h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

ok heres my story...
im 19, female from herts
i really wanna ride a motorbike, not a scooter moped or anything
ive been driving a car for over a year now, but i think riding a bike will give me a sence of freedom !

well anyWho, i just dont no where to start, ive never sat on a bike before, and i dont no anyone who has one.

will i have to from riding a moped then move up? because i really dont wanna do that?
really wanna have a licence to ride one, any advise will be MUCH apreciated
ta ppl ;o)

i think id be the first ever muslim/asian women bikie how cool is that !!!!!!!!!!

Hi! You'd be better off posting this in the Ask H2G2 forum (can't do posh links - so have a look at the Front Page) but I reckon that you should find all the info you need here - http://www.dsa.gov.uk/bikes.asp

Happy biking!

Oops - just realised you posted this in the correct forum ....never mind the link still holds good!

Hi!
I reckon your best bet is to find a bike instruction school...they usually provide bikes (or at least they do here in Australia). Then you can have a bit of a go at it in controlled conditions and see how you go.
Once you do decide to buy a bike, don't bother with mopeds, get yourself a cheap bike, that you're legally allowed to ride as a learner and that you don't mind dropping - I don't recommend buying a new bike for your first one. But buy a decent second-hand bike - something light, not over-powered and that you like the look of. Ask the people at the school for advice, read magazines, search the web. There's heaps of info out there about getting into riding.
Don't skimp on gear, though - new helmet, gloves, etc...

Have fun, good luck, and keep your shiny side up!

thanks for all replies, im gonna get my head down and start studyin'

Hey,

I'm also girl and have been riding since August 2005.

I put it off for ages, intimidated by guys who seem to know everything there is to know about biking.. I also thought that I couldn't possibly physically handle anything bigger than a scooter. I was wrong.

I now own a Honda NSR 125, which has a 2-stroke engine. Granted, it isn't the quietest or environmentally friendliest bike in the world, but it really has some 'oomph' to it and feels much more powerful compared to its' 4-stroke counterparts.

I know other women who ride 600cc+ bikes....the world is your oyster!

So I say go for it. Enjoy the surprised look on peoples' faces when you tell them that you ride - they look you up and down, expecting to see butch characteristics - the look of surprise comes when they find none!

Lastly - have fun! Once you start riding, you'll never want to be without a bike.

Hazel

If you're serious about getting into biking here's my advice.

Buy a copy of Bike magazine. The 'really usefull section' at the back has all kinds of features and they often do guides for new riders. You'll also find 'Ogri' on the inside of the back page - a biking legend. Ride is another good, informative magazine for beginners. I'd avoid magazines like fast bikes and performance bikes to begin with as they assume you already know what they are talking about.


MCN is the motorcycling weekly newspaper. Everyone advertises here and this is where you'll find your nearest training school. It's also a good place to find a second hand bike and research prices. MCN also does regular features for beginers and you'll be able to find out where your nearest bike meet is.

I personally would recomend getting your training from a private instructor. Schools tend to just shove as many people through as they can to make money, so you'll end up training with a group. My instructor charged the same as a school but gave me one to one instruction. Phone them up have a chat, ask if you can go see them. You need to get on with them if you are to learn. Don't just book a lesson, your life depends on getting the best training you can so find out as much about them as you can before you book. If they are genuine they won't mind answering questions.

Buy the best helmet you can afford. No ifs, no buts. You can survive broken legs and arms. But a broken head isn't something you recover from.

Leather is still better. A cheap suit will set you back about £200. Less than that and it's just 'biker style'. Hein Gericke have a very good reputation for quality and their prices are ok.

Check out ebay too, lots of people replace equipment when fashions change. If you're on a budget you can make massive savings.

Never, never, never buy a second hand helmet. Always try it on in the shop. It should fit with a nice squeeze. Too tight and it'll be very uncomfortable.Too loose and it will be dangerous. With the helmet on and fastened, try and lift it off by pulling the back up and forwards over your head. If it's too loose you'll know.

Don't worry about the kind of bike you get. You'll be restricted to a smaller bike because of your license. But these are still great fun, brilliant to learn on and cheap to maintain. Any one of the 125cc bikes will do. Bikes tend to do an average of 3000 miles a year (although mione does 60,000+). If it's a shed walk away, there are enough well looked after bikes out there for you to be choosy.

Do a hpi check. MCN do a HPI service that's reasonably priced. If anything shows up as odd, walk away.

Be prepared to fall off. Everyone does eventually and usually in the most embarrasing way possible. It can hurt. It can hurt a lot. But it doesn't always.

Don't be surprised when other bikers nod at you. There's nothing wrong. They're just acknowledging another biker. Just nod back.

Although a wave that looks like they are saying slow down is probabley a warning about police ahead or diesel or something to be careful about.
So be extra careful for a mile or so...

And finally, don't be surprised by how blind, stupid and crap car drivers are. They never look. They never indicate. They never see you. They are unpredictable. As my instructor told me treat them all like they are out to kill you and assume you are invisible. Because no matter how much in the right you are, it's still you that ends up in hospital...

Hope that helps.

P.S. Sory but you won't be the first asian girl on a bike. I see one regularly in Wakefield West Yorkshire. I always nod, but she hasn't nodded back yet.

hi
i dont like scooters aswell so when i bought my first bike i bought a kinroad chopper it is small enough to touch the ground easily looks fantastic is a 50cc engine so doesnt go too fast but sounds like a bike bike it really gets people looking and they are so easy to ride you can find the web site just key in kinroad motorbikes you can buy them brand new for £600
good luck

Hey man, just wanna thank ya'll for all the cool advise,

ive been puttin this off for a bit now, family dont approve of me doing what i wanna do (ride a bike lol) feelin really nervous coz im gonna go to the local school and get some advise from an instructor.

just a quick question, is it easy riding a bike, is it similar to drivin? i now the gears are in your hands, im left handed does that make a difference at all? so many stupid questions !!! but i gota ask em !!!

cheers !

hey hazel_is_nuts,
kool choice in bike ROCK ON !!! (Honda NSR 125)

are you tall, i mean it makes a difference if you got longer arms and that, i think im gonna struggly, im only 5ft5 lol !

Hi MuslimGirl
I hope that you have started to ride that bike. Im starting today. I got my bike last night and I dont have a clue where to start. Thats how I ended up here. Due to the macho factor and the potential for divorce causing fights, Im not asking my hubby to help. I found the instructions on this site, printed them and now Im on my way outside to get stuck in. We dont have much in the way of motorbike instruction in South Africa. A lot of people seem to assume that the "guys" are man enough to be born knowing exactly how and girls shouldnt want to anyway.
So...(deep breath) here goes I with my printed instructions and shaking hands.

Good luck MuslimGirl Ill remember you as I try to get out of my driveway on wobbly wheels.

My word, someone taking my instructions to heart! Eeek...

I really really think you should get some help to learn how to ride. Sneak off to a riding school or something - there's a lot to riding a bike other than just the ability to start, change gears, and stop, and riding school instructors can really help you get your head around that stuff.

Good luck!

that wud certainly be something 4 the aunty jees 2 c! ha! go 4 it