motorbike Archives — Learning2Drive.uk

Pootling about the Peak District on motorbike

It’s been wet recently in the north of England, noticed? Well like many others that meant my bike didn’t see much use. Sad times.

Today the sun came out, so I spent the afternoon zipping around the Peak District national park.

Unsurprising to see loads of other bikers out and about, along with cyclists and what I would describe as hobby cars – the ones that only come out at the weekend. For example I spotted a TVR and something like a Caterham.

Some familiar routes as I go over the Snake Pass from Sheffield to Glossop, then explore some new areas following signs/guessing my way from Glossop over to Buxton then on to Bakewell and back to Sheffield.

Well that would be it, but en route back to Sheffield I decided the Buxton- Bakewell road was entertaining enough to go do it again, so dropped into Hathersage and continues up through Winnats Pass to Buxton.

None of that will mean anything to anyone not familiar with the Peak District … look it up. Some lovely scenery in the area, well worth a visit.

A friend who has been a biker for many years suggested I try the Bakewell – Monyash roads at some point. A route which has become a favourite, so while I was out and about I went out to Monyash once again.

Seems a lot of other folk had decided it was a good day for a ride too. Many enjoying a coffee from the little shop (on the left in image). I couldn’t resist ice cream, even if it was only just into double figures on the thermometer.

When I decided to extend the ride a bit instead of heading direct back to Sheffield, I went via Hathersage. Below is a video from that bit of the trip with a cyclist (plenty of them about too with the sun making a visit). Understandably annoyed with the driver of the red car who passed rather close, despite there being plenty of room.

Got me a motorbike

Back in 2021 I thought it would be interesting to have a go on a motorbike. So I completed a CBT course.

I enjoyed it enough I decided to invest in motorbike clothing (thanks Manhattan Motorcycles ) and complete my full licence, which I did in spring 2022.

That was that. I’d had a taste of biking, mission accomplished. At least that was the original intention, just get a taste of motorbike riding.

Not quite. It wasn’t long before I started looking at motorbikes at local shops, just out of curiosity, I kept telling myself. Yeah, wrong again.

So now I’m the proud owner of a Yamaha xj6 Diversion. It’s old and has a bunch of miles on it, but it’s mine.

As motorbikes go it’s not fast. Still plenty fast vs than most traffic when getting away from the lights. Certainly fast enough for my inexperience!

Now I’m just looking for any chance to go for a ride and have found a few hour long loop routes from home that have a variety of roads for practising.

Still very much enjoying time on motorbikes.

Passed motorbike mod2 test

Now I have my full motorbike licence 🙂

For a long time I had been wondering about learning to ride a motorbike. Yesterday I passed the last test to get my full UK motorbike licence.

Of course I had to get a snap of me on test day. This one taken once we got back to the motorbike riding school after the test.

The author sat on the motorbike ridden in mod2 test for motorbike licence

Just the 2 minor faults, one for a signal. I signalled too early at one point which could have been interpreted by other drivers as wanting the road we were just going past.

The second fault for steering. Which sounds really bad! On a left turn I was in correct position at left of lane, then came out a little wide before turning in.

Happy enough with that. Not the faultless performance of my mod1 test, but still not a bad result.

Buying a motorbike

Unfortunately, living in a flat I’m not sure there is anywhere I’d want to keep a motorbike at home. Partly for fear of it being stolen, but also aware it would likely rot faster being kept outside.

I guess it’ll have to wait until we have a house with garage.

Unless I get some old knackered motorbike that doesn’t matter, but that comes with the additional risk of it failing in some way while out riding. So I’ll wait.

It has answered the question of whether I want a motorbike or not. I do. Getting back into my car felt so ‘sterile’ after 2 days on a motorbike. It’s not a slow car, but it felt it!

So which motorbike should I buy as beginner biker?

I’d be pleased to get some advice on that. At the moment I’m thinking Honda CB650 or Yamaha mt-07. Maybe the Honda NC75-x, it’s storage compartment looks super useful.

Another step closer to full motorbike licence

On monday (28/3/2022) I finally went to take my ‘mod1’ assessment in Rotherham.

The Mod1 exam consists of bike handling tasks on a bigger bike. I had been practicing the required manouvres in preparation for my mod1 exam on small (125cc) bikes for a while.

Big bikes are fun!

The mod1 exam must be taken on a bike of a certain power. The day before the mod1 exam was my first time on a bigger bike, a MT07 I think it was.

Going from a coming off a roundabout onto a faster road proved most entertaining. The acceleration could be so addictive. I can see why many bikers I’ve spoken to have relatively mundane cars – no car (at a sensible price) will match the fun so why bother trying?

I’m starting to understand what folk meant when they said things can be easier on a bigger bike compared to a 125cc motorbike. The brakes are much stronger, the engine braking when rolling off the throttle actually has an impact on speed, it feels more stable in the wind and so on.

Mod 1 motorbike exam

Of course being an exam I felt nervous. Seeing a student getting launched from his motorbike while practicing the emergency stop in a previous lesson didn’t help my nerves!

My instructor stashed my papers (licence, theory certificate, CBT certificate) in his motorbike panniers … storage doesn’t exist on the schools bikes we were using for training.

I was to go first of the 2 candidates that went together from the school for assessment.

The examiner seemed friendly enough as we were introduced and continued through the mod1 assessment.

Of all the manouvres the swerve was the one I was most nervous about, I didn’t need to be. There’s a minimum speed (50 kmph / 30 mph) for that exercise which, on the 125cc bikes meant revving the bike hard. On the big bike it was no effort at all to get up to 30 mph as I accelerated out of the bend.

I passed.

Not only did I pass, but with zero faults. Yeah, I’m pleased with that!

I received an email later the same day confirming the pass, complete with the recorded speed for the swerve and emergency stop manourvres.

Emergency stop: 57 kmph
Avoidance (swerve): 55kmph

Next steps

What now? Well the aim was to gain my full motorbike licence, so my next step is the imaginatively named ‘mod2’ exam.

The Mod2 is more like the driving test most folk would be familiar with. A ride out with the examiner who gives instruction via a radio headset.

I’m fairly comfortable with the general rules of the road, being an advanced driver. So my challenge is about making the bike controls as comfortable and instinctive as car controls have become.

Another motorbike lesson on the 125

Had another motorbike lesson yesterday, a rather successful one even if I do say so myself.

The last two training rides have been in rotten weather, either wet (raining / hail) or freezing fog that was freezing on gloves and visor.

This weekend was different. Still the frosty winter chill in the air but it was a bright and clear day.

We made the trip over to Rotherham motorbike assessment centre again to practice mod1 manoeuvres but couldn’t get on straight away so continued for a ride around the town on bits of the test route.

Then back to the DVSA motorbike exam centre to do the drills. Two of the exercises require a minimum speed of 50kmph (approx 30mph). On the small 125cc engined bike it can be a challenge to get up to speed through the speed trap before performing the drills (emergency stop and swerve).

This time every run was over the requisite 50 kmph, so that’s progress.

The Rev bomb

More importantly I beat an annoying fault I had developed during the emergency stop.

I had been finding when squeezing the brake during the emergency stop exercise that I’d inadvertently pile on the revs. Ending up with something akin to the rev-bomb I’ve been reading about.

Not a good habit to have, end up with brakes battling the engine until clutch pulled in. And then if for some reason I slipped and released the clutch I’d end up being launched.

Well this weekend I tried what the previous weeks instructor had said. Try to push the thumb/palm into the control while pulling on the brake lever.

Not once did I “rev-bomb” this week. That’s progress.

My on-road riding felt smoother this week too.

It’s finally coming together. Good job too as I have one more session on the 125CC bike then I am moving up to a 650CC bike in preparation for my module 1 exam.

Exciting times.

Mod 1 motorbike training begins

I completed my motorbike CBT before Christmas, now I start the next steps in the form of mod 1 training.

After completing the Compulsory Basic Training I am two assessments away from a full licence. In typically inspiring fashion these are known as ‘module one’ and, you’ve guessed it, ‘module two’.

Mod 1 is about a formal assessment of motorbike control and is conducted by external examiners. Whereas CBT is completed entirely with your motorbike instructor.

Mod 1 first ride

Yesterday I started my mod 1 training with a ride from the BikeSafe training school base over to the DVSA driving test centre in Rotherham where I’ll eventually do the mod 1 assessment.

Roughly a 9 or 10 mile ride in each direction according to Google maps.

Being winter it was a chilly ride out, I was glad to have layered up. Including long football socks!

Once we got to the DVSA centre, we waited for our pre-booked time and I went through the mod 1 assessment process with my instructor.

I was one of two learners with the instructor so we only had time for a quick run through each, limited by time booked at the venue. I found it useful to have an introduction to the venue and what is expected.

Over the coming motorbike training sessions this is a process we’ll repeat. Gaining road experience and mod 1 practice in.

The ride back to BikeSafe was interesting. What had been a grey, damp and dull day became very wet. In the ride home we had heavy rain (or at least it felt like it on the back of a motorbike!), surface water and hail to contend with. Good choice to wear my waterproof trousers!

On this lesson we got up to 50mph. Which isn’t fast as such, but it’s the fastest I’ve been so far on a motorbike, so still exciting.

Motorbike size

So far all my motorbike training rides have been on small (125cc) Honda motorbikes.

I’ll be moved onto a larger capacity bike for my training at some point. I think the mod 1 and mod 2 assessments have to be completed on bikes with a minimum capacity.

Motorbike training and my first steps

Today I completed my CBT, the first step on the UK motorbike training pathway. Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) in the UK allows me to ride a small (125cc) motorbike on the roads, so long as I display learner plates.

Why?

Will I ever own a motorbike? Honestly I’m not sure if I’ll ever own a motorbike. In my efforts to become a ~~better~~ safer driver I figured it would be worth learning to ride other vehicles. It can’t hurt to consider factors other

Compared to learning to drive HGVs a motorbike licence is relatively inexpensive. It’s one of those things I long fancied having a go at anyway and as I can see a school from the window of my flat I went to talk with them and got started.

So after a day of learning to manoeuvre the bike in a car park today i took to the road. With supervision from instructor(s) in radio contact.

It went OK I think. It really brings home quite how exposed motorbike riders are to traffic. I felt rather vulnerable even at low speed (don’t think I got over 35mph) I felt very vulnerable.

Despite watching traffic very closely and clearly displaying learner plates and hi-vis clothing cars still insisted on getting too close and forcing merges.

In a car you have a crash, the cars bodywork gets bent. On a bike, that’s your body getting misshapen.

Todays riding really brought home that difference. In my car a bump might cost me a bit of money to fix it. On a bike, it might cost me a limb.

Think about that next time you’re in the car and think about how you drive and how motorbike riders might react (particularly the inexperienced rider).

I started my training with a Sheffield motorbike training company called BikeSafe. Based near the Owlerton dog track.

Motorbike sails through red light

So obviously the motorbike rider shouldn’t have gone through here, but I’m sharing this more as a reminder to look our for motorbikes.

I take pride in knowing what’s going on around me, but I missed this guy until he went past.

Perhaps because the Audi in front had been needlessly aggressive forcing a merge earlier to get in front and I was still annoyed at that.

Thankfully I had spotted the plan of Audi driver in time and was able to ease off to create space for a safer merge.

Maybe I’m more aware of it (thinking about motorbikes) at the moment as I’m hoping to start motorbike training soon.

Lessons: don’t let getting annoyed at other drivers impact your driving! Deep breath, let it go.