ChrisBiggsUK

I've only recently got my CBT and am doing as much riding as I can over these cold, wet, miserable months. My reasoning is that if I can dive in at the deep end, and learn to ride in the worst of the weather this country can throw at me, then I'll be well placed come the warmer months to just get out there, ride, and enjoy myself. I'm obviously being extra careful in the wet / wind, and if the weather is simply too bad I won't ride, but in general I'm getting out there every day, doing a few miles, getting myself used to all road conditions and types and, perhaps more importantly, taking things entirely at my own pace. I'd never ridden or driven before, so you have one up on me there with being a previous driver, but if I can do it, you can too! (Thermals and waterproofs are your friend. Get some!) Also; Welcome to by far the friendliest, most supportive, and most awesomest (don't care, it's a word to me) forum you will ever find!

Well, given that the consensus is positive, I guess I now need to find a way to drop in to conversation with the wife that there is a website with a screen for my bike for sale and that if she didn't know what she was buying me for christmas, she was buying me that.

Morning all. Just straight off the bat; I'm not a bot. Seems there is a lot of that sort of thing going round at the moment . Anyway, I have been eyeing up a screen to attach to my plucky little CG125 and have found this one https://pyramidmoto.co.uk/products/honda-cg-125-cockpit-screen-light-smoke-1998-2008. Being new to this whole Motorcycling thing, is the price on the site (£59.99) reasonable for a screen and does anyone have any experience buying from them? If so, are they legit / reliable? I've already had a look on sportsbikeshop but they don't seem to have screens for my CG125 and I'm not sure which screens they do sell that would be compatible (if anyone knows and can offer guidance I'd appreciate it since I know that sportsbikeshop sponsors this forum and so I'd prefer to buy from them where possible). Any advice, input, or alternate buying suggestions would be most appreciated.

I'm not podgy, I'm AAA rated for safety!

No worries. I'll squeeze in to it myself and try to not cry at my ever increasing middle-aged waistline.

Just been in and they have no more XL's! I have picked up a Large though if that'll do you. If not, I'll squeeze in to it myself.

I'm off out bright and early tomorrow, at which point I'll be going past the Lidl I went to today. When I go past I'll swing in and, because you have been so helpful and supportive, if they have an XL in stock, I'll pick one up for you and get it sent off to you gratis. Just my way of giving a little bit back to a community that has really helped me. Plus it gives me an excuse to go to Lidl besides getting a Croissant.

After riding around with the top on today, I can confirm that it works! I was nice and toasty. For anyone on the Wirral, the Wallasey Lidl (On Leasowe Road) had plenty of them in both Grey and Black and loads of sizes. At least, they did yesterday and today when I went back for another one. Best £6.99 I've spent.

Right. Thats me off on a ride to Lidl.

I have never bought a bulk box of mars bars (or other confectionary for that matter) that has lasted longer than a week in this house. Don't know what it is, but anything chocolatey seems to evaporate within just a couple of days. I probably need to get someone in to look at that.

Interesting. I shall have to look in to this and have a think on it.

Oh, fear not, I shall (somewhere down the line) be getting my 'big boy' license, as it were. For the short term though, I'm keeping myself grounded and setting not only realistic but also achievable goals. I'm not planning on moving on to a bigger bike in the foreseeable future, certainly not for a couple of years yet (elderly family members and their ailing health necessitates my staying grounded and having a simple, reliable, not too-flashy mode of transport). Getting the L plates off my humble 18 year old CG125 will be the next step (hence the A1), and then once (but hopefully not for a long time yet!) the elderly ailing relatives thing is passed, I can look on to getting a bigger, nicer, more fancy bike as a special treat to myself. I'm in no rush though. 43 years a pedestrian, I can hang on a few more. Just gives me extra experience and confidence out on the road. Though, in a few years (again, hopefully not too soon though), when I get my 'big boy' license, there will be no stopping me!

For me, it is practice, practice and more practice! I'm planning on taking the next step in my journey some time around Easter, that being doing my A1. While yes, at my age I could just jump straight up to the test for the biggest bikes, speed and power isn't my goal. Thus I'm hoping to do my A1 some time around Easter and get the L plates off my plucky little Honda CG. After that? Even more practicing and adventuring further afield. I'm hoping in Summer to be able to take myself off on lengthy day trips, and see about attending any motorcycle meetups that may take my fancy. Getting out and enjoying the weather, enjoying my bike, and letting all the time I have spent practicing really pay off. I'm also going to be actively learning more about maintenance, and hope by the winter of next year, to be in a position where I'm comfortable doing more advanced maintenance on the bike, beyond simple things like oil changes and such. So, between now and Easter 2025 - practice! Easter 2025 - Make moves towards getting my A1. Summer 2025 - Meetups, day trips, maybe an overnight camp or two, adventuring! Winter 2025 - More advanced maintenance skills. So thats my timeline for the next 12 months or so.

As a brand new biker (or indeed driver of any kind) I managed to get insurance (fully comp including breakdown and leathers cover) for just shy of £600 a year (with Bennetts through that Meerkat place). I have no doubt that my age (43) my status (homeowner and retired) the type of bike (2006 Honda CG125) and the security precautions I have taken (perhaps overkill) have served to bring the policy down to, what I feel, is a rather good price considering I am a brand new driver with 0 ncd etc. While you can't do much about your age or status as others have mentioned you can get a 125 for a bit, get cheaper insurance as a result, and (hopefully) build up that no claims discount.

For those of you who have been following my journey from complete novice to attempted biker, today was a huge (for me) milestone. I had a Doctors appointment. In the past, I'd just walk to the Doctors and back. Today, however, I threw caution to the wind and decided no! Not today, pavement! Today, I go by road! And so I did! I went out on the bike for a lunchtime Doctors appointment, and then on to the pharmacy, with all the associated Friday lunchtime traffic and the extra pedestrians around the school and college, and did so with no errors! Shifting up, shifting down, stopping and moving off. Everything went perfectly. While I know I'm still a long way off being as awesome a rider as many of you fine people are, I'm getting there. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there! We are about a Month on from my CBT now and as those of you who have followed will know, things have been slow going for me. 43 years a pedestrian, and never having driven a car, to riding a proper bike, has been one hell of a learning experience. To those of you who may be struggling with your CBT, or who may be nervous about your first steps afterward, please trust me when I say that you should take things easy, all in your own time, acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them and don't get overconfident about your strengths. Every day is a new experience. Every mistake is a learning opportunity. Every ride you can push yourself just a little further and a little more out of your comfort zone. If I can do it, you can too! Mindset is key. I'm really starting to get the hang of this. Oh, and if, by chance, you person reading this was one of the two bikers who waved at me while I was on my way to the Doctors, I apologise for not waving back. I'm new. I'm learning. I'll wave back doubly as hard as soon as I am able but, for now, just accept this forum post as my wave back. *WAVE*. I'm now positively itching to get back out on the bike again tomorrow. I've caught the bug.

Further update; This mornings merry jaunt to practice in a car park went swimmingly. My usual 'practice' route on the road was done three times in succession this morning without any errors on my part. Everything went smoothly including stopping at all lights, setting off from them, the whole works. While I'm sure if I was being followed and being watched there may have been minor errors that someone else may have picked up on, I feel confident that this mornings ride was handled rather well. Likewise, when I was in the car park for a time between the three circuits of my practice route, I only noticed one error on my part which, rather than being during my stopping / starting practice where I had struggled previously (but went perfectly this morning!), was instead while I was doing figure eights. I had a brief moment of, not panic, but worry, that I wasn't going fast enough to stay upright and went to put my leg out. My foot never touched the floor and I put it out needlessly, but put it out I did. I didn't need to, it was only momentary, and I even told myself off for doing so. Tomorrow morning will be more of the same (provided the weather holds off) after which I'll be (again, depending on weather) riding the bike to Church. Also; Aldi are selling these very reflective rucksacks (with chest and belly straps) for a mere tenner. Picked one up as being more visible (and carrying more stuff) is always a plus. Don't know how water / weatherproof it is, but it is certainly reflective and so will do me nicely for the time being.

It was daunting leaving my bike parked up in a car park for the first time yesterday. I half expected to get back to it and find similar happening. And the outcome would have been similar too. I'll use force to defend my Son, my Wife and now my bike. Currently in that order, but things may change over time.

I have just downloaded the app and will give it a try tomorrow and see how it matches up with the speedo on the bike itself. Even if the speedo on my bike is wrong, showing me as going faster than I actually am, I'm still wary about compensating for it and going however much faster would be needed to more 'accurately' reflect my actual speed as if I get pulled over and accused of speeding or something similar, I will have to be honest and tell the police that my speedo said one thing while I was doing another, if that makes sense? I am, perhaps, too honest for my own good. Even still, it would be useful for me as I would be able to more clearly keep track of what the speed limit on any given road is, and given the changeable nature of such things (with 20 zones being brought in, abolished, brought in again and so on) will give me one less thing to worry about. I don't think I will use it for navigation though, certainly not any time soon as for now my eyes are firmly fixed on my surroundings and my mirrors and looking at a screen to see where I'm supposed to be going would (again, at least for now) be a distraction. Once I've got a firmer grasp of the basics, however, and want to get out and explore, it will most certainly be useful!

Update; I have just returned from a 'screw it, lets do this!' trip into town, on the bike, in morning traffic. I set off at 09:15, got in to town at 09:30, and left town at 09:50 and arrived back here at just after 10:00. Coffee. I went to buy some Coffee. Thats it. Just a jar of Coffee. I was thoroughly nervous doing it, but I've done it. I rode in much worse traffic, and at higher speeds, during my CBT but doing it alone was much more nerve wracking. But, I did it. I've popped my 'nipping to the shops' as an excuse to ride the bike cherry. I had one minor mis-step when I hit a diversion. Followed the signs fine, was nice and slow moving around roadworks, turned a corner and hit a red light. As I was going slowly, and had shifted down while doing so, I thought I was in first at the light when I was actually in second. I stalled as I came to move off. I need to get in to the habit (at least for now) of while I'm sat at the lights, just tapping down on the gear lever to make sure I'm down in to first. I recovered quickly, but stalled nonetheless. AT least I'm consistent in that it is gears that are always tripping me up. That I only did it once despite multiple traffic lights, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and indeed navigating into a parking space is, to me, a massive achievement. I can't use going to get Coffee as an excuse tomorrow morning, but now that I've headed in to town and back during (albeit the tail end of) rush hour traffic, there is no excuse for me to not do it again! Slowly but surely I'm getting there. Every day is a new experience. Every day is a learning curve. Every day I need more Coffee!

I stick to whatever speed is written on the signs or on the road itself and go by what the speedo on my bike says. If I'm in a 20, I have the little dial on my speedo only just over the 20 line. Same with 30 and so on. As a new rider, and indeed a new driver of any sort, I admit I am perhaps being overly cautious when it comes to obeying speed limits, but getting from A - B safely is better than speeding for the sake of it. I will also note that the people getting right up behind me tends to happen on two sections of road, both of which are 20, one of which is through a little shopping area with lots of crossings etc, and one of which is a stretch of main(ish) road which goes from 30 down to 20 for a stretch before going back up to 30. It seemingly only happens on the 20mph sections of road. I get it. Here on the Wirral there is quite strong feeling toward the seemingly arbitrary 20mph zones in the most random of places, and I know that a lot of people ignore them. I, however, cannot bring myself to knowingly speed even if I may have a personal opinion about the arbitrary nature of said speed limit. Again, speeding isn't my thing. Getting from A-B safely is my goal. Nothing is so vitally important in my life as to make me risk speeding and lose my license or indeed my life. With regards to going out at different times, I am indeed working on that. I've been going out progressively later in the morning (I had started at 05:00 but now I'm out at 07:00) and by Monday next week I'll (hopefully) push that time back to around 10:30 (after the school and college rush). Again, I'm taking things slowly (not speed wise, but easing myself into things). And on your suggestion of a nice Sunday ride, not this coming Sunday (Mother in Law requires a visit) but next Sunday I have every intention of taking myself off to the beach after Church. Well, provided the weather is good. It'll break me out of my comfort zone getting there (although I do know the roads and the route as a passenger at least) but it is a goal I have set myself so that I keep on expanding slowly and at my own pace.

In heeding everyones advice re the hi-viz vest, on this mornings merry little jaunt (and a fill of the tank £11.33! how will I ever financially recover from this?) I ditched it. There was no noticeable difference from traffic, indeed having the same idiots (I'm sure they were different ones, but idiots nonetheless) deciding to get right up my ass in 20 zones and insist on overtaking me. While I know (certainly round here) many don't respect the 20 zones and feel they are in the most stupid of places, as a responsible road user it is my duty to obey the speed limit. No amount of revving or getting so close to my rear wheel that you could smell one of my farts will make me exceed the speed limit. I'll ride appropriately and if scallywags don't like it, then they can wait for a few seconds until I come to my next pre-planned turnoff and can then go hell-for-leather themselves and hopefully not injure anyone when they inevitably crash. While I certainly felt more comfortable with it on (my thinking was that since it made it clear that I was a learner, hopefully people would bear that in mind, give me a bit more time, a bit more distancce, and pay a bit more attention to me in case something suddenly goes wrong) it is abundantly clear that it in fact does nothing. I think I am. however, going to take it with me on a saturday / sunday morning when I go and practice in the big empty car park that I practice in so as to make it very obvious to the staff at the train station that I'm not some scally on a stolen bike zooming around their car park that they need to call the police on, but rather someone simply practicing. I'll be taking it off on my ride to / from though. I'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone for the advice given not only on this post but also my other ones. That you have been patient, understanding, supportive and helpful is an understatement. You have all been bloody fantastic! Thank you!

Seems like a bad experience and a bad instructor to me. I too have recently done my CBT (though at an older age than you) and I had never ridden or driven before. When booking, I mentioned my lack of experience and said I would prefer to do it on an automatic as I knew it would be a lot to take on board, but ended up buying a geared bike before the CBT itself, so in the end did it on geared. I found it difficult to say the least! It was certainly a lot to take on board and coming from zero road experience to suddenly being in charge of a vehicle was a little overwhelming. My instructor was very understanding and supportive, constantly giving advice on how to do things the safe way, and certainly didn't rush myself or the young lad I did it with. We both progressed on to the road ride section, during which I ended up falling off on a roundabout. Both the young lad and I didn't pass on the day but were told we could go back, at no charge, for another road ride attempt and a bit more experience, and go from there. Again, they were very supportive and gave lots of advice and guidance. The young lad passed that time, though I still struggled. I then went back a third time for some one-on-one tuition and road riding experience and passed with flying colours. I just needed more time on the bike to get to grips with things. More instruction. More time around traffic after 43 years as a pedestrian. My instructor (and indeed all the lads at the centre) were great every step of the way. I cannot fault them at all. I probably would have passed first time on an automatic, but I would have passed and had no idea how to actually ride a bike. Which would have been dangerous. Finding the right instructor is vitally important and it seems that you certainly didn't find the right one. It seems, from your telling, that you got one who simply wanted to get numbers through the door as quickly as possible rather than as safely as possible. Take your time, shop around for instructors, don't be afraid to not get everything right first time and most certainly do it on a geared bike if that is what you are getting. Again, I would have probably passed first time had I done it on a scooter but then wouldn't have had any idea how to actually ride the bike I bought. Geared is (from my perspective) a lot harder to learn as a complete novice but much more worthwhile. Chalk this experience up to a bad instructor, move on, find a good one and you'll get there!

See, I was under the impression that I had to do it one at a time, and that I couldn't drop through the gears like that. Clutch, one gear, clutch, one gear, that is what I was told. I'll have to try it out in the car park at the weekend. Thank you!

So it has been a little over ten days since I passed my CBT. It's been interesting. Where I'm at; 1 - I'm completely invisible on the road. I've been riding around to build my confidence in the early morning, wearing not only my riding gear but also a hi-viz 'learner' vest (https://www.oxfordproducts.com/motorcycle/brands/oxford/rider_wear/reflectives/oxford_bright_vest/) over the top (both to make myself visible and also as a way of showing other road users that I'm new and so hopefully they will be patient with me) and the amount of people who get right up my ass, or pull out right in front of me, is unbelievable. I cant do anything more to make myself bright and visible, so I must chalk it up to people in cars actively wanting to run us all down. I thought it was mere hyperbole, but now that I've been riding for over a week, yup. They're all out to get us! On a plus note; I am now very confident holding my own and not panicking when some idiot gets right up my ass and revs his engine when I'm going the speed limit and I'm also very confident in my ability to avoid people suddenly pulling out in front of me. Riding defensively is definitely where its at! 2 - Slow and steady wins the race! I'm taking things slowly (not speed wise, I drive at an appropriate speed). I'm not rushing into going long distances or tackling unknown roads. I'm sticking with where I know, at times of the day where I'm not going to be hit by loads of traffic, and doing lots of slow speed drills in empty car parks. Passing the CBT was just a starting point. The real practice and learning has only just begun. In news that many of you will be pleased with, my stalling when stopping / setting off is almost completely resolved. This morning, for example, at a local empty car park, I did 100 (yes, I counted)stops / starts. I came to a stop at a pre-determined point, waited for a few moments, then set off to another pre-determined point and repeated the stop / start process. On stopping, I stalled once. And I know why I did it. On setting back off again, I stalled twice. Both times, I know why I did it. So, as it stands (today at least) I have a 97% non-stall rate! I'm fairly happy with this. Will it be the same next weekend when I hit that car park again? Who knows? But I do know that I'm getting better each and every day! 3 - Gears are still the bane of my life! Well, no, that isn't accurate. I'm great at shifting up in gears. I occasionally (albeit very rarely) don't shift all the way from first up to second, instead accidentally knocking it into neutral. This is immediately remedied and I'm in the correct gear in a matter of a second or two. Going up gears is, thus, completely fine. It is coming back down them again that I find myself still struggling. When I shift down when coming to lights, for example, I do what I was told. Roll off throttle, smoothly pull clutch, shift down, smoothly let go clutch and apply throttle. Things get a bit jittery and juddery, which I'm sure isn't normal, but I'm sure that in time (and with practice) they will become much smoother. If I'm only in second or third, going down to first in a short space of time / distance if lights suddenly change is relatively simple. But anything higher than that and I just don't seem to have enough time to get all the way down and find myself coming to a stop in a much higher gear than I should be and having to try to shift down while at a stop which is, of course, less than ideal. In time, of course, this will all happen a lot smoother and faster, but right now? I still struggle with it. It isn't too bad on my early morning practice route as I'm mostly in 1st - 3rd and so all is good. But anything more than that? I need to work on it. 4 - It's a whole new world! I came into motorcycling at the ripe old age of 43, having never ridden or driven before. I had never been on the road as anything other than a passenger before and it was quite the shock to the system! Going from being a pedestrian and looking around while walking and crossing roads to driving and having to change the way I look and where I look has been quite the experience. It isn't just the difference between walking and riding, the whole riding community is an entire world in itself and hoo boy is it a wild one! Just wish I'd done it sooner! And finally; 5 - Wifes verdict. When I randomly told the Wife that I wanted to ride a motorcycle, I received no pushback whatsoever. Nothing. She just said 'oh, thats nice' and that was it. I think she thought it was something that might, possibly, maybe, happen somewhere down the line and not quite so quickly. She probably thought I'd just give it a mention and then forget all about it. Needless to say she was quite surprised when I bought the bike before doing the training and, well, we know how things went from there! She is rather happy that I'm now a motorist in my own right. Not when she is driving and I'm a passenger mind you. I'd often comment on her driving (much to her chagrin) and she would always shut me up by saying 'when you drive you can comment!' thinking that since she drove and I didn't that would be the end of it. Little did she realise that now that I can drive (albeit still very new) according to her own rules I can now comment on her driving! She is fine with me having a bike and all the gear and riding off of a morning in the dark. But my turning the tables on her and commenting? Not so much. Zero pushback from her whatsoever and instead full on support. I guess that I picked the right Wife! So there we have it. It's been wild so far! And this is only the beginning!

Out nice and early this morning, doing my usual circular route to build my confidence. Pootling along in a 30, when a car zooms right up behind me, gets right on my ass, revving his engine like crazy, and stays there the whole time until I got to some lights and turned off in a different direction. Jerk! And on my same circular route, had what was either a Squirrel or a Rat (difficult to tell in the pre-sunrise light) go full on Lemming and dart straight out into my path! Luckily, although I have a problem with gears (I'm getting better by the day), I have no such issues with stopping safely and avoiding hazards. You're not being squashed to death in the face by my bike, little furry thing! Well, not today at least. And then, to finish my circular route, had a cyclist coming down the hill in the opposite direction to which I was travelling suddenly swerve out and cut across my path at breakneck speeds, before disappearing into a side street on what was quite obviously not a stolen bicycle at all. An aggressive car, a suicidal furry thing and a lunatic bicyclist. This motorcycling thing is pretty exciting! And it isn't even 06:30 yet!