Scared of my brand new motorbike
- Thread starter britboy4321
- Start date
You do need to man up a bit to be honest, its a 125, Its top speed is less than most proper bikes are capable of in 1st gear.
I've worn pairs of trousers more terrifying than a CBF125, so push all thoughts of it being something to be scared of out of your mind.
What scares you is you dont know what you are doing on it, you've not really been taught anything other than to pass your CBT, a process that, when I took it, required two laps of the Yamaha dealers car park and a brief trip up the nearest roundabout and back.
Go and find someone to show you how to ride it and show you some road craft, If after that the thought of riding something with less power than your average chainsaw still frightens you, then motorbikes are not for you.
Don
Get some training. Simple as that.
My mrs passed her CBT but was still scared to death to ride her bike. It took us a good few weeks to get her comfortable.
My mrs passed her CBT but was still scared to death to ride her bike. It took us a good few weeks to get her comfortable.
Man of Honour
Keep training and practicing - it'll come to you. It's probably because you're unfamiliar with the controls, and it feels less "in control" than a push bike. It'll become instinctive, and you'll gain the skills to do it.
I remember when I first started riding, I found riding near 30mph really hard in town, it felt too quick and slight out of control... Now I seldom do less than 100mph in town, usually on one wheel, otherwise it feels too slow and not scary enough.
I remember when I first started riding, I found riding near 30mph really hard in town, it felt too quick and slight out of control... Now I seldom do less than 100mph in town, usually on one wheel, otherwise it feels too slow and not scary enough.
Soldato
It's only natural to be nervous. I've felt nervous with every new bike I've had, but when your sat on it, the engine is running, clunk it into first gear and feed the clutch out there's no turning back. 
Soldato
I reckon that your wife already knows and is therefore trying to kill you 
on a more serious note, my wife stopped driving a car after she got her license as she was literally terrified of the speed of the cars around her. Took her something like 8+ years before she just turned around one day and said give me to the keys to your car. She promptly bashed the car into the fence when taking it out but I told her not to worry and she's now driving like a right royal maniac.
Suppose it will just take time and the right moment, in the meantime I'd would tell the wife how you feel to stop her asking you as that's just putting more pressure on you.
on a more serious note, my wife stopped driving a car after she got her license as she was literally terrified of the speed of the cars around her. Took her something like 8+ years before she just turned around one day and said give me to the keys to your car. She promptly bashed the car into the fence when taking it out but I told her not to worry and she's now driving like a right royal maniac.
Suppose it will just take time and the right moment, in the meantime I'd would tell the wife how you feel to stop her asking you as that's just putting more pressure on you.
Associate
I did my CBT last year and remember thinking how fast 45mph felt. Then I got a 650 after passing my test and remember thinking how slow 45mph felt!
Definitely take the time by yourself to get used to the biking, and riding in general. During my lessons I rented a 125 from my instructor for a day, and it helped me so much - being able to ride around without others watching, and with no pressure to perform and no-one to laugh when i mess up the clutch control.
I hope your current fear disappears come saturday, make sure to let us know how you got on!
Definitely take the time by yourself to get used to the biking, and riding in general. During my lessons I rented a 125 from my instructor for a day, and it helped me so much - being able to ride around without others watching, and with no pressure to perform and no-one to laugh when i mess up the clutch control.
I hope your current fear disappears come saturday, make sure to let us know how you got on!
Associate
i got my first bike at 8, a yamaha yz80, was about as quick as the 125's you do your test on if not a little bit faster, frighened me to death! I gave up bikes at about 16 then went a did my cbt at 24ish a coupe of years ago. i felt complety out of control after being of a bike for so long, for someone who has never ridden a bike before, spending one day then being expected to be comfortable, esp. around traffic is absurd.
i admit by the end of my cbt i was hooked again, went straight round to a mates to have ago on his 400 crosser, didnt give that the full beans, well almost.
give it time to build up your confidence, i have never fallen of on the road, plenty of times of road though! so long as you keep a good look out for idiots on the road, which means getting comfortable on your bike before hitting the heavy traffic so your not spending all your trime concentrating on your controls!
Im sure you will soon learn to love it!
i admit by the end of my cbt i was hooked again, went straight round to a mates to have ago on his 400 crosser, didnt give that the full beans, well almost.
give it time to build up your confidence, i have never fallen of on the road, plenty of times of road though! so long as you keep a good look out for idiots on the road, which means getting comfortable on your bike before hitting the heavy traffic so your not spending all your trime concentrating on your controls!
Im sure you will soon learn to love it!
i only recently passed my test on a 125. Having never ridden between my CBT and my test (as it was all done in one go) i think the extra training really helped, as i was VERY nervous on my first lesson, and tbh, dont feel that i was anywhere near ready to be on the road on a bike, even though ive been driving a year.
I guess what im tryna say is much the same as many others in the thread.. go get some lessons on a 125 for a few hours, you will soon start to get more confident on it.
For a while after i passed my test i used to feel very sick before actually riding, very nervous, but once you get on the bike, the nerves dissapear and you will love it.
Like many others have said, get some practice, dont be scared, and you will really grow to love the bike.
I guess what im tryna say is much the same as many others in the thread.. go get some lessons on a 125 for a few hours, you will soon start to get more confident on it.
For a while after i passed my test i used to feel very sick before actually riding, very nervous, but once you get on the bike, the nerves dissapear and you will love it.
Like many others have said, get some practice, dont be scared, and you will really grow to love the bike.
Soldato
Pay for some more tuition, otherwise I can't help think that you will be at risk/unsafe if you were to go out on your own.
Soldato
When I did my CBT, we had some CG125's that had seen better days, even though I'd been riding 125's previously over many years, and was very confident, they where difficult to control and ride smoothly, with such a hiccup'y' power delivery that I hated them with a passion..
When I then had to get on the GS500E for the DAS part (started the same day), I was quite apprehensive, but the bike was 10 times easier to control and just like my mates bikes I'd tried before, very very smooth and controllable.
The thing with the bike is, as long as it's a good bike (and a new CBF125 is), all your fears of 'control' are probably very much exaggerated, the fact you have a healthy fear of your life, and are concious of the control aspect, I'd say that you are probably in the right place, and will go very slowly to start with, exactly what people need to do, as you saw, everyone else there had similar control to your self (that's what it sounds like from your description), and I'm sure at your own pace this will translate to safe riding..
When I then had to get on the GS500E for the DAS part (started the same day), I was quite apprehensive, but the bike was 10 times easier to control and just like my mates bikes I'd tried before, very very smooth and controllable.
The thing with the bike is, as long as it's a good bike (and a new CBF125 is), all your fears of 'control' are probably very much exaggerated, the fact you have a healthy fear of your life, and are concious of the control aspect, I'd say that you are probably in the right place, and will go very slowly to start with, exactly what people need to do, as you saw, everyone else there had similar control to your self (that's what it sounds like from your description), and I'm sure at your own pace this will translate to safe riding..
Righto, it sounds like you're really not confident at all.
Where in SW London are you? (I'm near Ealing) if you want I could try to arrange something, going out with more experienced riders helps no end.
(Also when I got my first bigger bike I took my brother to a very large car park and let him loose on my brand new bike a week before he was doing the DAS (break it, replace it agreement in place). It helped him out no end practicing, and gave him a lot more confidence).
When I was learning;
I popped the front wheel off the ground when pulling away when I pinged the clutch out. (CG125)
I binned the school bike braking whilst turning left (ER-6n)
Since passing my test;
Accident with car on roundabout (50/50, we were both in the wrong lane).
Rugby tackled by 10 year old running out from behind a bus.
In all instances I was wearing the right gear - it works, wear it always regardless.
I think the main points have been covered with regards with how to ride.
Your school sounds like they did a p*** poor job tbh.
Where in SW London are you? (I'm near Ealing) if you want I could try to arrange something, going out with more experienced riders helps no end.
(Also when I got my first bigger bike I took my brother to a very large car park and let him loose on my brand new bike a week before he was doing the DAS (break it, replace it agreement in place). It helped him out no end practicing, and gave him a lot more confidence).
When I was learning;
I popped the front wheel off the ground when pulling away when I pinged the clutch out. (CG125)
I binned the school bike braking whilst turning left (ER-6n)
Since passing my test;
Accident with car on roundabout (50/50, we were both in the wrong lane).
Rugby tackled by 10 year old running out from behind a bus.
In all instances I was wearing the right gear - it works, wear it always regardless.
I think the main points have been covered with regards with how to ride.
Your school sounds like they did a p*** poor job tbh.
Associate
Sounds like you had a rough time with the CBT people you used. Sounds like they didnt inspire you to the best sides of biking of helped your confidence.
I would say go for some additional training at a better bike scheme:
I did my CBT with these guys, they are brilliant, period: http://www.ssmcc.co.uk/
I can pit you in touch with an instructors who is one of my best mates, do a few more road hours with these guys, youl love biking after that.
My first bike was a CBR125R and for the first few weeks it was scary but as your bike skills progress it becomes second nature - 10% riding the bike and 90% road sense.
Drop me a gmail: [email protected] if you want to pop down to the scheme, not far from you most likely.
P.
I would say go for some additional training at a better bike scheme:
I did my CBT with these guys, they are brilliant, period: http://www.ssmcc.co.uk/
I can pit you in touch with an instructors who is one of my best mates, do a few more road hours with these guys, youl love biking after that.
My first bike was a CBR125R and for the first few weeks it was scary but as your bike skills progress it becomes second nature - 10% riding the bike and 90% road sense.
Drop me a gmail: [email protected] if you want to pop down to the scheme, not far from you most likely.
P.
Thanks for all your help guys.
Tomorrow at first light I climb on the bike and go round and round the exceedingly quiet housing estate behind my house.
I'll let you know exactly how I get on. Slow and sure all the way. Wierdly the further away from the CBT I get, the more confident I feel. Basically the idea of no-one shouting at me if I stall sounds good to me!
I'll let you know -- thanks for your offers of help in person but I'm going to go this one alone, at least for the first couple of hours ...
Britters ..
Tomorrow at first light I climb on the bike and go round and round the exceedingly quiet housing estate behind my house.
I'll let you know exactly how I get on. Slow and sure all the way. Wierdly the further away from the CBT I get, the more confident I feel. Basically the idea of no-one shouting at me if I stall sounds good to me!
I'll let you know -- thanks for your offers of help in person but I'm going to go this one alone, at least for the first couple of hours ...
Britters ..
Caporegime
Good man.
Just take it easy and you'll be fine
Just take it easy and you'll be fine
Yay. Take it easy yes.
When I did the CBT I thought "damn I hope the big bikes feel nicer than this" as the 125s felt light and twitchy and.. well pretty pants, didn't inspire confidence. When I got on the 500GS things it was like another world, it felt planted and it would keep telling me to go faster... sounded just like my instructor oddly enough.
When I did the CBT I thought "damn I hope the big bikes feel nicer than this" as the 125s felt light and twitchy and.. well pretty pants, didn't inspire confidence. When I got on the 500GS things it was like another world, it felt planted and it would keep telling me to go faster... sounded just like my instructor oddly enough.
Soldato
Hmm my first thought would be has she just taken out a life insurance policy on you ha ha.
I would say take the bike out and see if you do enjoy it at your own pace. Although i havent read the whole thread yet, you may have sold it already
ha ha.I would say take the bike out and see if you do enjoy it at your own pace. Although i havent read the whole thread yet, you may have sold it already
I'm not sure if anyone has already suggested this, but maybe get some lessons? Let the instructor know how you're feeling, then you're at least out with someone who will help train you to ride properly, and give you confidence etc. If after a few lessons it just isn't for you, stick the bike and gear on ebay.
Associate
well, how did you get on then? ridng round like a loony now?