its a bike thing...

[Boggert]

After doing my CBT i purchased a Hardford HD 125 (It won what bike 125 in 2005) and have been using it since daily.

When I started riding it was all a bit alien, I have been locked in my nice comfortable car for 20 years so getting out on 2 wheels was very strange, however the first thing I noticed it came with a Grin factor 10!  :lol:

Ok I'm out on the open road (Done my CBT in town), firstly after getting over the paranoia of "Its going to bloody Fall over" I crank it up to a respectable 45mph... ok ok it is a 125 with a top speed of 62mph. Any way my first corner at speed, break don't panic lean... lean...lean for gods sake lean or you are going to die!!
Now it took a while to get to grips with that but eventually I figured out Centrifugal force is my friend and not to be feared and with in a few days I got the hang of corners and the rest started to come with ease...

Once I mastered the basics of the open road the nervous... ok pure terror of the bike subsided and I started to enjoy it more. I found my self looking for excuses to "Nip to Town" or "Got to go and see the bank" my wife has started making comments like "This bike thing is getting out of hand" well it beats the "This 4x4 thing is getting out of hand"

So Its a lovely day and I look in my bag of excuses and fine another dying relative to go and see and gear up. After fighting with my biker trousers which are XXL I get the zip done... still cannot figure it out I'm only a 36 waist but can barely squeeze into a set of XXL biker trousers! perhaps they are telling me something I don't know.

Right geared up I crank up my bike and zip into town. Its lovely the rolling country side, the smell of grass, fresh air and the B-17 bomber coming into land.... It happened in all of .5 of a second... I see what looks like a B-17... then I refocus and see its a large bumble bee... crikey it has the mass of a cricket ball :shock: I manage to flick the visor down and then impact! Now a little disturbed at what is running up my visor. I'm not sure if it bee guts or bee poop either one is bad, but the noise was one hell of a click! Glad I got the visor down in time, I’m sure it would have tasted bad or worse passed thought the back of my head in to the helmet! So that was my first big bug impact!

Something else I have learned is... and I won't go into too much detail... is if you need a number 2 :oops:  go as soon as possible, the pain of riding in the "Curled up biker position" when you need to go is as uncomfortable as being sat on by the local farmers prize winning heifer! (long story) Oh and the mad dash through the house while shedding the jacket, rucksack and lid reduced the family to laughter... :oops:

Back to the open road. I have also figured out animals are not the bikers friend. Bugs are attracted to you like lemmings to a cliff. Rabbits and other small mammals seem to want to floor with one punch like the mad March Hares. Birds well they are the worst, not only do they flutter up and scare the stuffing out of you but they tend to also evacuate their bowels as they fly off, this has resulted in several good white splats on my jacket. I'm contemplating the "Mad Max" shotgun mount to the bike to deal with them but I suspect it will just knock me off when I pull the trigger.  :lol:

Well all in all I love the bike now I have got use to it and as a mate said I ride it come rain or shine. Saturday when I came back from my local town I zipped through the country lanes and curling roads, the sun shining and the autumn leaves falling… I wonder why it has taken me so long to do this!

[L90OOK]

Welcome to the club...here's my other toy...the kids have one too  8)

Keep the visor down...funniest thing I ever saw was my mate getting a wasp in his helmet whilst riding...I couldn't help him for laughing  :lol:

 :shock: You can see my old 90Td5 in the background too  8)

[Boggert]

Yep, that is what I want.... sooooo bad but Have to run it past swmbo first!

[strapping young lad]

how does getting a bike licence work

is the cbt the be all and end all or is there more

and i heard ages ago your licence is restricted to the engine size, does that mean that for a bigger bike you have to take another test?

[cardiff_gareth]

CBT I think allows you to ride a 125cc

then there is another test you can take that'll allow you to ride a 600cc and then another test for bikes up to 1200cc.

I could be wrong as I don't do bikes for the same reason I don't do cars anymore - I crash them  :oops:  :oops:

[karlo]

CBT I think allows you to ride a 125cc

then there is another test you can take that'll allow you to ride a 600cc and then another test for bikes up to 1200cc.

I could be wrong as I don't do bikes for the same reason I don't do cars anymore - I crash them  :oops:  :oops:

There's 2 tests, one which is a restricted licence up to 33 BHP for 2 years or Direct access which allows you to ride any cc.

This is of course after you have completed your Compulsory Basic Training.

[L90OOK]

CBT I think allows you to ride a 125cc

then there is another test you can take that'll allow you to ride a 600cc and then another test for bikes up to 1200cc.

I could be wrong as I don't do bikes for the same reason I don't do cars anymore - I crash them  :oops:  :oops:

PMSL  :lol:

Not sure but I think it goes like this now...
CBT compulsory for all....
Aged 16 50cc only
Aged 17...upto 125cc on CBT & L plates.  You can then take a test that allows the rider upto 600cc albeit it has to be restricted for 1-2 years...I think  :?
Aged 21 you then take another test to allow you to ride any bike.

If you are over 21 I think you can do the CBT & a direct entry to ride as big a bike as you wish, although I'm sure they were reviewing this too  :roll:

[kizz81]

ill stick to the landy i cant fall off it  :lol:

[Boggert]

My CBT will last 2 years then I will do my restricted test so I can ride any bike up to 33 BHP with out L plates for 2 years then its an auto up grade to unrestricted.

I’m planning to do my test in April.

[cardiff_gareth]

ill stick to the landy i cant fall off it  :lol:

exactly, unless you were on the roof doing essential maintenance and a south eastily wing came alone and took you by surprise !

I've been on the back of a few bikes though, my sister once dated this guy who was a biker, took me on the back of his CB750. We were doing 130mph when i saw another biker, now i know why they nod as have you seen what happens at 130mph to a hand - it gets flung back with a bit of force OMG - I think i came off that bike with brown stuff on my butt :lol:

[att]

Nice one LSP.....Your write up is soooo accurate :D
Been riding bikes for 30 years and now have a fleet at my disposal.

Freedom is the thing that makes you grin, you just know that whatever happens up ahead you will always get there.

Just wait until you happen upon real noise (V-Twin Noise) and the feeling of real speed with the excitement of being open to the elements and knowing that you are indeed risking your life, it is a drug, you need your fix.

I guess going out on a Bike-Safe course will be good for you once you have passed your test etc...You get to ride with the Police Motorcyclists who are usually a really good laugh and don`t mind you  riding to the conditions and not always the 'limit'..unless you are in 30,40 and 50`s.
Great fun and those boys really do know their stuff. :D

Good on yer for living your life, more people should  do it more often.....

[TDi90]

Nice one LSP.....Your write up is soooo accurate :D

i think your getting the bobbys confused  :lol:

[att]

Nice one LSP.....Your write up is soooo accurate :D

i think your getting the bobbys confused  :lol:

 :oops:  :oops: ...I meant Boggert.......(that joint)

[Boggert]

I must say the bike thing has made me a far better car driver than I was before. I now know how bloody vulnerable bikers are. I have see it from both sides now. Like the driver that thought "I can see the bike coming, but hey its only a bike, I can make it" or was it Possibly "Is that a bike? no it will be ok" Its these heart stopping moments that make you realise how crap some drivers are.

[Bulli]

glad youve joined the club.

the faster you ride the more fun it is , officer

i nearly always have my visor down, a bee could take your eye out when your traveling not to mention gravel etc.

here one of my current bikes

[L90OOK]

I used to ride sports bikes but these Devon lanes aren't built for them!

[hairyasswelder]

CBT I think allows you to ride a 125cc

then there is another test you can take that'll allow you to ride a 600cc and then another test for bikes up to 1200cc.

I could be wrong as I don't do bikes for the same reason I don't do cars anymore - I crash them  :oops:  :oops:

There's 2 tests, one which is a restricted licence up to 33 BHP for 2 years or Direct access which allows you to ride any cc.

This is of course after you have completed your Compulsory Basic Training.

Karlo is right  :lol:  but... under age 21 you can only do a restricted test     Direct access you take on a bike with more than 35 bhp
Your CBT has to be valid at the time of the test and you MIGHT have to pass theory test

[wrecker]

welcome to the club mate,

i done my cbt on my 16 b,day then on my 17th done my full test,had the bike at 33hp then in 2 years its off, 8)  8)

ive been riding for 5 years,im 21 and love it,when i passed my test i got a 600cc honda transalp,

now ive got a 1000cc honda varadero,,,,,,,wow what a bike,and 21 8)  8)  :lol:

love bikes and 4x4,tho i do take my truck when weathers bad :lol:  :lol:  :oops: