First ride on motorbike

[Matthew_T]

This afternoon I didnt have anything to do so decided to have a little go on my motorbike.
I walked it to a private car park (dont have insurance) so that I could legally ride it. I already knew where the gears/brakes were so thought it wouldnt be difficult to give it a go.

I set off in first and did a couple of laps of the car park, just getting used to the feel of the bike. I then changed up into second, and then into third. I was very happily trundling around at about 30mph.
On one of the straight sections of the car park, I gave it full throttle and managed to get to about 45mph. There wasnt much room where I was so I didnt want to go any faster.

I am okay changing up, but need to be smoother changing down. The brakes on the bike arent as responsive as I'd like (but I am used to bicycle brakes which are a lot better due to the reduced speed. And the throttle can be a bit jerky sometimes (although that might be me).

I really enjoyed my first ride and its such a shame that I cannot keep the bike. It really felt brilliant riding it, and the sense of speed it similar to that when riding a bicycle.

 

[Archie_tect]

When you change down you need to get into the habit of blipping the throttle a little to raise the engine revs which will avoid the 'over the bars' feeling you're getting with the rapid deceleration you get when you let the clutch back out as you slow down.

 

[mark st1]

It really felt brilliant riding it, and the sense of speed it similar to that when riding a bicycle.

you wanna lay off the EPO matey !

 

[Matthew_T]

When you change down you need to get into the habit of blipping the throttle a little to raise the engine revs which will avoid the 'over the bars' feeling you're getting with the rapid deceleration you get when you let the clutch back out as you slow down.

Yep, I was getting that when changing down. I think I was coming off the clutch too fast (something I used to do when driving).

 

[Boris Bajic]

It sounds to me as if you want to keep this thing.

But be careful riding without insurance... You may think you can't possibly hurt anyone, but you can never know what mechanical failure might befall you (throttle sticking) or who might leap out in front of you.

30mph is pretty fast for a car park even if it's Tesco-sized. 45mph seems disturbingly incautious (or perhaps fictional).

It's good to hear that you like it, but unless that car park is on private land and surrounded by guard towers and electric fencing, I'd give the joyriding a miss. It is not legal. You are keen to point out where others transgress; ignorance is no excuse in this case, particularly in one who carries a copy of the HC in his pocket. You do not have your own, special set of rules.

I write as one who was banned for riding on the highway underage, so there's no moral high horse here. But if you cause any damage, you will be in a world of pain.

 

[Archie_tect]

Yep, I was getting that when changing down. I think I was coming off the clutch too fast (something I used to do when driving).

You'll get the hang of it soon enough, or fall off a lot.

 

[ASC1951]

...I walked it to a private car park (don't have insurance) so that I could legally ride it.

I would be careful about that. I reckon you are committing an offence. First, private car parks to which the public have access are 'roads' for the purposes of most motoring offences - the classic one is being drunk at the wheel in a pub car park. Second, you do now need either insurance or a SORN for a car, wherever it is, and I suspect that the same is true for a motorbike.

 

[Cheddar George]

Glad you got to ride it at least once.

 

[Arch]

[QUOTE 2671198, member: 45"]Why can't you keep it?[/quote]

His Mum threw a wobbly...

 

[Matthew_T]

I would be careful about that. I reckon you are committing an offence. First, private car parks to which the public have access are 'roads' for the purposes of most motoring offences - the classic one is being drunk at the wheel in a pub car park. Second, you do now need either insurance or a SORN for a car, wherever it is, and I suspect that the same is true for a motorbike.

I dont know if the bike is SORN. If it isnt, then the only way of me getting it like that is firstly being insured on it. And I cannot get insured until I have taken my CBT. Which I am not doing.

 

[Matthew_T]

[QUOTE 2671198, member: 45"]Why can't you keep it?[/quote]
Parents. They believe that motorcycling is incredibly dangerous, and that cycling isnt. My mum just wants me to get a car. She doesnt quite understand the expense of that though.

 

[Saluki]

His Mum threw a wobbly...

My mum did too, when I bought a Suzuki GT250 when I was about to turn 17 and an even bigger wobbly when I passed my test on it a couple of days later (the day after my 17th birthday).

 

[Matthew_T]

[QUOTE 2671276, member: 45"]Did you buy it without her knowing?[/quote]

 

[Boris Bajic]

I dont know if the bike is SORN. If it isnt, then the only way of me getting it like that is firstly being insured on it. And I cannot get insured until I have taken my CBT. Which I am not doing.

If you have not made a SORN and if the bike is untaxed (VED), then you must make a SORN. Even if the previous owner did so, that becomes invalid with the change of owner. You do not need to insure the bike to make a SORN. By law you must either have a Tax Disc or a SORN. Having neither is an offence.

And even if you did need insurance to make a SORN (which you don't) you do not need CBT to insure the bike... otherwise how could you get your CBT? You need to ride on the road to complete your CBT, so you do need insurance before CBT. But you can make a SORN without it.

Seriously, I would not ride that bike in a car park, on your own lawn or even on the Moon without insurance.

You know how some people can get about the driving mistakes of others... and in matters of failing to have insurance or not making a SORN, ignorance is no excuse. I worry that this gobbledegook you are spouting about SORN and insurance and riding on private land might make your rigid views on the lawbreaking of others seem hypocritical. I'm sure it is anything but, although it might look that way.

 

[Matthew_T]

If you have not made a SORN and if the bike is untaxed (VED), then you must make a SORN. Even if the previous owner did so, that becomes invalid with the change of owner. You do not need to insure the bike to make a SORN. By law you must either have a Tax Disc or a SORN. Having neither is an offence.

And even if you did need insurance to make a SORN (which you don't) you do not need CBT to insure the bike... otherwise how could you get your CBT? You need to ride on the road to complete your CBT, so you do need insurance before CBT. But you can make a SORN without it.

The bike is a 125. That type of engine size, you cannot insure unless you have taken a CBT. You can only ride a 50 without a CBT (with a provisional driving license of course). I still dont have the V5 from the previous owner yet (I am really getting annoyed with them) so I wouldnt be able to tell you if it is SORN or not.
You can only take a CBT on a 125 which is the instructor company's (because you are covered in their insurance). I cannot take the test on my own bike.

All of this is gravy really. Its unlikely that I will ride it again due to me selling it (when I get the paperwork) so until then, it stays away.