The plan was for me to ride the 125 down to the off-road site and for Rob to follow on the 500.
If all went well there, we’d swap and I’d take the 500 on to the road.
I’m not sure if it was just apprehension at the thought of riding the 500, but I suddenly felt very comfortable on the125!
Several people have told me it’s easier to ride a bigger bike, but to me bigger means faster, heavier and therefore much more scary!
The first thing I noticed was the sound of the engine; I could hear the additional power.
The controls all felt slightly different of course, and I was aware of the extra weight.
I rode around the site for a while, changing up and down gears, braking, and attempting a couple of U-turns.
Then it was out on the road. The clutch felt easier, the gears a bit more definite, the throttle more responsive. Maybe not quite as scary as I’d expected. I was aware of not putting too much front brake on when the bars are turned. It’s going to be impossible for me to pick it up off the floor if I drop it.
I did feel a bit tense, but we covered lots of different roads and speed limit changes and even ended up back on the A14 for one junction, so there was plenty of time to adjust. Another rung up the ladder and I started to enjoy riding again.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
If at first you don't succeed...
I can’t say I was over enthused about my next lesson, I was actually quite nervous, but determined to do much better this time.
It took a little while to get back into it, but it was better. No close encounters with lampposts or kerbs, which was nice!
I even got to go on the A14, which was ever so slightly scary, but good fun. The 125cc managed about 60mph, but it felt much faster on a bike than in a car.
Rob was doing his best to re- build my confidence and I started to feel a tiny bit more in control. Of course there were still plenty of mistakes, but when they did happen, I did my best not to panic. I even had a go at a couple of U-turns, which weren’t great, but not total disasters either.
Then we worked on junctions a bit more- getting the right sequence on approach and dealing with them safely and (hopefully) under control. Parts of the lesson were actually a little more enjoyable and a little less white knuckle! I still find my mistakes frustrating, but I can at last see a little progress. Rob said we’ll move up to the 500cc next time, which I’m hoping means he can see a little progress too
It took a little while to get back into it, but it was better. No close encounters with lampposts or kerbs, which was nice!
I even got to go on the A14, which was ever so slightly scary, but good fun. The 125cc managed about 60mph, but it felt much faster on a bike than in a car.
Rob was doing his best to re- build my confidence and I started to feel a tiny bit more in control. Of course there were still plenty of mistakes, but when they did happen, I did my best not to panic. I even had a go at a couple of U-turns, which weren’t great, but not total disasters either.
Then we worked on junctions a bit more- getting the right sequence on approach and dealing with them safely and (hopefully) under control. Parts of the lesson were actually a little more enjoyable and a little less white knuckle! I still find my mistakes frustrating, but I can at last see a little progress. Rob said we’ll move up to the 500cc next time, which I’m hoping means he can see a little progress too
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
