I've already posted about my first ever ride here. My second ride was a week after, during which time I was thinking about the sense of speed and freedom I felt going at a whopping 40km/h! Also though about some of the things I did wrong, and what I needed to practice more. On the list was u-turns, blinkers, smoother gear changes, higher speeds, hills, takeoffs...pretty much everything.
Second ride went fairly well. Felt a lot more confident taking it out and just driving around randomly. My gear changes became smoother (although still not great by a long shot), I stalled only two or three times, and I even managed to use the blinkers once (although forgot to turn them off for a while). Besides that I tried going faster and reached around 55km/h when I experienced a strange side-to-side wobble that felt a little scary. I gently slowed it down and stuck to under 50 for the rest of the day.
When it started getting dark I pulled in to a small car-park and started driving around in wide circles in second and first. Almost dropped it once or twice when going too slow and turning too sharp but managed to keep it up by sheer force (it's a pretty light bike). All in all second day went well, although the wobble was a little concerning.
Another week later, my third ride out proceeded as normal - took the bike out and drove around randomly for a while. I then started practicing some slow-speed riding for around twenty minutes or so. That is, just going as slowly as I could in first or second. Doing this I learned to combine the back break and throttle for stability control, and got better at finding and riding the friction point. Also took the bike out to the car-park close by and practiced some u-turns and figure-8s. Didn't almost-drop it this time, but leg was coming down a fair bit to keep it upright. Finished off the day by taking it out on a long straight and going 55-60km/h when again I felt the strange wobble.
I started getting worried about this and though there might be something wrong with the bike. Did a little bit of reading and found out a wobble can be induced by flat tires, worn tires, mechanical problems in the steering head, bumps in the road, matching the harmonic frequency of the bike, etc. Also watched some youtube videos of wobbles or tankslappers (because your knees/balls start slapping the tank when this happens). Mine wasn't really that bad though, but still alarming. I read that a steering damper can help eliminate these wobbles, but that it shouldn't really be used as it just covers up an underlying cause. After a bit more research and forum trolling, I was advised against a steering damper and told to check tires etc, but also to take note of my grip on the bars. That is, something as simple as a tight grip can be the cause of wobbles.
So the 4th Saturday out I get on the bike and take it to the straights. I make a mental note to myself to grip the bars as light as possible, and also to pull in the knees and hug the tank with my thighs firmly. Sure enough, doing this I was able to go 50/60/70 kmp/h without any wobble! The instructor in my pre-learner test kept telling me to relax and to hug the tank, and he was spot-on right. A tight grip is dangerous and can de-stabilize the bike and likewise if your knees are fluttering about.
I kept practicing for the rest of the day reminding myself as often as possible to keep a loose grip and keep knees in. By the end I felt a lot more comfortable riding and a lot more in control of the bike. I also found I could ride comfortably one-hand in a straight, but only with a loose grip. For the rest of the day I just practiced driving around 60 or so, and practiced some emergency breaks (I found my weight shifts forward a lot and my hands are applying a lot of pressure to the handlebars when I do this). Also practiced some more slow-speed maneuvers in the small car-park near by. Started getting much better at this but still need a lot more practice.
So far I've been out on 4 or 5 rides, totally about 6 or 7 hours and no drops yet (keeps fingers crossed). I still need a lot more practice, namely on more confident take-offs, take-offs and u-turns on inclines, and eventually on starting to enter traffic and dealing with lanes, lights and idiot drivers. All in good time though, I'm in no rush :-)
Monday, November 16, 2009
First few weeks on my CBR125R
First ride on my CBR125R
I had my Honda CRB125R delivered by the dealer on a Monday night but due to logistic reasons, I can only ride it on Saturdays. The 5 day wait till my first ride after just having gotten my L's seemed to drag on forever. I had vivid thoughts picturing myself walking it out on the road, pointing it straight, hopping on, turning on the key, pressing the clutch, shifting to first, finding the friction point, releasing the break, giving it a bit of throttle, etc. I was both excited and a little anxious at the same time.
On the first Saturday, I hopped on my bike on the drive way and practiced what I had visualized all week, i.e. just getting it started and moving slowly in first. I went back and forward doing this in my 10 meter driveway for about twenty minutes, just learning the friction point, the sensitivity of the throttle, the weight of the bike, etc. This gave me a little bit more confidence as I knew that once you get it going, it's pretty easy to stay on.
So off I go inside, grab my gear, and give it another go in the driveway. First thing I notice is that the thick leather gloves severely reduce the feel and flexibility in your hands and fingers. I found it much harder to reach for the controls and harder to get a feel for the throttle, but adjusted after about another 10 minutes of practice.
I was then ready to take it out on the back roads around my house. Thankfully the roads around me are pretty quiet most of the time with very few cars going around and no traffic lights, round-abouts, speed-bumps, etc. So I get on my bike, pop it in neutral and walk it to the other side of the road pointing it in the right direction. Put it in first, check the mirrors, head checks, make sure there's no other cars around and off I go!
I revved first a little too long before changing to second, but managed to get there, and then to third, and off I went for around 500 meters till I got to a dead-end. Not confident enough to try a u-turn on the somewhat narrow street, back in neutral it went and I slowly pedaled it around then took off and drove back to in front of my house. Did this back and forward about 3 or 4 times before I started getting confident enough to drive around randomly through the neighborhood taking lefts and rights.
Think the top speed I reached was around 40km/h on the day, which felt like warp speed! The rest of the time I was just slowly riding around at 20 or 30, keeping an eye out for other cars and pulling over to the left whenever I saw one behind me. I couldn't use the blinkers yet either, my thumb had no idea where the little slider was and there were enough things going on in my head to worry about that.
I wasn't very smooth on the gears, the bike would often jerk when down-shifting one-too-low, and I stalled it a number of times trying to start from second or third and I'd often loose track of what gear I was in but around an hour later it started getting dark and it was time to call it quits.
First ride. No drops. Success!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
My first bike - Honda CBR125R
Yes, yes, I know, it's a girl's bike, you don't need to tell me. I did some research before buying my first bike and probably over 80% of people say to go for a 250cc instead. Everyone says the 125cc doesn't have enough power, can only reach about 120km/h (on flat road), and is terrible for going up hills or on freeways.
That's all well and good but Learner riders in NSW are legally limited to 80km/h anyhow and I don't intend to ride it on freeways any time soon. I'll be doing most of my riding on 50-60km/h roads until I get more experience and more confidence so the speed limitations don't really bother me. Also I'm a pretty short guy so I wanted something light and easy to handle to start off with.
I checked out lots of listings before going out to buy. The recommended redbook.com.au price for the 2007 model is $3000 to $3600 for a private sale, although most listings in NSW are $3800 plus so make sure to do some haggling if shopping for one.
I actually bought mine from a dealer. The listing price was $4149 but I brought it down to $3800 with 12 month rego and free delivery. Could have probably got it cheaper buying private but I was happy with this model. It's a 2007 red/black with 6300km on the clock and in mint condition with full service history.
I personally think it's a great looking bike with a nice paint-job. The only negative is the skinny looking tires which make it look like a mountain bike and don't do much for its image. It also has a little storage underneath the rear seat although not much will fit in there besides a disk lock, some gloves and maybe a phone or wallet.
As for the official specifications:
| Displacement: | 124.70 ccm (7.61 cubic inches) |
| Engine type: | Single cylinder |
| Stroke: | 4 |
| Power: | 13.00 HP (9.5 kW)) @ 10000 RPM |
| Torque | 10.10 Nm (1.0 kgf-m or 7.4 ft.lbs) @ 8000 RPM |
| Compression: | 11.0:1 |
| Bore x stroke: | 58.0 x 47.2 mm (2.3 x 1.9 inches) |
| Fuel system: | Carburettor |
| Fuel control: | SOHC |
| Ignition: | Capacitor Discharge (CDI) |
| Starter: | Electric |
| Cooling system: | Liquid |
| Gearbox: | 6-speed |
| Power/weight ratio: | 0.1130 HP/kg |
| Fuel capacity: | 10.00 litres (2.64 gallons) |
| More... |
Looking forward to giving her a ride soon!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Buying your first motorbike
Once you have your Ls license it's time to head out hunting for your first motorbike! If you have friends or relatives that ride, you can try asking if they have any bikes that their willing to get rid off (see RTA page for list of Learner Approved bikes).
Otherwise its time to start doing some research. First you'll want to narrow in on one or two models that you're set on getting. Then it's time to do a lot of research on new or used prices, whichever you're willing to get. Set yourself a budget, remember to put aside $1000 to $1500 for gear, and start going through online sites. The ones I've used were:
- http://sydney.gumtree.com.au/
- http://www.tradingpost.com.au/Home
- http://www.bikesales.com.au/
- http://www.bikepoint.com.au/
- http://ebay.com.au
- http://bikebiz.com.au/v2/ (dealer site)
- http://www.redbook.com.au/
When you do buy something, remember to also do the necessary RTA paperwork. See this link for registration information. If the vehicle is already registered, you'll just need to fill out a Transfer of Ownership form within 7 or 14 days of buying it. This will transfer the registration and CTP insurance under your name for the remaining rego period. It'll cost you $27. If the vehicle is not registered at all, expect to pay somewhere around $250 for 12 month CTP (depends on many factors) and $103 for 12 month RTA registration.
Pre-Learner Training Course
The first thing you need to do to get a motorcycle license in NSW is complete the pre-learner training course. Refer to the RTA site here for details and exemptions. If not exempt, you need to book your training via the phone or online via myTests. There are a number of different venue locations at which you can take the test, a list of which can be found here. You will get to pick the location and time/date during your booking. The training course costs $76 and goes for 3.5 hours a day for two days.
You will be sent specific instructions in your booking confirmation email as to what you'll need for the course. In summary, you need to wear sturdy shoes (leather workshops or sneakers will do), sturdy pants (think jeans and cargo pants), sturdy full-sleeve jacket (almost any full sleeve hood-type jacket will do) and identification (current car driver license, passport, etc). It's also recommended to bring wet-weather gear as the course will not be cancelled if it rains. The rest is provided for you by the facilitators (bike, gloves, helmet, helmet shower cap).
We did our training course in Clyde, which is basically just a concrete area smaller than a typical car-park underneath a bridge, so not exactly state-of-the-art motorbike circuits here. On the first day you are split into groups of 4 or 5. You start off with some basic theory (instructor just reading through RTA guides), then grab a helmet and some gloves and head out to meet your ride. The instructor proceeds to quickly go through the basics (clutch, changing gears, breaks, getting on and off) and then you pair up in twos.
You get on the bike with the engine still off, change gear to neutral, and your partner pushes you to the other end of the course while you try to maintain balance. You then repeat the exercise with the partner letting go half-way. Soon after that you learn to turn the bike on, change to first gear, and go in a straight line. Next instead of just going for 10 meters straight, you learn to travel around the course in circles. The first day concludes with you being able to change from first to second and back to first while going in a circle.
The second day is a bit more theory, a recap of what you did on the first day, and then some more advanced circuit driving. You never go past second gear in the training course, and you're never supposed to go over 20km an hour, so the second day is more about being able to change gears before/after corners smoothly, being in the correct entry/exit positions going around a bend, slowing down, checking your surroundings and giving way to others and that's about it. Course ends with the instructor asking the group some very basic questions, after which he signs a green slip with your name on it and you're done! You have 3 months to take the green slip to the RTA and do your Ls knowledge test before it expires and you need to do the course all over again.
A few more notes about the course. We were riding Honda CB250s down in Clyde and I think a number of training places use this model. Two other people in our group already had riding experience so it was a total breeze for them. I on the other hand found it a little more challenging. Namely, I found it hard maintaining enough speed in first when going around the bends although found the bike a lot smoother in second. I lost too much speed in one turn and actually dropped the bike, tearing my jeans a little and getting a scratch on my shin (guess the jeans weren't sturdy enough!). Managed to get back on and still passed the course though.
If you've never ridden a motorbike before, it helps if you at least can ride a push-bike and if you can drive, or at least have attempted to drive, a manual car. This will at least help you with balance a little (although a motorbike is much heavier than a push-bike and it's easier to keep up in some ways, but harder if you try to fight it), and knowing how to use a clutch to stall a vehicle comes in handy too.
Getting a Rider License in NSW
So after the initial "Fully sick bro! Let's do it!" back and forth macho chatter it was time to get down to business and find out what exactly we had to do to get a Rider's License. Luckily, the RTA pages are pretty straight-forward on this. The process is as follows:
