Restricted? No. 'L' Plates? No.

My latest acquisition and my knowledge of Motorcycle Training permits me to posts on here I reckon!
I have just 'inherited' a Suzuki GS 500 E 1997, a much maligned and perhaps, misunderstood machine, it's as boring as hell to look out and one of the top of the list of considerations I have whenever I'm looking at purchasing a new bike is No1. Do I like the look of it? Having said that this one was free, subsequently I liked the look of it a lot!
I reckon I know quite a bit about being a learner, after all I was one once!
I've been a DAS and CBT Instructor since 1996 and the main Learner machines the schools I have worked for have been:
Honda MT5 (50cc) Actually great fun to pull wheelies on!
Yamaha SR125 First bike I got my knee down on and proved to be a blast for this sport on the training area when the students had all gone home.
Honda CG 125 I passed my test on this as well.
Suzuki GS 500 never really liked these but they were great for training and pretty bomb proof.
Kawasaki ER5. Nuff said, Not a great fan of any Kwaks I'm afraid!

Back in the early days I spent 3 years working full time for a company called CSM, older riders especially from the 80s and 90s may remember this school as they held a monopoly on a National basis for bike training, I worked at Chelmsford, Romford, Medway Branches and the odd day at Norwich!
This was where I really started getting to ride a variety of bikes some of these included some diverse beasts as Instructor bikes, such as:
Triumph Trident 750cc all panniered up, what a fecking huge lump!
MZ Scorpion Sport, a big single which I liked but it was a bit cheap and nasty.
Honda Dominator, loved this one.
Kawasaki GT500, YUK!
BMW F650, another good'un
Honda CB500, a true classic and boy did these things go on and on!

Well that's my history of Learners and restricted bikes, I have very many storys of mishaps and near misses which I would be happy to recount on request or as time goes by, maybe I'll write a book one day?
As a 'very' part time Instructor these days, I don't do very much due to work, family and a recent heavy decline in the number of new students coming in to bikes, although my current Training school seem to have picked up a bit this year. I currently hold Instructor tickets with Mid Kent Motorcycles and Dexterity but have worked for CSN in Medway, 1066 in Hastings and 1-2-1 in Medway.
I reckon I'm as well qualified to talk about smaller bikes, learning etc etc as anyone, so thought I'd be the first to post in this new section. What we (as a club) need to do now is encourage L plated riders to populate it! I for one will give a friendly nod or a wave to a Learner as I still have fond memories of all my time spent as one and with them, it was a very rewarding job and there's nothing like the enthusiasm of a newbie in any sport or past time!
So my message to you 'hardened long in the tooth' bikers out there is forget your pride and why not suprise the next Learner you see with friendly wave or nod? If you're parked up and you see an L plater next to you try having a quick chat, you'll be delighted at their keeness and no doubt they'll be delighted YOU took the time to acknowledge their wheels!
Jim

 

Amen to that, I'm always happy to wave/nod to an L plater I pass on the road!

 

Agree whole heartedly...I remember how excited I was when I got my first nod or wave . We were all Learners once...I was daunted by riding/talking to bigger bike owners...but at the end of the day nearly everyone I talked to was accommodating, pleasant and excited for me and my wheels.

 

Have to admit I do struggle with a lot of the 16 yr olds on the scooters, they're not in to bikes just being 16 and annoying, but I am a grumpy old git and they're not ALL bad!

 

Indeedy, however, Im nice to L-platers on bikes and not scooters because I HATE scooters and very few make the transition to bikes. Is that ok, oh Great Oracle?

I learnt with CSM! Shit, does that mean Im long in the tooth???

 

Jim, you're lucky my coffee was too hot to drink. Because that was a long ass post getting to it's point!

I agree, I'm just needing more coffee now

 

I think we have to be careful not to alienate anyone because of our own prejudices or age.. A fundamental principle of education is to build a relationship, open a dialogue and build trust with a student regardless of age, clothing, attitude or mode of transport.. My Fs1E was every bit as anoying as a scoot, so was i for that matter.. eh, wassat, things havnt changed...

 

Sure they have man, don't be hard on yourself... Now you can irritate the p*ss out of people for miles around instead of a few meters, that's progress!

 

No its just means your old...

 

Kumbaya! Hug a Scootie today! (Id still rather kick them over )

 

Doesnt matter how old I am, you will still always be older

 

Please don't include the one about the guy who tipped over outside the test centre...

 

In my stable of, oh, about 30 bikes, which I will acquire as soon as those accursed numbers come up, I'd include a scooter. I like the classic style one's and had a blast riding my son's more modern 50cc. It's all good!

 

Lol, forgot Scottie was 'one of mine!'
Tanya.....................yes.

 

I once even got a return nod from a cruiser rider. Obviously he must've let his guard slip or wasn't using ALL his concentration to look moody.

 

OI I resemble that remark, and to be honest it really pisses me off when I'm on the cruiser that the snotty buggers on sports bikes blank me. WTF is the problem, I have two wheels and an engine, whichever bike I'm on.

 

Brats on scooters (and there's plenty off them in Brighton; all probably uninsured and untaxed and hotwired) ...... eat my exhaust fumes!!!!

Though one did beat me off the lights once; I wasn't concentrating. Well that's my excuse anyway. Truth be known, I stalled it

Can't slag them off too much though as my sister has a Piaggio 250 that's bigger than my bike.