number1barber

I have ridden for many years but just passed my full bike so would just like to add the following warnings for all new big bike riders because these are the things that are not said. 1. its very easy to get carried away riding in a group at speed which is fine until they enter a corner they know but you don't and it tightens don't worry about looking cool because you wont after. Worry about getting used to your bike properly before you try matching your mates speed. 2. The new rear torque is great just be wary of pulling away on poor ground gravel wet grass mud whatever because you will end up dumping it. 3. Your only as good as the car driver next to you open roads are great for speed whereas filtering is not if you filter fast and someone steps out or pulls out its bad keep it for clear areas. 99% of crash videos on youtube could have been avoided with just a little less speed. There is no point in being right if your laying in the road with your new bike in bits. I expect everyone is trying to kill me and will do something stupid therefore im usually not surprised. I was riding down a 2 lane empty road recently in the left lane when i saw a car in a left hand turning waiting. I assumed he might be a idiot so i moved to the right lane and slowed a bit sure enough he pulled out on me just as i got to him and instead of pulling into the left he went across into my lane causing me to swerve him. Had i just assumed i had the right of way which i did and not took action in case i would have ended up in hospital. so always wear gear ride well and always expect idiots. P.s ride well does not have to mean slow it just means well

although it was a few months back this is the full version of my mod 2. On the day of the test it was raining hard. i had all the right gear but my dad who was riding the bike from his house did not so i text him offering to cancel but didn't get a reply. When i arrived at mitcham there was my dad soaked to the skin. (MY dad has trader insurance and can ride anything) Since riding the bandit 600 the day i bought it some months before i had not used it again but was riding a geared varadero so i was nervous. I was praying to get mags a stunning foreign examiner who was always friendly putting people at ease i would have settled for anyone except Shaun who never shows emotion whatsoever. So obviously out walks Shaun and im thinking oh shit. We ride off and turn into heavy traffic as roadworks has shut one side of the road. after a traffic island the road has temporary one way signs designating the opposite side of the road as going the same way as my side but i have never seen this before and no one is using the other lane so im thinking no way plus he will probably say turn left at the end and i will be in the wrong lane. so i ride in slow moving traffic which im very used to slipping the clutch keeping my feet most of the time instead of stop starting. at the end on cue he says turn left we come to a steep hill and i drop a gear and engine brake so no brake lights coming up. we then do the pull over pull away a few times and we are soon back at roundabout at the start of the long road back in fact too soon which worries me. A van tries to undertake me and my examiner starts to say something to him then turns off his mike needles to say he was super unimpressed with the van. we pull back into the centre. my dad says we was very quick and im very sure i have failed. We go in the room and i say im sure i failed but have no idea why. he asks me why i didn't use the empty lane at the start i tell him i assumed we was going left at the end. He asks me why i didnt filter and i say whilst i do so daily i thought it prudent not to on my test just in case. He says okay then still without a smile tells me i passed. I say to him "you know what your a bit of a b**tard" with a smile on my face. he ask why is that. I say to him "i have dealt with you a few times and last time i said you never smile and this is the one time you could have" with that he gives me a big grin and i laugh. i go back out and my dad asks me if i want to ride the bandit home but i say no thanks and ride the varadero. this was a very different test route to erith reasons i failed 3 tests at erith 1st test wrong way on a big roundabout could not see any signage on approach changed lanes. 2nd test come to a Y junction with the previous instruction continue straight slowed right down looking for indication of which was turning which was straight on but couldnt see anything and apparently took a turning 3rd test last road looked like a 50 sped up and told to slow down. after he said he didnt know why everyone thought it was a 50.

Steve that sucks but on a plus you fine and happy to continue. I had the same thing a while back on a ride with some big bikes went really fast into a corner following them then thought oh hell. with more training on tracks i could lean it further but as it is i didnt crash so i was lucky. small accidents are a lot better lessons than making the same mistake at high speed resulting in serious harm. Its the people that have near misses then still ride the same that concerns me you should always evolve and learn from what you do. good luck with your test.

I picked up a pair of classic hiviz flexothane work trousers and they were awesome however they were bright orange. i recently found flexothane bib and braces trousers in navy. the first pair can go on roadside the bib pair not really. these things do not leak for love nor money and seem to last a long time

I brought this jacket from a friend who it didn't fit properly. This jacket goes for about £550 and my last jacket was £180 alpinestars drystar. I got this jacket because it has pro layer meaning the the goretex is bonded to the outer so no inside membrane. the alpine stars would get heavy in sustained rain 1hr plus and although i stayed dry would takes hours to dry out. this meant stopping for lunch was ok until you had to put the heavy sodden wet cold jacket back on. The streetguard is a different animal all together it does not gain any weight whatsoever that i can notice. The outside is damp at worst and is quick to dry so stopping for lunch is not issue as the jacket is not really wet when it comes time to put it back on. i would always buy another now or consider any pro layer jacket

i would never ever by cheap unbranded gloves thats very risky. if you go down there is a fair chance they well tear to pieces.

put your gloves inside? gloves have enough of a problem being waterproof without them being worn over sleeves

not a bad idea but im not sure i like my fingers being joined. i tried a pair of spada mits they were awful super huge and would bunch up on the throttle etc. i might have a look for these. thanks

if the liner is not removable take off the visor and was the helmet in a sink with baby shampoo. to push a towel in side and try to get it as dry as possible then simply pop in the tumble dryer. im just joking either hang it above a radiator or fold a towel place on top of radiator and the helmet on top or a large 2 litre bottle on top of the rad and put the helmet over the top put a folded towel on the floor next to it if there is any possibility you could knock it off. i wouldn't want freebreeze on my head

get some cones or water bottles full of water. its really good to practice but yeah different weight on the big boy. low speed clutch control is where the practice matters.

I leave a 4/5 foot gap behind cars i dont worry about seeing ahead due to the fact i can see over the car. lorries and vans i stay more to the right when stopped and riding and give a bigger distance for both. i dont need to have a big distance when stopped because unlike many i don't race to filter as soon as the vehicle in front moves. When it moves i then move and if its safe to filter i do so i don't chop around trying to constantly find the quickest way because im on a bike im in no rush and chopping around is rarely faster in london anyway. your right i ride slower than some people but as to how on earth you think that equates to more risk is really beyond me? cars go slower than me and they are not crashing every 30 seconds. the gap you refer to is as others have said for if you are hit in the rear. As i have said i have riden daily into London for 15 years and have never been hit in the rear nor hit anything. i am a confident calm rider.

i have been looking for decent gloves for a long time as have most. i had alpinestars drystar they keep you dry but get heavy and take forever to dry out. im really looking for gloves that work the same as my streetguard ie the waterproof layer is on the outside. the 3 choices of gloves that i have found that may repel well are as follows. richa cold protects. top marks in visordown tests bering focals infinity rate them as their best set of winter gloves. knox zero 2 they have outdry tech now i know for a fact the knox are coated on the top layer and are said to let nothing through that said they come with a price tag £150 has anyone had any long term experience with any of the above gloves good or bad?

flexothane bib and braces in navy blue. £27 nothing goes through them including torrential rain then any over jacket for the top

as far as i can figure out there are 4 types of waterproofs. 1. gear that says its waterproof but you get drenched in it. 2. gear that has a waterproof liner 3. gear that has a waterproof outer 4. waterproof over gear. 1. this covers alot of really cheap gear and is basically rubbish say jackets under £50 2. this is broad but can go from £80 spada jackets to £300+ alpinestars. The problem is with liner jackets is some repel water from the surface due to coating that wears off after a while and some never have the coating to start with. liner jackets are fine if you are going to one location without stopping and are not doing long tours. the problem with liner jackets is if the coating gives or isnt the there the jacket will gain a lot of weight. you will stay dry but you will be cold and it will be heavy and take forever to dry. this is bad news if you stop and take it off then have to put it back on. 3. these are the dogs nuts. these include some held jackets rukka and bmw streetguard. these badboys have goretex coated to the outer (pro layer) which means they gain next to no weight keep you warm and light and will dry very very quick. the only downside is these jackets are £450+ but they are worth it if you can afford them. 4. over gear is the simple cheap solution buy ones that work and expect to pay maybe £20-£40 for a jacket or trousers. they can be stashed in small spaces and will make any gear fully waterproof provided you buy one that works. on the downside they are not normally goretex so they don't breathe but they do block cold air rather well. for winter riding i go with flexothane bib and braces work wear £30 trousers seriously waterproof and comes in dark blue. i worry about function way before i worry about price thats not to say i only buy expensive its just i buy what works

to Joe85: yeah erith is up down up down all the time and the roundabouts are big. I think your talking about Dave teller. I heard awesome things about him but I messaged him asking for one day mod 1 training after lots elsewhere he said he would do 3 day with some mod 2 I said I only wanted mod 1 first but he insisted 3 day at 400 I think which peed me off alot. for a new rider I would recommend him from what I hear but for me it was not suitable at all.

I ride in London and it's a good idea to leave a "big gap" (about a car length) because if someone bumps into the back of you because they "didn't see you" then you have that safety gap in front so you don't run into the car in front. Also if the car in front broke down if you're a good distance back then you have enough room to manoeuvre around them. we must ride in a different London. if I leave a car gap when I stop I inevitably get a car or some other vehicle trying to cut in on me especially if they suddenly decide my lane may move before theirs. in 15 years I have never been hit or bumped in the rear.

in answer to your question me? i did already say that i never forget my indicators however on my test i do just like the roundabout when im on a test i feel massive pressure which messes me up on roundabouts hence why i try to correct when i shouldn't. anyway i brought a 600 bandit had a play in my dads yard and had him ride it to the test only this time i went croydon. 8:15 rush hour traffic no filtering. the guy never smiled once asked why i didn't filter. I said i can but didn't think it a requirement. He said i stop to close to the cars in front. i ride in London its a bad idea to leave a big gap in London but i didn't say anything. still not smiling he told me i passed. 3 minors for stopping close to cars nothing else. the test was really short. I think i helped myself by riding very very slow feet up whilst in traffic showing very good balance. test is over and im back to canceling my indicators and going the wrong way on roundabouts. turns out big bikes are the same as small bikes just more throttle and nicer cornering.

Centers vary as do examiners and so i thought i will give you a heads up for erith as i have had a few goes there. 1. if you get a short big guy sometimes wears glasses he will probably take you to a one way road that halfway down becomes a 2 way road he will then tell you to turn right. if you missed the change you will move to the right and fail the test i have heard him fail about 6 people this way and i dont agree with it at all because i think regular drivers would make the same mistake. 2. when you leave the test center you may turn right down to a mini roundabout then right again to a big one. if your asked to go straight on at the big roundabout do not take the left lane as it is a left turn only 3. alot or erith is hilly up down up down small tight roads. if your not good with that pick another centre i believe most of the small back roads are 30 i didn't get anything for speeding so im guessing thats the case. 4. At some point during your "follow directions to" you maybe taken onto a 50mph road and pass wind turbines on your left and off at the exit up to a big roundabout the sign is easy to miss but the exit is i think 3rd it is not 1st or 2nd if your in the left lane looking for the exit you will then have to convince your brain to take the wrong exit believe me this is a lot harder than it sounds in a split second decision because in real life nobody will take the wrong exit. i have done this twice and failed twice despite knowing full well i should take the wrong exit in that situation

hi depending on what bike you ride this may help when i was training i found after i slowly pulled away if i let off the throttle and let out the clutch the bike would roll on tickover allowing me to worry about the steering and nothing else. yesterday i tried it at the school messing around before mod two and a different bike was a bit quicker doing the same thing. however if the bike will roll on tickover you can then adjust the speed purely by using the rear brake. at present you do the following feather the clutch adjust the throttle use the rear brake steer rolling tickover will be steering or steering rear brake I hope this helps and i hope you pass i failed twice with a big bike because i ride a vara but thats nicely balanced and up right training bikes are low for me and i muffed it on salom twice despite being able to pass on the vara. the rolling tickover did it for me. maybe try some of the bikes till you find one that rolls slow and use that

so another fail again today. oh joy. It is getting really really super annoying now. up till now i have spent £1050 and i still have mod 2 to finish i think the whole concept is frankly shit and a massive money earner and nothing more. i have been riding for 15 years and i have had 2 crashes both pulled out as i passed them. i ride into london every day without issue i also ride with many others who have passed because they never rode a bike before and was trained to pass they now ride like complete psychos. In regards to failing i have been given bad advice and bad training including things like "we only have a ride to test available no practice but it will be fine" thats getting on a big bike to do mod 1 which requires getting used to the bike. needless to say i failed that time. "new rocks will be fine for gear changes" nope etc etc so my existing insurance runs out in 13 days using the ncd i could get a pan european for £200 insurance if i passed before the 15th so yesterday i get offered a last minute cancel for today but at erith i hate erith because of the large roundabouts and was thinking about dsaying no but needed it done soon. so the test starts at 8.30 and we are off a few things happen a lady stops at a mini roundabout and as i start to go so does she so i have to brake hard i think i have muffed it anyway. i also forget to cancel my indicators but notice in time. on the way back we come to a big roundabout im looking for erith but cant see any signs i enter the roundabout in the left lane which is turn left or straight ahead neither is erith exit i then have to change lanes over to the right with a car behind me going left. needless to say its a major. here is what seriously pisses me off. i never forget my indicators never yet put me on a test im thinking about everything and do its happened twice now this is super easy to avoid fit beepers on the bikes but the school refuse to do so even though you can lose a test just for that. i know when im in the wrong lane just go the wrong way it happened before on a mod 2 i know this i just cant program my head to convince it that when i suddenly realize im going the wrong way to continue to do so i have a split second to decide and without thinking i try to correct but here is where its is bs i dont know anyone that will go the wrong way not one person they will change lanes on a roundabout regardless of dangerous or not it happens all the time so to fail me for doing something that even an examiner would do without thinking really sucks. best bit is for no good reason i have to now wait ten working days despite it being 3 for mod 1. other than the major he said i did really well so that sucks more so i could have been buying a bike right now. i might try some self hypnosis for going the wrong way when needed. when i pass i will be training alot of people i know for free to pass theirs because i dont want others to have to spends thousands. one guy today failed the avoidance for the 5th time and the avoidance sucks

if you have a small 125 just practice a lot on it. the thing is you can tilt the bike and stay upright more if you like I was told don't look at the cones look ahead and just tilt the bike in and out. the bike I did it on was a very new bike so I assume maybe your bike will roll in first with no clutch as did mine. if this is the case I would try that if you can. so pull away slowly in first let off the throttle and slowly let go of the clutch the bike may do the same as mine did which is slow speed roll in which case you don't have to worry about the clutch or brake or throttle just the steering and when its done just pull in the clutch and stop as usual try a playlist of music you like beforehand to relax I listened to it during my practice but you probably shouldn't do that.

booked a mod 1 i was told their was no training slot available just ride to test. I asked about whether that was a good idea and was told it should be fine. Rode to the center and failed on the slalom which i had passed on my varadero no issue before. so just stopped the test right then. Spoke to a private guy who had been recommended i said i wanted a day of mod 1 training with test at the end. he replied saying i should do 3 days at a cost of £400 i told him what i thought about that and contacted my old school again. Booked a mod 1 for last week with 4 hours training before hand £200 Despite riding alot i didnt like the swerve practice at all but on the day i got a stunning examiner who smiled alot and i passed with one minor finally. As i have taken my theory in january i now have plenty of time to get part two done. Because i want to tour and because i like the size im buying a deauville much to my biker mates disgust. bike is arriving Wednesday and i have beepers for the indicators and a secondhand satnav that shows speed limits and warns if your over. my dad has trader insurance so can take it to the center for me and go compare say £200 to insure it on a provisional. the satnav is a backup on the off chance im really unsure about a road which happened last year at erith and earned me a fail. I dont forget my indicators but on the ride to mod 1 with my trainer talking about everything i kept forgetting them so for the test the beepers remove a fail for something preventable. Im really amazed schools not put both on their bikes as they do help. I now meet up with alot of bikers some 125,s so after my test i look forward to helping them for free and getting them passed without them spending a fortune like i did. Mod 1 can be a problem during slow speed stuff giving yourself a day round cones the day before can really help. good luck to anyone still trying to do theirs your always welcome at the tea hut on a wednesday night at blackheath. if you can do mod one on a mates bike its £15 but you do need to practice for it. in the end i just let out the clutch in first no throttle after i was moving and the bike just rolled along then i just had to maintain the balance and steering instead of worrying about brake clutch throttle steering. dont know if this is the same for all bigger bikes but it made it really easy for me

how come you didnt practice on the honda? if training bikes suck stick some crash protection on the hornet and get your bf to take you somewhere private and just practice slow stuff. thats like free training every night

good luck it sounds like you had some right jerks. some guys are like that and that's were I don't like the cost because its almost like ok here is the bike go play and we will chat on our phones and stuff. Think I will go elsewhere next time. That said my dad said if I buy a big bike he will ride it to the test centre for me so I can do it myself. Only issue is getting day insurance hard to find but very doable. when you do it yourself the price is super cheap. £15 mod one £75 mod two the school I went two did avoidance on site it just depends on wether the school bother spending the money to get a good set up

I don't think the cost is worth it. its not like they do bike lessons its a intensive or not When i did my training i was going from a scooter to geared but they messed up and didn't do any conversion so after a little bit we went out on the road and i kept stalling which didn't help when the instructor kept saying come on you cant stop there which i was fully aware of. next day i didn't even want to go back but did and he took me out all day on the bike and i got it super quick. There was a guy there that completely mugged himself off by saying he didn't get why we kept doing slow stuff as he had been riding for years (many years ago) and could ride fine. he proved this by riding around fast the instructor laughed and said OK drive up to a spot slow right down and pull away without stopping. he got to the stop and promptly fell off the bike. which by all accounts he actually deserved for showing off. The best thing i ever did was buy the vara. I went to pick it up and learnt the gears again on the way home. If anyone buys rents or hires a geared 125 preferably a vara you will find when you do training it is a lot easier. The varadero is pretty much identical to a big bike in size and weight without the brute force acceleration