[GuitarGuy]

Dead chuffed with the fantastic weather and all, really looking forward to it any tips anyone? Not really feeling nervous tbh, any reason I should be? :P

[shodan]

Listen to your instructor, remember that if something moves then it is a hazard and if it doesn't move then it is a hazard, when you turn the bike round in the road DO NOT LOOK AT THE CURB (whatever you look at, you will go to) and lastly have fun!!!!

[GuitarGuy]

Originally Posted by shodan

Listen to your instructor, remember that if something moves then it is a hazard and if it doesn't move then it is a hazard, when you turn the bike round in the road DO NOT LOOK AT THE CURB (whatever you look at, you will go to) and lastly have fun!!!!

Cheers mate, just leaving the house in an hours time

[FZR400RRSP]

One thing I always told nervous riders to do before a track day was the 'birdy dance'
Sit on the bike, hold the bars and flap your elbows and shoulders out/up/down for a second or two, like you're doing the birdy dance at a wedding disco.
If you want to make clucking noises, up to you ;-)
The point of the exercise is that it forces your shoulders to relax, taught shoulders are a big source of bad bike control.
As also said, look ahead.
Too many riders only look a small distance ahead, and everything then becomes a 'surprise' or a scare.
When cornering, a bike will follow your head.
Look at a photo of a racer going around a corner, is he looking straight ahead?
No chance, his head is craned towards the exit, he's looking where he wants to be.

[GuitarGuy]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

One thing I always told nervous riders to do before a track day was the 'birdy dance'
Sit on the bike, hold the bars and flap your elbows and shoulders out/up/down for a second or two, like you're doing the birdy dance at a wedding disco.
If you want to make clucking noises, up to you ;-)
The point of the exercise is that it forces your shoulders to relax, taught shoulders are a big source of bad bike control.
As also said, look ahead.
Too many riders only look a small distance ahead, and everything then becomes a 'surprise' or a scare.
When cornering, a bike will follow your head.
Look at a photo of a racer going around a corner, is he looking straight ahead?
No chance, his head is craned towards the exit, he's looking where he wants to be.

All very sound advice, maybe a few years time we could consider and avf track day

[KyleS1]

How did it go?
I loved my CBT when I did it. I couldn't believe they let you out on the open road for a few hours after only just ridden a bike for the first time!

[GuitarGuy]

It was absolutely incredible! apart from the crappy ear piece they give you, that piece of junk hurt my ears, but bombing it down a country road at 60 (which felt like 100) was an incredible feeling :D not one fall, just one ickle stall was in fourth when i thought i was in first.......

[Gunhawk]

Yeah when i did my cbt, it was the first time i had ridden a motorbike and getting out on the road, 20mph felt really fast! now after riding on my cbf125 for the last few months i want a bigger bike

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by Gunhawk

now after riding on my cbf125 for the last few months i want a bigger bike

This is the downside of 4-Stroke 125 bikes.
They can't really be made any faster.
Two-stroke 125's can usually be derestricted to well over 20bhp and it feels like a new bike again for a while.
Your bike isn't restricted, it's only ever been built to make 12-14bhp and even spending hundreds on an exhaust will only yield one measly horsepower. :-(

[NooBish AbbZ 92]

I'm looking to do my CBT soon, how long have you spent on a bile before? I've had one very short free session which was mainly moving off stopping, changing gear bit of clitch control all on a private concrete area.

I'm sure this is normal but did any of you with bike licenses find it difficult to get in your head, hand first(clutch) then foot(gear change). I'm sure this is just having a car license for 2 years and merely overlearning?

[GuitarGuy]

Originally Posted by NooBish AbbZ 92

I'm looking to do my CBT soon, how long have you spent on a bile before? I've had one very short free session which was mainly moving off stopping, changing gear bit of clitch control all on a private concrete area.

I'm sure this is normal but did any of you with bike licenses find it difficult to get in your head, hand first(clutch) then foot(gear change). I'm sure this is just having a car license for 2 years and merely overlearning?

I only did that one day taster thing as well before the cbt go for it mate youll love it!

[NooBish AbbZ 92]

Originally Posted by esaglik

I only did that one day taster thing as well before the cbt go for it mate youll love it!

Have you done a car theory test? If so how does it compare to a bike theory test?

[GuitarGuy]

Originally Posted by NooBish AbbZ 92

Have you done a car theory test? If so how does it compare to a bike theory test?

I have done but I haven't done a bike theory mate.

[KyleS1]

Bike theory and car theory are pretty similar. However I did a hazard perception test with my bike licence, but there wasn't one when I took my car test, but a hazard is a hazard.

I would buy the motorcycle theory test book and give that a read.

[Gunhawk]

Originally Posted by NooBish AbbZ 92

I'm looking to do my CBT soon, how long have you spent on a bile before? I've had one very short free session which was mainly moving off stopping, changing gear bit of clitch control all on a private concrete area.

I'm sure this is normal but did any of you with bike licenses find it difficult to get in your head, hand first(clutch) then foot(gear change). I'm sure this is just having a car license for 2 years and merely overlearning?

I have been a car driver for 10 years, but only bike rider for last 3 months.

Before my cbt i had never sat on a motorbike, but picked up the gears within an hr of the morning of the cbt. havent really struggled witht he gears at all...apart from when the bike doenst want to get into gear sometimes!

so, personally i can say i picked up the gears pretty quick and it feels natural to me 3 months on... hope you pick it up easy to

[KyleS1]

I had never ridden a bike before my CBT either, but was a huge cyclist, so it was a really odd sensation to change gear with the brake lever. However, it didn't take long to get used to it. But there is a lot to get used to.
Up and down gears with one foot, and brake with the other. It just doesnt feel right, but it works.

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by KyleS1

Up and down gears with one foot, and brake with the other.

I'm one of those riders who never uses the back brake, you could remove it and I wouldn't notice.
:-)

[KyleS1]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

I'm one of those riders who never uses the back brake, you could remove it and I wouldn't notice.
:-)

Same here really, except in emergencies.

[shodan]

I used to have a really light bike( weighed about as much as a bag of crisps) and sometime had to use the rear bake to help stabilise the bike during heavy braking.

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by shodan

I used to have a really light bike( weighed about as much as a bag of crisps) and sometime had to use the rear bake to help stabilise the bike during heavy braking.

Using the rear brake can improve stability, as it pulls the back of the bike down (called 'squat') and increases the trail back to a more normal level.
I don't mind a nervous bike though, you get used to that with experience.
The rear brake can have a useful effect in cornering though, it can help you tighten your line when you daren't touch the front.
This is why some racers have thumb operated rear brakes, to allow them to use the rear brake at high lean angles where using their foot would be impossible.

[KyleS1]

I think I would rather a thumb operated one. I haven't ridden a bike in years. Don't know if I still know how!!!

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by KyleS1

Don't know if I still know how!!!

It's like riding a bike.....;-)

[KyleS1]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

It's like riding a bike.....;-)

I could've placed a bet on that being the first reply...

[Gunhawk]

i hardly use the back brake either- never have had to use it (yet!) when braking to a stop, just use it when im pulling away from a stand still, especially on an slight upward slope as i find it easier to control the accelerating away without using the front brake at the same time.

[Crocodile]

Originally Posted by KyleS1

I had never ridden a bike before my CBT either, but was a huge cyclist...

[shodan]

Thanks for that!! Hahahaha!

[KyleS1]

Originally Posted by Crocodile

image

Why you cheeky *%($&^&$(£)%&*$(£

[Tuddy]

Originally Posted by KyleS1

I think I would rather a thumb operated one. I haven't ridden a bike in years. Don't know if I still know how!!!

Got back on a bike after 23 years last year and as FZR400RRSP says, it's like riding a bike.

Hadn't rode anything larger than a 200 but got myself a Thundercat and well chuffed.

[YankTank]

Originally Posted by Gunhawk

i hardly use the back brake either- never have had to use it (yet!) when braking to a stop, just use it when im pulling away from a stand still, especially on an slight upward slope as i find it easier to control the accelerating away without using the front brake at the same time.

Blimey ! Im very surprised. When riding big bikes I pretty much always use the front and back brake together....just using the front brake invariably unsettles the bike.....applying the back fractionally before the front helps to prevent front end dip/keeps the bike settled. OK, the back is only responsible for minimal stopping performance but its really key in overall braking power/stability. Its always a combination of less/more front/rear.... depending on circumstance...wet/dry/emergency braking/trailing brake/uphill/downhill.....

trailing back brake can help brilliantly in 'turn in the road' for test, in addition to riding clutch/higher revs.

[Gunhawk]

Originally Posted by YankTank

Blimey ! Im very surprised. When riding big bikes I pretty much always use the front and back brake together....just using the front brake invariably unsettles the bike.....applying the back fractionally before the front helps to prevent front end dip/keeps the bike settled. OK, the back is only responsible for minimal stopping performance but its really key in overall braking power/stability. Its always a combination of less/more front/rear.... depending on circumstance...wet/dry/emergency braking/trailing brake/uphill/downhill.....

trailing back brake can help brilliantly in 'turn in the road' for test, in addition to riding clutch/higher revs.

My bike is only a light weight 125 though, so thats probably why I don't need to use the back brake in normal braking! The back brake is just a drum brake on my CBF, so doesn't really do much braking anyway!

I'm sure that will all change when I get a big bike and have a disc brake on each end!