Hi everyone ,
I am a new member and new to biking , I guess the general term seems to be a newbie.
On a bit of a downer and really looking for help , support , encouragement , ( you name it , I need it ) ! As I said I am completely new to biking even though I am 48 years of age. Possibly had the crappiest day so far since doing my CBT , went out on my bike , ( Honda CB125 F ) and made about every mistake in the holy book of correct motorcycling . Don't know how many times I stalled it or even how I got home in one piece . Feel like a right nonce . Will I ever get it right ?
Right now it just seems like everyone else is miles ahead of me riding big bikes , ( at least over 125 cc anyway ) , and with a life times experience. So sorry for the down beat info but I just need cheering up . Is it supposed to be this tough ?

Just be patient,couple of months from now,you'll wonder what the fuss was about...go with the flow,Stu...we ALL had to start somewhere,making the same mistakes,rest assured..i've had 50years practice and still do dumb things..:)>                                                                                                                                                                             

I have been riding since I was about 12 and I'm now 58 you do the math on that On Friday on the way home from work heavy traffic and filtered down to the lights getting dirty looks from all the cars. Lights change I go to pull away and stall it blocking the cars ether side of me bike wont start have to get off push to side of the road bike starts and yes lights on red. get to next set and filter to front so I'm now back in front of the same car and yes I did it again. Looked a right w***er so trust me your not alone

Hi, you didn't come into this world on both feet and running marathons. Stick with it, you'll make mistakes, you'll feel a complete tit at times but if you want to ride bigger and better then perseverence is the way forward. Falling off isn't advised but it is a mantra in biking I have known for over 40yrs, you only really learn to ride when you have done it a few times. It is something you learn from. Likewise with stalling. Even experienced riders do this now and then, so don't be too hard on yourself about it. One of the staff members on here is a riding instructor. Send a pm to Ragnar and he will have some sage words of advise for you, and he is based in your neck of the woods.
Best of luck.......66

HI mate
Welcome to the wonderful world of biking.
It will come with practice, One thing that new riders do is let the clutch out to quickly, with a nice busy engine take about 10 feet feeding the lever fully out slowly, keeping the revs up.
If you drive a car driver think how in a car how you do a hill start, you release the clutch like that until you get the use to it.
Hope this helps

Hello mate

Rome wasn’t built in a day was it, take a deep breath and try to enjoy it more.
It will come, we’ve all been there buddy.                                                                                                                                                                             

Ps don't call yourself a nonce, it's slang for a pedophile !!                                                                                                                                                                             

Stu69 and Hen why don't you both join us at the Hallowistmas party next week in Burton all welcome and its only £4.00 on the door I think.                                                                                                                                                                             

JP, How do you put £4 on the door? if it was a fiver you could pin the note on the door.
Sorry for going off subject.                                                                                                                                                                             

Stu, it happens, we make mistakes, we stall, we all have the "doh" moments. Even when you pass and you still keep on learning. I passed in my early 40s, and I learn every day. I stalled about two weeks ago. I've dropped the bike. There isn't a biker out there who hasn't made a mistake, stalled or messed up. Any that say they havent are lying. What makes a good rider.....make the mistakes and learn from them and keep on going.

hi mate and welcome
Hang in there it's worth it in the end, in fact all the time. Lots of fun to be had on small bikes, on the right roads especially. Still in the spirit of biking, two wheels, born to be wild 😊. Have you a car license, would guess that was pretty much the same at first

Hey Stu, good to meet ya. Like all the others have said it takes time mate. I only started riding at 45 and still on me 125. There's days you gel with the bike and days you dont. By the way Ragnor is an instructor and a great one that's helped loads of peeps on here. Any time you need help just shout out and the BM family will always help. 😉

JP......have you become American?                                                                                                                                                                             

A lot of mistakes are made by beginners through being too tense/nervous, just try to relax more, enjoy the riding and it,ll feel more natural, controlling the bike will become second nature and allow more concentration on the surroundings you are having to be aware of. Its all part of gaining experience, don't worry, everyone goes through it.

Happens to us all:)
You do a perfect 3000 mile tour of mountains, lakes, and forests, on unknown roads, without putting a foot wrong.
Then you get home, swing your leg over to get off the bike, and it falls on top of you because you forgot to put the sidestand down....
And I can't believe I just admitted that

I cannot thank all you guys enough for your great support , I am really overwhelmed. It means a lot to me what you have all said. I will never give up don't worry but probably need a short break from it to clear my head. Been thinking about nothing but bikes since doing my CBT a month ago , ( well nearly thinking about nothing else , ahem ! ) It's true , I am pretty hard on myself , need to take a step back , think about where and why I am going wrong and try again. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH !

Stu, we make silly mistakes even after 20, 30 years of riding. Just keep on learning from them.                                                                                                                                                                             

Stu, is Joyce Green still there or did they close it?                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi , Cornholio ,
No they knocked it down some years back and West Hill and built new hospital nearby called Darenth Valley , ( death valley ) . I loved those old hospitals .                                                                                                                                                                             

Damn, that was a good place to ride. There's still that place just over the Thames in Essex though.