VTR1000.ORG

11 or so years ago, I used to blast around (in relatively safety) on my Bandit 12.

I'm now doing DAS training on a CBF500.

Today, we went out around some country lanes, road was in horrific condition, pot holes, loose gravel, horse sh1t, tractors, poor road repairs. A familiar story in the UK.

What was worse though, that even on the straights, after 4 solid days riding this machine, I had absolutely zero confidence in my ability on it. I'm perfectly fine doing figure of 8's and all that stuff for Mod 1, but get it out on the road and it feels as though it needs really thrashing to get anything out of it. It feels, in short, uncomfortable as a machine. I don't feel part of it at all.

The instructor keeps complaining that I'm too slow and that I dont get up to even 30 fast enough. He's worried I'll fail for "not making progress". He also says I hesitate at junctions, but its because the engine sounds like my lawnmower and I feel like it will stall. 2nd gear around a relatively large roundabout, it chugs, literally chugs. Its not badly maintained or anything though.

The trouble is, the last bike I rode for any period, even all those years ago, would happily purr along at 30 in 2nd gear and I could take a right turn by easing off, no clutch needed, letting the torque carry me around, whereas the CBF seems to need at least third for the straights at 30. Then up comes a turn and I'm changing down to 2nd, but it doesnt have the torque to pull me around, so I'm using the clutch which just feels all wrong. If I don't it starts juddering and jerking.

I mean, I feel like I have absolutely no hope of passing on this machine, I just dont have confidence in it at all.

Has anyone ridden one? Are they really as bad as I think they are, or is it just me being a shitty rider after such a long layoff?

I used to be a confident but safe rider, making nice progress but not being a nutter either, now I find that it feels like the engine wants to explode when I accelerate (the power banding on the CBF is awful, with ponderous delivery then a major burst at 6500 or so at around 60mph in top), or stall when I'm turning.

I cant make sense of it and to be honest, I'm tempted to get the VTR and do Mod 2 on it, even though I'm worried examiners wont like me doing the test on my own bike, especially something so "pokey". I just cant imagine the CBF is worth the time and money (I can get an instructor "off the books") that I'm paying out. I'm looking at £150 a time for Mod 2 if I stay like this. It will eat into my VTR fund if I fail a few times.

I'm tearing my hair out. I find myself so focused on keeping the bike upright in corners and finding the right gear for corners of any speed, that its distracting me from what I should be doing, which is observation, not the ones they tell me to do constantly, but the ones I WANT to do, to remain safe.

Is it because I'm used to much more power, or I just lost all of my riding ability? I just wish I could go out on my own, without an instructor barking in my ear, on a Bandit 12, and see if I can ride as I did before. Never claimed to be a good rider, just felt confident.

Anyone offer any advice? This is a bit depressing.

Seems to me your making it hard for yourself by over thinking and worrying. Relax and try and enjoy it rather than worrying about what to do. You'll find it will all come back to you on its own.

First things first, we all have crap days out on the bike then the next time we go out it could all click and we are in the zone.

I think what you are suffering from is frustration mate. Just remember that the current process you are going through is a means to an end (passing the test).
You just need to focus on the areas which are causing you problems.
Get a bit of paper and write down what you feel are the major issues that you currently have.
Before your next ride out talk to your instructor and highlight the areas of concern and ask for his advice(thats what you are paying for)

As for the bike, its like one of the old guys at my first place of work said to me "Son, you can only piss with the rock that you got" I'm guessing other people have passed on this bike before?

Tommorow is another day fella get yourself back on that bike and show the guy what you can do with it. Just jump through the hoops that the instructor holds out for ya and you will be fine.


Chin up dude,

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Thanks guys.

I'll try.

He admitted today, he's not allowed to really teach us HOW to ride properly. For example, first day I moved to a left road position for a right hand bend, was told this would be a fail unless I did a shoulder check. Now I'm approaching a bend at 50mph, a shoulder check.....hello....what about spotting the apex and seeing further around the corner?

Apparently those are advanced techinques and, on test in the UK, you can actually fail for using them.

Thats whats getting to me really. You're right, its frustration and not being able to ride comfortably.

Once you get the bit of paper in your hand you can try as many advanced techniques you like. Do the walking before the running mate.

I have no doubt that you can do the running just fine, its just that you have got to be able to show them that you can walk safely.

Those 500's need opening up. They're not happy unless you're above halfway up the rev range. The bike is designed to rev so use it. They do sound awful when you do it but it's perfectly safe, you wont be damaging it at all.
And the way they teach you to ride for your license in this country is a joke. They should be teaching advanced techniques as basic riding because they are not any harder to learn, just different. As others have said, relax and jump through the hoops, get the ticket then ride in what you consider to be the safest way.

Started to learn on one of them and then half way through my training (second day) they swapped me onto an ER5 so I didnt really care too much for the ride/comfort/styling of the chuffing thing. Just used it as a tool to get that little bit of writing on the back of my photocard driving licence!!

Stop worrying about it and just get on with it. If you have as much experience as you say, it should be a breeze me old fruit bat!!

Well today I kind of had an epiphany.

Set off with renewed vigor determined to make that machine work for me.

Passed Mod 1 this morning and afterwards I started to ride properly. Confidence seems restored. I have to wait a bit for my Mod 2 but I'll get a half day the day before it just to make sure I got the confidence I need.

Maybe a little bit of encouragement is all I needed. Almost got my knee down on the Mod 1 sighting lap. teehee.

The CBF still performs like turd though.

Congrats on the pass. Just get through mod 2 now and you'll never have to ride the CBF again.

I wish I could have snagged a Mod 2 for this aft. I asked the examiner but he said there was nothing free. Shame, I was really in the right mood.

Nevermind.

Something else....car examiners, what a set of miserable tweed suit wearing gits. Bike examiners....friendly as anything, had plenty of banter with mine before, during and after the test. Told him I was trying to butter him up in case he was my Mod 2 examiner...it was a good laugh especially when a wasp landed on the layout diagram sheet and he swatted it, only to find it had splatted on top of two of the cones he was trying to explain, so he had to peel it off. haha.

''Something else....car examiners, what a set of miserable tweed suit wearing gits. Bike examiners....friendly as anything.''

Congrats on passing the 1st bit, but I have to pull you up on the above quote. As an ex- driving instructor I can assure you that the Bike examiners do car tests as well. Now not all examiners do both, I assume they need some additional training as well. In my local test centre, there was one examiner who definitely did both, I know this because, he took lots of my pupils & I would see him taking out bike tests, & one day when I was in the waiting room with a pupil he came out to take a car test wearing his leather bike trews.

Oh & good luck with the rest of the test.

Oh & one more thing, if you used to ride around on a Bandit, why are you having to take a test now? Riding without a licence were we?

I know some do both it just seems like the car ones I've met, like 4 today, were miserable gits.

I had a licence, just not from this country, used to live abroad and never bothered to get it transferred before validity ran out. Wish I had now...

Ba humbug.

Well done matey I did say you could do it!

Jazz