# Got my first motorcycle!!



## NotoriouS (Feb 6, 2013)

Hey guys!
After years of wanting a motorcycle I have finally gotten one! I am an absolute and from reading and getting advice from experienced riders I decided to get the Honda CBR 125R (don't laugh!!!! ). Once I'm a bit more comfirtable on the bike I will be looking at getting a Ninja 300. Needless to say, I'm super excited!


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## sharky (Feb 6, 2013)

Sweet bike mate  Have fun!


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## scorps (Feb 6, 2013)

Motos are great, I have a ninja 250 but its bord out to a 375


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## Justdragons (Feb 6, 2013)

Thats awesome. Wish i had the guts to buy a bike..


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## Gruni (Feb 6, 2013)

From someone who has confronted the black top when a car failed to give way the biggest advice I will offer is: regardless how short the ride... All The Gear, ALL The Time! Get a summer jacket and some Draggin Jeans and some good boots. It is the best fun and I love riding but I was very thankful I wasn't in t-shirt and shorts when I came off.


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## saximus (Feb 6, 2013)

Gruni said:


> From someone who has confronted the black top when a car failed to give way the biggest advice I will offer is: regardless how short the ride... All The Gear, ALL The Time! Get a summer jacket and some Draggin Jeans and some good boots. It is the best fun and I love riding but I was very thankful I wasn't in t-shirt and shorts when I came off.


And assume every driver is completely stupid and out to kill you. 
Congrats


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## roobars (Feb 6, 2013)

Welcome to the riders club mate, 

Don't pick your next bike until you are fully over your current one. You never know what style of riding will suit you. 

A lot of sport biker wannabes end up riding their $20K rides like a scooter. That is against all that is motorcycling. 

You have a great commuter bike now, cheap, fun, light, easy, will never break down if you maintain it... 
Stick with it for a while, and do some track days if speed is your overall goal, they are fun on ANY bike!! (and don't be intimidated by the superbike riders with all the gear in the pits etc etc, they are usually just wealthy track obstacles )

And yeah... wear your gear, but you don't have to go SUPER crazy on it... If you are ducking down the corner shop doing 50km/h max I wouldn't bother. 
My push bike goes faster than that... every day on the way to work as a matter of fact.... you wouldn't suit up to ride a push bike to work would you? nope! 
Tour de France riders wear full leathers or Kevlar? nope... they hit crazy speeds for human powered road craft. 
Just be mindful of your consequences, and if you need to get on the freeway then yeah... gear up!


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## Gruni (Feb 6, 2013)

roobars said:


> And yeah... wear your gear, but you don't have to go SUPER crazy on it*... If you are ducking down the corner shop doing 50km/h max I wouldn't bother.
> *My push bike goes faster than that... every day on the way to work as a matter of fact.... you wouldn't suit up to ride a push bike to work would you? nope!
> Tour de France riders wear full leathers or Kevlar? nope... they hit crazy speeds for human powered road craft.
> Just be mindful of your consequences, and if you need to get on the freeway then yeah... gear up!



I have no problem with the first part of your post but I do with this. I was riding 4km home in a country town doing max 60kph when the car pulled out of the stop sign and I had 2 choices, bin the bike and slide or t-bone the car and look at spinals from the landing. I binned it, have no memory of the accident proper, four plates and 16 screws in my face and a nurse commenting on the fact that I didn't need any skin grafts or scrubbing to get gravel out. I had a more casual outlook prior to my airlft to John Hunter and my facial surgery. I wear an Ixon Hacker jacket on hot days and at least a pair of jeans regardless of the length of the ride... even to get a carton of milk. I agree you don't need full leathers but I cringe every time I see a rider in shorts and t-shirt.

I still ride regularly and not like an old grandpa.

If you want a reality check here is a link to the pics over the next three pages of the thread it includes exrays too: AUSTRALIA'S OFFROAD CLUB &bull; View topic - Gruni's Accident.


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## dangles (Feb 6, 2013)

If you can try and do a proper stay upright or Honda Australia Roadcraft Training. The Honda one is decent, the focus is more on attitude and defensive riding. As said above all cage drivers are out to kill you. I do 5 hrs a day on a bike and probably have at least 3 incidents a day where people pull out on me, I wear hi vis and the bike has hi vis bits too.


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## NotoriouS (Feb 6, 2013)

I will definitely be gearing up - as a minimum I will be wearing a jacket, helmet and gloves. My helmet should be arriving any day now (have borrowed one for now!), the jacket and gloves i'll be picking up this weekend (currently just wearing a normal leather jacket). I did ride in a t-shirt yesterday, but that was in an abandoned parking lot.

- - - Updated - - -



dangles said:


> If you can try and do a proper stay upright or Honda Australia Roadcraft Training. The Honda one is decent, the focus is more on attitude and defensive riding. As said above all cage drivers are out to kill you. I do 5 hrs a day on a bike and probably have at least 3 incidents a day where people pull out on me, I wear hi vis and the bike has hi vis bits too.



Yea I did a lesson with Mick from Sydney Bike Training last night (he is a certified trainer, used to work at Upright) - he is excellent!


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## Radar (Feb 6, 2013)

Ignore the tough kids, wear your gear.


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## ArcticMonkey (Feb 6, 2013)

And NEVER overtake on the inside.


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## NotoriouS (Feb 6, 2013)

Thanks for the tips guys! Quick question: are parking lots considered private property? As in, can someone without a license practice riding there?


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## Radar (Feb 6, 2013)

To the best of my knowledge and I could be wrong, according to the police, if you have a party at your place, and invite members of the public onto your land to park (say you have an acre of land), your driveway etc then becomes public road, and they can get done for drink driving on your driveway if the cops invite themselves in. I'm guessing car parks are probably out but don't know for sure.


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## Stuart (Feb 6, 2013)

rednut said:


> Ignore the tough kids, wear your gear.



Seconded. I have the scars from trying to be cool.


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 6, 2013)

rednut said:


> Ignore the tough kids, wear your gear.



squids.


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## fourexes (Feb 6, 2013)

good on you Notorious, what's the other bike in the garage? 

& to Scorps, I'm pretty sure if it was only boring you would end up machining out the cylinder bores. You can't make a 250 into a 375 without more than just machining AFAIK (I'm no kwaka expert). Do spill if you're actually aware of the amount of work performed.

Also that's a really cool baloon gruni! & just to elaborate, Draggin Jeans contain kevlar, which is more than 50% less efficient when wet. Bull-it covec jeans do not. A blend between personal preference, safety & marketing hype I guess.


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## Gruni (Feb 6, 2013)

You should have your L's if you are in any public place and a carpark is still a public place altough if the place is closed and empty I don't think you really have a lot to worry about.


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## borntobnude (Feb 6, 2013)

I had !! a cousin who had a bike out in the bush they found him about 500 mts off the highway in bits his leathers didn't hold him together . He always wore them but he also Always went fast 

BE SAFE !!! and enjoy the thrill


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## Stuart (Feb 6, 2013)

Sigh. No personal insults please.

FYI I have had 13 accidents on track and road. All except 2 were not my fault but I acknowledge what I did wrong and learnt from it. I suggest following this and not attacking others for their ideas be a better approach.

S


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## Skelhorn (Feb 6, 2013)

Good work mate  I'm loving my ninja 300....couldn't be happier with it! A very smart upgrade when the time comes!
I'll be getting headers and a full exhaust system when more comes on the market...also air filter and box upgrade and any other little things that I can do at the time 
P.s I always recommend wearing gear! I wear mine all the time whethear its 15 degrees or above 30 not worth my life to be cool and not wear a jacket, boots, jeans etc etc!


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## dangles (Feb 6, 2013)

No as that would be a sackable offence.

may I ask why my previous statement was deleted in regards to even if your not technically at fault u still are.

this is pumped into me by Roadcraft trainers every year at refreshers along with

"no point of being in the right, if your laying in an ambulance"

food for thought for all bike riders


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## Shaggz (Feb 7, 2013)

Congrats on the first bike, There is plenty of good advice on here so keep all that in mind and keep the rubber on the road and the shiney side up


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## pythrulz (Feb 7, 2013)

Good for you there lots of fun more ecconomical than a car and with honda and yamaha both producing a 125 its a nice entry level bike not much power but good to learn on enjoy the freedon of riding


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## NotoriouS (Feb 7, 2013)

fourexes said:


> good on you Notorious, what's the other bike in the garage?



Thanks. The other bike is also a Honda CBR 125R, my brother-in-law's (his first bike too!). We bought them one day after the other.


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## brierleys_girl (Feb 7, 2013)

Agree with everyone saying wear your gear.

First 3 of my rides as a learner went like this-

1. 50ks down a back street, some guy rounded the corner, cut it completely and I locked it up and ended up in the gutter. Didn't drop the bike though!
2. School zone.... Guy pulled out in front of me, had nowhere to go except gravel. Somehow ended up fishtailing to a stop, semi-dropped the bike (i still had it half upright)
3. 60ks on a bend.... someone booted it to get through an orange light. I went to follow, they locked it up and I locked it up and slid to a stop.

I was lucky all times not to come off. If I had, with no gear.... imagine what damage could have been done!


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## NotoriouS (Feb 7, 2013)

Yup, helmet has arrived today - will be looking to get a jacket and gloves this weekend. That being said, is there a palce in Sydney you guys would recommend where I wouldn't be losing my life savings to get gear?


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## Shaggz (Feb 7, 2013)

There is an online shop that used to actually have a physical shopfront here in Adelaide called Traxion motorcycle apparel, They do great prices on good quality riding gear. I get all mine and my wifes riding gear from there and they are great people to deal with. If you have no issues dealing online check them out. Just google their name or pm me and I will send you a link


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## Gruni (Feb 7, 2013)

There is a motorcycle warehouse of some sort because the insurance company bassed their costs for my gear on them and as such I was out of pocket because I bought locally. I'll do a search later if I get a chance and see if anything rings a bell.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's 2: 
http://www.mcas.com.au/

http://www.maw.com.au/

And here is a post I made elsewhere about this same topic:
Mate, I am always on a bit of a budget so I look for bang for my bucks. I have Rossi touring boots (Aussie made in Adelaide) which were designed with the help of the Ulysses club, they are a specifically motorbike boot but they are so comfortable that you can wear them to work and walk around in them. Approx $250 

I can rate Draggin jeans very highly, I had them on and if you look up the pics the only skin I lost was a 5c piece graze on each knee which was a little friction rub from the kevlar as far as I could tell. Again they are incredibly comfortable after a couple of washes. Approx $220

I also have two jackets, one is an R-Jays touring jacket like a Driryder and I have a more street style bomber jacket called an Ixon 'Hacker' which is all made of mesh. The Ixon will get you drenched if it rains but on a hot summer day it is a great jacket as anywhere that hasn't got armour is made of mesh which lets air flow. I had the touring jacket on at the time of the off but the Hacker has all the same armour in it. Either is around $180

If you can afford better than that then go your hardest but I think even on a budget this is about the minimum type of gear people should be looking at.

I was pretty rigid about wearing my gear before the accident but since then I cringe and get mad every time I see a bike rider in shorts, t-shirt and Dunlop Volley's.


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 7, 2013)

MCA is your best bet.. Helmet Warehouse out at Yagoona, pretty big shop and has a pretty decent range.. Bikebiz in Parramatta is pretty good also..


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## NotoriouS (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks guys! Yea I was planning on checking out the Yagoona warehouse on Saturday! MCA looks good too!


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## dangles (Feb 7, 2013)

NotoriouS said:


> Thanks guys! Yea I was planning on checking out the Yagoona warehouse on Saturday! MCA looks good too!


Just be careful of the speed camera near mca


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## KingSirloin (Feb 7, 2013)

The CBR 125R was my first bike too. Almost as efficient as a push bike! I got the black one. Then I went onto a GSXR 600 and now on a Kawasaki Z1000.


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## Zanks (Feb 7, 2013)

+1 for wearing all the gear, although having said that, last year I stacked at aprox 30 kmh and smashed my knee! 5 months off work!!!
And I have had 32 years experiance. All the gear in the world still wont save you.
Sorry, not trying to put anyone off, just remember, stay vigilant and enjoy the .... out of yourself


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## Gruni (Feb 7, 2013)

Zanks said:


> +1 for wearing all the gear, although having said that, last year I stacked at aprox 30 kmh and smashed my knee! 5 months off work!!!
> And I have had 32 years experiance. All the gear in the world still wont save you.
> Sorry, not trying to put anyone off, just remember, stay vigilant and enjoy the .... out of yourself



No matter how much gear you wear (and off roading I wear a HEAP) you just can't protect yourself from everything can you, I've been off the bike for 3 months due to soft tissue damage after an off. :lol:


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## fourexes (Feb 8, 2013)

Gruni said:


> No matter how much gear you wear (and off roading I wear a HEAP) you just can't protect yourself from everything can you, I've been off the bike for 3 months due to soft tissue damage after an off. :lol:




Yeah it happens, my brother punched a tree stump into his lung and broke a few ribs wearing full armour. I find dirt bikes seem to break more bones, road bikes usually just gravel rash or maim.


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## Gruni (Feb 8, 2013)

My broken bones were road related, worst I've had on the dirt is soft tissue and bruising. Must be all the wood in my head I'm in permanent touch with. :lol: Some of the 'cool' riders on here I think have had a fair slab of luck on their side, the bad part is for many of us that luck runs out at least once and we pay a fair price for loving two wheels so much.


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 8, 2013)

fourexes said:


> Yeah it happens, my brother punched a tree stump into his lung and broke a few ribs wearing full armour. I find dirt bikes seem to break more bones, road bikes usually just gravel rash or maim.



This was my last decent hospital trip holiday from my dirty.













Decided to go for a quick warm up ride in my local trails came around a big swooping corner and had a head on with this bloke with his front wheel crushing my leg, out of shock tried to stand up and as soon as there was weight on my leg it buckled and my ankle did a 90degree turn and my tibia came out the side of my leg to say hello wasn't pretty, 11 days in hospital later I was out in a moon boot with a nice chunk of titanium, a few screws in my leg and some nice battle scars. Moral to the story wear your gear fellas.


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## Gruni (Feb 8, 2013)

I had a mate who came for a ride he put on some sturddy stuff and borrowed my spare roost protector, unfortunately we had no spare knee guards and I doubt they would have saved him. Either way a slow off broke the top off his tibia and he ended up with sugery to reattach the top and secure the fibia as well which had also been broken, 2 large titanium plates and 16 screws. He wasn't allowed to bare any weight for 2 months, then started physio and has a slight limp and some deformity in his lower leg.

It CAN happen this easily... Greg rides a roady and used to ride trails and trials but not for quite some time, he was TRYING to take it easy and get back into the flow...

[video=youtube;bJbHLH_6vVQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJbHLH_6vVQ[/video]


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## fourexes (Feb 8, 2013)

wow that was an eye opener thanks gruni. 

venomous those xrays made me cringe lol

I think statistically speaking it's going to happen, just a matter of when. 

Heres my learner mobile: will do me for a while I think. 
Suzzi 250 across.




Pretty popular lams bike. Best feature is the 'glovebox'

Apologies for the quality of the photo, it's a good camera I just have an essential tremor which no anti-shake can manage.


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 8, 2013)

Gruni said:


> I had a mate who came for a ride he put on some sturddy stuff and borrowed my spare roost protector, unfortunately we had no spare knee guards and I doubt they would have saved him. Either way a slow off broke the top off his tibia and he ended up with sugery to reattach the top and secure the fibia as well which had also been broken, 2 large titanium plates and 16 screws. He wasn't allowed to bare any weight for 2 months, then started physio and has a slight limp and some deformity in his lower leg.
> 
> It CAN happen this easily... Greg rides a roady and used to ride trails and trials but not for quite some time, he was TRYING to take it easy and get back into the flow...
> 
> [video=youtube;bJbHLH_6vVQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJbHLH_6vVQ[/video]



That was a nasty angle he fell on man, that buckle when he put pressure on it was exactly what I did but because my tibia broke on a sharp angle it came straight through the skin. 

How did he end up getting out of there? National park?


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## Gruni (Feb 8, 2013)

The Across is a good little bike I test rode one for a mate that had a better set of pipes fitted and once you got the revs up a bit it fair screamed along. For a shorter rider than me I think one of the nicest 250's I've played on was a little CBR250R.

We were riding at Mt Canobolis near Orange and it's all State Forrest/Pine Plantation. We were in a group of three and my mate rode back to the farm and got his ute. We planned to load the bike on the ute but Greg actually drove the manual ute out of there while Wayne and I rode. We actually did a bit of sight seeing as Greg thought it was just a strain and he could use his ankle etc. It wasn't till some hours later with no improvement that we went to the hospital and got the shock news. He hadn't broken the skin and a sprain would swell up just as much as his knee did. It was such a gumby off that none of us thought it could be a serious injury as we had all bounced back from much more spectacular falls without so much as a bruise. :lol:


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## fourexes (Feb 8, 2013)

yes I was looking at a cb & cbr250 today actually. I think they possess a certain style & stance no other bike comes close to. Pitty I'm after a cruiser though 

The across is a little doughy down low I think it's because it's a small 4 cylinder. Ring it's neck and it turns into a little hummer but you have to keep the revs up. I think that's what makes it such a good learners bike. Anything bigger and I probably would've ended up on my head by now. I have no interest in fast bikes... well I do I just have a few more things in life I want to accomplish before owning one.


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## NotoriouS (Feb 8, 2013)

:shock: glad the missus isn't reading this stuff... my bike keys would disappear!


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## Gruni (Feb 8, 2013)

That's exactly what I meant about the across but a set of aftermarket pipes help it to breathe better and get on to the power a bit better. The CBR250R my mate had was a small bore 4cyl and it ws the same but it wasn't as slow to get the revs on. They redline at 18k so they need to be kept around 10-12k to stay snappy but it was a very sporty and agile bike to my way of thinking. Shame I'm 6' 4" and over 80kgs. :lol:



fourexes said:


> yes I was looking at a cb & cbr250 today actually. I think they possess a certain style & stance no other bike comes close to. Pitty I'm after a cruiser though
> 
> The across is a little doughy down low I think it's because it's a small 4 cylinder. Ring it's neck and it turns into a little hummer but you have to keep the revs up. I think that's what makes it such a good learners bike. Anything bigger and I probably would've ended up on my head by now. I have no interest in fast bikes... well I do I just have a few more things in life I want to accomplish before owning one.



As for the women folk... my wife hates me riding especially after my crash but she sees the passion in my eyes and knows it's a fight she can't hope to win so we agree to take all the safe guards I can, gear, insurance a riding buddy for in the bush and some common sense and good judgement on my part. I think it does you good though to hear some of this stuff from guys who have been there and done that. 8)


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 8, 2013)

Gruni said:


> As for the women folk... my wife hates me riding especially after my crash but she sees the passion in my eyes and knows it's a fight she can't hope to win so we agree to take all the safe guards I can, gear, insurance a riding buddy for in the bush and some common sense and good judgement on my part. I think it does you good though to hear some of this stuff from guys who have been there and done that. 8)



The trick is to get them on a bike.. I taught my girl how to ride on a little pit bike and she now has her own crf 150R and loves getting down and dirty. The only problem I have now is her wanting every pink bling part there is :facepalm:


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## NotoriouS (Feb 8, 2013)

No it's definitely good - it'll keep me grounded and I'll remember it everytime I think of being "fully sick" on my the bike


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## borntobnude (Feb 8, 2013)

not sure if i should but ------- this morning in western sydney biker v Kangaroo 
Kangaroo 1
biker 0

very sad


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 8, 2013)

borntobnude said:


> not sure if i should but ------- this morning in western sydney biker v Kangaroo
> Kangaroo 1
> biker 0
> 
> very sad



Where abouts did this happen?

edit. Found it. poor bugger. Apparently they found the kangaroo near the wreckage of the bike.


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## Gruni (Feb 8, 2013)

I had a mate who got lucky in that same situation. It jumped down off an embankment and landed in his lap... binned the bike scratching a bit of chrome and dented the fuel tank but the rider only lost a bit of dignity and collected a couple of bruises. Oh and a new helmet. 

- - - Updated - - -

For a more positive turn... here's me on my mates CBR.






And the CBR with it's big brother another mates VFR750.





And my old girl after she was restored from a complete basket case. 84 XR250 with a 280 bore kit and Bigfin kit on the head to help with air cooling the larger bore.





- - - Updated - - -

Test riding a day dream... Kwakka 900 Cruiser.





And my starting point as far as protective gear for offroad.


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## dangles (Feb 8, 2013)

borntobnude said:


> not sure if i should but ------- this morning in western sydney biker v Kangaroo
> Kangaroo 1
> biker 0
> 
> very sad


read up on ben grabham in the condo 750 approk 150km/h into a roo. the tuff bugger ran dakar as well within a year of his serious injuries. Freak accidents can happen. Riding smart will still minimise the risks


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## Shaggz (Feb 9, 2013)

Another good tip also is don't just wear the gear, make sure all the gear is in good condition. A few years ago whilst on a memorial run one of our riders had a blowout on the rear which turned into a tank slapper, He tried to bail at what seemed to him to be the best time to get off only to find that he couldn't. He finished up riding it to the ground and being caught under the bike, when we removed the bike we found that the gear lever had got caught in a rip in his boot which he knew was already there. End result was a smashed ankle and a kneecap shattered into about 20 pieces. He had all the gear and wore it religiously, he had actually looked at new boots the week previous to his accident but decided that his old ones were too comfy and it basically cost him a year of his life.

Sometimes my friends think I am anal when it comes to safety gear but that is just because I want all of my mates to make it home alive from every ride regardless of how far we are going.


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## Gruni (Feb 9, 2013)

Good point Shags my helmets average a 3yr, slightly longer if it's not worn regularly but certainly within 5yrs, turn around for that same reason.


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## Gruni (Feb 17, 2013)

So NotoriouS, how did you get on? Did you get your safety gear? How's the learning to ride going?


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## NotoriouS (Feb 18, 2013)

Hey Gruni! I got my helmet and gloves, went to look at jackets on Saturday at the Yagoona warehouse - nothing I wanted really. Don't want to spend so much money on something that I don't like, so will keep looking. The learning is going slow and steady, picking up things everyday. Quite comfortable riding in quiet streets, we'll see how I get along in traffic. Planning to head out middle of this week.


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## Tsubakai (Feb 18, 2013)

Great little learner bike you have there. You can learn a lot of the necessary roadcraft skills on it in a safe manner and its small and light enough to be forgiving on your back if you do happen to drop it. I spent two and a half years on mine before I upgraded and I still rely on many of the skills I learnt and perfected on my 125R. 

My only tip is to be careful in the wet or if you hit a loose patch of gravel etc. It is very easy to lock up the rear wheel when braking which can make your ride more exciting than you planned.

Have fun.


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## Gruni (Feb 18, 2013)

Tsubakai said:


> My only tip is to be careful in the wet or if you hit a loose patch of gravel etc. It is very easy to lock up the rear wheel when braking which can make your ride more exciting than you planned.
> 
> Have fun.



:lol: I did excatly that on my mates VFR from the pic I posted. I didn't lock up the brake but turned onto some gravel and the big pig wanted to low side me... all my dirtbike riding kicked in and before I knew what I'd done I blipped the throttle and it straightened the bike up, at the time it seems a bit counter intuitive as most people will try to grab a fist full of brake to 'stop' the bike doing what it is. I have had to lift that thing once before and wasn't keen on the idea of lifting it by myself I can tell you.


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## NotoriouS (Feb 27, 2013)

Crashed my first motorcycle! :facepalm:

Car was tailing me way too closely as I came up to a roundabout, didn't slow down enough out of fear of getting hit from behind... was going too fast as I was coming out of the roundabout and went straight into the curb & fence! Thankfully had all my gear on, just got a bruised leg by getting my leg stuck under the bike when I fell. Picked up the bike, scraped my pride off the floor and moved around the corner.

Bit of damage to the bike, front wheel not aligned to steering anymore, crack in the fairing (small) but that's about it. Called up a repairer, he told me to put the wheel against a brick wall and straighten it by bending the steering in the opposite direction. That seemed to work! But will hopefully get it inspected by a mechanic once I build up the skills to ride it comfortably. 

But yea, thankfully not too much damage, lesson learnt, just a bit of pride lost


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## Stuart (Feb 27, 2013)

Glad you ended up OK after it mate. Tail gating was one of my pet hates when riding.


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## Gruni (Feb 27, 2013)

Glad you got out of it ok, I'm sure your pride will mend quickly enough.

When you do that to the steering you should back the bolts on the triple clamp off just a bit and 'bump' the wheel against a wall or tree etc to knock it back across. Then nip up your bolts again. 

Your fairing if it cracked can be fixed a couple of ways, one of which is to use NeadIt epoxy metal... it's a two part putty that you knead together and then smoosh it on the back of the crack and it bonds with the fibreglass when it dries. You apply it to the back of the fairing so it's not visible.


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## NotoriouS (Feb 27, 2013)

Gruni said:


> Glad you got out of it ok, I'm sure your pride will mend quickly enough.
> 
> When you do that to the steering you should back the bolts on the triple clamp off just a bit and 'bump' the wheel against a wall or tree etc to knock it back across. Then nip up your bolts again.
> 
> Your fairing if it cracked can be fixed a couple of ways, one of which is to use NeadIt epoxy metal... it's a two part putty that you knead together and then smoosh it on the back of the crack and it bonds with the fibreglass when it dries. You apply it to the back of the fairing so it's not visible.



Thanks Gruni for the tips on fixing the bike will tighten the bolts this evening once I get him. Will get the NeadIt epoxy, would I be able to pick that stuff up at Bunnings? I'll be heading down to the new opening of the MCA store in Caringbah this weekend though, apparently they'll be having a massive sale (heard it on the radio) to pick up some other stuff. My brake lever is bent as well, still useable but I'd rather replace it.


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## Gruni (Feb 27, 2013)

I think Bunnings would have it or something like it, otherwise Repco or Supercheap would be worth checking. There are also a couple of little tricks you can use to reinforce the epoxy repair.... a little piece of tin sheet with a heap of holes drilled through it pressed into the soft epoxy so it worms through like vegimite on a salada and then squish down the worms onto the tin. Or even some fly screen mesh.


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## Skelhorn (Feb 27, 2013)

NotoriouS said:


> Crashed my first motorcycle! :facepalm:
> 
> Car was tailing me way too closely as I came up to a roundabout, didn't slow down enough out of fear of getting hit from behind... was going too fast as I was coming out of the roundabout and went straight into the curb & fence! Thankfully had all my gear on, just got a bruised leg by getting my leg stuck under the bike when I fell. Picked up the bike, scraped my pride off the floor and moved around the corner.
> 
> ...



MATE! Glad to hear your okay but in future one tip....if people are tailing you slow down....slowly but slow down(i tap my brakes about 4 times each time dropping my speed by 2k or so)....if they do not like your speed they will go around you. I have this psycho the other day it was not funny, i accellerated and sweared through traffic to avoid her and constantly changed lanes and yet she was still there so eventually I kept braking and looking back at her to back off...eventually she went around me....and i ended up getting past her again and when we stopped at a set of lights I put my bike in neutral and put my stand down and fort against my urges the hardest I have ever had to.....so that I didn't walk up to her car, rip her out by her hair and knock her one. She was in a red 4WD with a big bullbar and was varying 1-2m behind me at 65km in a 60zone. I was not happy and fuming...if I ever see her again I will give her a mouthful as I think that since getting a bike it has opened my eyes to how oblivious and selfish people on 4 wheels are!

Hang in there and take it easy...and remember if they are tail gating you slow down....they will get the gist and if they don't pull over and let them pass 

Take it easy dude!


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## NotoriouS (Feb 27, 2013)

Skelhorn said:


> MATE! Glad to hear your okay but in future one tip....if people are tailing you slow down....slowly but slow down(i tap my brakes about 4 times each time dropping my speed by 2k or so)....



Yup, learnt my lesson... won't be doing that again! I'm back to just riding back streets for now. I found a parking lot about 2 km away from my place, can get there through the back streets without crossing any heavy traffic. Went there last night to regain some confidence. Will be practicing there for a bit before I venture out into traffic again.


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## waikare (Feb 27, 2013)

*my first moto*

hi guys just came across the thread this is my first bike a cbr 250r



had it about 6mths and nearly done 6000km on her, i ride her to work everyday and enjoy every minute of it, gear up for every ride, theres a saying my father inlaw said to me who has been riding for years, 

dont dress for the ride, dress for the fall


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## Doccee (Mar 3, 2013)

Very good advice, I second that ( mind you I should practice what I preach, I have a bad habit of still wearing shorts and a singlet)


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## Doccee (Mar 3, 2013)

Glad you're ok after the stack, I've lost count of the times I've nearly been hit by people who see a bike and decide they want to make it a hood ornament. Keep ya wits about you don't let other road users pressure you into a mistake. 


Keep On Ridin'


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## Goldie74 (Mar 3, 2013)

I work in a trauma and plastics unit in a large Melbourne hospital. Not surprisingly, the ratio of motorbike accidents to car accidents is disproportionately high. The advice on here to gear up appropriately cannot be stressed enough. Just google images of free flap, split skin grafts, degloving etc... you'll get the picture! Most patients I see weren't wearing the right gear.


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## Snakewoman (Mar 5, 2013)

Congrats on the bike, it sucks that you've stacked it already but at least you're ok  

If you get a passion for motorcycling it'll never go away so be warned lol. I always have a go pro running when I'm riding. I've had these interesting events happen within less than a week of each other:

Smidsy - YouTube

Inconsiderate bus driver! - YouTube

I ride a V Star 650, got it in September last year, upgraded from a 250 Virago. Got a good deal too, the original owner paid $12,500 for it brand new in 2008 and he hadn't even put 5,500 kilometers on it. I paid $7,000 for it 

It's gone on 4 Great Ocean Road trips and now has over 11,000 k's on it 

I've spent a bit over $1,500 on it so far for a new exhaust, saddlebags and supports,engine guards and a tank panel. There's still over $3,000 worth of things I want to change/add to it. It's getting done slowly.


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## andynic07 (Mar 5, 2013)

Tahlia said:


> Congrats on the bike, it sucks that you've stacked it already but at least you're ok
> 
> If you get a passion for motorcycling it'll never go away so be warned lol. I always have a go pro running when I'm riding. I've had these interesting events happen within less than a week of each other:
> 
> ...


Very nice and at least your upgrades are cheap. I got an cam kit with gear drive installed on my Harley and it cost about $2000 let alone all the other stuff. Really nice looking bike though and you are so lucky to have the great ocean road at your disposal.


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## Snakewoman (Mar 6, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> Very nice and at least your upgrades are cheap. I got an cam kit with gear drive installed on my Harley and it cost about $2000 let alone all the other stuff. Really nice looking bike though and you are so lucky to have the great ocean road at your disposal.



Thanks 

Your stuff is a pretty big hit to the pocket. Worth it though, isn't it? This bike is the nicest thing I've ever owned, I remember staring at it when I brought it home and thinking "Wow, this is really mine?" By the time I'm finished with it, it will be far from stock. Here's what I've got planned for it:

Passing lamps and the visors for them and the headlight
Air kit (extra horsepower plus it looks better than the boring stock circle shaped air cleaner)

Flamed hand grips

Sissy bar

Mustang studded tour seats

Star bars (I'm 5ft1 and the stock bars have me leaning forward which gives me a pain in the back after a while. I've loosened the current bars off and bent them down to bring them closer to me but it still isn't close enough)

Flame floorboards

Eagle beak mirrors

It's a case of "What can I afford to buy for the bike this month?" 

The GOR is my favourite road, the best corners are after Lorne and there's usually less traffic. I like to go on weekdays because there are less morons on the road.


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## sacred_DUC (Mar 6, 2013)

here is my current pair left bike is 2001 Aprilia Rs250 my learner bike been in garage storage for 5years due to many a close miss, and my newest buy a 2003 Ducati 749s


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## Jonesy1990 (Mar 6, 2013)

Congrats mate  I just got my first bike the other day as well, I got a ninja 300  I'm loving it.


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