need advise from riders who skip class 2b road exp

[rhema83]

Go for it.

 

I don't see the rationale of you guys. In many other countries, learners learn riding on SV650s and GS500s. And I am not talking about the countryside, but large cities like NYC and San Francisco. (Anyone who has been there will testify that traffic is worse than Singapore. And their accident rates per rider are lower than Singapore. Most fatalities occur when a squid buys a superbike the day after he passed and crashes it a week later.)

 

Plus, since the thread starter wants a Super 4, and will have ample experience handling the bike before getting on the road, the bike's power and handling will not be an issue. He can focus on learning the road conditions just as well as if he bought a 2B bike today. No offence to Super 4 owners - I love that bike too - but it is not a "big bike" in any sense other than its weight.

 

In case anyone thinks that I am one of those who learned riding on a SV650, nope. I obtained my class 2 license the same way as anyone else, and I went to SSDC for all 3 years.

 

While I discourage anyone to jump from no bike to a superbike, the 2B-2A difference (especially when you want a tame road bike) is negligible. The only issue is money.

[rhema83]

Originally posted by nyp_boy@Sep 29 2006, 10:42 AM

quoted from u 'And, i still remember my first purpose when i wanna get my license was to pillion gals, and i did;) bro, when you have a gal hugging close to you and you are in control, the feeling's great. Once you experience then you will know. And lets not talk bout bikes, dont you think it gives you some or maybe a bit sense of achievement when you carry your helmet wherever you go? ...'

 

same sendiments here bro! thats something only bikers get it drivers don't! SHOIK.

Maybe that's true for the first few months. Sorry but I have to remind you of reality...

 

1) After a while, carrying the helmet becomes a hassle. You always have 1.3kg of bulky, fragile plastic on you.

 

2) Pillion riding loses its appeal, especially if you ride a sports bike. Your balls gets banged every time you brake hard, your suspensions gets upsetted by the extra weight on the back, the handling degrades. Worse, you worry much more about the safety of your pillion after you crash a couple of times.

 

3) Riding is expensive. You bike may be affordable, but recurring costs like petrol, oil, servicing and parts will build up very soon. Don't forget the safety gear also.

 

4) Rain sucks balls. Really.

 

But then again, one big reason for me to ride is because it's more SHIOK than driving.

[Danthearcher]

hmm thats true Rhema83, carrying 1 helmet on my left hand, and the other at my back can be a hassle.. but, its a statement. Sounds dumb, but you tell people you are a rider, and you often get either riders checking u out, or others who inspire to get riding too..

I dont think pillion riding has lose its appeal on me yet.. pillioning my gal fren to work has always been my greatest fun and thing to look forward everytime i book out from camp hee.. as of course, the burden of responsiblity weighs heavy on my shoulder.. and hmm i kinda disagree on the balls banging part.. it only happen on the first month when i start pillioning people.. now i dont feel anything, my brother doesnt complain he's being banged.. about handling degrading, brakes, suspension get upsets.. it does happen, but overall i feel handling and control improves as you pillion people. You learn how to brake sooner and control the speed better.. Cornering and weaving improves also.

 

Money can be sometimes a issue.. servicing, freak accidents, changing of wear and tear.. but for me, i do servicing once every 3 mths, change of brake pads and misc stuffs.. if you can save 200 or more a mth, for 3 mths, its more than enough to maintain the bike. And about petrol, i pump V98 into my bike, not really exp, the rate now is 1.8 something, 10percent discount, and my bike drinks every 3 day of full riding, so overall Petrol isnt a big problem..

 

Ah, rain, yes, it can suck big balls.. when you forget to bring the rainjacket, assuming its gonna be a sunny day which is not.. your visor gets smudged, your hands get cold, your body and legs start to get the chill.. the only part that remains functioning is the head.. protected by the helmet. It sucks balls riding under heavy rain without proper raingear..

 

Bout the last part about more shiok than car, i cant comment as i havent drive yet.. but riding at night with the cold wind blowing and caressing your body is really a thing a car can never enjoy.. but as of course, if in heavy rain or hot weather, bikers like us lose out to cars..

 

The choice is always yours to make, how you wanna live your life is your choice.. Take public transport for 1 year, or ride with style and gusto, pillioning your gf and feeling the wind blow your body.. Ultimately the choice is yours:smile:

[pyro13]

sorry for the late reply...well i am riding a honda wave.. i live in bedok and school at nyp.. a full tank can last me 2 days as at nite i hang aroung marina south or KTM...so its very good mileafge.. bedok to amk to bedok to kallang to marina south to ktm to kallang to bedok.. for 2 days.. i pay roughly 50 for petrol.. maintenance every month 40 more than enuf.. i change my engine oil every month.. sparkplug every 2 months.. change engine oil about 30 enuf...

[pyro13]

who carrys a helmet like tat.. dangerous sia.. even u put in helmet bag.. also restrict ur neck..but true.. after some time ur skills will be good..i used to wobble wen i pillion my gf.. now even she says it is smooth..

[ryanC]

i didn't ride till i get my class 2A. Based on your case, if you can afford it, a cub will be pretty ok.

 

road experience and all, the first few months of riding on SG roads is a bit scary. subsequently, it'll be fine. the most important i feel is that to have hands-on experience on anticipation for traffic and as well as bike maintenance.

 

a motorcycle is a responsibility. so it's up to you to decide whether are u up to that. oh and you have to worry about thefts and vandalism when you park the bike as well.

[phatmonsta]

Hey bro. U from nyp huh. I juz grad frm there n use to have the same problem with u. Get my 2b during my 2nd yr at nyp.Half heartedly want to get a rxz.Bcoz i big size, look funny on 2b bike.End up use the money i save take class 3.Pass class 3 oso nvr drive ..

 

Then after 1yr probation for 2b,i go take 2a.1st practical feels abit weird la bcoz long time nvr ride.Even my frend riding outside oso stuggling on the super 4.But u will get use to it one.Juz pass last month n now riding my dads super 4.Very shiok..! With 400cc under ur a** u will tend to speed.But all i can say is.No matter 2b,2a or class2 u are the one responsible for urself coz u the one holding the throttle. Juz follow wat ur heart says n go for it !!

[dreamwalk]

its not the machine. its the rider.

 

If you think you can do it den go for it.

 

No point come here post stupid question when deep in your heart you already know what u want.

 

Its like asking should you eat rice or noodles today?

 

I would reply : Up to you lah...

[bluelabel]

Most stupid mistake u do , is when u are riding 2b bikes , for 2b bikes repair is cheap bro. so better learn when u are riding 2b bikes .

 

 

anyway its up to you la bro.

[William Tan]

Class 2A lessons does not teach you everything from scratch.

It only has 3 circuit lessons and no road lessons.

 

So lets say you pass (with no experience on road, it might take a little longer), and get a super 4, you'll have no experience whatsoever in handling a bike on a public road for the past 1 year be it small roads or expressways.

 

But hey, there's always 2 ways of learning things;

 

The hard way, or the not-so-hard way.

[beyond23]

Originally posted by Danthearcher@Sep 28 2006, 01:45 PM

My humble advice is just that, everything starts from the basics.. Whatever we learn in the center, is just so little we learn from all our bike experiences.. the real lessons start from the road.

i agree wif Danthearcher..

the real bike experience has onli juz started..

there r so much stuff 2 learn..such as familiarize wif de road,awarenes erp rates n parkin places,basic maint. of ur future bike,shoppin experience wif bike shops n motordiam etc..

most importantly is road experience tat matters..

spore mite hv good road infrastructure..bt bein a biker..defensive ridin is we nid 2 learn as there r mani potential hazards ard..

everydae is a learnin dae..

as u goin to take claz 2A,u mite wana consider gettin a 2nd hand bike..

experience is $$ cant buy.. =)

 

juz my $0.02 worths

[nyp_boy]

Hey bro. U from nyp huh. I juz grad frm there n use to have the same problem with u. Get my 2b during my 2nd yr at nyp.Half heartedly want to get a rxz.Bcoz i big size, look funny on 2b bike.End up use the money i save take class 3.Pass class 3 oso nvr drive ..

 

Then after 1yr probation for 2b,i go take 2a.1st practical feels abit weird la bcoz long time nvr ride.Even my frend riding outside oso stuggling on the super 4.But u will get use to it one.Juz pass last month n now riding my dads super 4.Very shiok..! With 400cc under ur a** u will tend to speed.But all i can say is.No matter 2b,2a or class2 u are the one responsible for urself coz u the one holding the throttle. Juz follow wat ur heart says n go for it !!

 

in all replies, ur scenerio seems much closer to mine. finally, i see sb in e same boat. thats what im have been looking for.

 

like ur case, i save e money for my class 3. i will be expecting hard experience in my class 2a lessons afterall, i havent been riding. and...

 

Class 2A lessons does not teach you everything from scratch.

It only has 3 circuit lessons and no road lessons.

 

So lets say you pass (with no experience on road, it might take a little longer), and get a super 4, you'll have no experience whatsoever in handling a bike on a public road for the past 1 year be it small roads or expressways.

 

But hey, there's always 2 ways of learning things;

 

The hard way, or the not-so-hard way.

 

i do agree with going the hard way statement.

 

many of us have much difficulties during lesson 1, 2 etc but we still manage to graduate while some has already given up.

 

i guess i will have to take a little longer to get the riding smooth than the rest who already has 1 yr rd exp. im going for my goal: the s4.

 

2b cant match e perf,comfort & appeal of 2a. esp s4

 

i very much support e idea of danthearcher and beyond23 for the safety and bike knowledge issue. but due to limitations, i have to choose shortcut.

 

e short way is usually e hard way.

 

i appreciate e safety advise given. this topic is seldom encoutered, i hope this tread helps others who is in e same dilemma.

 

thanks phatmonsta, danthearcher, rhema83, pyro13, saboon, william, ryanc , ronald 814, matrix & flareon

[pyro13]

i agree with bluelabel.. u can either leran ur mistakes the cheap way or the expensive way

[Tricker]

looks like the topic starter had already make up his mind, all he want is just opinions of how to get it going instead of the usual progressive path eg a baby start to crawl, then learn to walk, then run.

 

I think its just a matter of to each his own,but i believe in the usual progressive way.

[rycel]

to the thread starter, since u have a thing for S4, there's some 2B bikes similiar to S4 which u can ride on.

 

but if u decided to wait for class 2A, all the best to you.

[rhema83]

If you are equally proficient handling a Phantom and a S4 - which you should be if you can pass all the obstacle courses in SSDC 2A course - then the bike doesn't make a difference anymore. A fresh 2B rider and a fresh 2A rider with no 2B experience start on the same square one.

 

I can only agree with the "expensive way" and "cheap way" argument, since it is more expensive to repair a S4. The whole "hard way" and "easy way" argument has little validity, other than that a light and not-so-power 2B bike may be more forgiving to rider mistakes in a panic situation. But I definitely trust the brakes and tyres of a S4 more than those of a Thai-made 2B bike.

[Blahhh]

While I admire that you're thinking a year or two ahead, sometimes you have to do things that are more practical. When you get on the road, you will buang. Every riders will get to know Ms. Tarmac up close and personal. While riding on the road as a P plate, every riders are constantly learning things that will save them later. It's called "experience" and it's something that one should get alot of, asap.

 

Not only that, wouldn't you agree with me that one day, you will consider 2b bikes in the future? There are many of the older bro's and sis' out there who rode big bikes then later changed to the humble Honda Wave. If you agree that you will ride 2b bikes later in your life, might as well you start now

 

This is just my opinion lah. If you really want to ride Super 4, just be really careful and try not to drop it. Very expensive repairs. Godspeed!

[ganman]

My first bike was a Class 2... frankly in my opinion get yourself a dirt cheap 2B bike first just to gain some experience on the road if you haven't got it.

 

I didn't have any major problems on the road when I first started on a big bike as I am a regular cyclist and riding on the road is not a problem for me.

 

You will have to prob brush up on your slow speed handling skills & throttle control.

 

Starting on a smaller bike also makes you appreciate your next bike just a little bit more. You'll feel the differance in power & the speed. Starting from a big bike feels good initially but eventually the fun wears out. Then you gotta get your excitement from whacking the throttle which is not a good thing.

 

Anyway, the most important thing is to ride safe.

[slowrider]

Riding in any class is also the same....you could ride 2b and still ride like SHXtS!

 

You could ride 2A and still ride like SHxTS!

 

You could be a Class 2 rider AND STILL RIDE LIKE SHXTS!

 

So if you want to skip any class might as well take public transport!

[nyp_boy]

When you get on the road, you will buang. Every riders will get to know Ms. Tarmac up close and personal. While riding on the road as a P plate, every riders are constantly learning things that will save them later. It's called "experience" and it's something that one should get alot of, asap.

 

Not only that, wouldn't you agree with me that one day, you will consider 2b bikes in the future? There are many of the older bro's and sis' out there who rode big bikes then later changed to the humble Honda Wave. If you agree that you will ride 2b bikes later in your life, might as well you start now

 

let me rephrase your words, you are saying that every rider will definately meet with serious accident someday when u said ' know ms tarmac up close and personal'. right? thats a pretty bold statement or should i say its a faulty generalisation...

 

while i understand that having that experience will help in smoother journey, that doesnt mean without it, i will crash and burn.

 

and since i did sort of discriminate 2a over 2b, i think it will take a whole lot of reasons to convince myself on a 2b.

 

My first bike was a Class 2... frankly in my opinion get yourself a dirt cheap 2B bike first just to gain some experience on the road if you haven't got it.

 

I didn't have any major problems on the road when I first started on a big bike as I am a regular cyclist and riding on the road is not a problem for me.

 

and for ur case, skipping double eh? i dont think riding on a bicycle will help that much when u are riding on such big cc machines. its totally unreal.

like having a kid swimming in pools to swim in the middle of pacific ocean.

[rhema83]

You know what, just get a Super 4. You know what you want. It is obvious.

 

Ride safe, and good luck!

[compfused]

Since your mind is made up..Shouldn't have started THIS thread in the first place..

[Tricker]

Originally posted by compfused@Oct 5 2006, 02:29 PM

Since your mind is made up..Shouldn't have started THIS thread in the first place..

Yeah i agree with compfused. nyp_boy started the thread by asking for opinions, but as soon as somebody give a opinion which favours his decisions, he let go his true colours. Just let him do what he want, its his life.

[William Tan]

Originally posted by nyp_boy@Oct 5 2006, 01:39 PM

and for ur case, skipping double eh? i dont think riding on a bicycle will help that much when u are riding on such big cc machines. its totally unreal.

like having a kid swimming in pools to swim in the middle of pacific ocean.

It may not help in the handling of big bikes but it will definitely drive home skills such as checking blind spots and road awareness.

 

And reading through all your post, it seems that you've already made up your mind in getting a super 4 and skipping your 2B. But as mentioned, dropping a cheaper 2B bike is definitely cheaper than dropping a super 4.

 

And also, not everyone who ride will kiss the tarmac. BUT the chances of new rider dropping or kissing the tarmac is very much higher than the experienced rider.

 

So its up to you to decide to be a new rider on a cheaper bike or a super 4.

[Tricker]

Originally posted by dreamwalk@Oct 1 2006, 06:47 PM

its not the machine. its the rider.

 

If you think you can do it den go for it.

 

No point come here post stupid question when deep in your heart you already know what u want.

 

Its like asking should you eat rice or noodles today?

 

I would reply : Up to you lah...

or should i go eat at hawker centre or restaurant today haha

Its not tat stupid la, just newbie is always like that.