So I'm living in Korea and someone was selling a 125cc bike for $400, which is hella cheap and I bought it. I'm learning how to ride it now, does anyone have any tips? Of course I should take a course on rider safety etc. but what's helpful advice for a new rider? What gear should I get? Is there anything that will make cornering easier? I rode the thing home and was scared to take turns, but I made it fine, it wasn't too hard. I think I'm going to practice during the night on the side streets with no stoplights/signs. It's pretty quiet in the city I'm in so I shouldn't have too many problems.

Thanks for the advice!

dyodyo

Philippines578 Posts

September 12 2010 16:19 GMT

Get a good helmet, gloves, knee and elbow protectors. A small pebble or pothole can easily crash a 125cc since the tires are narrow.

NuKedUFirst

Canada3139 Posts

September 12 2010 16:30 GMT

What kind of bike is it? 125cc isn't very bike but that is a good price. My friend bought a 185 cc honda dirt bike that is streetlegal for around 1000$ and it's like a 1985 but has barely been driven. As above said, helmet, gloves and a leather jacket is good, elbow and knee protectors are good to have but you can probably get by without them depending on what you wear, If have a leather jacket on and you fall off you wont get cut up as bad for sure.

ZERG_RUSSIAN

10417 Posts

September 12 2010 16:39 GMT

Should I be expecting to fall often when I start riding? I tried to stop on a slight curb incline and the bike fell over, had to pick it up and damn that thing is heavy. I'm pretty sure it's a crappy 125cc Hyosung Mirage. No idea what year it is. The thing is hard for me to push around sometimes because I weigh like 60kg since I came to Korea. I have a hard time stopping while downshifting. Also, first gear is a bitch. Turning definitely needs to be improved, and I have some idea of countersteering and that needs work too. What should I be doing when I come to a stop at a light? How can I make my turns easier? Is there a trick to making sharp turns?

Sorry for all the questions but the bike is a bit intimidating atm. I'll be really happy once I learn how to operate it as well as I can drive a car. I'm the smoothest and safest car driver I know and it's just a huge change on a bike right now.

emucxg

Finland4559 Posts

September 12 2010 16:46 GMT

real man ride horse

MrBitter

United States2939 Posts

September 12 2010 17:11 GMT

Obviously get a good helmet. I would also invest in a good motorcycle jacket. These have pads in the shoulders and elbows, and look to boot. =)

The only real way to learn to ride is to practice a lot. I don't know how many big, empty parking lots you have access to in Korea, but just spending 1 afternoon practicing left and right turns in one of those should be enough to acclimate yourself to the bike.

You are going to wreck. That's part of riding. The important part is making sure you're wearing the proper safety equipment, and not doing anything stupid to cause the wreck. Ex: No doing 100 mile per hour wheelies. ; )

Learning to start, stop, and shift just comes with practice. After buying my first bike, I spent a whole weekend just driving in circles in a local parking lot before ever taking it out on the road. You'd be very well served to do the same.

jonnyp

United States415 Posts

September 12 2010 19:00 GMT

one little drill you can practice in an open parking lot is to turn in a circle comfortably and then try to slowly narrow the circle as much as you can while maintaining a steady speed.

gl, motorcycles are hella fun, but don't be stupid; they're dangerous too

Scorch

Austria3371 Posts

September 12 2010 19:28 GMT

Don't you need a driving license and driving lessons to gain it? Is it legal in Korea to ride a bike on public streets which you can't handle at all?

Nitrogen

United States5345 Posts

September 12 2010 22:55 GMT

wow i didnt know they made street legal 125 ccs, lol.

most people first learn on the dirt, but no biggie if you aren't. just practice in some parking lots when no one is around.

as for gear, get a helmet (full head helmet not one of those shitty ones for just the top of your head), gloves, a jacket, and some sort of riding pants (i have jeans lined with kevlar on the inside i bought at a riding store). and for the love of god, wear long socks. the first time i went riding i got a 2nd degree burn on my ankle from the muffler because i wasn't wearing long socks and now i have a huge scar there that will probably be there the rest of my life.

as for cornering, just downshift into the corner and upshift out of the turn, and don't take them too fast. work on cornering going a little faster each time and leaning over a little more. you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly.

you shouldn't be falling too often on the asphalt, but since you're starting on the road you probably will fall a few times (which is why everyone usually starts on the dirt).

when you come to a stoplight i just pull in the clutch and roll into the light while i shift into neutral. always shift into neutral if you are stopped and have the engine running, just pulling in the clutch while in gear isn't great for your bike if you do it for a long time.

MrBitter

United States2939 Posts

September 13 2010 00:15 GMT

#10

On September 13 2010 07:55 Nitrogen wrote:
when you come to a stoplight i just pull in the clutch and roll into the light while i shift into neutral. always shift into neutral if you are stopped and have the engine running, just pulling in the clutch while in gear isn't great for your bike if you do it for a long time.

I do this to, but still want to point out that its frowned upon by motorcycle safety gurus. Their logic is if you're sitting at a light in neutral, and some idiot comes barreling down on you from behind, you won't be able to get the bike into gear, and moving fast enough to avoid an accident.

Kennelie

United States2296 Posts

September 13 2010 01:30 GMT

#11

gear, get it you will need it.

Taking turns is pretty easy just practice alot on putting weight on your wrist on the direction your turning(leaning helps with this).

I never liked having my bike in neutral at any times unless i knew i was going to chit chat for awhile or leave the bike idling to warm up(winter).

Stopping/slowing down with downshifting is easy but takes practice. Downshift always by two(i've driven nothing but 5/6speeds) and slowly release the clutch and it will slow it down like downshifting in a manual car. So if your in 5th gear going about 80mph and your coming up to a stop or need to slow down just go down to 3rd gear and slowly release on the clutch then go down to 1st gear and slowly release on clutch. After a week or so you'll be slowing down without the help of brakes.

My last advice is to stay away from the middle of lanes as middle of lanes is where oil/water/crud collects from cars(stop light area/stopping areas). I've been riding for 4-6 years on road(2-3 years on dirt with dirtbikes and 4wheelers) and the only time i've wiped out was when this bitch completely stopped in my lane and i was riding in the middle of the lane and when i used my brakes to stop my rear tire locked up and i ended up laying it down and wiping out around 30-35 mph. You'll be safe as long as your not riding stupidly.

P.S. Oh and watch out for drivers at all times. I've had instances where i've had to kick or speed/slow down b/c of drivers not looking out for motorcyclists.....blind people driving.

P.S.S. Oh and loose gravel/small pebbles....they are evil things to motorcycles.

ZERG_RUSSIAN

10417 Posts

September 13 2010 04:21 GMT

#12

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'm going to find an empty parking lot nearby and run some turn practice. I think I understand first gear a lot better after watching a ton of videos on it today, I've been consistently letting the clutch out too fast. I need to practice downshifting. That might be a bit tough to practice in a parking lot, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. If you have any other great tips for a beginner, keep them coming. What gear should I be in if I'm taking a turn in a residential zone? I'm sure I'll figure all this out in a few days, but in the meantime, I really appreciate your help.

VTArlock

United States1763 Posts

September 13 2010 06:24 GMT

#13

I am also a newer biker, Ive been riding for about 4 months now and driven over 1500 miles.
Heres the advice my friend gave me:

1) The more you spend on safety gear (most importantly helmet) the better the protection is.
2)Don't be a squid, always wear your gear
3)Ride within your limits, dont push yourself.

So on top of all that. Join a Rider class, I got my Motorcycle riding certificate in a single weekend and it cost me about $200 dollars. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CLASS!
I learned the correct way to
ride,
stop,
turn,
shift,
change lanes,
signaling,
what to do in certain situations
swerving (which is a very important skill to know)
where to ride on the road so people can see you better.

Tips for getting better, faster and safer
Dont ride on the freeway for quite a while, the freeway is scary at first. Theres SO MUCH to look out for, you definatly need to be ready for it.
Ride on a residential street with a lot of stop signs, it will help you learn to shift gears better, also it will teach you how to take-off correctly from a full stop position (which in busy intersections can be daunting at times)

When starting in first gear you will "ride the clutch" this is normal for bikers
The clutch on a motorcycle has what is kind of like an engagement gear...
So when the bike is in first and the clutch is in (the bike is turned on and idling) you slowly SLOWLY let the clutch out and give it gas until it starts to move slowly, as you keep moving you let the clutch out completely and accelerate.

Tips for stopping
Make sure to use both the front and rear brake to maximize stopping potential.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOCK UP YOUR WHEELS
-When stopping, if the rear wheel locks up, DO NOT let go of the rear brake. Ride it out until the bike comes to a full and complete stop, if you let the brake out after the rear wheels locks up and you begin to "skid" the rear wheel will most likely start skipping and you WILL wreck.
-When stopping, if the front wheel locks up, quickly release the front brake so the tire begins to spin again and re-apply brake with correct pressue [i.e dont pull on the brake so hard]

Please let me know if you have any other questions I would love to help you out, I still have my motorcycle safety class handbook and I would love to mail it to you to read through... There is very valuable information about EVERYTHING you need to know. Let me know if your interested

Use the engine to help you slow down (You can downshift to a lower gear [i.e if your in 4th you downshift to 3rd] and this will help you slow the bike down faster than the brakes alone.

I ride a 600cc Suzuki GSX600F Katana and I love it with all my heart. I would love to answer any specific questions you have. Please feel free to PM me anytime you want and I will answer whenever I can.

Hope you enjoy your bike!
Ride Safe and Smart
-Arlock
+ Show Spoiler +