Thought I'd start a little thread about my experience learning to ride a motorbike. I'm sure the experience riders out there will have useful advice and the people who in the future want to do the same will have something to read giving them a small insight into whats expected. 

 

So, my brief 2 wheeled history is as follows. My dad rode bikes when he was a teenager, in the days of riding 250's on L plates. He stopped when he met my mum and she wouldn't let him get one. Fast forward 20 odd years and they split, the first thing he did was get his bike licence. After a while I agreed to go for a spin on the back of it, 15 years old I wasn't that keen but actually enjoyed it. Spent a year going on the odd run on the bike to the Ace cafe then when I got a 16 I done my CBT and got a 50cc moped. Loved it, basically lived on it for a year before selling it and getting a little 125 Suzuki TW at 17. That got stolen and at the time I was suffering with cancer so my mum was trying to get me to stop riding. Having none of it I replaced it with another 125 this time a scooter. After a while I got a bit fed up of getting wet and that so learnt to drive, selling the bike and buying a car. Its way easier to pick up the punani in a Nova SR. 

 

That was about 7 years ago, over them years I've often considered learning to ride a bike and do my test but didn't think I had enough self control to either not lose my licence or kill myself within a week. Then last year my little brother done his bike test and bought himself a nice Suzuki GSXR 600. I met him at a mates garage to look at it and he encouraged me to have a go, took it for a little spin round the yard and loved it, brought back memories for being on my dads bike again. So, I've spent the last few months convincing the Mrs to let me get a bike which last week she finally agreed to. I think I have enough experience to stay on it and do my best avoid being spanked off by a idiot by now too, calmed down a fair bit recently. 

 

Tomorrow I start, 0745 CBT. Not massively over excited, I seem to recall it being half about the highway code and safety gear and then a few goes round the track (off road) 2 hour ride on the road......... on a 125. I'm preying firstly that whoever I'm doing it with isnt a 16 year old wet behind the years lad else the morning of highway code could be very tedious. I'm also hoping I get the same choice as my brother got and am allowed to do the off road bit on a 600. We shall see! Either way, it'll be interesting to see how the little 125 will haul all 23 stone of me along

 

I've done a couple of practice theory tests, passed them easy so am going to book it as soon as I can. Then it's a case of cracking on with some lessons, Mod 1 and 2 then bike shopping! 

 

I've just gone a bought some basic kit, trousers, boots and jacket. Borrowing a mates gloves and the schools lid as I'm skint now, I'll get one next week. 

 

Wish me luck, any advice welcome and I'll update as I go! 

All the best for your CBT and DAS lessons/tests. With your experience in the past you should be fine. I did my DAS almost 12 months ago now and brought a Suzuki GSF600S straight away, absolutely love everything about being on two wheels! Admittedly the car gets all of the use and the bike is for weekends and sunny days! Just planned my first road trip to the Isle of Man TT in May later this year!!!

Anyway- all the best and stay safe.

Good luck mate!! Did my test at 17 on the old 33bhp rule, went from 50cc scoot, yam dt125 super moto, restricted bandit 6, kwak z1000 and now gsxr 1216 all within 5 years lol

Good luck.

 

I've had loads of bikes, starting with a 50 at 16, 125 at 17, through 350s, 600s, 1000 to a new BMW 1200RT in 2005, then a break and back to a £666 new Chinese Sukida 125 off ebay last year which was loads of simple fun once the crap parts were replaced (spark plug, lead, tyres etc)

 

I'm about the same weight as you and a 125 is like a toy and easy to control, but hard work compared to a 600.

Best of luck with it.  I did mine many years ago and the rules have changed considerably so not best placed to offer any advice on the test.  All I can say is dress for the weather and take spare dry clothes as if you get cold and wet your concentration will drop and you will end up making silly mistakes.

If you want any advice regarding what to expect and what the examiner is looking for on the mod1 and mod2 tests (such as what is a riding or serious/dangerous fault) I could be your man.

Up till recently I was a DSA bike examiner.

You'll be fine, had a period when I was instructing and it was good, scary  but good, just don't rush and look a long way forward, not at the front wheel just like a pushbike learner, then get good kit, and always try your helmet for fit

Good luck, I found the theory test a doddle (maybe I was lucky) my local school use Bandits, completely different to what I'm used to as I ride choppers/cruisers. I have to say it was the best thing I've every done (for me) and I gets me out of the house on my own. 

Best of luck to you, when you get a few miles under your belt then consider joining the Institute of Advanced Motorists, Motorcycle Section. (IAM) that will improve your riding skills a great deal and there is no charge for the lessons.

Off topic a  bit, I was just looking at my fathers driving licence from 1939. it cost 2/6 (12 and a half pence) back in those days he just had to have a licence for 2 years and it became a full licence without a test (due to war conditions ) so he also added a car licence to it and qualified for that though he never drove a car in his life.

I think that the first time you will ever really appreciate your bike will be when you see a traffic name in front of you and you gently drive past,

Have fun and keep the black bits on the road (tyres not your clothing)

Best regards to all,

Good luck mate, I've given similar advice before but I did a direct access course found it a very long day so take plenty of food and liquids, but when you pass you'll soon be addicted to the freedom and acceleration you can only get from 2 wheels 

Best of luck mate  I'm new to the world of motorcycling and did my CBT about two weeks ago. You're spot on about the content of the day; firstly some theory then some basic riding (gears and such) followed by some laps and manoeuvers around the track, some highway code stuff and a chat about kit and then a two hour road ride which just flew by for me! Great day overall.

 

If there is a good turnout on the day they usually have multiple instructors and will group people of similar experience levels together so others aren't kept waiting, depends on the size of your centre. 

 

I'm 24 and could have gone direct access, but since I've got no past experience on a bike I decided to stick to a 125 proudly donning L plates until it becomes second nature. I'll probably do my theory and tests later this year. Love it so far!

Watching with great interest.  

I'm doing mine later in the year. Mrs G got me a CBT voucher for

Xmas and I've spent the last couple of weeks scouring ebay for bargain priced

kit. I now have a Frank Thomas Armasport leather jacket (In Black green and white) which

I got for £36 delivered (Although I may have to lose a few pounds before it's comfy)

A RST Armoured Textile Jacket which fits great and is waterproof, insulated and well armoured

with a thick heavy duty spine protector. Got that for £17 and picked it up locally

so no postage. . It is also Black, Green and White... 

Also I got a pair of Waterproof, insulated RST leather Gloves in as new condition for £14.  

and I just bought a decent crash helmet (New this time not used)

One of these but in Green Black and White.... (Yes I know...).

I just have boots and trousers to find now. I'm very excited about it actually. 

Particularly now I've bought some kit. 

Since I only aim to be a fair weather biker, I'm just waiting for this non stop rain

to bog off and for the roads to be less potentially icy. I may get

theory test and CBT out of the way sooner but I will wait till spring comes in before

I embark on my direct access course. I'll use their bike and gear for that. 

but maybe my own lid though :p

 

There's lots of different places in Bristol which offer training so I'm going to set about

pricing up the best deal for direct access.  

All going well by summer I should be up and running on two wheels.

I spent a lot of time on bikes as a kid/teen but in all honesty it's been 21 years since I

last rode a bike so I'm going into it like a novice.

At 19 I had enough money to either do my bike or car test and in the end I thought the car

would be more useful so I abandoned my two wheel dreams and vowed that when I

could comfortably afford to do it as well as have a car I would.

I'm looking at 2011/12 model Kawasaki ER6F as my steed when I've done the test.

At around 4k it's in budget so it's what my heart is set upon. Not too powerful 

but powerful enough to keep me grinning. Next on the cards is for me to rip down 

and rebuild our back gate so there's room to get a bike through.

It will live in my back garden most of the time and my shed in winter. 

 

This also means I need to get a lightweight bespoke ramp made up so I can get 

the bike up into the front garden over a 9 inch railway sleeper which holds all the

gravel on my drive. If you tried to manhandle it over there you would only end up dropping 

the bike sooner or later. I also want to make sure the new back gate  fastens open and is at

least 3ft across. The old one is rotten and although it locks okay a good booting and it's

gone so I need to build something better and more secure. I already have security lighting

installed where it's going to be kept. But the sooner it's done, the sooner I can think about

bike shopping. I'm quite keen to buy one from fairly far away and having a good long ride home

to get the feel of it.    

Will follow your progress with great interest Matt. Good luck with it.

 

If you're looking for courses in Bristol I can definitely recommend Bristol Motorcycle Training Centre, that's where I did my CBT a few weeks ago. Great bunch of instructors, I was taught by John, the instructor manager who was great to learn with. They have offers on CBTs booked in February as well if you check out the link to their facebook.

 

http://www.bristolmotorcycletraining.co.uk/index.html

My CBT is pre bought and paid for as a gift so I'll see what I think and if 

I like them I'll continue my training there. 

My CBT is in Whitchurch here

It's only a short drive from where I live and it's worth a go. 

I'm sure I'll be fine. I first rode a bike when I was 9 so I'm certain it will

soon come back to me.  

My bad, missed the bit about the voucher.

 

They give more than enough time for you to pick it up and the way it's structured means you won't move on until you can do the current task confidently and safely. I managed fine with no previous experience on a bike. It has to be said that once he basics were picked up the road ride was so much easier than the bits on the track!

 

EDIT: wise words by rockclimber, the main reason I'm not hopping on any big bikes yet is to get the mindset and attention ingrained in my system first, as i tend to drift off while driving a car  :think:  Riding the bike should be about 5% of your thought process, with the other 95% being utilised as spider-like constant awareness for everything around you, potholes, drivers. drain covers, expect the unexpected - I was hit by a falling pine cone the other day! Shook me right up!

Edited 31 January, 201412 yr by Ben90

Enjoy yourself but be careful as its so easy to get in the mire and make sure you have decent kit. Best thing I ever did was get some good quality advanced training. Even if you pass your test refresher training is very worthwhile IMO and you'll enjoy riding even more.

Good luck

Hope it all goes well. I use to ride bike from 16 (well legally) being an old fart you could ride a 250 on L plates so did not bother with a test. 2003 one of my employees said could we drop into a bike shop during our lunch break, so we did and the bug bit again (2003 was a hot summer) Took a DA test and have not looked back since. now ride a 1200 bandit, does all I want and is great fun. Cannot reiterate what has been said about kit, one of my friends was knocked off his bile by a foreign car (do not get me started on this) and without a good set of kit and the local air ambulance he would not be around now. Ride like every one out there is out to get you and you will do OK. You will not regret the great feeling that it give you, the grin factor is unbelievable.

 

John     

The lesson of this is always to wear the right equipment. Any economies on that front could cost you your life. You may be safe on two wheels, but plenty of drivers far bigger than your bike are not at all safe, and you are very vulnerable. Even when you do nothing wrong, as in my case, things can go very wrong indeeed. My life was saved by my helmet.

 

 

Agreed, I am what some would consider over the top in my OCD approach to gear. I call it not being retarded, I wouldn't pop to the shops without gearing up fully like biker Jesus would want. I get the best possible gear I can afford over any other luxuries. My leg was essentially severed but my gear and a nice fellow biker / surgeon from Pakistan who showed me porn on his mobile by accident looking for a bike video before going into surgery  saved it. Best thing was only 30 min before another biker was ribbing me for wearing leathers and race boots on the day. Boots and leathers both were required to do the job. 

 

My weird logic on priority goes:

Helmet

Boots

Gloves

Trousers

Jacket 

 

matt1chelski I am so jealous of you for some reason even though I have already done it lol. Exciting times ahead mucker, best of luck and health to ride!  I look forward to your progress updates. My main words of wisdom would be "do not underestimate the blindness of the cager, they are everywhere and see nothing" and with regards to gear, go to a proper shop where you can try on for sizing (especially helmet) even if you intend to go off then order that one online cheaper. A brand new helmet that fits comfortably like a glove is prob too big! 

Owned and ridden bike since 1965,  down to two now.  

The very best way to wind down, to get relaxed yet focused. 

Plus you can meet great people, go to great places, and have the best fun doing it.

I love just mooching about in Europe.  The whole attitude towards bikes is different.

Take almost any non trunk route.  You can soon develop a nose for a good road from the map, rather than a gps with its restricted view.

Either bimble or blatt just as the mood takes you.  Some fabulous roads, scenery and food, drink and accommodation.

Good luck.

Great to hear of another biker joining the clan !!!! Good on you !!!!

I started riding 25 years ago on a little 125 wet dream, sorry super dream and haven't looked back. Had all sorts of bikes from fire blades to gixer thous to blackbirds.

As said above don't skimp on kit - too many Sunday fair weather pocket rocket heroes I see ride the most expensive bike they can then can't afford decent kit - often including the pillion with her trolleys showing half way up her back lol

One great bit of kit is the rear brake. In the right situation, particularly low speed manoeuvres it really steadies the ship - my misses was taught on her cbt to control it on the throttle for u turns and wot not. Keep a nice constant throttle (one less thing to think about) enough to prevent a stall then drag the rear brake which controls speed as you need and steadies the bike then simply slip the clutch. Smoother than milk chocolate.

Let us know how it all goes ?

Grr666

A couple of comments...

Better to wear your own gear when you do your training.

You'll feel more comfortable, therefore more relaxed.

The school gear has been worn by so many people you don't know what has been left behind, if you'd get my drift?

Great choice on the ER6 a perfect new rider machine.

As you say, enough power to enjoy but light enough to build confidence.

Enjoy!

Grr666

A couple of comments...

Better to wear your own gear when you do your training.

You'll feel more comfortable, therefore more relaxed.

The school gear has been worn by so many people you don't know what has been left behind, if you'd get my drift?

Great choice on the ER6 a perfect new rider machine.

As you say, enough power to enjoy but light enough to build confidence.

Enjoy!

It's what prompted me to start gear shopping tbh. 

Even though I've not started on my training yet.

I've got two good jackets and a pair of gloves for just over 

50 quid. All in great condition too. My lid was just under £300 though.

That had to be new.  

It's only through extreme self control that my Mrs didn't come home from

work to find me astride a couple of kitchen chairs wearing all my gear and making

motorbike noises. 

Can't wait to read this later after Matt gets home and reports on how 

his day went. I'll bet a penny to a pound he's buzzing.

I only have boots and trousers still to find.

In particular I'm looking for RST trousers that will zip to my RST Tractech Jacket. 

 

There are a few great deals on ebay if you hunt them down.

Sadly for every person taking up biking there are two packing it in so there are

some people out there selling hardly used gear if you can be bothered to sift

through the rubbish.

 

As for the ER6, I'm after a 2012 model but may buy an older one for my first year

so that I'm not too upset if I drop it at low speed moving it around.

Getting it in and out of my back garden will be tricky to say the least.

If I'm going to drop it anywhere it will be either there or getting it into the shed.    

Good luck mate! I passed my Motorcycle theory this morning and will hopefully have DAS booked up in the next couple of weeks so let us know how you get on!

Everyones at it

It's what prompted me to start gear shopping tbh. 

Even though I've not started on my training yet.

I've got two good jackets and a pair of gloves for just over 

50 quid. All in great condition too. My lid was just under £300 though.

That had to be new.  

It's only through extreme self control that my Mrs didn't come home from

work to find me astride a couple of kitchen chairs wearing all my gear and making

motorbike noises. 

:D who hasn't done that?

I'm glad you spent decent money on a lid.

I used to teach CBT and we always used to say "if you've got a £50 head, buy a £50 helmet!"

Can't wait to read this later after Matt gets home and reports on how 

his day went. I'll bet a penny to a pound he's buzzing.

I only have boots and trousers still to find.

In particular I'm looking for RST trousers that will zip to my RST Tractech Jacket. 

 

There are a few great deals on ebay if you hunt them down.

Sadly for every person taking up biking there are two packing it in so there are

some people out there selling hardly used gear if you can be bothered to sift

through the rubbish.

very true! sadly.

I had to stop riding 2 years ago due to a disability and had just spent £1500 on new gear.

Still got it and not selling as I'm seriously planning to get another bike in the spring.

Something along the same lines as you.

ER6, Hornet 600 etc