a prick in a Jag who was showing off to his mrs, not impressed :x
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Interesting experience for you then mate??
yeah, it was! first time i'd been out on my own before. motorcycling is certainly its own thing, unlike too much else.
i know how to look after myself on the road thanks to a daily rush hour commute right across London on my bicycle - there are alot of similarities in defensive road manners, but obviously i'm not 100% 'natural feeling' with the controls yet, so it was hard to put all of that into practice.
when i was a teenager i thought motorcycling was mostly about speed, but in fact i see now its more like the joy of the road - it feels good even if you don't go fast. though it is nice to 'open her up' when the time is right and enjoy the machine. the 125 didn't feel too powerful by the end of the weekend i have to say, but i was making too many little mistakes to be safe on anything too much more powerful.
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furthermore, i'd just like to say car drivers are just total c_nts, really rude and unhelpful. its amazing how differently you are perceived on a motorbike.
It's the same on a road push bike! On Saturday I almost ended up over the bonnet of a prick in a Jag who was showing off to his mrs, not impressed :x
well, that is true Tom, and I have experienced alot of bad road behaviour from cars towards me and my bicycle when i commute to work on busy London streets. but I have to say, I felt car drivers were actually worse, nasty even, towards me on the motorbike (though maybe it was partly due to the L plates).
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Motorcycling is a great way of getting around quickly but it takes lot of experience to do it safely. Other road users are the biggest hazard. I never used to take for granted that they had seen you when they're waiting to pull out or change lanes ect. Then there is the driver who doesn't give a flying f*ck about you and would quite happily knock you off a drive away. That's the reason I don't want another bike as IMHO that mentality has increased in the area I live.
Keep your lights on during the day, that will help you be seen.
Outside of London, I've always found driving standards improve and people actually care a lot more.
Anyway enjoy it as it's a great thing to get into. :D
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furthermore, i'd just like to say car drivers are just total c_nts, really rude and unhelpful. its amazing how differently you are perceived on a motorbike.
It's the same on a road push bike! On Saturday I almost ended up over the bonnet of a prick in a Jag who was showing off to his mrs, not impressed :x
well, that is true Tom, and I have experienced alot of bad road behaviour from cars towards me and my bicycle when i commute to work on busy London streets. but I have to say, I felt car drivers were actually worse, nasty even, towards me on the motorbike (though maybe it was partly due to the L plates).
Yes - i cycle a lot less than I would like to for two reasons
1) traffic is not considerate
2) thieving scum who would steal or trash my bike if I chain it up to go into a shop (especially as I got myself something decent a while back) as cycling was a convenience thing rather than a hobby within itself
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How about you look at decent 125? If you've only done your CBT and rented a 125, the chances are that they were probably 4 strokes. Have you had a bash on a 2 stroke yet? They're completely different machinces and are a right laugh.
I had an Aprilia RS125 Harada for a couple of years and it was great fun. It wouldn't recomend buying one due to the amount of times it blew up and amount of money it cost to fix, but there are some cracking bikes out there.
If it's a propper toy and you can think of somewhere to play then get something that can go off road. My local race track (Mallory Park) has a dirt track and I think you can go up there, pay your money and jump about without fear of getting a BMW badge in your forehead (which is what very nearly happened to me).
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fail on the u-turn sadly.
i can handle that, but unfortunately I'm told the next retest slot could be up to 5 weeks away(!)
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Sorry to hear that mate, but I failed the first one for that reason too ;)
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Never mind. Keep trying you will get there in the end. I failed 3 HGV tests :oops:
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got a last minute cancellation and just passed my manouvers test :D
only the road test to go..
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Good luck mate!
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Nice one man. Good luck.
My cousin came round last night on his new bike (Yamaha XJR 1300), he passed his test last week... and dropped it once already :D
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Good stuff and good luck!
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^^ ditto and get some really really good gloves to protect those guitar fingers.
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thanks for the good wishes guys
^^ ditto and get some really really good gloves to protect those guitar fingers.
i've got some nice ones :)
now get this - its **12 weeks** before I can do the roadtest, unless a cancellation comes up. i guess its peak season now :/
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Best of luck. My Dad was a keen motor cyclist and I am always looking out for them( not all car drivers are ignorant). Keep at it and you'll be fine.
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Finally got a road test slot - and a pass!! Nothing more to do now except send of my license and claim that extra catagory :)
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amazing! congrats... well done mate.
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Nice one. Stay safe though
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Nice one. Stay safe though
+1
Well done dude!
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So now it's decision time bike-wise. Sports, cruiser, commuter, supermotard, classic etc.
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So now it's decision time bike-wise. Sports, cruiser, commuter, supermotard, classic etc.
or maybe no bike...
taking the cue from Mr38th and Feline - I want to be safe! Music is my main love to be honest. I've had a couple of recent reasonably sized spills on my bicycle, and its so easy to have an accident.
maybe i've lost my nerve a bit, or call it what you will, but i have no desire to meet an early grave or end up seriously injured.
i kind of decided that i might as well finish the license off as i was so close, and its something i'll always have now. as for getting a bike - well, maybe not as i say.
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A few close scares can do that mate - happened to me and the missus.
More cash for flying Vs anyway ;)
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So now it's decision time bike-wise. Sports, cruiser, commuter, supermotard, classic etc.
or maybe no bike...
taking the cue from Mr38th and Feline - I want to be safe! Music is my main love to be honest. I've had a couple of recent reasonably sized spills on my bicycle, and its so easy to have an accident.
Motorbike accidents and push-bike accidents are similar in many ways but the motorbike ones happen faster.
Bikes are often invisible to motorists - and they have less time to notice motorbikess as they move along quicker
At least with a cyclist moving slowly along they have more time to notice them and take action (or not)
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Well you can hire a 650 Bandit at £50 for a day so maybe you could afford yourself the treat that way.