First Lesson today :)

[mcmurray]

Just had my first lesson today with Ian from ABK driving school. Lots of fun! Cruised around Welshpool and Maddington and finished with a blast up Tonkin hwy.

I look foward to riding with you guys when I get myself a bike. Decisions decisions, what should I get? Don't want to spend too much on a 250.

I'm currently restoring a honda CB750F2 1978, which should be ready by the time I'm able to legally ride it. Bikes I would like to get in the future are Honda CBX1000 (LOVE the noise that 6 cylinder makes) and a Hayabusa.

See you on the road!

[lo1ux]

nice its well worth it...ur cb750 u restoring to original or tunrning into a cafe racer?

[mcmurray]

Restoring to original mate. Although I plan on swapping out the carbies for EFI at some stage.

[karen]

What a lovely day for your first lesson! Bet you're glad it was early.

Good luck with the lessons and the restoration.

Oh, and Welcome to PSB!

[ddoth]

Im with Ian from them ABK aswell.
Has he given you a time frame of when you will be doing low speed stuff ?
He doesn't agree with people using the rear brake for o-turns, but other than that he is very helpful
Whens your next lesson ?
For sale thread has a fair few 250's for sale at the moment.
See you out there !

[Xuaxace]

Lucky you missed the storm!

[Coralee]

Lucky you missed the nasty weather!!! I'm sure we'll see you licensed and on the road soon. Good luck bike shopping!

[Desmo]

He doesn't agree with people using the rear brake for o-turns

[Cam]

He doesn't agree with people using the rear brake for o-turns

Probably because you will not pass your test doing that.

[ddoth]

Just seemed to go against everything I've read and heard, when he said don't use the rear brake.
I've learnt to do it without the brake without hassle.
Just have to have more control of throttle and clutch instead and won't have any chance of been marked down.

[Silent_P]

I passed using my rear brake for 'O's. What's the big deal if it helps you accomplish the allocated task? Do you get more points for not using it?

[Revelations]

my instructors getting me to use the rear brake for not only O-turns, but turning corners to power out of aswell. I queried him on how many sets of rear brake pads he goes through jokingly. He said he would rather pay for lots of pads than skin grafts.....meh, i guess different instructors have different styles etc

[Xuaxace]

Wtf... why not use the rearbreak? best way to negotiate a turn in my opinion.

[thro]

Probably because you will not pass your test doing that.

So this is why you stacked your ER6?





Rear brake use is essential for o-turns dude, you thinking about emergency stops?


edit:
By "essential", i mean its the best way of controlling speed in a smooth manner whilst in the turn. You *can* do it with clutch/throttle use only, but deliberately not using the rear brake for it is like trying to run with your legs shackled together....



As far as rear brake use for corners goes - i use a fair bit of rear brake myself (by fair bit, i mean on a regular basis, not necessarily applying it hard though). It helps stabilise the bike by making it squat a bit. However you can do the same thing with acceleration, too... depends what you're trying to do. If your throttle control on roundabouts, etc is good and your confidence is high enough to accelerate, you get a similar affect to the "feel" as far as stability goes by accelerating.

I find rear brake useful to help smooth out the throttle snatchiness you get at low speed in low gears...rather than rolling off the throttle completely (and having it snatch when you get back on it) you can just use the rear a little bit...

[ddoth]

Not thinking of emergency stops.
Way he explains is "Your fighting the bike against itself, sure its easier, but try not to rely on it"
Clutch pulled in ever so slightly to help the bike not get 'snatchy'.
It works so *shrugs*

[Stoneville]

Hi and welcome, see you on the road when you have your bike, refreshing to hear someone isn't going to spend heaps on their first bike

[Cam]

Rear brake use is essential for o-turns dude, you thinking about emergency stops?

Not at all, I use the rear brake constantly for tightening up small turns, but during the test I was warned for it, and penalized for doing it as well. I argued the point, this did not work in my favour.

It seems, as stunning as it is, that the DPI doesn't know what the fuck it's judging and I assumed this instructor was just trying to steer the student away from anything that would cost them points on a test.

All this does tend to fly in the face of the opinion that the tests are standardized and the testers themselves don't let personal opinion get in the way of the marking.

[Revelations]

i would be livid if i lost points for rear braking an o-turn. Seems 90% of people are taught this way.

[thro]

Not that magazines are the holy grail of information, but i agree with this article (pdf):

Page1

Page2


I maintain that yes you can do it without the brake, but again... see the running in shackles comment. The rear brake is a tool. Learn to use it, as appropriate.

I'd like to see him do it with no rear brake *reliably* on something that does 100km/h or more in first gear.


edit:
I used rear brake for both of my tests, and no one mentioned anything about it either time. In fact i was instructed that its use was beneficial to help control the bike...


Put it this way - how does he suggest you slow your speed down on o turns and other low speed manouvering? Front brake?

[Revelations]

nice links thro, cheers