Advice on a geared bike and other advice needed

If I'm coming off an A road at 60-70mph and I'm in 6th, and theres a roundabout just after exiting the A road, what would your sequence be? Keep pulling in and releasing the clutch and downshifting to 2nd or 1st and braking? Or would you just brake and slow right down and pull in the clutch and kick it all the way into 2nd or 1st when about to stop?

And if your in 3rd or 4th and theres a red light ahead, I presume it's best to just brake, pull in the clutch and then kick it all the way to 1st?

 

A Road with roundabout - you should be slowing down from the moment you start to enter the slip road/change onto slip road. no throttle clutch in - down into 5th - release clutch let revs settle - clutch in down into 4th - release clutch let revs settle - clutch in - down into 3rd - release clutch let revs settle clutch in down into 2nd then into neutral after revs have settled - keep clutch in then select 1st or 2nd depending on your speed and go off as you normally would. while downshifting/engine breaking you should be LIGHTLY applying the brakes.

as with the innova - when theres a red light downshift until your in neutral if you can if not atleast try to be in 2nd and knock it into N when you've stopped, then 1st as you pull off.

 

Weird thing is I actually prefer the Innova, it feels so much more comfortable and doesn't vibrate as much and is generally much easier to ride and still easily did 65mph.

I've still got my innova, it's up for sale but it's not gone yet, now i'm considering selling the CBR and keeping the innova.

 

Maybe you would be more comfortable on an automatic.

 

go speak to a local bike school, they will help you learn im sure. sounds like you need some hands on help really...

 

It's such a nice bike, I would be disappointed if I had to sell it, but i find it complicated, heavy and hard to ride, it also seems to really vibrate once it goes over 45mph which I don't know if it should but on this bike going 40mph feels like 70mph, on my innova going 65mph felt like I was doing about 40-45mph.

 

Scooter speedos are often false so you probably were only doing 45mph.

 

as scubabiker said... pop along to local training school and have a few lessons, sounds like you need help in person not over the internet..

actually they aren't that far out on 125s. 65 is probably 61ish mph, especially on a Honda.

 

Would I really need to ever use 6th gear or even 5th? I've noticed on other forums people say that 125's are sluggish in high gears.

 

town riding - not really. when your out on the open roads, yup you do. Those gears are mostly higher speed cruising gears, use them.

 

Watching youtube videos and looking on the internet, some people say don't use your brakes much and use engine braking, others say use your brakes, so conflicting advice when to use your brakes and when not to use your brakes on a geared bike. Obviously i know it's clutch in and both brakes applied to come to a stop in an emergency, I even practiced that the other day.

Also how much countersteering and leaning is required on a 125?

 

its generally best to practice engine braking. Once you have the nack of it (it does take time to get right) Youll find yourself hardly using the brakes and itll make your ride so much smoother.

Don't even worry about countersteering yet. That only really applies to big bikes. it will come naturally to you anyway, TBH your probably doing it without realising. Lean as far as you feel comfortable with. There is no right or wrong answer. IT depends on so many factors, the main being how comfortable YOU are.

For example, a corner I would quite easily get my knee down on, you may want to take slower and not lean in a lot. Its all about YOU and how comfortable YOU are with doing it.

Seriously, you may not want to spend the dosh but get out with a instructor for atleast one lesson, You will feel so much better afterwards. Trust me.

 

What about rev matching?

 

again. something you really don't need to worry about, itll come naturally.
when shifting down just make sure you've dropped the revs low enough for the next gear down. it varies on all bikes. Just ride and practice.

 

Ok thanks, another question.

If I'm in slow traffic, like 5-10mph and i keep moving and stopping is it best to stay in 1st and keep pulling in the clutch and letting it in to move or use the brakes or use the clutch and brakes? Or should I be in 2nd?

 

i use back brake and clutch in slow moving traffic, this is all stuff that they should teach you on CBT.... you should really go speak to a driving school, they probably do some sort of "learn gears" course....

 

I've done several CBT's but all on automatics, that's why I'm struggling but I'm trying to teach myself, I should have know about the back brake thing as I know when doing a U-Turn you only use the back brake.

 

yeah, the back brake helps keep the bike upright. they teach you it for MOD 1 on the bike test. its a really useful skill to have, I find now that i challenge myself to see how slow i can ride without putting my feet down. (i can stop on my scoot and not put my feet down!)

 

im going to say this because tbh as nice as we can be on here you really do need professional help -
GET DOWN TO A TRAINING SCHOOL AND GET OUT WITH A INSTRUCTOR! ALL TRAINING SCHOOLS WILL DO A CLUTCH AND GEAR CONVERSION FOR WAY LESS THAN A CBT COSTS! ITLL BE A HELL OF ALOT MORE HELP THAN WE CAN BE OVER THE INTERNET!

sorry but I had to say it.