Where To Learn To Ride A Motorbike?

[Wizzard of Oz]

Suggestions? Experiences?

[Jonson83]

Good question.

[PeaceBlondie]

Wizz, you're welcome to PM me for instructions to come out to our place and give it a go, but I wouldn't start practicing inside the moat, on the streets of Chiang Mai (it's like a jungle in there!).

Experiences: I just got on a motor scooter at age 19 (auto clutch, no speeds) and started off like it was a weird bicycle. My first real bike, age 21: a kick-start twin Triumph, heavy. Fell off it in the first rainstorm, passing cars and cutting back in. Better to learn in a parking lot.

[chownah]

Best if your beginning rides are in a very very small village and you only go as fast as a bicycle until you practice making all of the mistakes that can dump you.....the first one you should learn is about applying the front brake too hard.....you should practive on a loose dirt or gravel surface....at about 5 km per hour or less....at 5 km per hour (or less) quickly apply the front brake full force so as to lock up the front wheel and see how you fall down almost instantly!!!! SERIOUSLY....try this at a very very low speed so you can hold yourself up and keep from falling and see how this works. Going down hill (even for a short distance like 3 metres) makes using the front brake even touchier as does going around a curve so experiment with this too. Locking up the front wheel is a sure way to fall over on a motorcycle so you REALLY SHOULD EXPERIMENT WITH THIS UNTIL YOU GET THE FEEL FOR IT. Locking up the front brake is the usual way that riders break their bones including their head bone so be sure to wear a helmet....a GOOD ONE....it could save your life or save you from a life as a vegetable. Some people losen the front brake so it is not capable of locking up the front wheel but this PRESENTS DANGERS OF ITS OWN in that 75%of your braking ability is on the front wheel and if you losen the front break you will be LOSING 75% OF YOUR ABILITY TO STOP....you don't want to lose this ability unless you also want to lose your life!!

Learning how to use the front break properly is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LEARN IN RIDING A MOTORBIKE!!!....in my view.

Chownah

[Ulysses G.]

Best if your beginning rides are in a very very small village and you only go as fast as a bicycle until you practice making all of the mistakes that can dump you.....the first one you should learn is about applying the front brake too hard.....you should practive on a loose dirt or gravel surface....at about 5 km per hour or less....at 5 km per hour (or less) quickly apply the front brake full force so as to lock up the front wheel and see how you fall down almost instantly!!!! SERIOUSLY....try this at a very very low speed so you can hold yourself up and keep from falling and see how this works. Going down hill (even for a short distance like 3 metres) makes using the front brake even touchier as does going around a curve so experiment with this too. Locking up the front wheel is a sure way to fall over on a motorcycle so you REALLY SHOULD EXPERIMENT WITH THIS UNTIL YOU GET THE FEEL FOR IT. Locking up the front brake is the usual way that riders break their bones including their head bone so be sure to wear a helmet....a GOOD ONE....it could save your life or save you from a life as a vegetable. Some people losen the front brake so it is not capable of locking up the front wheel but this PRESENTS DANGERS OF ITS OWN in that 75%of your braking ability is on the front wheel and if you losen the front break you will be LOSING 75% OF YOUR ABILITY TO STOP....you don't want to lose this ability unless you also want to lose your life!!

Learning how to use the front break properly is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LEARN IN RIDING A MOTORBIKE!!!....in my view.

Chownah

I have only driven a motorcycle once in my lifetime during the first "unofficial" day of Songkran and I got into an accident due to a bucket of water thrown in my face by a fat little farang brat, however, from what I can remember, this seems like GREAT information for a novice!

Edited January 15, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[ThaiPauly]

You seem to know your onions about bikes Chonwah.

I would LOVE to ride a bike ...but my Wife is so so against it...having lost her youngest Brother in a Bike accident and having a "Tattoo" on her leg from her own near fatal accident...

Looks like the odds of getting "Wind in my hair" are very slim. Doubley so unfortunatley as I have none !!!

[Ajarn]

Learn to be aware of what's going on all around you, and always have an 'escape route' to avoid problems or potential problems. Also be aware of your place in the traffic scene by watching out for anything bigger than you- they are the bosses in the roadway.

also check out http://asiarecipe.com/larry/motor.html ...

[chownah]

Great advice from Ajarn!!

Also, expect that anyone could do any unexpected thing at any time!!! People in bigger vehicles sometimes don't see people on motorbikes so you should sort of expect that they don't see you.........

Chownah

[terrymor66]

I was in the same boat as Thai Paulie there. Wifes older brother died on motorcycle ( of course he was driving it while carrying a pig in his arms ! Finally I got her to give in. Once you get used to driving ( and being defensive ) It is great in this town. Much quicker getting around, and not having to sit in the back of carbon monoxide filled Songtaew. As for practice, send me an email. got the perfect place right behind the condo here on Nimmanhemin.

Btw I prefer the automatics compared to the manual clutches. Just one less thing to concern yourself with when driving around with all the other looneys !

[Billfo]

This may be a stupid question, but please bare in mind I've never driven a motorbike/scooter before.

From what chownah said about practicing on the front brake, how come you can't use the rear one instead? Or is it less effective than the front? I know a bycicle in different than a motorbike but I never used my front brake except for emergency stop.

As I said this maybe a stupid question but please don't flame me

Edited January 15, 2007 by Billfo

[percy2]

This may be a stupid question, but please bare in mind I've never driven a motorbike/scooter before.

From what chownah said about practicing on the front brake, how come you can't use the rear one instead? Or is it less effective than the front? I know a bycicle in different than a motorbike but I never used my front brake except for emergency stop.

As I said this maybe a stupid question but please don't flame me

As an earlier poster said, the front brake stops you much more effectively..

I would be interested in finding a profesional company that teaches people to ride bikes as her indoors just bought one for fashion reasons without knowing how to ride it.

I wouldn't dare try to teach her for what should be obvious treasons.

cheers good topic.

ps I meant to type reasons , but the typo seems more appropriate

Edit for other typos.

Edited January 15, 2007 by percy2

[Ta22]

how much you wanna spend on buying a Bike .. if it like 40-50k . then add some and get a old car.

which would be about 60-80k

if you can ride a bicycle it should not be a problem to learn how to ride ..

like my pass advice .. i would suggest you start off at 2nd gear instead of first gear which is the more powerful one .

Relax and more relax mind .. a if panic that would be a problem as you throttle too much and you fall off .

so relax and relax and relax imagine you riding a bicycle .

but .. the power come from you RIGHT HAND on the throttle .

forget about the gear ..

Move off using 2nd gear slowly .. and go .. soft on the throttle on the RIght hand .

once you can move around . on 2nd gear .. at very slow speed.

i suggest you learn controling of throttle ..

so at this slow speed .. once you got used to it ..

move to GEAR shifting .. up to 3rd gear .. and back down to 2nd ..

NOT . sudden change of Gear will give sudeenly speed reduction ..

so the trick is CLOSE throttle when you change GEAR >

-

once you got used to it ..

it time for you to try First Gear move off..

Usually is like between a second of 2 before you need to shift to 2nd .. and so on ..

when i first rent one of this leg paddle gear shift honda bike .. i did not know the gear is on the left leg.. i ride the bike .. all over town . on first gear . wehahhahaha after 20 min i came back and complain why the bike so slow whahhahahahahahhahahahahhahaha

good luck .. if you need more advice just call my mobile ..

[percy2]

good luck .. if you need more advice just call my mobile ..

Thanks but , no thanks.

I would suggest you don't teach anybody.

But I enjoyed reading your post.

Cheers

[PeaceBlondie]

And along the line of acting kind of paranoid, as if anything can happen at any moment: do not think about anything else while riding. It is a full time job, and if you even think about what you'll be doing one minute from now, Somchasa might kill you in three seconds. She's talking on her mobile while she drives her big car next to you, and she swerves and just turns you into roadkill, like a squashed bug.

Start in an empty parking lot. A dirt road would be better (for falling down), but a paved surface helps your control better.

Use all your safety controls: both brakes, the gears, the throttle, etc. And if you can start with an automatic, rather than a geared bike, that would be easier.

[percy2]

so are there no companies that teach professionaly?

cheers

[Blinky Bill]

.............................when i first rent one of this leg paddle gear shift honda bike .. i did not know the gear is on the left leg.. i ride the bike .. all over town . on first gear . wehahhahaha after 20 min i came back and complain why the bike so slow whahhahahahahahhahahahahhahaha

good luck .. if you need more advice just call my mobile ..

Was this before the time you had the Aprilia sports bike that you mentioned in one of you earlier posts Ta22?

[Khleerm]

Assuming you were really serious about technique, you could look into what the Intl Road Racing School has to offer.

Why, I can't imagine a finer reason to visit Pattaya

[Ta22]

i had the Aprilia sport bike long ago when i was in singapore . - maybe in 1997 or 1998 can't recall really

but before i came to thailand all i know is Bike with Clutch on the left hand ..

never before did iknow there have bike that have peddle clutch like semi auto clutch change .

so under the impression that there is no clutch it must be auto whahahahhahaha

[Rasseru]

This may be a stupid question, but please bare in mind I've never driven a motorbike/scooter before.

From what chownah said about practicing on the front brake, how come you can't use the rear one instead? Or is it less effective than the front? I know a bycicle in different than a motorbike but I never used my front brake except for emergency stop.

It is not at all a stupid question. Using the front brake on a motorcycle is roughly about twice as effective as using the rear brake. As one uses the brakes on a motorcycle, the combined weight of the motorcycle and the rider shifts forward, increasing the traction, or grip, of the front tire and, as a result, the effectiveness of the braking applied to it, and having the opposite effect on the rear tire and its braking. I would think, but do not know, that the same principles of physics would apply to a bicycle and its braking.

[Ta22]

i am not sure what Book teaches you or what others say ..

NEVER JAM ON YOUR FRONT BRAKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

At slow speed jamming on front brake is still within control .

by at speed on 30km - 40km . if you jam on your front brake it would send you flying .

the rear brake is a better choice and use more offen .

in singapore you have to atten 3-6 month lesson to ge a motorcycle licence .

so trust me when i say i know what i am talking .

i pass my bike licence one try and my dirving licence one try .

all this took me more then 6 month to pass both licence -

meaning i got to clock up more then 60 hour in a school learning how to ride and drive .

we even need to study basic operational factor of cars and bike in the school .. and pass theory test .

-

anyway i am not here to act as a teacher . - and i care less if you injury yourself . while trying .

just don't do silly thing that get others hurts ..

and while you are on the roads . PLEASE . stay on the side on the roads if you are riding . and if you wanna do any turn .. or change lane .. DON"T DO IT OUT OF SUDDEN - i don't wanan knock down anyone while i am drivng . and as a driver .. i can tell you .. many Motorcycle is at the mercy of the driver .

and when i say .. thai driver love to talk on their mobile .. - i am telling you that your life is worth as much a his mobile ring .

so BE CARFUL AND BE SAFE >

[chanchao]

Best places to practise:

* Start at the 700 year stadium parking lot on a weekday morning. Get someone to drive you there.

* Then graduate to the CM university grounds

* Finally the Transport Department parking lot so you can do your driving license test there at the same time.

[Rasseru]

NEVER JAM ON YOUR FRONT BRAKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

At slow speed jamming on front brake is still within control .

by at speed on 30km - 40km . if you jam on your front brake it would send you flying .

If by "jamming" you mean pulling too quickly on the brake lever for the situation, then you are quite correct that one should avoid this. This is in part because the front brake is so much more effective than the rear brake, as I noted earlier. In that sense, jamming is to be avoided at all times, whether travelling slowly or quickly, although it is indeed less likely to cause a problem at slow speeds.

It is a little too complicated for me to want to get into here, but in general the real problem is squeezing the brake too quickly, not squeezing it too hard. If you are in a vertical position (in other words, not travelling at an angle, as in a corner) on a good surface with good tyres, you can brake as hard as possible (provided you start by squeezing smoothly), using the front brake only, without any problem. I have done this at speeds in excess of 240 kph, in situations where the technique was both necessary and used by all of the others riding with me. It takes some practice and experience, though, so I don't at all recommend it to anyone who has not done it before.

. . . by at speed on 30km - 40km . if you jam on your front brake it would send you flying . the rear brake is a better choice and use more offen .

Use of the rear brake instead of the front brake is not a better choice in any street situation (there are some cases in racing where the rear brake is used to loosen the traction of the rear tyre and allow the rear of the bike to slide slightly to enter a corner at a better angle, but that is a technique that should never be used on the street). Proper use of the front brake, in conjunction with use of the rear brake, is always the better choice.

. . . . . so trust me when i say i know what i am talking .

I have spent over thirty years living with and studying motorcycles, including seven years of serious riding and racing on a number of road race circuits between 1998 and 2004. No offence intended, but I will trust what I have learned from and used in all of my training and experience.

BE CARFUL AND BE SAFE >

Amusing typo aside -- let the streets be full of cars, but let them stay in their place! -- I agree absolutely!

[Ta22]

i don't think you can sit upright with a bike going at 240KPN .

i try 190kpn on my aprilla is even hard to look up . without slowing down and giving the bike a slight fish tail .

- to JAM ( at quick pace pulling in the brake ) = sucide .

- At high speed is usually TAPPING . like abs . tapping on the brake to reduce the speed slowly .

- i had little exp on race track .

i just ride my bike out into no where . some trip is 700km some trip is a 900km . i tr chaingmai mae sot , or chiangmai mae sai offen . but only my my little honda dream bike .

-

riding is not hard . is like riding bicycle just without needing you to paddle .

-

and i do enjoy riding .

not trying to prrof who is right or wrong or who is better in anyway .

you would know once you test it .

you need to Jam your rear kinda hard in order for you to skid .

i like to do it now and then when i come to a stop .. if i jam on the rear brake i can do a small skid mark on the road .

but that for fun and wear out the tire . whahahahhahahha is just to impress thai chick whhahahah a

don't do it unless you know you would not fall off .. this would back fire badly and make you look bad whhahaha

anyway . good luck .

[chanchao]

> riding is not hard . is like riding bicycle just without needing you to paddle .

Yah.. Though with a heavy bike going up Doi Suthep, you want to think ahead a bit more as you don't want to suddenly stall a heavy bike on that last steep hairpin turn up.

It's not as noticeable with a Honda Dream, but there IS the added weight/inertia to deal with / plan for.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Rasseru]

i don't think you can sit upright with a bike going at 240KPN .

You can, but it is not comfortable and it slows you down considerably. In racing, one of the actions you take as part of braking at the end of a straight is to raise your body up above the screen and use the wind resistance to slow you at the same time that you begin using the brakes. Watch the guys in Moto GP sometime and you will see what I mean.

[Cyberstar]

What might be the main purpose of the motorbike? Is it mainly to get around inside Chiang Mai City or is it mainly to be used on highways? As for the latter you'll be better off with something heavier and more powerfull, but for the former a Yamaha Nuovo Automatic is as perfect as perfect can be (except for those who swear to having a lot of manual controls)... Three minutes instruction and you'll know everything about how to handle the bike itself - even if you've never been on a bike before.

The gearing is fully automatic - getting from stand-still to full speed is just a matter of hold the handle and bend your wrist. It has no foot-controls - both brakes are handbrakes. The earlier discussion of which brake to pull hardest is irrelevant. The brakes are calibrated, so you just clench both handles at the same time with the same (soft) pressure. Even the lights are automatic. They switch on themselves when it gets a bit dark... The best thing, however, is that it has an extremely fast acceleration... That's not just a matter of getting around faster, but also a matter of safety ... A fast acceleration not only helps you out of dangerous situation, it also minimize the times you' get into one ... Just leave the crowds, confusion and insecure fumblers behind you. If you are at speed with the general trafficflow you'll need just a tiny whole to get e.g. from lane three to lane one or around a root dairng, that might hit the brakes at any moment.

Before I got this machine, I had only driven a motor vehicle twice: a moped with max speed 30 km/h as a teenager 40 years ago and an old pickup I drove about 200 meter on a deserted country road 20 years ago. When we bought the bike, my wife got the mentioned 3 minutes instruction, which she later translated for me. We took a trip round town (the moats, Thapae, Wualai, superhighway) with me on the back seat, just to get a feel of the traffic as seen from a motorbike. Then we went to an empty parkinglot, where I got a feel of how must to turn the handle and make sure the brakes did work. Next thing (after she was dropped) was the downtown traffic itself. The first 500 m very slow, but that didn't feel safe - too many near misses by cars sqeezing around you - follow the traffic flow felt much safer. The first couple of days I were the most polite driver you can possible imagine. Patiently waiting in line behind cars at traffic light. Patiently awaiting 100 meter holes in traffic flow before easing out from a sidestreet or the sidewalk... However, a standstill standstill with cars squeesing by all around you or honking their horns behind you, doesn't feel safe neither... Consequently, I soon learned just to give full throttle and get out of it when holes where just big enough... Curiously, that feels much safer - Now, I basically drive just as the Thai youngsters except my better acceleration beats them all and I'd imagine with more consideration.. I often find myself crawling behind a slow taxa, because I don't see any hole big enough, but nevertheless get overhauled by a whole bunch of zig-zagging Thai's on Honda Waves.

Edited January 16, 2007 by Cyberstar

[Ta22]

whahahhahah =- i see you trying to give great advice here -- teaching all the stunt to someone learning how to ride ..

learn to walk before you run ..

all this high speed trick .. and up hill ride .. is just rubbish to a person who hardly know how to ride a bike .

- - - - - - - -

yes wind resist slow you down .. i am lazy to debate and exchange bike stunt and trick to a starter thread ..

the last thing i would hope happen is some newbie thinking he can ride do some stunt and kill himself .

.. yes many thing can be done .. only when you know how to ride ..

many thing can be done with less brain too .

nobody will hold a upright position to reduce a bike speed..

and with a learner bike . at 100cc - 150 cc . i don't think the wind effect even kick in .

you got to be at least 140- 150 to feel the effect . that what i assume .

anyway . first learn how to ride . and be SAFE . wear Glove if you must .

don't worry how others think how dorky you may look . is better then a bleeding or sore hand when you fall . i advice jean . and shoe not slipper please

[Rasseru]

.. i am lazy to debate . . .

I think that's fine, and that we have both already posted enough information here that we can safely leave it to those reading this thread which parts they choose to believe.

[Billfo]

What might be the main purpose of the motorbike? Is it mainly to get around inside Chiang Mai City or is it mainly to be used on highways? As for the latter you'll be better off with something heavier and more powerfull, but for the former a Yamaha Nuovo Automatic is as perfect as perfect can be (except for those who swear to having a lot of manual controls)... Three minutes instruction and you'll know everything about how to handle the bike itself - even if you've never been on a bike before.

The gearing is fully automatic - getting from stand-still to full speed is just a matter of hold the handle and bend your wrist. It has no foot-controls - both brakes are handbrakes. The earlier discussion of which brake to pull hardest is irrelevant. The brakes are calibrated, so you just clench both handles at the same time with the same (soft) pressure. Even the lights are automatic. They switch on themselves when it gets a bit dark... The best thing, however, is that it has an extremely fast acceleration... That's not just a matter of getting around faster, but also a matter of safety ... A fast acceleration not only helps you out of dangerous situation, it also minimize the times you' get into one ... Just leave the crowds, confusion and insecure fumblers behind you. If you are at speed with the general trafficflow you'll need just a tiny whole to get e.g. from lane three to lane one or around a root dairng, that might hit the brakes at any moment.

Before I got this machine, I had only driven a motor vehicle twice: a moped with max speed 30 km/h as a teenager 40 years ago and an old pickup I drove about 200 meter on a deserted country road 20 years ago. When we bought the bike, my wife got the mentioned 3 minutes instruction, which she later translated for me. We took a trip round town (the moats, Thapae, Wualai, superhighway) with me on the back seat, just to get a feel of the traffic as seen from a motorbike. Then we went to an empty parkinglot, where I got a feel of how must to turn the handle and make sure the brakes did work. Next thing (after she was dropped) was the downtown traffic itself. The first 500 m very slow, but that didn't feel safe - too many near misses by cars sqeezing around you - follow the traffic flow felt much safer. The first couple of days I were the most polite driver you can possible imagine. Patiently waiting in line behind cars at traffic light. Patiently awaiting 100 meter holes in traffic flow before easing out from a sidestreet or the sidewalk... However, a standstill standstill with cars squeesing by all around you or honking their horns behind you, doesn't feel safe neither... Consequently, I soon learned just to give full throttle and get out of it when holes where just big enough... Curiously, that feels much safer - Now, I basically drive just as the Thai youngsters except my better acceleration beats them all and I'd imagine with more consideration.. I often find myself crawling behind a slow taxa, because I don't see any hole big enough, but nevertheless get overhauled by a whole bunch of zig-zagging Thai's on Honda Waves.

Automatic gears, calibrated brakes and even automatic lights! Now thats my kind of bike!

[Wizzard of Oz]

Good question.

There are no good questions ... only good answers.

Or something else that sounds like confucious but is actually a load =P

Wizz, you're welcome to PM me for instructions to come out to our place and give it a go, but I wouldn't start practicing inside the moat, on the streets of Chiang Mai (it's like a jungle in there!).

Experiences: I just got on a motor scooter at age 19 (auto clutch, no speeds) and started off like it was a weird bicycle. My first real bike, age 21: a kick-start twin Triumph, heavy. Fell off it in the first rainstorm, passing cars and cutting back in. Better to learn in a parking lot.

That would be awesome!

But I'm concerned about damaging a bike if I do something wrong and have to shell out a crapload of dosh. I've never ridden - ever! =/

Best if your beginning rides are in a very very small village and you only go as fast as a bicycle until you practice making all of the mistakes that can dump you.....the first one you should learn is about applying the front brake too hard.....you should practive on a loose dirt or gravel surface....at about 5 km per hour or less....at 5 km per hour (or less) quickly apply the front brake full force so as to lock up the front wheel and see how you fall down almost instantly!!!! SERIOUSLY....try this at a very very low speed so you can hold yourself up and keep from falling and see how this works. Going down hill (even for a short distance like 3 metres) makes using the front brake even touchier as does going around a curve so experiment with this too. Locking up the front wheel is a sure way to fall over on a motorcycle so you REALLY SHOULD EXPERIMENT WITH THIS UNTIL YOU GET THE FEEL FOR IT. Locking up the front brake is the usual way that riders break their bones including their head bone so be sure to wear a helmet....a GOOD ONE....it could save your life or save you from a life as a vegetable. Some people losen the front brake so it is not capable of locking up the front wheel but this PRESENTS DANGERS OF ITS OWN in that 75%of your braking ability is on the front wheel and if you losen the front break you will be LOSING 75% OF YOUR ABILITY TO STOP....you don't want to lose this ability unless you also want to lose your life!!

Learning how to use the front break properly is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LEARN IN RIDING A MOTORBIKE!!!....in my view.

Chownah

Yeah, it's all this kinda stuff that makes me nervous .... =/

good luck .. if you need more advice just call my mobile ..

Thanks but , no thanks.

I would suggest you don't teach anybody.

But I enjoyed reading your post.

Cheers

I L'd MAO