Just relaxing and cruising around the neighborhood. See link below
Embarrassing ride
As a new learner here; I remember my instructor telling me about showing confidence and control on your bike and be gentle enough to enjoy it. he told me this to save me any embarrassment when I go out and do my first gas fill or slowly follow a traffic jam.
The more you practice balancing the bike and showing control by relaxing your shoulders and tightening your core, the better and steady you look on a bike. you definitely do not want to push your bike at the refill petrol station or have your leg go down when making a U-turn.
But yesterday I did something only a new person might do and that was leaving work in a rush and forgetting to turn the petrol valve open. Yup the Suzuki has a valve that switches between the main gas tank and the reserve one just in case you run out of gas! there is no light indicator that shows your tank is empty!! so it is best practice to always keep your tank full, when possible. when you leave your bike standing for long, it is also best practice to close the nozzle valve leading the petrol to the engine to prevent any overload petrol.
What happened to me is I’ve rushed out the office and quickly mounted my bike and off I went. After passing the traffic light the bike started bouncing back and forth and slowing down. I was lucky, as one of my workmates was behind me and saw me having trouble so manage to keep traffic cars attention while I signal left and let the bike roll to the side path. Figured it out? and quickly turn the valve back to normal and went on… just to be reminded the next day by my workmate about the embarrassment on our last day work before Xmas. 😀
Commuting to Work
Holidays are just around the corner! and people get crazy and silly during this month! and commuting in traffic in rush hours is the dangerous move to do. Especially while rushing from work to shopping centres and back forward people get agitated easily.
Being a motorcyclist who just started commuting on a learner license will require patientness with extream carefulness. Just keeping a distance from cars won’t do, you’ll need to always be in a position that will not give a car a chance to cross your path. And if this does happen! you’ve 😏 seen it coming miles away.
During this season my Mum came to visit from overseas. And being protective like any other mother will normally do. she made it clear if it means seeing my bike getting stolen in order for her to have a peace of mind she will gladly be happy for that to happen !!!… guess this is what mother love is??
they get relief and happiness for my misfortune knowing I’ll be safer without a bike. LOL.
But as Us, bikers know 😏 it is not about the commute; it is not about doing something dangerous; it is about the freedom being able to do it and just go riding with the wind. lean with the corners and being flexible to take different paths and slow down at the right moment and go again.
I was lucky enough to find a good bargain for my bike. with the help of facebook market, an old ad spotted my eye and I messaged the owner who was more than happy to sell his bike + Gear all in one package. It turns out he bought a car so his loss was my gain.😊 this man was a father of two girls same as I; a lovely couple who even agreed to deliver to my home as at the time I didn’t have my learner license yet. So I was set to go with a high-quality gear and 2015 model that had 1600 Km on the clock the Suzuki GN125H bike cost me just 2K NZD with Gear. the rest of my budget went for registration and insurance and classes which top up to almost a price of buying 2016 GN125H model.
You guessed it… it is not cheap having a motorcycle but it is still cheaper than buying a car that’s for sure.
The cons are you can not always ride your bike in everyday weather conditions, and you need to make sure your tank is always full. not to mention registration are not cheap.
The pros are fantastic in traffic and great mileage on petrol.
Shiny little Suzuki GN125H parked at the office.
On my Birthday an action cam was given to me and the first thing I’ve done is try it out on the bike. I wasn’t sure where to mount it as I didn’t want to mount it on my helmet well not for now. so as an amateur please see below.
First Capture of SJCAM 10 plus
https://youtu.be/iwib10bikSY?list=PLB2k5LNPuo-SeDiwY50lBm7quCR6Th_8F
My First Crash
Last weekend I’ve wanted desperately to ride my motorcycle after getting my Learner’s license. I’ve taken my GN125 for a 10km trip going on the motorway for the first time. Of course, this was done after I asked my wife kindly to drive behind me for some safety space from other vehicles. Before attempting this I’ve checked my tyres pressure, as I’ve only ridden a couple of times in the neighbourhood and they really needed some pumping up.
Riding on the motorway can be intimidating. This was also necessary as the next day I’m expected to ride with others on an urban commuter course for 4 hours. My 20km trip going back and forth was exciting and a good confidence boost even though I did not enjoy the headwind on my way back; it gave me a wobble or two.
The next day, I’ve slept well and kept dehydrated. Filled my tank and off I went on a Sunday afternoon. Made it to McDonald’s on Morehouse Ave where the assembly point was. After an hour of introduction and briefing we were ready to set off with four people exc.-instructor (Me and a 16 year and a couple on a scooter) the kid had the awesome Harley learner which was given to him by his Dad; who turns out was upgrading. The instructor riding an R1200RT-BMW gave us some comms to listen to his instructions. While taking turns leading the pack. The trip contained three major skills; The first was going through the city and being aware of our surroundings. The second stage was cornering while the third focused on U-turn and emergency brakes. I managed to do them all, but on the cornering course I swivel on a long right corner called (Roger corner) while riding on Old Tai Tapu Road, Christchurch went on the grass by the time I reached the bushes, I was too slow to make any damage to the bike and got knocked off on my back to the side (back strap absorbed the impact). So!! there you have it, my first crash ever on a corner… I’m the second to had crashed on it! and the corner got its name after number one. The story as Pete(the instructor) recalls it, that Roger from India kept riding on his overseas license for 5 yrs in NZ. The reason he could do that was as a surgeon he travelled a lot to Australia and every time he went he can ride on his overseas license for another year. This man decided after a while to buy a 650 triumph and crash it on this corner midway right straight into the mailbox tumbling all over the place.
We end the tour by practicing some U-turn and emergency brakes.
Basic Handling Skills Test (BHST)
The 4 stages of BHST, that each participant goes through were meant to show how much control and confidence handling a bike. It is not an easy task to complete. If you have never ridden a bike before in your life this will be a good kick start to learn the basic. However, do not expect you can pass the test on your first go! not even on the second!.
Most people make the test on the 6th hr training, but that’s just scratching the iceberg.
what I’ve learned from these lessons is that handling a motorcycle in itself, is a form of art. You can twist your wrist and tap through the gears as fast as you want. This won’t make you a good rider! like driving a car or playing video games if you do not know what you doing and do not invest in some time feeling the character of the motorcycle. You’re most likely not enjoy the task in hand.
Riding is as the naming indicates is to allow some space for the object to move with you in a rhythm motion that best fits your flow of control.
The more feel to it, the more control you will display.
Now after passing the test last month and getting my theory test sorted I can finally enjoy riding my Suzuki GN125H 2015 model. looks can be deceptive as this machine is a beauty see below.
Are we organ donors
When I mentioned to anyone that I’m thinking to ride a motorbike. The first thing that pops to mind is accidents and death. One joke that people might come up with for motor riders, “Hey organ donor!! my friend sure needs a kidney make sure you drink before you ride”.
I know you are more likely to be involved in an accident riding a bike than driving a car. Actually the percentage increase to 33℅.
The simple fact is you are the smallest vehicle out there. And if you think you are fast enough to manoeuvre then you are dead wrong. You can never know when a car might pull out in front of you! But saying that does not mean it will happen especially if you are cautious enough. It’s just when it does you are toasted. Since I started investing some time and money learning how to ride a motorcycle. The best advice I can give is to practice your emergency stop brake, the better you get at it the more likely you can minimise your impact. I hope I won’t get the opportunity to experience something like that but if it does happen I prefer to hit a car at low speed and to be able to jump off at that speed than being flown over and somersault on the asphalt breaking my bones.
My First Blog on a motorcycle
Introduction
t all started out of nowhere! one day I was just watching YouTube before going to bed when I saw a video clip for a Victory Judge!! and that’s it; the rest was history.
started researching to see what will it take to ride a beast like that. Being in New Zealand, it turns out there is quite a process to go through that was meant for your safety on the road and the safety of others from you :D. During this time, I’ll be sharing my experience on this blog.
PS: I’ve also had a blog on google blog but the app sucks. so moving here now so you might notice the dates to be a bit off.
Kiwi Motorcycle 