my day1 of pre learner riding instruction

Pre Rider Training Day 1

get shown all the controls
push your bike around some traffic cones, push it back
start the bike, turn it off etc
push another "trainee" bike rider while he is in neutral with bike turned
off - with the rider braking to a gentle stop every 2nd traffic cone
start the bike, put it in gear, and rock back and forth using the clutch to
get a feel for the friction point
practice getting going from a stop, and braking every 2nd traffic cone
ride round a large square circuit a while in 1st gear only
ride round a large square circuit changing from 1st-2nd and back
Go back to a room, and the instructor explains all about safety gear,
helmets, boots, gloves the works - answers any questions and gives some
advice
Day 1 finished (maybe a couple things I missed though)

I thought it would be really boring, as I already knew how to ride a bike,
but it wasnt too bad actually, very relaxed atmosphere, good instructors,
and kind of interesting anyway riding around with so many other bikes in a
small area, and advice about heaps of things all throughout as well-
although saying that, day1 is definatly aimed at riders who have never ever
ridden a bike before at all - fair nuff I guess as there are some people
that will have never even touched a bike before

I did learn a good safety tip - keep your wrists below your knuckles on your
throttle hand, as if somthing bad happens and you straighten your arms out,
you can pull a heap of acceleration accidently otherwise.

Just thought I would post my experiences sofar for any other guys in here
that are lurking and thinking about doing the course - its well worth the
cash I think, 2 days rider instruction, bikes provided, helmets/gloves
provided all for 65bucks - for once the government has done something right
I think in subsidising something like this and making it compulsary - I can
definatly see it saving lives rather than getting some poor bugger jump
straight on a motorbike, trying to learn to change gears, use indicators etc
whilst in traffic.

Anyway Cheereo - Im off for day 2 now
Daniel
'00 bandit 250

 

Much more interesting on the 2nd day.

Got to do a slalom course around traffic cones to learn swerving and
motorbike control
watched a video on emergency braking and how to setup your brakes properly
for a emergency stop
went out and practiced pre loading the brakes
practiced emergency stopping
back into the room for advice on lane positioning, danger avoidance,
recognising risks etc with lots of advice and questions about different
areas
back onto the tarmac for some simulated road driving, ie stop signs, merging
lane etc

Then it was all over! back into the room where we were presented with the
bit of paper so the RTA is happy for us to sit the computer knowledge test.

Im really happy with doing this course, learnt alot today - didnt realise
you were supposed to pre load the brakes at all! and its amazing how fast
you can actually stop a bike when you do pre load first properly.

All in all, the course was a real eye opener to potential dangers facing a
rider in regards to traffic, and if the worst happens - at the very least I
can now stop ALOT faster than I used to - not to mention a few tricks for
cornering easier and how to read corners properly.

 

its definately an excellent course
the only issue i had with it is the instructors.
some are very laid back and some are wanna be boy racers.

i found that the honda roadcraft at st ives was one of the best in terms of
instructors, bike quality and general features.

the one at quakers hills has its prefab building firebombed at one point

 

*waxes nostalgic*

My first day of "rider training" involved my brother and I cleaning the carb
out on a Suzuki TS100, jumping on and riding. Around the paddock, that is.
No battery or lights, only one spark plug, max of about 50 down on the
lucerne flats. Lotta fun, but. That was about 10 years ago.

I only got my licence at the beginning of the year. First lesson there was
mostly theory. Then the instructor said something like, "You're a big bloke,
too big for the CB. Grab the Zephyr and let's go."

 

I did my pre-learner stuff (pretty much exactly as Daniel has
described) at HART (Hondar) in St Ives about 3 or 4 weeks ago.

I was very happy with it all, no complaints at all. It would
have been nice to have something a bit bigger than a basketball
court to play on. That's an RTA thing though, nothing to do
with HART.

Next step, as you know, is the driver knowledge test (motorcycle).
That's a piece of cake: scan read the books the day before, and
have half a brain, and you'll do it easily. I got all 45 questions
correct, and whizzed through them pretty quickly too. No brainer.


What they don't teach you is how to deal with motorcycle salescunts.
They're pricks. Be careful, don't get hoodwinked, and don't go to
Sydney City Motorcycles at Lane Cove.


I got a bike mid last week. I've been getting up at the crack of
dawn every day and going for a short ride before the muggles get
out in their cars. It's worked well.

Day 1: Scares the shit outta ya. "What have I gotten myself in
for? I wonder how much I'll get for this bike if I sell
it again right now? Even if I get back what I paid for this
bike, I've still dropped a grand on gear. Shit shit shit."

Day 2: "Hmmmm, they taught us all this stuff in learnerbike school.
It's not too hard..." <remember> <remember>. The beginnings
of a silly grin start to appear at the corners of your mouth.

Day 3: Comfy enough with it all to go on main-ish roads with actual
cars and other stuff on them. The silly grin becomes more
pronounced. Do Delhi Road. Do Delhi Road again. Do Delhi
Road just once more. I'm not addicted. I can stop doing
Delhi Road any time I want to. Do Delhi Road again.

Day 4: This is fun. Go for ride about town. Go to shop, go to
postoffice. No more accidental downchanging nutcrushers
when you wanted an upchange. Cancelling indicators almost
every time I use them now. Becoming really worried about
this now permanent silly grin - how will I ever get it
off my face? Still stalled bike six times trying to get
it up the driveway at home on the way back from the morning
ride.

Day 5: (That would be today). Rode bike, uhm, 5 times today? Early
morning practise: find an entirely unfriendly hill. Start at
the bottom. Point bike up it. Practive launching over and over
and over again until I can do it first time, every time. No
way that bastard driveway will get me like that again! Visit
biking friend's house three times (Would have taken four minutes
to get their in the car, but the 15 minute get dressed, drag
bike out of shed, warm bike, ride bike, undress cycle seems like
much more fun. Go for long (1hr) ride with a guy who does RTA pre-
learners. Got a couple of minor bad habits corrected. Got told
"You're riding really well. If you went for your test tomorrow,
you'd get your license no worries".

That damned grin is back again, even bigger!

Bike has around 120Km of mine on it now, and about 240Km total.
Must put more K's on it, get it run in, so I can rev it harder.

It's fun. Takes some pushing yourself to get back on the horse after
that first scary ride, but do it. It's worth it!

G

 

Hi GB - Glad you are having so much fun. Dehli Rd is a fun little road.
Another recommendation is to take Epping Rd onto Lane Cove Rd, head north
for 2-3 kms and then turn left onto the Comenarra Parkway. Take it to where
it meets the Cumberland Hwy, turn around and come back. (Repeat as often as
necessary).

If you are interested, tomorrow night we are going on the TNR (the Tuesday
night ride). We meet in the carpark just behind the Mobil station on
Paramatta road at Burwood (at Parramatta Rd and Shaftsbury Rd). Meeting time
is 7:00 for a 7:30 departure. This ride is technically operated by Girls
Ride Out, but there is usually an even mix of girls/guys. I'll be there on
my yellow and black FZ1, along with my wife Lucy on her blue SV650S (with
the pink bunny tail on the back).

It's a pretty chilled-out ride and you won't feel under-experienced for it -
a lot of L and P platers come. (There is also a Wednesday Night Ride which
is a bit more full-on). We have a different route every week - I'm not sure
where we're going this time, but some of the crowd are coming in Santa
suits.

Then it will be time for you to do the Old Road up to Mount White, or the
Nasho, or ...

Cheers Manning

 

The one thing I honestly miss about Sydney... (not with the Brighton crew,
though; that shit went downhill fast about 2 years ago).

 

I did mine at Adamstown (near newcastle) with "wheel skills" the instructor
I had was pretty laid back, and actually a pretty funny guy with his 1 liner
jokes he works into his normal speech

Yeah its pretty small at newcastle as well, but a bit bigger than a
basketball court (there was x2 learner training groups and a P plate test
all happening at once with no worries)

Thats my next step, am booking in as soon as possible hopefully I can get in
after work and before christmas is here

Its ok! I already have bought a bike before I even did the test lol, and I
bought privatly
Its a 2000 model suzuki bandit 250 with 20,000 on the clock cost me 3grand
which i think was a good buy (its here
http://home.iprimus.com.au/daniel54/bike2.jpg )

Cheers guys
Daniel

 

That it is. Actually, I only did it three or four times the
other morning. Many years ago I did it at least a dozen times
in the Mighty Datsun 200B in one night!

(One half hour actually. All time favourite, that road!)

Yup, I'm (caged) familiar with it. You misspelled 'raceway'
though

Interested, yes. Able to attend... well, maybe. Don't hold your
breath. (Two words: "fucking christmas").

Definitely keen to make an appearance sometime very soon though,
but prolly not t'morra night.

Speaking of Christmas, and GRO, and Mt White... Is anyone leaving
from and/or passing through Chatswood en-route to the Christmas
Day ride to Mt White?

I don't have permission from SWMBO yet, but I'm keen on doing the
run to Mt White on Chrissie Day. I could use an <GRO>L's Angel</GRO>
to accompany me there'n'back though.

(Don't anyone go cancelling and/or making plans on my account,
but a 'maybe' would prolly help me convince SWMBO!)

Thanks in advance,

G

 

Then it will be time for you to do the Old Road up to Mount White, or

If you wish to do a stint xmas morning, i can be at chatty's at 8am to have a
morning ride to Mt White before the duldrums of caging about to family doo's
in the early arvo.

Mike.S

 

Hey! My course resembles that remark. Must be they take a
footy field, pave it, and break it up into three training
areas!

I Had the luxury of (Sydney) shopping around a bunch of
different registrys. I actually tried to walk-up to a couple,
and both told me to piss off. Booked/paid online the night
before and had no dramas.

Note tho, apparently they print off tomorrow's appointment
sheet at 5pm today, so if you book at night, make a note and
take a copy of your booking reference, receipt number, etc,
otherwise they have to jump through hoops to look you up.

Ah yeah, IIRC, you posted about that a week or three ago.
Those tall/lanky Bandit/VTR/similar things didn't do it for
me, but still, it's a pretty decent effort! You spent less
than half of what I did too!

G

 

*idea*
If enough are interested, maybe something like meeting at the Mobile on the pacific
hwy just north of chatswood would be the go? 8am for a 8;30 jaunt.

anyone putting their hands up to go?

Mike.S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Mon, 22 Dec 2003 22:46:22 +1100

Yeah, I can do that. If I can work out where said servo is. Which side
of the road, and before or after Boundary St?

Zebee

 

Well Lucy and I are meeting Crazy Cam at Berowra at 8:00 AM, but we'll still
be at the cafe by the time you arrive, no doubt.

Looking forward to it. HRH Queen Zebee will be there, so make sure those
bikes, boots and leathers are spotless and best behaviour please.

Cheers Manning

 

I'm horrible with directions, but heading north it is on the left side of the pacific hwy.
The servo is just after a kink in the highway leading to the right, and it is right on
"gladstone parade" in Lindfield. My apologies about confusion, i can picture the
servo in my head, just couldnt relate it to a cross-street. f.y.i.

UBD page no. 195 grid ref. D2..

Mike.S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 23 Dec 2003 00:12:36 +1100

What, some people clean their bikes?

Amazing!


Zebee

 

I hate to spoil your thunder, but if you're thinking of the
mobil servo I think you're thinking off, then you're SOL.
That servo is dead :-(

(Corner of Pacific Highway and Boundary Rd is the one I'm
talking about).

I've got permission from SWMBO, yeah, so I'm in.

I'm thinking that the only servo on the right (correct) side
of the road in Chatswood is the Caltex on the Corner of
Moriarty Rd and Pacific Highway (The new one on the western
side, not the old one on the eastern side. Approx 50m
north of Mowbray Road and the Great Northern Hotel).

How does that sound?

(I'd be happy with an earlier-than-8am start too, if that
helps us get back off the old road before the muggles get
out in force).

(My email address is real by the way, so if y'all wanna
get in touch offline, knock yourselves out!)

G

 

....snip

You've obviously not seen the hack guzzi then !!

JL

 

and now im licenced! woohooo (blitzed the computer test without even
looking at a RTA road rules book for which they want 30bucks for now ouch)