New motorcycle & new to motorcycling

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › New motorcycle & new to motorcycling

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

2858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 171

Trusted

#1420800 4-Nov-2015 13:58

pdath: Try jumping on http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/ and see if you can find a mentor in your area. Telling you how to do something is very hard compared to someone showing you, letting you have a go, observing you and then giving you some tips.

I don't really know if that's the best idea. The guys on that site seem really unfriendly and kind of not nice at all. I have a friend who can probably give me pointers. He gave me a lesson on his bike which is a BWM F650GS.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

lokhor

2858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 171

Trusted

#1420821 4-Nov-2015 14:27

pbgben:

haha, it shows just how small NZ really is :) A lower population than london!

I agree with finding a mentor, but the best you can do is ride. Find a low traffic route and keep riding it, make sure there is a decent ammount of stops, hills etc, and ride a few times until your content, then sleep on it and do the same the next day (I was told this by some dude on a forum somewhere on the web, its to do with "muscle memory")

Also, its a bike, so make sure your having fun :)

Yep that sounds like sound advice. I intend to ride around my neighbourhood. It's low traffic and it's on a hill so lots of stopping and starting and windy slopes galore.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

tripp

3848 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1220

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1420840 4-Nov-2015 14:43

pbgben: I have the GD250N, which I'm sure is the same power train, and also had a little difficulty with gearing in the beginning (Occasionally still do).

Here's some of the things I've noticed,

Rear break is bad
Factory tires are bad
Plastic tank melts in the sun
The bolts that hold the handle bars are weaker then the bars (Don't drop the bike as it will bend)
EFI has a bad mapping, making it ride choppy
It vibrates like hell (Feature for female riders?)
The dealer I got mine from put it together wrong, oil leak after second service (From a bolt under the gearbox)
Gearbox is know to be bad (Had issues getting into N at first its better now but not fantastic)
She sounds mint with the IXIL Hyperflow
Faster then other stock 250s XD
Im sure I can find more good and bad
What you have to remember is that its a single 250, so it will stall easily. Plenty of revs off the line and ride the clutch while on a hill. Its my daily and I was a much better rider after a few weeks. 20hrs ridingish

God I miss my bike now lol.
Plus the blue looks bloody sexy. The price of the bike is very good as well.
I had an old hyosung gt250r in yellow.

gjm

810 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 122

#1420866 4-Nov-2015 15:05

I started riding a motorbike earlier this year, even got the same jacket. Took me quite a while to figure it all out as I had to teach myself off youtube vids basically. Similarly to you I had trouble with the gears and clutch, often going into neutral instead of first or second. To fix the problem I just started changing gears with a lot of force so that I wouldnt miss the gear. I would go out at night to practice and got the hang of it soon enough. I still hate wearing my wet weather gloves though, so hard to feel the clutch action properly.

Also did a prorider course recently, cant recommend them enough and only cost $20....ACC funded :)

Do surveys for Beer money (referral link) - Octopus Group

Link for buying beer (not affiliated, just like beer) - Good George

kendog

326 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 62

#1420878 4-Nov-2015 15:24

Three things to remember as a new rider:

1 Relax your grip
This will help the rest of your body relax

2 Look where you want to go (turn your head)
Research 'target fixation' if you want to know why this is really important

3 You are invisible
Even if a car driver is looking at you, they probably haven't seen you/registered you are there

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2526
Inactive user

#1420880 4-Nov-2015 15:26

Riding a bike should make you a far better car driver as well, Looking ahead and watching what other drivers are doing around you

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

gjm

810 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 122

#1420895 4-Nov-2015 15:39

watch out for the young girl driving a suzuki swift who is driving while having breakfast, has the rear vision mirror facing her so she can apply make up and is checking email/txting/other phone activity. Some would say a stereo type but I know I cant be the only bike rider that sees this.

Do surveys for Beer money (referral link) - Octopus Group

Link for buying beer (not affiliated, just like beer) - Good George

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2526
Inactive user

#1420897 4-Nov-2015 15:42

gjm: watch out for the young girl driving a suzuki swift who is driving while having breakfast, has the rear vision mirror facing her so she can apply make up and is checking email/txting/other phone activity. Some would say a stereo type but I know I cant be the only bike rider that sees this.

Cough cough and changing lanes not indicating

lokhor

2858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 171

Trusted

#1420910 4-Nov-2015 15:55

johnr:
gjm: watch out for the young girl driving a suzuki swift who is driving while having breakfast, has the rear vision mirror facing her so she can apply make up and is checking email/txting/other phone activity. Some would say a stereo type but I know I cant be the only bike rider that sees this.

Cough cough and changing lanes not indicating

I notice that sort of driver even when driving a car though. Seems like people have forgotten the art of indication..

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2526
Inactive user

#1420915 4-Nov-2015 16:00

lokhor:
johnr:
gjm: watch out for the young girl driving a suzuki swift who is driving while having breakfast, has the rear vision mirror facing her so she can apply make up and is checking email/txting/other phone activity. Some would say a stereo type but I know I cant be the only bike rider that sees this.

Cough cough and changing lanes not indicating

I notice that sort of driver even when driving a car though. Seems like people have forgotten the art of indication..

BMW drivers please don't get me started

tripp

3848 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1220

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1420950 4-Nov-2015 16:27

johnr:
lokhor:
johnr:
gjm: watch out for the young girl driving a suzuki swift who is driving while having breakfast, has the rear vision mirror facing her so she can apply make up and is checking email/txting/other phone activity. Some would say a stereo type but I know I cant be the only bike rider that sees this.

Cough cough and changing lanes not indicating

I notice that sort of driver even when driving a car though. Seems like people have forgotten the art of indication..

BMW drivers please don't get me started

OH GOD YES, it's like as soon as they get one they forget how to drive and go 80k in the right lane of the motorway.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

Sideface

9650 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15601

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1420951 4-Nov-2015 16:30

johnr: ... BMW drivers please don't get me started

What about BMW motorcycle drivers?

Sideface

pdath

253 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 116

#1420952 4-Nov-2015 16:31

Sideface:
johnr: ... BMW drivers please don't get me started

What about BMW motorcycle drivers?

The police are ditching the BMW's motorcycles. Heading over to Honda's from memory.

Try my latest project, a Cisco type 5 enable secret password cracker written in javascript!

Mark

1653 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 555

#1420968 4-Nov-2015 16:53

Melbourne police have the right idea for bike choice :-)

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsMelbourne/videos/10153743763074301/?fref=nf

pbgben

261 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 48

#1421020 4-Nov-2015 17:12

Mark: Melbourne police have the right idea for bike choice :-)

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsMelbourne/videos/10153743763074301/?fref=nf

100% Agree, I saw a video not long ago of a similar (Narrow) bike being used in europe, as they allow cops to filter through traffic and get to places quickly AND the best bit was that he was able to stop by the side of cars at lights and write tickets for use of mobile devices/seatbelts/broken lights/etc

The only way to improve the drivers on our roads is to penalize them when they're doing something wrong.

$5USD 1GB RAM, 10GB SSD VPS in SYD

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5