Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Hi all,

Am about to settle on a QRide provider for myself and possibly a female friend... If anyone feels like sharing any exposure they've had to the various QRide people I'd greatly appreciate it .

Am particularly interested in anything on the southside of Brisbane, and who doesn't have a reputation for being hopelessly sexist!

A few people have already chimed in (thanks folks!) on my old introductory thread here, leading me towards RideSmart at the moment.

After this just need to find a bike... Which is a problem for indecisive people like me, it'd almost be easier if limited to 250s!!

Cheers,

Danny

I hear toprider can be ok, and I would advise doing their braking and cornerning course soon after getting your own bike. But if you like ridesmart then go ahead...

I did mine through Noyes in Ippy, Ponti had issues apparently, but they were ok for me...a teacher really has to "click" with you when you are older, or it just doesn't work - you don't like em then go somewhere else.

For a first bike I'd recommend a mild, not wild, mid size - there is much more to learn post-QRide, the last thing you need is to complicate things by throwing a bunch of ponies under a hammed-fist...but you don't want to get too bored either...

Felix wrote:I hear toprider can be ok, and I would advise doing their braking and cornerning course soon after getting your own bike. But if you like ridesmart then go ahead...

I did mine through Noyes in Ippy, Ponti had issues apparently, but they were ok for me...a teacher really has to "click" with you when you are older, or it just doesn't work - you don't like em then go somewhere else.

For a first bike I'd recommend a mild, not wild, mid size - there is much more to learn post-QRide, the last thing you need is to complicate things by throwing a bunch of ponies under a hammed-fist...but you don't want to get too bored either...

No pun intended eh Felix... Are you still upset your pig factory didn't give you a ham for Xmas???

*About to rave*

*Checks previous thread*

*Shuts up*

I still think Q-Ride stinks. Go anywhere you need to, to get your licence. But to actually learn how to ride, talk and learn from experienced friends if possible.

Yeah kempy, I'm not insane (and no longer teenaged and invincible either, sadly!). I'll be taking it easy for a bit.

And yes, I find it slightly disturbing in this state that having never seen a bike before we can go out, get a license in two days, buy a busa and ride home at 300kph, and not actually break the law apart from the speeding...

Well, and the laws of decency for taking something as ugly as a 'busa out in public!

Thanks Felix - will definitely be lining up a braking and cornering class as soon as the finances recover from bike + safety gear!

Danny

Heya,

Yeah Q-Ride is ok to get your licence However I would also recommend handing around people who have ridden for ages and doing a advanced training course etc
My husband and I went with Ridesmart

Lisa

Kempy, Kempy, Kempy...

QRide didn't make me much of a rider. But it did give me the basic competencies to actually be able to control a motorcycle. Common sense does the rest, or not. I'm still here, aren't I? Everyone must start from somewhere, and I think it is a pretty good start, provided you accept the fact that you'll be a crap rider for quite a while. Cripes, I was crap at driving when I first started, but thankfully nice country roads with sparsity (is that even a word??) of other cars let me focus more on the job at hand.

Apart from doing the B&C course, just resign yourself to the fact that most people on the road are idiots, and take the responsibility for staying alive on your own shoulders.

Make a pact with yourself to do it 2 months after you get your bike. You'll be familiar enough with the bike to not make too many mistakes, and you'll be in a more confident, productive frame of mind for learning.

Mate that Felix is a damn clever cat. He's bang on.
Let us know how you go & we'll give lots of feedback about the toprider B&C Course on the 15th at Darlington Park. Why dont you pop out n say G'day on the Sunday trackday the 16th Danny be nice to meet ya.
Cheers Brett

I thought Q-ride was for people with bike experience who never got their licence or let it lapse for more than 2 years?
Well that’s what I was told, I suppose if too many get their open class and have accidents or booked Q-ride might be abandoned as I understood it was in an experimental role or has that changed?
Any way it is great for the bike shops selling more larger bikes and I wouldn’t be seen on a 250cc let alone getting the little thing to 100kph.

Anyway I did Q-ride in Maryborough so I can't offer much help there.

Unfortunately I'll be down the Gold Coast the weekend of the 15th.

Next time I see you guys teeing up a ride on the south side I'll try to pop along before you leave and say g'day though!

Cheers,

Danny

Felix wrote:Kempy, Kempy, Kempy...
QRide didn't make me much of a rider. But it did give me the basic competencies to actually be able to control a motorcycle. Common sense does the rest, or not. I'm still here, aren't I? Everyone must start from somewhere, and I think it is a pretty good start, provided you accept the fact that you'll be a crap rider for quite a while. Cripes, I was crap at driving when I first started, but thankfully nice country roads with sparsity (is that even a word??) of other cars let me focus more on the job at hand.

Apart from doing the B&C course, just resign yourself to the fact that most people on the road are idiots, and take the responsibility for staying alive on your own shoulders.

You're still here, so am I.

Touch inconsistant though don't you think? "Common sense does the rest... just resign yourself to the fact that most people on the roads are idiots".

So, lets give them bare minimal training, so they're competant at a basic level to ride a motorcycle, and leave the rest up to their common sense eh?.

I've done Q-Ride twice. Once when I was 17 for my RE licence, again when I was 18 for my R licence.

The first time round was alright. It was one on one training, with a guy in roundabout his fifties who'd been riding all his life. Taught me a fair bit of useful stuff.

That said, I'd been riding for 4 months before I got my licence and thus had the benefit of close riding friends to teach me. So when I turned up to this, there wasn't much more to learn.

Second time through, with "Ride Alive", it wasn't one on one training. 1 on 6 training if I recall correctly. Only me and one other guy (also 18) had RE licences. The rest had never even ridden any form of motorcycle.

Knowing this, I deliberately took the last posistion in the column (the instructor the first), so I could watch and help anyone who stuffed up. Its not good to watch I assure you. Two people consistantly stalled their bikes, and just as consistantly forgot to release the front brake when moving from a stop and thus started spinning up the rear wheel. Only to realise and panic, drop the front brake, have the bike lurch forward (sometimtes into traffic at T-junctions) and stall again.

All of the 4 had problems controlling the bikes and would occasionaly go wide onto the wrong side of the road, or create traffic problems as such due to their inability.

The instructor sees next to none of this, because he either rode 1st, or 2nd to follow someone for 10mins to watch their riding.

One, even dropped the bike, which the instructor saw, and still got his licence.

All in one day, they all now have unrestricted licences. It doesn't inspire confidence in the system.

It needs to be a one-on-one system. That would be the single greatest improvement. Among others.

I watched a video and rode for about 30mins!! top notch stuff

Thats why I am always waiting for the others on Queenland rides, nobody can catch me!!

In all seriousness it also depends on your QRide provider, go through a reputable mob, I have heard nothing but good things about Aegis and Morgan and Wacker.

You want someone who prides themselves on the riders they are churning out. Unfortunately here in Qld it has opened the flood gates for alot of dodgy operators.

Well I deliberately got one on one lessons. The lessons weren't actually part of QRide, but they were targetted at getting you up to the minimum competencies as QRide dictates. I am sure there are dodgies out there.

But I have never been afraid of paying for proper tuition. What choices other people make is up to them.

Aegis down the bottom carpark at toombul where good,I did my licence in a day open and all and got a few good tips along the way.It wasnt the first time i had ridden a bike I had some previous Farm/pine forest experiance and i had a 750 about 15 years previous for 6 months I just needed a licence,

I did mine with toprider at a local go cart track. You had the option of a full day, training in the morning (which was a bit "this is what you need to be able to do to pass the corse") and assesment in the afternoon. Since I had only mucked about on mates bikes a little before this I did the full day which turned out to be one on one for the morning. The instructor was about thirty and had obviously been riding since before he could get a liscence and new what he was on about.

After completeing the corse I was far from ready to be let loose on the streets though so I spent the first week after picking up my bike in Brisbane pottering about the back streets near my mates place getting a natural flow going so I could devote more attention to traffic once I headed out onto major roads.