The Beginners Guide To Life On Two Wheels!

Author - UnWished Legacy

The following words of wisdom is what I have learned in preparation for life behind the handlebars, choosing to Ride is not a choice that should be done on a whim, unless you stick with it the investment in time and energy can be massive - as well as costly.

To some, the choice to Ride is one made out of economy and necessity - Riding a bike is undoubtly the easiest and cheapest way to travel in a large City such as London or Manchester but to others Biking is a way of life - not just another way to get around!

It’s often been said that you meet the nicest people on a Honda motorcycle and more often than not it’s true! You can drive a car for hours and not get a glimmer of comradeship or friendly emotion but you only need to ride on an open road for a short amount of time and the first biker you see will generally give you a friendly nod or a wave. It’s one of those things that make riding a Bike so appealing to millions of people all over the world.

Of course you will need to get lots of things out of the way before you can ride along twisting country roads with the machine of your choice underneath you… and so here is a brief introduction to what you will need to go through before you can truly call yourself a Biker.

The Licences - And what you gotta do get legal!

As with driving a car, you can’t just buy a machine, jump in and ride on the roads… and there is a certain element of progression that must be undertaken before you get your full licence, to do this you need to follow a few rules and take some tests.

1) Provisional Licence & CBT
As with any mode of transport you’ll need to get a provisional licence before you can take a test and be a full licence holder.

You’ll need to get forms D1 and D750 from your local Post Office or direct from the DVLA. They cost £30 for a Photocard licence with provisional Car and Motorcycle entitlement. If you have a recent provisional Car licence already then chances are you already have a provisional Motorcycle licence too- look at your paperwork to see if you have.

Once you get your provisional licence you’ll need to take a Compulsory Basic Training course (CBT) before you even think of getting your bike on the road.

There are many Riding Schools available in your area- just look in the Yellow Pages or ask at your local bike shop and you’ll be pointed in the right direction.

This costs about £90 with use of a rental bike and will take most of the day, you will get instructors showing you how the bike works and teach you how to control the bike in a safe and sensible manner.

The C.B.T’s are normally done in school playgrounds (during weekends or school holidays) or a private patch of land, you will then (if they think your good enough) be taken out on the road for a couple of hours.

Upon completion of the CBT - you’ll be issued a form called DL196 which allows you to ride a bike of up to 125cc (assuming your over 17), but there are restrictions… you must ride with L-plates showing in front AND back, you are not allowed to have a Pillion and you can’t ride on a motorway either!

The DL196 will last for two years and you must be in possession of a valid certificate to take your main test, you must take a C.B.T course every two years if you decide not to take your full test.

If you have the right insurance and a legal crash helmet, you can now take to the road and perfect your skills to a standard you feel safe, confident and able to handle yourself on the road. Or you can wizz about like maniacs until you smash your bike on somebody’s prize winning hedge.

2a) The Theory Test
You’ll next need to take a Theory test - These cost about £20 or so and are a classroom type exam (all at separate tables, no talking or looking at other people’s answers) with 35 multiple choice questions based on the Highway Code (available at all good bookshops for £1). The questions will test your reactions to certain set scenarios- there are thousands of questions but they all follow the same pattern. The questions will generally be on one of four things - Scenario, Law, Road Attitude and Common Sense.

2b) Hazard Perception
A relatively new portion to the Theory test is the Hazard Perception (H.P), you will be shown a video of a vehicle travelling down a road, every time you see something happen that could present a danger (say Kids playing with a ball) you press a button. There are a set number of hazards to recognise, and you must meet this requirement to pass the Theory Test.
Full details and updates can be found on http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/rdmcycle.htm

To help you pass these exams - there is a range of books, videos and CD Roms available. W.H.Smith is a good place to look. A set of books and CD Rom's generaly go for about £15.

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3) The Full Tests
Once you pass all these and feel confident about your riding ability - you can apply for a full licence… of course this means you’ll need to take ANOTHER test.

What test you take will depend on what route you want to go for, there generally is three methods to pass a test.. Restricted Access, Accelerated Access and Direct Access. Whatever route you choose, it’s recommended that you take a couple of lessons with a trained instructor before you take any type of test - just to work any problems out with your riding. The people you took your CBT with should be able to sort you out with this.

Accelerated Access:

If you passed your Restricted Access test and have reached the age of 21 BEFORE your 33BHP restriction has passed- you can take an Accelerated Test, this must be taken on a bike with more than 46.6BHP and once you have passed this you can ride any size you like without waiting for your two years to pass.

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Your Bits And Bobs
Obviously you’ll need a Bike to ride on the road but you will be going nowhere fast unless you have the right equipment to use with it, So here is a list of the things you definitely will need!

For many, getting high quality kit can be almost as expensive as buying an old, used bike - but they are vital for your safety and overall enjoyment of biking.

Crash Helmets

Smack Hats/Skid Lids/Nut Hoods -

whatever name you call them, a crash helmet IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT!!

You could wear nothing but a pair of shorts and flip flops but unless your wearing a helmet - you're illegal to ride, regardless of what you did to get your licence.

You should always buy NEW crash helmets as old ones could be damaged and unsafe in the event of a collision. When trying them on - always make sure that the helmet is tight on the cheeks but too tight, the lining of your helmet will give slightly allowing for a snug fit after a few hours of wear.

ALL helmets should carry the BSI “Kite Mark” or an EC 22.05 approval mark to be legal- the sales people at the bike shop will be able to help you get a decent lid, all you need to do is ask.

It’s in their interests to make sure your kit fits properly because dead riders won’t be buying any more kit later on.

Gloves
Are a must, especially in high speeds and cold weather as cold hands means less control of the Bike.
Make sure that they fit tight but you can still make a clenched fist without any problem, also check that they don’t bunch up by the palm when gripping the handlebars - remember you need to feel the movements of the Bike, not your glove.

Some riders prefer thick, warm gloves that give maximum protection from the elements (and crashes), while others tend to lean towards thinner gloves that give slightly less protection but also give a more sensitive feel of the bike… try several gloves on before you buy one - as comfort is one of the main factors, you need to be able to use your hands for several hours at a time so make sire they feel fine.

Leathers
There are many styles of leathers available, one piece or two piece, Leather or Leather/Corduroy Mix, Armoured or Foam inserted and/or waterproofed.

What you chose is ultimately whatever you feel comfortable in and can afford. But having either CE Approved Armour or Foam Inserts is pretty much a necessity as these will help against injuries should you have an accident.

Many bikers have their own opinions on what is better over Armour and Foam but it’ll depend on what you feel safe with that counts - just make sure that they fit, as loose clothing can make the protection move about and potentially cause more injury rather than help protect you.

Also remember that you’ll be wearing your Leathers for a good few year so be confident that the style is good, fashion can change very quickly and there are certain styles that are always classic (like the “Little Black Dress” for instance), and colourful replica suits may go out if date if they are based on SuperSport teams or riders

Boots
If your starting you can make do with a pair of Army Surplus boots, but if your riding long distance and regularly touring then it’s a good choice to invest in a pair of decent riding boots- stopping your feet from pointing in the wrong direction in the event of a spill and keeping the rain out of your feet at 70MPH in a surprise shower in the middle of July.

Re-enforced patches on the top of the toes is a handy feature for gear shifting- especially when riding in the City with plenty of gear changes.

As with the other bits of kit- it‘s best to make sure that the boots fit well, are comfortable and allow you to make the movements that are needed (including the inevitable Emergency Stop)

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The Business End

So now you’ve got your CBT (at least), it’s time to get your hands on the reason you have been planning, saving, buying and no doubt arguing over… your first Motorbike.

As you’ll now know - the highest powered machine that you will be able to ride until you pass your test is a 125cc machine with no more than about 14BHP, these bikes arn’t cheap when bought new (Prices starting at about £2000) but if you hunt around, it’s more than possible to get a second hander in your local classifieds for under £500 if you look at the right time and don’t mind if it is a few years old.

Many bikes in the classifieds can be over 10years old, and for some of that time, stored in the garage as the person who owns it has moved onto bigger and better bikes, but not got round to selling their trusty old 125.

As a general rule, most people will only use their 125cc bikes for about three to five years, long enough to pass their test and feel confident enough to move onto larger, more powerful bikes - of course this means that most 125’s over a certain age will have a high number of riders on the V5 (also referred to as the DVLA Logbook, a legal document that you will need to buy or sell a bike.

Despite the opinion given by dealers and magazines- just because a bike is old or has clocked up more than it’s fair share of mileage, it doesn’t mean that it’s ready for the scrapheap, as long as the bodywork and engine is working there is no reason why the bike can‘t be used on the road… another plus for buying older 2nd hand machines is that the prices for parts can be much cheaper too, as there will be old parts available in a Breakers Yard when compared to newer bikes. Also the insurance premiums will be slightly cheaper depending on the make and age.

Regardless of whether you buy used or new- there are so many brands and styles to chose from, and unless you know what you want - it can be a nightmare finding the right machine for you… So what styles are there?

Traditional
The classic ‘Naked’ look… you’ve got a tank, a frame and a seat and that’s about it.
It’s no frills entertainment at it’s best!

These tend to be very cheap to repair should you come off at speed, parts are normally easy to get hold of and there are hundreds floating around the Free-Ads.

Of course there are many many more styles, bikes and makes - and it's ultimatly up to what you can afford and feel comfortable riding, when at the shop sit on it and get a feel for the thing... they should'nt mind and they may even allow you to take a test run (if you have a CBT but you'll have to leave a hefty deposit).

All that remains is say Thanks for reading and Enjoy

Motorcycle images courtesy of Motorcycle of the 20th Century