Sportsbike riders need BikeSafe

[@tritontwo9687]

I'm 55 on a sportsbike ( yzf600)........only passed me test at 50......always something to learn

[@gavinbatty7412]

Just did my BikeSafe yesterday after riding for 10+ years and took ALOT away from it. Thought I was safe and steady before, turns out I was safe but slow, now using the bike as god intended and staying in the lower gears has been such an eye opener for stability and confidence. Copper was a Met guy, actually races, has a ZH2 modded to 232bhp for fun and rides every day. Watching and learning from these guys is a pure dream workshop for £65 for a whole day on the roads. Considering the size/weight and only having 135bhp on the police bikes and seeing what a "brisk" and safe pace is.... wow Everyone needs this in my opinion. Thought I could ride before, now realise I am only just starting to learn and actually ride properly.

[@yodomcat]

Glad you enjoyed it! If you check my channel there are few more courses you may like 👍🏻

[@steve00alt70]

Would the police tell me off if I turn up with my full system black widow exhaust? its abit loud and has a lil bit of backfire. Is it mandatory for everyone to wear full length race boots for the bikesafe? I might need to ecu flash my 125cc. Sportbike riders are more likely to be involved in a crash than upright naked bikers. The police know this all too well too. I only passed my MOD1 tho. Slow speed control and Emergency braking is greatly underrated tho, anybody can go fast in a straight line but cant stop a fast bike quickly.

[@yodomcat]

I had/have black widow straight through headers (decat) with Akra exhaust, I’d gamble my bikes louder and I was fine. They will point out the noise and what trouble (if any) it can get you in; but I highly doubt they will turn you away. For the gear you just need to wear what is legal. So a helmet. That said it wouldn’t be the best idea to arrive in flip flops and sandals 😹.

[@Bob-ts2tu]

IMHO you can ride any bike of any capacity dangerously and unsafe, so i wouldn't single out sport's bikes for being inherantly more dangerous myself, but what do i know lol. Something that surprised me a lot was talking to my instructor when passing my DAS i asked if he would recommend firstly getting an A2 bike as an intermediate step before a bigger bike, and he said words to the effect that i should get what i wanted, they all work the same, you get used to it, and it's about how you ride, not the bike itself, and these words have been pretty much repeated from every biker i've asked. having said that i wouldnt jump from a 125 to a busa or fireblade :), myself im waiting for a new 750 hornet in march. GL

[@yodomcat]

@@Bob-ts2tu fully agree, lots from all segments/class of bikes that could benefit. But more often than not you won’t find a young sportsbike rider at a Bikesafe, and they’re missing out. So I hope the video might change a mind or two 👍🏻

[@Titot182]

I did my bikesafe back in 2004 on my XR125L in London at the Ace Cafe. I rocked up with a loud can and tinted visor whilst I was on L plates and just let me on my merry way. They were happy for us to enjoy the day. He was riding a 883 Sportster and took it upon himself to show a 899 FireBlade rider up when they did a close pass on us at the A406 at Hanger Lane. That was jokes when he gave him a tug, ironocally on the slip road to the ace! I'd happy do it again, since you'll pick up many bad habits after 20 years!

[@Bob-ts2tu]

i always loved renting motorbikes & scooters on holiday, but finally took the plunge when i got to 60 to do a cbt and get my own bike. the plan was do the theory, do the CBT and then do the Mod1 & 2 soon after, i reasoned that after 50 years as a cyclist, having had a car driving licence for over 40 how hard can it be?, i'd just do a DAS and get it outta the way, but it was a rude awakening, and only when i started riding did i realise just how much i had to learn, and IMHO people dont know what they don't know. i spent the next year clocking up over 10k miles on my 125, enjoying every minute of it & trying to ride like i was on a test each time, and even when i finally did the DAS it was a lot more costly, time consuming and at times a tad difficult than i expected, but i got there lol, and i'm sure my riding is the better for not rushing it, even though may be a bit over cautious and i did get into some bad habits i didn't realise. anyhow, i didn't know about bikesafe till i watched this vid, so thanks, i'll check it out, but the courses don't seem to start till later this month anyway. GL

[@yodomcat]

You sound like you love learning motorbikes like me and for this reason I can’t wait for you to try Bikesafe! It is the gateway to roadcraft and a fantastic learning road you’re going to go down! Once you’ve done it and if you like check out the courses playlist in my channel 👍🏻

[@Bob-ts2tu]

@@yodomcat thanks for the reply. I always give my best at learning new things, and usually enjoy it, so i've joined the waiting list at bikesafe. When i'm out and about, i find i often make many mistakes riding, thankfully none too serious, and put it down mainly to inexperience, but i once watched a YT vid from an instructor who commented he often makes mistakes himself, so that gave me a 'great it's not just me' moment lol. as someone with presumably plenty of experience & If you find the time, can you say what common mistakes you make? and how you deal with them?. Tx

[@yodomcat]

@@Bob-ts2tu yes still make mistakes, usually getting too complacent (which actually came from getting more experienced). I went through a phase of not showing enough restraint and riding too fast which I have been working on. The bottom line you always need to work on your riding. It is a skill that will dull within weeks if you don’t keep sharpening 👍🏻

[@Hiccup77]

Was it Chris or Dave that you went out with?? I found the bikesafe way better than any "advanced" training. I went to see what had/has changed since I was last on a bike many years ago. They loved my Blade and were happy I attended. For sports bike riders, its the copper behind me fear that puts a lot of riders off. Great you did it a 2nd time and got extra out of it.

[@yodomcat]

Scotty had us this time round. I went in with attitude that I wouldn’t let the big Fluro bike put me off and I wouldn’t do my best ride but try and mimic my normal riding. Great day out!

[@Hiccup77]

@@yodomcat Brilliant. my 2nd time I had scotty too. I also went in with the attitude of sod it, I'll ride how I ride, forget the copper and the other rider and just go for a blast. was a FAR more realistic ride than being all prim and proper with Mo the 1st time. Chris was a bit peeved I went twice (I took up someone else's place), Scotty said come on as many as I like. He really enjoyed the ride too and gave him a bit to think about.

[@yodomcat]

@@Hiccup77 he’s a really sound chap, they all are! 👍🏻 but I hope the message gets out to the younger riders, go do a Bikesafe day! 🫵🏻

[@jackdavies91]

Great video mate, passed last week and got a 650 on the weekend.. just put myself on the Kent waiting list

[@yodomcat]

It takes a while to get on a course but don’t give up it’s so worth it! 👍🏻

[@snappycattimesten]

Can you do a follow up video on some of the highlights of what you learned on the course? (Besides being a better rider than Sharkie)

[@yodomcat]

If you check out my original video (link in the description of this video) I cover the tips I learned last time. This time round I was braver with the police and I didn't ride "on my best behaviour", I rode how I normally do (just slower). I was even chatting away to Sharky on our Sena, so it really was like a normal rideout! I didn't hold back and had a much more enjoyable day out for it. Feedback wise the criticism I had was I am a little too by the book for positioning and should move more for vision when in denser built up areas - which I will work on. The beauty of BikeSafe is you a have a copper watching YOUR riding and give you bespoke advice, pointing out things you may not of noticed or helping you talk through the stuff you do know.

[@AW8UK]

Done Bikesafe& other stuff since. Opening banter might not be liked by all...BUT....Good to see you pushing this. Lower fees for 1st timers, perhaps subsidised by higher fees for repeat attendees), might help. Thanks 👍🏍

[@yodomcat]

I think the new project apex is a great insensitive, I tried to tell them I’m 18 but they weren’t having it! 😹

[@richardbarton2709]

Sports bikes yes fun but if used incorrectly are deadly - sports bikes on race tracks are much safer than on roads. I would guess most riders have had a accident not being their fault in the main at some point. I have ridden for some 30 years and have had two cars hit me, slid off on a greasy roundabout and once on an icey road lucky me no damage done to the old body. Stay safe and enjoy.

[@yodomcat]

All you have said I have heard talked about at a bike safe, such a great course for all class of riders. 👍🏻

[@233kosta]

Been nearly two years since I did my CBT, 18 months on the 650R. No collisions yet, but I did have a bit of a whoopdeedoo once where I nearly high sided. That was definitely a brown moment 😅 Anyway, I've gotten away with it so far, and with the miles I've put down I've definitely got more intuitive control of the machine. I've been lucky enough so far, but luck runs out sooner or later, and there needs to be skill there to make up for it, so now it's time. I'd say definitely better to do it now than a year ago, purely because all the basics are muscle memory now, so I can focus completely on what is being taught. ERS also comes to mind.

[@yodomcat]

@@233kosta I’d recommend to do bikesafe first; then I’d go for i2i MC1 and 2 (videos on my channel). In my opinion ERS is not worth it. You can gain the same knowledge yourself watching some online advanced riding and read the roadcraft book. There are online courses too, I’d recommend Champ-U. All of which cheaper and probably better than ERS. Then if you catch the learning bug, you can do a ROSPA or iAM. 👍🏻

[@233kosta]

@@yodomcat Yeh, I'll start with bikesafe. Agree, the cost of much of the rest of these is a bit on the silly side. I'm not sure how I feel about the Champ-U stuff at this stage. In terms of pushing limits, I feel like there's still more to learn from moto gymkhana, but yeh, at some point it'll probably be worth doing that stuff too. And buying some track attire. I'm about a third of the way through roadcraft. I'll probably have fully worked my way through it by the end of the year. Then RoSPA or IAM. Got it 😉

[@yodomcat]

@@233kosta I think you’ll love Bikesafe, especially as you’re reading road craft. When you book on you get access to the bike safe videos which are also very good and great to have a conversation about filtering bubbles, etc.

[@pauls5341]

Quality video mate 👍🏻

[@yodomcat]

Thanks, appreciate it 🙏🏻