DELETED_5350

Just take it easy and you'll be fine. Yeah, wet drains and white lines are deadly but you'll soon remember where they are and where to ride to avoid them.

I came off on Friday thanks to some *** on a roundabout, just a 15mph job, didn't even land on my ass. The side of the bike is scratched up a bit but it happens. 99.99% of the time you see it coming though so don't sweat it.
 
I dont feel unsafe on a bike at all, i know the risks for sure but if you think about them all the time you are riding then it turns you into a nervous wreck of a rider.

I feel confident on the roads but not over confident that I take stupid risks, yea I overtake cars and filter traffic, but its all part of the fun of being on 2 wheels.

As long as you ride sensibly you should have no reason to worry at all :)
 
I think I said to you at the weekend Luke, its all in the mind. You have to be confident but not cocky I think. If you dwell on all the risks I guess you will make stupid mistakes and miss things because you are worrying too much.

I do fear for bikers sometimes though, when you see some of the people on the road who don't have a clue what is around them.
 
Yeah on the way back on sunday I was taking it easy and the amount of dodgy driving I saw was shocking.

You could be the best/safest person on the road but you have no control of the actions of other people. :(

I try and give them as much room as possible when they are behind me, I know they want to overtake me and will be able to with easy but on fairly busy A roads I tey to help by moving over.
 
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I have 6 bikes since I was 17 and crashed 4 of them, the first I didn't get a chance to as it was stolen and i'm on my 6th now. None of the accidents were my fault according to the insurance payout and I still ride like I always have done and feel totally safe about doing so. The only thing i'm wary of is wet weather.
 
Yeah I'm starting to become a bit of a fair weather rider. I've been riding for years now and never had a serious fall. I should be counting my chips...
 
Yeah, I binned my Gilera DNA 125 due to someone not looking, never mind twice:

http://www.duperouzel.co.uk/misc/bikewreak.jpg

As nasty as that looks, I came away with a few minor cuts and bruises, a week off work, a wad of cash for my bike damages and work losses plus very sore wotsits!

A lot of people throw statistics at you like it takes like 3 seconds to get from skin to bone at 30mph when wearing a pair of jeans. Although that might be true, if you wear proper grear in the first place you won't have to think about that. All these californians on these online "stunt" videos wind me up by only wearing a helmet with just jeans and a t-shirt on.

As for skidding off on a manhole cover... unlikely to happen unless you scoot over it at a stupid angle at a stupid speed. It's all about commonsense and having 100% confidence when riding. You might feel a slip over a manhole cover, but 9/10 times you'll just slide onto the tarmac and insta grip.

The whole point of taking your test is to learn all this and build up your confidence. I'm going to do my DAS this winter and I can't wait. On a bike you have a much better point of view, can see over most cars and miles ahead. Sat in my car I don't feel as safe than on a bike as I can't see all around me at any given time with all the pillars and low position.
 
I cannot recommend the california superbike school highly enough..

They will help you learn how to really ride once you have passed your test, no matter what you ride...

Lots of others can teach you good riding on the track, but CSS will teach you how to handle the bike and how to switch off survival instincts that can hurt you, especially if you drive a car as well...

Most car drivers are now very aware of bikers as well, so you just need to watch out for ejits on mobile phones etc who arent looking properly, which is a lot easier on a bike than it is in a car as you have amazing visibility on a bike... no a-pillars, high up position, good manouverability all serve to keep you safe if you dont ride like an idiot, and I believe you wont as you asked the question...

:D

EDIT: Just read DUP's post, and he is spot on...
 
Having ridden for about 6 years now and covering about 50,000miles in all weathers, I feel safe and have never had a accident in the wet (only 2 in the dry, both my own fault)

Awareness and defensive riding is what keeps you on the road, I've lost count of the times people have gone to pull out on me, but I just expect it and make actions to counter it before it even starts, this works for 90% of stuff but theres always the odd muppet which you have no control over but thats life. My girlfriend passed her test over a year ago now and she would always come back saying someone done this and someones done that when I wasnt having any problems at all, we then sorted out her road positioning (and she's also become more aware) now she doesnt have any problems.

It's actually amazing how fast you can go in the wet, sometimes I'm looking down doing 80MPH around this sharp corner when you could only safely take it at 90-100 in the dry. Smoothness is the key riding in the wet.

You'll be fine.
 
the more experience you get riding your bike the better you will get at spotting things.
when you first get on one its a lot of information for your head to take in and you miss things.
you will in time be able to read the road and other road users, not a 100% of the time as your always learning but you will start spotting stuff that you missed in the past.
never just stick to the same place on the road ie a few feet from the curb.
with the bad roads we have you need to move around the lane your in to miss potholes and drains etc, i see to many new riders sticking to the curb and going over drains etc making them wobble
 
Dup, how fast were you going to bend the forks like that? Not a dig, just wondering what sort of impact actually bends stuff. They do feel flimsy when you bash it into something :D
 
I wouldn't say spot on about the manhole covers. There's a cracking set of bends where I live and on one side there's a manhole cover right in the middle of the lane. When you have a powerful bike and are shifting a little, slipping on a grid and then regripping tarmac is only going to end one way. Even if it's dry you still have to be wary of things like diesel spills on bends or roundabouts.
 
Jonny69 said:
Dup, how fast were you going to bend the forks like that? Not a dig, just wondering what sort of impact actually bends stuff. They do feel flimsy when you bash it into something :D
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I'd say it was around 65mph - 75Mph on a country road, no braking involved. I just didn't get the chance.

It was a case of "He's stopped, he's looking, now I can look further ahead" then without warning he was halfway in the road and I had a metre to react. I just braced myself onto the bike and my manhood and his cherries hit the fake tank and my head hit the car. I Didn't come off though, which where I would have picked up any real injuries.
 
Having spent several years commuting in any weather, worst drivers were bus drivers(think they own the road), school run mums(to busy sorting out the kids to watch the road, besides when your driving several tons of Chelsea tractor the road can watch out for you, boy racer in his chaved up nova/cosa/orion/saxo shed and people generally fed with the drive to work.
To see how alert some were, i'd over take and you could see the car dive towards to the pavement when their brain finally registered a bike had gone past, so they arent looking in the mirrors.
Best drivers i found were the quarry lorry drivers and white van man. Cos 9 times out of 10 they would more than likely have a blade/R1/Gixxer1000 at home so would be aware of bikers.
Worst hazard is diesel, riding to work and trying to avoid a diesel slick that was 5 miles long and on average 3 feet wide was tricky. Roundabouts + diesel = expensive repair bill.
As for grids on roads, you soon learn where they are and as some pointed out, big bikes + damp grids = fun!!
If i were to worry about every time i went out, i wouldnt ride. Wear the right gear, adopt the right frame of mind and enjoy your self.

Robb
 
riding a motorbike is a completly unique feeling, even a slow one will make you grin from ear to ear.

all you have to do is respect the machine and understand (if its a powerfull bike) it can easily kill you if you take your mind of riding it.

if you respect the bike ( i was really scared of my fisrt big bike but that was the best buzz about it ) and keep your head on your shoulders you will be fine.

dont think you have no grip in the wet as this is rubbish, white lines and metal manhole covers aside, you have a great deal of grip just like a car.

new tires is the exception, especially new front, you have to wear them in for 50 miles or so before trying to get your knee down or it will end in tears.

I drive like everyone is out to get me, my instructor told me i was a very aggressive driver and this was a good thing on a bike.

the only problem this brought was when I drive my car, im agressive/defensive in that too.. .. .. .. anticipating what the guy in front of the guy in front of me is going to do and working out the concequences.. .. ..

after passing your bike test you will be more observant of other road users, I think everyone should have to do their CBT to pass their car test, will make people more observant.
 
i see every other road user as idiots when i ride my bike and I'm an aggressive rider.
it has served me well over the past 30 years.(25 of those on the road)
as for the weather, i ride in all weathers, up until 3 years ago when i got my first car, i was a 365 days a year rider and love riding in the wet, i find it challenging and it surprising how much grip there is n how fast you can go in the wet then you know the bike(mine being a CBR600)
 
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So it's basically only Vespas that have no grip in the wet :D

Actually I think it's my tyres - look great, grip crap...
 
Jonny69 said:
So it's basically only Vespas that have no grip in the wet :D

Actually I think it's my tyres - look great, grip crap...
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Motorbike tyre selection is very important. Crap tyres can severely effect the riding experience. I wouldn't know what to reccomend though.

Also, the misconception of grip in the wet is becasue people percieve less rubber on road = less grip. The wider your tyre on the road, the more you're likely to aquaplane in standing water. A bike has about an inch on rubber on the road on the rear and it's becasue of that narrow point that the weight is more concentrated in that one area, rather than a big flat area, allowing you to cut though the wet. Something like that... lol

The only major scare in the wet is mini roundabouts and other painted surfaces. Tip is to not try look cool by riding over them in the wet.
 
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