going up to a bigger bike

so im finally doing my mod2 next week and I honestly cant wait.
ive already bought my first bigger bike which has had to be restricted to A2 licence conditions.
only thing is, im kind of worried that stepping upto something with so much grunt so quick can only end one way. any tips from someone whos gone from a 125 upto a 600 etc?
im not planning on taking pillion for a month or two atleast until im comfortable with the bike and used to the controls, weight, acceleration etc.

going upto a restricted tiger 800 so will be quite a change from a 125.
ive ridden bigger bikes before, ive trained on a gs500, and other big bikes OFF road only - so im kinda shitting myself at the whole going onto a 800 thing.
would it be a good idea to go out with experienced riders/instructors for my first few rides on the bike?

 

Obviously havent done it myself but if I was you and had the opportunity thats what id do mate

 

They are more stable and easier to control than a 125, even at low speeds-just remember to drag that back brake and slip the clutch and it will stay upright for you while you do figure 8's and u turns etc. That tiger has an upright seating position too which really helps.

Other than that, they are only as fast as your throttle hand so a bit of self control there for a while and you wont have any worries

 

With heavier bikes the key is to keep a little power on when in the corners, just enough to maintain the momentum and stop it dropping, much the same as you should with a scooter, yes, you will learn how much is too much and your arse will tweak at the time when you get it wrong, especially in the wet and the tyre slips out a little.
But the tiger is a pretty stable bike even at low speeds.

 

I went for the tiger because it suits pretty much everything I want and need.
I needed a good tall commuter, a weekend bike and something that had enough torque to pull me and a pillion (in a month or two maybe) and still have its panniers on with some kit in (not loads just stuff like paperwork etc)
even restricted they apparently go well and are comfortable on dual carriageway and motorway but im yet to even ride it. I sat on my one for about 15 minutes and it was so comfortable.
I just don't want to push it, ive been on 50s and 125s for a while and had the odd go on bigger bikes off road but apart from riding a gs500 on my training ive not ridden anything as big on the road. the thing scaring me the most at the moment is when I ride on my own for the first few times for the commute which ill have to do 3 days after doing mod2 if I pass. im going to try and get out with my stepdad on his v-strom and a few other experienced riders for a ride or two before that but riding on my own on something so big is a massive thing for me. now I look at it I think I should have gotten a 500cc or something similar and worked my way up but the tiger seems perfect for what I need in my return to full time biking.

 

You have the same problem every tall rider has, finding a bike that fits you. Going out with stepdad and his mates is a good idea. Just dont follow, do your thing, not theirs. Dont try to keep up, they'll slow down for you if needed.

 

they've all said they wont ride like they usually do, a trip to the long mynd and back on first day and then I think they wanted to go to the peak district 2nd day, so maybe a bit too far for me but I might give it a try. done both on a 125cc but I know the pace will be a lot faster than id do on a 125cc. but well see how I go.
my instructor says I should give bikesafe a go and consider going on a advanced course when im on the tiger to develop my riding further but surely going for advanced courses straight after passing isn't a good idea.

 

I PASSED NO MINORS !!!!!

 

Well done mate il expect to see you leaving ya brother for duat then lol

 

well done scootz

 

I know I said I wouldn't take pillion for a while but I was down the snake pass with a pillion on the back within a hour of passing, bike was waiting for me outside test centre, instructors son rode it up there for me, we went up in a big group with a mix of people to celebrate, I loved it so much I went back sunday, and today... but decided to go to bakewell today, been to belper too to see some family. im loving the bike, just going to make a few tweaks.

 

the pillions ive took so far are all experienced riders that just didn't have a bike that day but wanted to go, my bike has enough torque to pull us both and all my gear. I like them to hold onto the bike and not me and to lean in with me. had one that tried to stay upright as I was leaning in to a bloody good bend, had to go down lower to get them to lean with me. after that they learned the lesson.

 

A pillion needs to act like a piece of luggage - just sit still and go wherever the bike goes.

The worst thing a pillion can do is to try to stay upright - as you have already found.

Second worst is to lean backwards - makes it much harder to turn the bike.

If I may make so bold as to offer a tip (based on painful experience) - get used to how much space you need to stop. Even modern bikes with good brakes take some stopping, and you can't just tiller the steering like in a car. My observations over recent years have been that many scooter riders follow FAR too close to cars - this is probably a combination of inexperience and wanting to slipstream someone on an underpowered machine. Now that you have plenty of horses under you, you can keep following distances to something sensible - knowing you can whip past anything when the opportunity arises. If a road dictates that you need to be close behind something to find an opportunity for a quick pass, be out towards the white line so that you'll miss him if he hits the anchors.

Keep it safe, and enjoy.

Dave

 

yeah, ive been pillion quite a bit myself so I know what to tell my pillions etc. about to take gf as pillion for the first time for a quick run over to my mums.
ive always left plenty of space. never like being close even on a moped. still got my old Yamaha jog and use it here and there now to just nip down to the high street etc instead of getting triumph out which is a pain in the arse at our new place. but unless your filtering in traffic or at a red light theres no need to be within two car lengths of a car while moving. that's what ive been taught and ill stick to.

 

Good stuff.

Don't wanna teach you to suck eggs my friend, but if I don't say it mebbe nobody will.

Some of the young lads on scooters clearly have absolutely no concept of how suddenly it can all go tits up, or of how much it hurts to fly over a car and come down face first on the tarmac - in the path of a truck (which at this point is in an 8-wheel slide). But then when I was young I didn't either.

Good luck with the gf on the back. I'm lucky, my missus doesn't want to ride pillion. She's had a full bike licence for 30 years but prefers to drive a cage these days.

I have a 250 Sym for getting about town - twist and go and big underseat space - and use my Divvy for longer journeys or a bit of a hoon round. It's actually quite enjoyable to have the contrast between the 2 cos the Sym is so effortless, but tops out around 75 (on private roods only) - which is where the Divvy is right in the mood.

Take care

D

 

she loves going pillion, our car is awaiting my attention at the moment so the bike is our transport for the next week. but she wont be going pillion much longer. her jacket is only just going over bump.
love having the choice between triumph and the little jog. pretty handy. for the triumph I spend 30 mins getting ready and getting it out. jog = 5 mins, chuck a old jacket, helmet and gloves on whilst its warming up.
I only use the jog for nipping about on now, when its pointless getting the triumph out - especially at £35 to fill it back up compared to £4.90 in the jog.

took bike on the commute today. was interesting. car commute = 1 hour 10 mins. scooter commute = 55 mins. triumph commute 35 mins. from Solihull to Wolverhampton. must remember to slow down a tad on those lanes.