Hi. I've been riding bikes for over 30 years now and at this moment I own a 1200cc GoldWing and an old Honda CB400T

I tour on both bikes. For long trips the GoldWing is much more comfortable and has more luggage capacity but the 400 is very easy to ride on the dirt and on narrow streets and even on the motorway, I can keep up with traffic at 120 km/h and this is a 27 years old bike!
If you know what you're doing, big is safer and more comfortable but also a lot more expensive! and sometimes a small bike is just lots of FUN

Paddy
sorry it may br a bit late now but this is my view.
your clearly not a "natural" biker as you would have got something bigger by now - but there is still hope!

my advise for a good first bigish bike CB600 Hornet - comfortable fast good handling good brakes, some may say its a little too powerful but the throttle goes both ways. it will tour but with a small tank you will get plenty of full stops.

this was the road bike i got after a few years offroad and i think it was the most fun road bike ive had.

if you want to learn to ride swiftly and safely do not get a bike that you think you can ride now (125/250), you will get bored and then buy another bike in 6 months - get one you will grow into and want to improve your skill on to ride faster/safer.

ps - your actually in one of the best areas for biking roads in the country - London - its like a racetrack - get up early (0500) on a sunday morning light up the hornet and become an urban terorist - fantastic!!!!

i live in scotland now with an 1150 gs but i still miss riding in london.

go enjoy - you will crash, but learn to control a big bike on city streets and you will be a confident and safe rider on tour and in the countryside.

regards
Richard

I didn't ride a bike till I was 28. Then I decided to buy a scooter. The reason was the same, cheaper, quicker and no parking problem. Like one size bigger push-bike. During my "L" plate time I tried to ride how they tought me on CBT. A year later I read an article and I've started to dream about to ride to Middle East. Firstly I got a proper driving licance for bike and then a F650, read all the middle east form on that site and a lot forms on the web. Still saving money for that.


Summary:
- Do what your instructor tell you.
- Do lifesaver
- Don't ride like in the race track. Streets are not track and your bike is not a racing bike.
- Let other riders/drivers overtake you.
- Ride only when u feel confortible (Cold, poor visibility, etc.. are dangerous)
- F650 is a good bike for first big bike.
- Bike suits and equipments are expenstive. Try to buy second hand http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

Enjoy!

------------------
ride safely
ozhan u.
www.ozhanu.com

[This message has been edited by ozhanu (edited 24 April 2005).]

I agree with the previous post except two small things;
A road is not a racetrack but trying to go a little faster than "allowed" on an early Sunday morning is a good way to improve your driving skills and know what your bike can do. If you are to carefull and have no experience you can come in trouble. Also, I would rather drop my bike in for the frst time in Europe then on some deserted road in Turkey with no help for two days.
I do not agree with "Ride only when u feel confortible (Cold, poor visibility, etc.. are dangerous)" If you go touring, even in Europe, you WILL get cold, poor visibility etc so it is better to have experience with it on roads you are familiar with. Learn to ride with all weather conditions (except black ice on the road, then nobody can ride) but be extra carefull.
I do agree a 600 or 650 is a good size to start and good enough for touring. I drove my SR500 single that I had as one of my first bikes from Holland to England, Belgium, Luxembourg Switzerland, Italy and Germany and had a wonderfull time. 500 or 600 cc is very good for a starters bike.

Buy that bike and start having lots of fun :-)

...deserted road in Turkey?? Where??

help me overcome my fear ?

good philosophical subject :-) back to sartre, camus ... are you existentialist, fear of what : yourself doing a trip, others ?

i m teasing, joking, sorry ... i have fear and doubts like you.
if you had no fear, you d be crazy :-)

travelling is not so difficult, it s all about about common sense and logic, like at home.

i have no real global concrete idea about fear (telling you, you should do this, that ...) after a few months (around 30) and a few kms (around 70 000) on the road :-). now, my trip is over.

here are a few ideas to maybe overcome your fear, simply.

is human being good or bad !?! i only met nice people willing to help, very very few with bad intentions.

fear like doubts are human feelings and you should (as you do), otherwise you d be crazy (again!) but frankly you shouldn t worry too much ...

going or not going on a trip is a personnal decision : if you have a family, enough money to do it, a career etc ... you may think yes i should go or no i shouldn t go.

get prepared well before leaving : choose a good bike, know it well, good clothes and protections, all the common basic advice ...

fear can also be related to risks : do your "risks analysis" : knowing yourself leaving an environment that you know to an other environment that you don t know.

there are two kinds of risks : 1- the ones you can protect yourself against (ex : you can take a big petrol tank or a petrol jerrican because you know in advance the risk that in some regions there are not so many petrol stations. ex : take a travel insurance because you know in advance the risk that if something bad happens to you, it ll be usefull). 2- the ones you can t protect yourself against (ex : you rest under a tree and a branch falls on you).

i chose the tree example on purpose : whatever you do, there s risk.

finally, if you can do your trip (no family pressure or/and no financial pressure or/and no career pressure etc ...), just do it : only "people doing nothing" have no fear, no doubts, take no risks.

there is a post about dos and donts here on the hubb, maybe it can give you also some ideas ...

that s what i replied, partly :

civility, politeness, respect rules are universal, like sports and smiles ...

everybody, every country, every way of travelling is same same but different ...

people who welcome you when you re travelling usually make the difference between you, as an individual, and the citizenship / nationality / governement / economy / politics / religion you belong.

have a good trip :-)

>..deserted road in Turkey?? Where??
OK maybe not a good example but just think of a deserted road in some country, far from home :-)

ozhanu

some comments
do what your instructor tells you - yes during your training/test, after your test go ride and you will know soon enough if you need aditional training - most likely.
do lifesaver - this becomes natural.
go do a track training school - you will learn alot more about the bikes limits - then transfer to the road - only joking.
if you are regularly being overtaken by cars then you should maybe stick to a car.
i would actively encourage you to ride in poor weather - your riding skills will be alot better for it.
F650 - is a good first bike - but potentially boring after a while.
DO NOT BUY SHAND BIKE GEAR - this is what you are counting on to save your life in the event of and accedent - buy the best you can afford and make sure it fits properly - hein gerreke stuff is good quality and good value.

Richard