The family biking option!

The Snaefell project

New bike and future rider

After much searching on eBay, I finallybought my own bike. It's almost a toy bike by serious biker standards but I just love the styling of the Yamaha Virago- retro (like me), minimalist (like I'd like to be) and stylish (I wish).

Anyway, the idea is to use this bike to get my roadcraft and skills up and then- once I'm convinced I'm serious about this- to go for a bigger, more powerful bike.

Flunked the motorcycle test...

Finally got to the next step in my quest for the motorcycle license. One day training course involving classroom instruction, road ride and a motorcycle skills test.

Got a bastard of an instructor, pedantic and rigid, who enjoyed the power he held over the four of us there that day. We all got through the instruction and road ride but I and another bloke flunked the rider skills test. In my case because I could not do the tight, slow U-turn without letting my foot touch the ground.

Back to the drawing board and next time I will practice the hell out of the specific manoevures needed to pass the test before going there.

The only redeeming feature of the day was this note stuck on the on the eye level flush cistern of the urinal in the men's toilet. The last line reads- PUSHEM HEAP BIG BUTTON ON TOP. Obviously the 'How?' question had been asked by a vertically challenged gentleman....

Comes the day...

1990 Kawasaki ZZR250

...when I can finally get on the bike! Note the yellow L-plate on the back. Thanks, Sreeni!

Getting to ride...Step 2

Completed and passed (46 correct answers for 46 questions!) my Driver Knowledge Test today.

Funny thing is one of the guys doing the rider training with me said that he found that the most long-winded and complicated answer was usually the correct one. I found this to be absolutely correct with the exception that for a question for which the answer was 'Never' you had to choose Never, which was the shortest answer.

Usually they will take a photo and issue you a normal card licence right away. The guy at the RTA sheepishly told me that the licence printing machine was not functioning that day and gave me a paper receipt that will serve as a temporary licence.

Armed with my L plates, I will now go to my friend Sreeni whose bike is sitting unused and which I can use for a month or two... This will happen on Friday.

Need to get a helmet and some gear before that....

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