Bike Videos and what can be learnt/taught from them?

[tim]

Hi all thanks for a great resource & community!

I've got the learners course booked (Sydney), finally making the plunge.

While waiting am trying to decide on which bike to buy, and what gear to buy.

Also continually struggling between:
1. safety and need to be healthy to pay the bills and support family reminding myself I don't have life insurance and it's hard to teach guitar with no fingers
vs
2. fulfillment of long time dream to ride and save money on having only one car

I'm trying to instill in my head the need to be sensible and smart by watching videos of guys wrecking themselves and their rides

this one is a great compilation of "the one bad stunt" videos
http://moto.cled17.com/compil-de-chutes-de-stunt/

this guy shows just how much gear saved him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y7mp_n6VKY

this one is facinating!! Having never ridden a bike i can't explain it but i get the feeling that maybe there's like a "10 golden mistakes" that people make that end in disaster, and that this is one of them. It reminds me of the RTA poster at road warriors about "setting up" for the corner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6-iXO78gEs&NR=1

Anyways, I'd love to get opinions on how i'd best spend the next few weeks preparing for a summer (life) of learning to ride.

Tim.

[tim]

I'm awake before EEEEEEEVEERYONE

[mike-s]

Bike Videos and what can be learnt/taught from them?

That there are a lot of two wheeled as well as 4 wheeled twats on the road!

[Glen]

Well G'day Tim

What the hell are you doing posting at 2.40am? I'll have to talk to your parents about this you know........
(Tim here is my nephew folks so be kind alright)

There are plenty of dopes on bikes mate and most of them get into shit when they try and ride beyond their abilities. The story is to take it easy, learn progressively, ride at your own pace not someone elses and wear the right gear just in case. The learners course is a great starting point, in particular the roadcraft lecture.

Oh and don't mention to this lot that you were thinking of a CBR250, they'll throw rocks at you.

Good luck, now for that GPX250.....

[robracer]

Hi Tim good luck with your new passion, I am only going to offer one important bit of advise..... DO NOT SQUID!
Every summer I am amazed at how many learners & P platers who have obviously just done the course's & are taught in the course's the importance of wearing the right Gear, fail to follow through with this advise Oh diddums doesn't want to sweat in summer or thinks he looks cool in his Nike's... forget all that shit... you will fall off at some stage & you have little or no control over when that will be so always be ready!
& that also counts for going down the street for a pack of smokes, the stats used to be 80% of accidents happen withinn 2km of home & I have been hit head on 500 Mtr up the street for my house to prove that point.

[fireyrob]

Tim, welcome

Do the learners course, listen and understand what the instructors tell you. If you dont understand then just ask!!! My only advice so far would be to buy the right gear to start with! Glen can guide you on this path. Learn at your own pace, video's and reading will only get you so far and probably confuse you more than anything at this stage. Most importantly have fun

[tim]

Thanks guys,

This thread is like a Hills District party - Rob I'm in Lalor Park at the moment, moving to Quakers sunday.

Glen, ohhhh PLEEEEEASE don't tell dad! heh of course he had a lot more to worry about when i was 23 hanging out with mates, than when I'm 29, married, getting up early with a baby on the way

I've got a feeling it's going to be very sobering but necessary to regress from fanging confidently around in a car to "baby steps, stalling and hesitation"

Tim.

[SoundGuy]

Hi Tim and Welcome.

Look up a book by Keith Code called "A twist of the wrist" 1 or 2.

I highly recommend it.

[culla]

sport riding techniques.pdf
is a good read i downloaded it through utorrent
particularly on cornering and countersteering

[gpxpunk]

Welcome Tim,
I watched alot of youtube b4 i Jumped on a bike, but all I can say is go out grab a bike and a couple of guys and learn, practical skills are better learnt when you are doing it.
Have fun ride safe and enjoy the wonderful world of bikes.

[Six Addict]

but a good lid, good gloves, some boots, and some leather and or kevlar pants, leather will become more neccesary down the track... and most of all just be careful and ride to your limits

[tim]

Thanks for the wise words fellas, helping me to feel right at home.

I've got a feeling this advice is much repeated by bike riders the world over.

It sure helps to hear it repeated because it's drumming into my head that gear is one of the areas where I can't let my "bargain" instincts get the better of me.

I've downloaded 4 great books including both "Twist of the wrist" books in one RAR file from a webserver. If anyone wants the url just ask - don't know how everyone feels about leeching on the net.

Now time to start an introduction/what bike&gear should I buy/bike search thread.

[Stereo]

Leeching is best not spoken about on a public forum. Just because it is not always legal.

I found the twist fo the wrist books to be awesome... the video with the same name is the worst video I have ever seen.... it is truy horrific.

Back to the books.... After reading "The soft art of road racing" the first time I learnt a lot of fundamental stuff that you dont even think about.... I read it about 5 years after I started reading and still there was an immediate improvement.

Dont know if I could read it off the screen though... I have a proper copy...

[tim]

Borrowed some version of the Twist of the wrist video, I see what you're talking about: IT'S SO CORNY! I think it was a condensed version or something, but it hardly made sense.

[gpxpunk]

b4 I got my l's and everything, i jumped on youtube and they had some cool vids of a guy on a kwaka, and he has about 9 lessons on there, he goes from the controls, to starting and stopping to coasting, to clutch work, pretty much everything up to riding, Try and have a look there if you can, but the best lessons are the ones learned on the road yourself, I see alot of people trying to learn by by reading and crap, but aslong as you have some confidence, then you should be right. Never panick, just relax and enjoy.