Advice on a geared bike and other advice needed

I currently have a semi automatic 125cc which I am now selling and I am finally going to get my first ever full manual bike but I am nervous as I haven't rode one before or used a clutch before etc etc, I have ridden automatic bikes on/off for over 10 years.

My weakness when riding is still corners, especially tighter ones, I always feel like I have to slow right down and brake a lot, over the years riding automatics, corners aren't quite as bad but on my semi automatic I struggle and when I get my manual bike I feel I might struggle.

What I'd like to know is:-

1.On a manual bike what gear would I need to be in on corners?
2.Can I hold the clutch in and can right down from say 6th gear down to 3rd or do I have to pull the clutch in then kick down to 5th then pull the clutch in and kick down to 4th etc?
3.Do I need to brake before downshifting on a manual bike?

And if anyone could give me some general advice on riding a manual bike that would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Totally agree with Mark, someone on a bigger bike, preferably with a two way radio set-up will help you no end with getting to know your bike, its capabilities and limits, but more importantly, YOUR capabilities and limits.
You say your weakness is cornering. I would think this is coming from a fear of falling off as you are going around the corner and hurting yourself and damaging the bike.
This is nothing new to anybody who is a two wheel fan.
None of us WANT to fall off, but the inevitable fact is, we do. And those who say they have never come off are either very, very lucky, or liars.
My first road bike I came off 6 times in the first 6 months. Once in front of a moving bus
You need to build confidence in yourself as a rider, and confidence in your bike as a machine, and have confidence in your tyres.
Put these 3 things in a nice little package, and away you go.

You will get there, at your own pace, but you will get there.

There are also courses that you can go on, mainly based at tracks like Donnington, Silverstone etc, that will teach you how to handle a bike at speed, in and out of corners, picking the acceleration point as you exit a corner (the apex), how to read the road and the conditions, etc.
Take a browse around at some of them; they are not only fun days out.

 

I bought a bike off Ebay, got a courier to deliver, it won't start so not happy, he just thinks it's the battery that needs charging as it hasn't been used for 10-14 days, would this be the case?

Also, regarding the V5, he has given me the green slip but hasn't given me the other part, he should have signed the V5 and given it to the courier to give to me and I would send it off, does this mean he will forge my signature on the V5 and send it off?

 

But i've only been given the new keepers details slip, I know it is the sellers job to send off the V5 but I haven't signed it and he says he has sent it off to the DVLA, therefore he must have forged my signature?

 

Probably has forged your signature, but you wont know for 4 to 6 weeks or even if you do get the v5 off dvla. Easiest thing to do is fill in form v62, attach the green slip, send it to dvla. No cost to you.

 

CBR 125

 

just a few riding tips (im currently helping a new biker - there instructor was absolutely rubbish! how they got through their test ill never know!)

with your fear of corners -
don't focus too much on what gear you are in when you are going for a corner, its different for everybody and its different for every bike. Use the gear that YOU are comfortable with. when your leaning in for a corner - look at where you want the bike to go, the bike will go wherever you look, look into the hedges - that's where youll go. look at the loose gravel in the other lane - that's where youll go. look where you want to place your bike and youll go there. one thing that really helped me too was when leaning in, pushing down on the footpeg which was on the side I wanted the bike to turn to.
Don't be ashamed or worried about asking a instructor for some help, most are more than happy to go for a ride with you (believe it or not I was having BIG issue when I first jumped on a manual bike too and had to have seven lessons with a instructor before I was confident enough to ride one properly) and help you out.
A track day could be a option - some training schools run days like that on a local track.

RE the gears -
don't block shift, get yourself used to downshifting, if you happen to be in 3rd when you do eventually come to a stop, clutch in and drop it into neutral once you've stopped. if you worry about it youll struggle. Don't go from 6th into 3rd.
6th gear - revs off - clutch in - drop to 5th - clutch slowly out - slowly break
5th gear - revs off - clutch in - drop to 4th - clutch slowly out - slowly break
4th gear - revs off - clutch in - drop to 3rd - clutch slowly out - slowly break
3rd gear - revs off - clutch in - drop to 2nd - clutch slowly out - slowly break
2nd gear - revs off - clutch in - drop to N - clutch slowly out - break.

that's how it was explained to me.

 

Thank you for the advice.

Regarding the battery, I bought a battery charger but I don't have anything to test the voltage, however after charging all day, the lights haven't changed so it hasn't charged.

Looking at it from the back, can you tell if this battery is dead?

 

new battery.
if your feeling confident - Halfords sell bottles of battery water, refill and charge.

 

Is that safe to do indoors? luckily I have a new bottle of Halfords water that I bought a while back just incase, I have had the windows open and the battery was on charge in the kitchen near an open window.

I lost the screws when taking the battery out so will have to find some new ones at home or at a shop, this doesn't affect charging it does it?

The instructions with the battery charger are terrible.

So I just open the caps put some water in and put it on charge?

 

fill it outside.
charge somewhere well ventilated

 

open caps, fill up, LOOSELY refit caps. charge.
should be a vid on youtube somewhere.

 

As i've lost the screws is this still chargeable?



I will have to do it indoors as I don't have a garage or anything but all windows will be open for ventilation.