newbie rider 2 years ago so your chance to learn from my mistakes...

After the landrover was written off and the insurance man paid me some money but never enough I got a bike instead of another Landrover . 1st mistake !
Having looked round I bought a bike for what it looked like not what was sensible and dint ask enough questions.
So took some additional training and headed off up tp the Snake on a bike that weighs in at 548 lb a 1986 Honda VF1000 F2F BOL D'OR
Mistake number 2 think about the roads you are going to learn on and think abpout what you might come accross and really get your head round anticipation .
mistake 3 too fast into the bends resulted in going the other side of the double white lines where fortunately there was no traffic coming the other way .
mistake 4 dont power up out of the neds too quick as the back try gets to grip with the road it wants to stand the bike up and you run wide !
mistake 5 learn contra steering dont try to pull the bike about with the handlebars a gentle push on the bar to the inside of the bend will hafe more instant and cntrolable effect.
mistake 6 read " twist of the wrist" before you get adventurous not after !
Coming out of the bends too much power is a bad thing , not leaning the b ike over enough is a bad thing , not shifting your weight is a bad thing , not gripping your bike with your knees is a bad thing.
mistake 7 speed. dont forget 20 speed limits are getting more common ,
mistake 8 check your tyre presures two or three times a week at least and if you tre not sure about the tension on your chain take it to a mate who does know !
Dont be scared of looking a pratt its better than looking pale white and stiff in a box !
remember taking a pillion does a lot to a bike. her (most commonly found pillion) weight will affect your brakes and stopping distance . she will increase the wight on the back tyre whioch I found improved cornering. if sh e holds onto you instead of th ebikes grab handles as you slow for bends her weight with transfer into you and tour arms and thus the handlebars badly affecting your ability to steer and if she isnt in balance it leads to nasty effects.
Remember from a standstill setting off to an immediate left hand turn is a tight move and her balance will affect the way the bike handles and it can fall over at low speeds so be careful take thwe turn as wide as you can try to get her on the back as often as possible and get her to learn balance it makes life much easier . your pillion needs to use her legs to grip the bike too ! I found thaT EXPERIENCED PILLION RIDERS MAKE A RIDE A LOT EASIER AND MUCH NICER
wet raods are not as nasty as some people would have you believe but they are a hazzard, Think who can see you , think what is likely to make you stop or worse swerve
keep your speed down . keep your distance from the gys in front and be aware of who is around you behind and on both sides.
Things tend to go wrong very fast ,
mistake 8 was it?
SNOW/ICE If you dont have to go out on the bike dont. i was at alking pace with my honda in with no warning it hit the floor , so fast I didnt have time to even think about putting my foot down one moment it was wheeling nice and steadily over thin snow within a tyre track and the next thing there was a hot exhaust butning my right leg that was pinned to the gorund inder 1/4 ton of bike an dsurrounded by a lot of expensive plastic
mistake 9 find the cut off swith and remember to use it as fast as possible !
MISTAKE 10 LOW SUNLIGHT .....You cAN SEE THEM BUT WHEN THE SUN IS BEHIND YOU THEY CANT SEE YOU AT ALL you are in a grey shaddow and unless you have your light on you are invisible ! even big lorries are just a shaddow you cant see.
Mitake 11 dont take someone on the back who is a liability , if they cant balance they will have you both off, if they are liekly to do daft things like wave at their mates kick em off an dlet em walk ! dont take on anyone who you think is two heave trying to stop a bike going down is bad enough tryinjg to stop a bike going down when your pillion is leaning the way the bike is falling is not fun!

misTAKE 12 WHEN SOMEONE RUNS INTO YOUR BIKE AND YOU ARE NOT ON IT BUT STOOD CLOSE TO IT do not try and grab it before it hits the deck !
a YEAR ON PAIN KILLERS 19 WEEKS PHYSIO AND THREE OPERATIONS IS NOT WORTH IT . tH E BIKE IS INSURED GET THEIR DETAILS GET WITNESS STATEMENTS and get the police if you have any doubts about the driver who hit you .

mistake 13 if asomeone offers to buy you a bike make damned sure they put it in writing they have given it to you as a gift . !
mistake 14 overtaking is much different on a bike than in a car . look for a gap in the traffic use your mirrors and then go but remember when you start to overtake to look for all the possible places you can get back to your side of th eroad, look for all the places someone might turn out into your path with out looking and always always always do your life saver checks they ar ecalled that for a reason .

mistake 15 ride like the other bikers comming the other way are high on drugs ar enot wearing glasses and dont give a damn if their reckless riding kills you both !
Th enumber of times I hav eseen bikes on thwe wrong sid eof the road on blind corners, having hert stopping moments as they barely miss something coming the other way ..
lessons I learned on narrow road drop back extra distance from the vehicle(s)infront .
I have had two trucks collide infront of me and shower me in debris, has a wheel barrow bowling up the road toweards me off the flat bed truck
had a deer run infront of me, a bat , a fox , an owl and umpteen sheep
so narrow roads and night rides each have their own hazards racing down country lanes is great for TT riders ,,, derbyshire roads need to be treated with respect .
INSTRUCTORS.!
WELL oN EOF MINE LEFT ME IN TOWN AND CLEARED OFF leaving me on a bike that wasnt mine , with almost no fuel and no longer in radio contact with my instructor so I got off pARKED THE BIKE UP AND GOT A BUS HOME THEN RANG HIM TO TELL HIM WHERE TO PICK UP TH EBIKE AND WHERE TO SEND THE REFUND FOR THE REST OF MY LESSONS i WOULD NOT BE TAKING WITH HIM !

NEXT MISTAKE
Flip up helmets , not a lot of fun if you are doing 120 down the motorway . yes I know wont do it again officer,,, and the flip up goes up in the wind leaving you utterly blindfold till you get it down again .

Garage forecourts ar e often slippery but more so in winter so be careful
Roundabouts, th e sun doesnt get to thwe shaded side eARLY IN TH EMORNING SO YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF GOING FROM A CLEAR ROAD TO AN ICY PATCH RIGHT at th epoint where you want to power up again ..... leave it a bit longer and expect the road to be icy in the shadows .

iF YOU FEEL YOU ARE GOIN GTTO FAST INTO A CORNER FOR GOD SAKE DONT PULL THE CLUTCH IN OR RAPIDLY THROTLE BACK
the bike will want to stand up and drift even wider accross the road .
make sure you get you rspeed right going into the bend before you get ther if it does turn out you are going too fast get your bum out of the seat put some faith in your bike and counter steer more. you will be amazed at how low your bike will go and then how much faster it does the turn the rat eof turn increases exponentially to the angle of bank ...I found that out the hard way with my daughter on the back but one the bike was over all drama stopped from the bikes point of view it just went round th ebend like it was on wheels, I on th eother hand almost had a bowel movement and my heart was in my throat for a moment when the pegs scraped the floor ........and believe me that is th eonly time ever I have done a knee down bend .

So I hope someone will learn from th emistakes I have made and hopefully this will start yet more debate with those who disagree with what I have put bu tif it promotes some additional learning then its all been worth while . Its almost 2012 I hope we are all still here when its almost 2013 , ride safe guys learn sAFELY AND HAVE FUN