First day of training

Andy Pandy

Andy Pandy

Andy Pandy

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Joined
9 May 2006
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1,313
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Nottingham
Well today was my first day of 125 training for my restricted test. It was a bit wet outside and was raining for a while but was loving every minute of it. I have slow control near about nailed, and am fairly happy. What I am not happy about is coming off at 30 mph :o. It wasnt on a main road, it was like a private road with room small enough for bikes to get past the gate. I was doing an emergency stop and was doing about 35 ish mph. I started braking and then just hit the floor.

Everything happened so quickly, I just saw myself sliding down the road with my leg under the bike for what seems like ages. I asked my instructor what happened and he said the front wheel locked up. I am ok, but my shoulder hurts a little bit and I have a tiny graze on my right knee. That is it. I cant believe sliding down the road at 30 mph, I came off ok. My new boots have a bit of a scuff, and my right glove has a tiny scuff. My head never hit the floor thankfully so my new helmet is ok :).

I think I will still continue with the training tomorrow but if anything else happens, that is it for me!
 
Yeh bikes don't like to stop too quickly in wet weather. You really need total control over progressive braking.

I did my test in Nov many years ago. On the lesson before the test I did the same on a frosty road. Luckily I managed to control the front wheel skid and get both feet down to balance the bike and stay up right. That was on a CB500. I did remember the skid during my test and made sure my emergency stop was slower and more progressive. That went perfectly.

Just remember everything is slower when wet or icy. Glad you come away unhurt tho.
 
Yeah I am very very surprised how well I have come out, I was wearing jeans with a thin waterproof layer over them and all that I have is a tiny hole in the jeans and a tiny graze. It has deffinitely taught me a lesson, be very careful with the brakes etc. As you say smooth and progressive!
 
that doesnt sound like fun on the first day. good that you are OK though.

Like you say, give tomorrow another go, if you dont feel 'right' then maybe its not for you.
 
First day of my training and we were doing some emergency stops at the centre, some guy was bitching about his brakes being rubbish, instructor jumps on in a bit of a mood mumberling something about them needing working harder or something....

..anyway he burns off, spins it round, comes back towards us for an emergency stop absolutely gunning it and as soon as he starts it he instantly locks the front wheel (on a dry day) and the bike just folds under him and skids to a stop in front of us... I literally wet myself a bit I laughed so hard.

Oh yeah and this was a cg125 with a drum on the front!
 
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Pretty embarrassing for the instructor then haha. I cant continue riding at the moment, my left shoulder is ****** :(. I am really put off by it now thinking of how worse everything could have been. Part of me still wants to get my motorbike license though, so I will wait till I am 21 in May and just do the DAS.

Gutted :(
 
Admiral Huddy said:
I loved my DA training week. 1st day was the CBR, 2 days on 125s, then 2 days on ER500s with the test on the Friday afternoon which i passed. Great fun.
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I was thinking they let you on a Honda CBR then, was thinking was a bit much for first day then going back to a 125. Then I realised you meant CBT lol :D.

But sorry to hear about your off on your first day! Hopefully things will go better today for you. Like that saying, "Why do we fall down? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.". Holds true for this, I fell off during my U-Turn in my test, and looking back at it, I know why I did, so I won't make the same mistake again. And I also binned it with in my first month of having my licence, I locked my front brakes, like you, but I was entering a corner. It's all learning, I won't be that aggressive again on the brakes, and certainly not in a corner lol.
 
Well done for not giving up mate!

When I was doing my DAS, there was snow around in Oxford, and the chap I was out with also training (2 to 1 instructor) had his test, still snow around but mostly slush and ice... Car tests had been cancelled but not bike and he wouldn't have got his money refunded! He hit a patch of ice coming out of the test centre, came off and was asked to carry on!

ags
 
Andy Pandy said:
Pretty embarrassing for the instructor then haha. I cant continue riding at the moment, my left shoulder is ****** :(. I am really put off by it now thinking of how worse everything could have been. Part of me still wants to get my motorbike license though, so I will wait till I am 21 in May and just do the DAS.

Gutted :(
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Mate, dont be put off, it can be a hard learning curve but provided your sensible and can learn quick theres no reason at all not to keep on with it.
I had to take 3, yes 3 cbt lessons as I was cack gears and clutch control, once moving I was fine but really had to learn how to ride in my sessions. I got binned off twice in my first two months(other drivers faults) and locked the front in the wet twice but now after a winter riding on snow/ice/mud and salt and a total of 18 months experience Im never looking back.
get the CBT done and find some people whol ride out with you, best for skills and confidence boosting!
 
Better to have done it now and come away unscathed than to learn that you cannot simply grab a handful of front brake when you're doing 60 or 70mph on A roads, it's part of the training.
 
One of my mates did the exact same thing. Damp & mossy training ground, just slammed the front brake on and went right over the top and down the tarmac. Ruined his brand new Arai lid, broke two fingers and the bike wasn't in great shape either. 2 months later he passed and hasn't looked back! Stick with it, nothing that's worthwhile is every easy ;)
 
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