Any motorbike traitors ere?

nich

Ok..so it's been on my mind a while now for learning to ride a bike with an engine.

Today I did my CBT and got my certificate! WoopaH!

I'm sorry to say, but it was an utter blast, and I fear I may be entering the motorcycle world and leaving my pedal bike at home a bit.

In all seriousness, I don't drive, so having something with an engine will let me get around a bit more without having to rely on public transport...or if I'm too tired to mtfu and cycle in

Any other motorcyclists on here? I attempted my CBT on a geared bike, but I had a few issues with clutch control, so the guy suggested that I do it on a scooter instead, and we can have extra training on a geared bike later.

Anyway, went onto the scoot instead which was so much easier, and ended up doing really well. Only issues I had was that being 6'2 with long legs, my knee hit the horn a few times which gave the instructors a laugh

I have to say, I feel cycling gave me a big boost in road awareness and positioning, defiantly think it helped when out on the road.

Overall though, excited, but perhaps a little sad I didn't get to grips with the geared bike earlier - would have preferred to have got my CBT on a geared, as that's my longer time goal.

*goes off to apply for a pizza delivery job innit*

clarkey cat

I have a 50cc vespa for when I cant be arsed to ride. Its immense fun. Its like a London Teleport Machine.

nich

I think I'll end up getting a 125 scooter for 6 months, and do some extra training on a geared bike in the meantime.

There's a few hills in SE London and I could already feel the 50cc struggling to get up them on full throttle

clarkey cat

Yes must admit hauling my ass up Sydenham Hill was a little exasperating.

If you passed your driving test before Feb 2001 (which I did) then you can take a pillion on a 50cc. The missus loves it. You cant on a 125cc.

Pufftmw

I'm a biker & have been for many years - courier in London. However, I moved out of London in 2001 & since I moved back a couple of years ago, I've resisted the temptation to get a motorbike again & cycled everywhere instead. Two reasons, firstly is cost - bike, insurance, MOT, new helmet, leathers etc - and secondly is that I prefer to stay fit/healthy and just m'biking everywhere would make me extremely lazy. Not saying I won't get a bike again, just that I can't justify it at the moment & I'm getting more of a buzz out of cycling.

Be safe though, all the things that cars did to you on a cycle, they will continue to do to you on a scooter except that you will be moving at 50% faster on a machine that is 15x heavier.

dcurzon

i've gone t'other way... 20 years of motorcycling, 6+ years of motorcycle road racing (250cc production, 600cc endurance, 750cc endurance, ducati) and now find myself cycling.

it never seems fast, until you f*ck up...

nich

Yeah, the weight of the bike was one the things I noticed, and that was only a 125 geared, with the scooter being a bit lighter. Heavy things!

My only problem with cycling is a few injuries I keep picking up, sometimes it feels like I need a couple of months off to recover, I did however cycle to the CBT center - the one in Catford

BR 1979

I passed my DAS a few years back, just before they changed the test.

Haven't bought a motorbike since though.

Certainly think it's helped me in terms of thinking about road positioning, shoulder checks etc when riding a road bike.

Just think of the health benefits you'll lose if you swap your legs for an engine!

gtvlusso

Yup - ridden motorbikes for years and raced a bit too in "Sound of Thunder"

Once proud owner of a Ducati 916 SPS and an SP-1 (Honda) - Now have a lovely kitchen and a Mercedes Diesel......

Life changes.....

dcurzon

gtvlusso wrote:

Yup - ridden motorbikes for years and raced a bit too in "Sound of Thunder"

i did a few SoT rounds on a Ducati Monster, running normal road tyres... hilharious! 60bhp with cold road tyres, amongst 120+bhp with heated slicks (or wets in the rain) made for some interesting/hair raising manouvres

gtvlusso

dcurzon wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Yup - ridden motorbikes for years and raced a bit too in "Sound of Thunder"

i did a few SoT rounds on a Ducati Monster, running normal road tyres... hilharious! 60bhp with cold road tyres, amongst 120+bhp with heated slicks (or wets in the rain) made for some interesting/hair raising manouvres

Good lord my man!! thats brave!

I ran the Sp1 as a 135BHP race bike with heated slicks, bike scared the bejesus out of me......I believe I finished 4th in my first and only season before funding was cut short by the imminent need for a kitchen.

dhope

I did my DAS about 6 years ago when I moved into Central London and restarting Uni with the intention of selling my car and getting a bike. Passed my test then just after putting the car up for sale someone drove into it, so had to go through the hassle of insurance stuff and getting it all fixed up, by which time I'd moved to Uni and had a parking space and it was quite handy. Didn't sell the car for a year, haven't ridden a motorbike since the day I passed my test. Bugger.

rolf_f

Once contemplated a Vespa for commuting when I used to drive in to our old office. At that time, I though the 9 mile trip was too far to cycle Now I don't see any purpose to having a scooter as it can't really do anything the bicycle can't do.

Besides, I always think that motorbikes are cycles for people with weak legs!

noodles71

Riding a motorbike does have its advantages..... Back home in Australia I did the length of Queensland from the Gold Coast to the tip of Cape York and back on an XR400. That took 3 weeks and a very sore butt. I can imagine doing it on a cycle. 3 months and a massively sore butt (even worse than it feels now from George Osbourne's raping me).

edb999

Yes
The little pic over <- might give it away Currently have a 53 plate fireblade (954).

Agent57

Did my direct access in October 2007, just before my 39th birthday; just before they changed the test to make it a little harder/more of a PITA.

Bought a Honda CB600F Hornet. Unfaired; fast enough for me. But I'd really like a Triumph of some description (e.g America or Bonneville).

veronese68

I sold my Ducati SS and bought an old Triumph to restore to force myself to cycle to work. There have been a few occasions when I've regretted that, mostly after breaking 3 ribs and puncturing a lung. I now still have the Bonnie unfinished but the EPO made me buy another motorbike as reserve so I bought an old Yamaha 660 for less than a quid per cc. Now also got a Triumph Daytona 1200 coming my way which is a bit ott for a 6 mile commute. So I'll stick to the push bike most days.

lostboysaint

Weeksy's signature may give it away if he gets on this thread and I have a few as well. We first "met" on a biker forum.

Triumph Sprint as the everyday bike and a couple of others for different things.

Well done on your CBT. It's not that big a step to doing your Mod1 test (the car park one) and then a decent day or two of tuition and you could walk the Mod2 (road ride). Not sure how old you are but obviously there may or may not be restrictions then as to what you can ride (which may also depend on what you rode for your test).

Bikes (with engines) are great, economy of a diesel car, quicker than a supercar, reduced journey times and cool as fuck (unless you ride a Sprint!). Welcome to our world.

alan_sherman

Fazer 600 owner here. Lots of cross skills like counter steering, learning to find routes that aren't motorways so the journey is more fun, fixing it yourself instead of dealers prices, just going out for fun, talking for ages with strangers on internet forums......

The biggest comparison on the commute is that it is not always quicker going like a loon. Chill out, look for safe lines and staying on two wheels is key! On a bikesafe course (run by the police) tehy suggested filtering to the back of the first car in a queue. Then when the lights go green you have a half second to get into gear and pull away in a relaxed way instead of the drag race start when you have pushed to the front of the queue

Agree with Pufftmw's last para BTW.

Pufftmw

lostboysaint wrote:

Bikes (with engines) are great, economy of a diesel car, quicker than a supercar, reduced journey times and cool as fark (unless you ride a Sprint!).

And any Harley....

jeremyrundle

If I said what I think about motorbike riders, the way they abuse the roads, drivers and assume laws don't apply to them, let us all hope the crackdown and instant fines also apply to the scurge of the road bikers. :evil:

mroli

Scooter (50cc - because you can ride pillion and don't have to worry about gears in town).

Had a 125cc honda CB - lovely it was, all old and chrome and stuff. Got crushed by a large earth moving lorry, driven by a guy that had past his test the day before in Taverstock Square, London. I got away lightly - badly cut foot thanks to the petrol tank splitting and forming a bridge over my foot.

I learnt a valuable lesson that day - and the insurance money paid for the wife's engagement ring!

prj45

Am teetering on doing my CBT at the moment...

nich

prj45 wrote:

Am teetering on doing my CBT at the moment...

I would!

Remember it's not a test. It was the most fun thing I've done in a long while.

As a cyclist, all of the road-saftey talk is directly transferable, so it's useful.

To be honest, even if I didn't progress onto riding a motorbike, I still think it's money well spent. It was fun, and useful to know what other road users are *hopefully* thinking when they share your space.

Fireblade96

I think my forum name kinda gives it away !
Been a biker since my teens, only got a car a few years ago, and that just to carry my toys.
I don't commute by motorbike any longer, I use my pushbike now, but I can't ever see myself not having a motorbike or two.
Lots of crossover skills - road positioning, cornering, defensive riding.
And, of course, it's cool :-)

MarcBC

I commuted into London for about 4 years on a pushbike, 12 miles each way but in 2004 gave in to the dark side and did my DAS and bought a Ducati as a first bike. I commuted by motorbike from 2004 to 2009.

Now living in t'country and no longer commuting, cycle(s), motorbike and car(s) are used purely for pleasure. Each gives me a smile for different reasons.

grayo59

I have a 1979 Suzuki GS850 with shaft drive. Big ol' lump. Love it.