Learner Rider

a newbie’s motorcycle diaries

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Beckoned by the beach (day 4)

December 18th, 2007 · No Comments

This afternoon I started as usual with a few ’round-the-block excursions to check I was comfortable on the bike before I hit traffic.  This time the boredom of this small circuit arose immediately, telling me it was time to ride further afield…

Of course, the whole immediate aim of all this practice of course was to pass my MOST (P’s test) in one go, when it finally came around in about 2 months.  I’d booked my test immediately after passing my L’s but rather than go for the soonest possible test, I decided to give myself time to hopefully feel really confident doing the test, not to just scrape through…

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→ No CommentsTags: Cone weave · Motor Operator Skill Test (MOST) · Parking · Traffic · Travel

Winding up a three-day-old…

December 17th, 2007 · 1 Comment

My second day of being a motorcyclist was rainy!

I slept in through the only dry part of the day in the morning and had to watch my bike out there on the street under its new cover, begging for attention. But as a two-day-old rider, without any decent wet weather gear, I decided I’d have to leave it be.

Thankfully, the third day rose nice and dry, though today it was Very Windy. Nevertheless, I took a ride around my favourite block a few more times, having to go quite slowly for pedestrians on one of the quieter back streets where university students were pouring out from the Sydney Uni campus.

Throttle control is still not all there yet - I speed up after changing down sometimes, and sometimes go into 1st unnecessarily - which is not a great idea particularly when cars are following. The engine pulls some pretty decent braking power dropping into 2nd and even more into 1st, so it’s possible to deccelerate dramatically without even touching the brakes - meaning no illumination of brake lights either!

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→ 1 CommentTags: Gears · Indicators · Wind