booked my motorcycle test

[gwEm]

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.

[Twinfan]

Interesting experience for you then mate??

[_tom_]

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

[gwEm]

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.

[gwEm]

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).

[Johnny Mac]

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

[FELINEGUITARS]

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

[ToneMonkey]

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).

[gwEm]

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(!)

[Twinfan]

Sorry to hear that mate, but I failed the first one for that reason too  ;)

[Johnny Mac]

Never mind. Keep trying you will get there in the end. I failed 3 HGV tests  :oops:

[gwEm]

got a last minute cancellation and just passed my manouvers test :D

only the road test to go..

[Twinfan]

Good luck mate!

[ToneMonkey]

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

[Ian Price]

Good stuff and good luck!