Newbie rider with an S2R 800

10-01-2009, 07:31 PM

Hello everyone!

Newbie from West Yorkshire.

Been lurking the last few weeks while having lessons and waiting for my test. Anyway, passed my test on Monday and bought a 07 S2R today.

Hoping I've not bitten off more than I can chew with buying a monster for a 1st bike!

Has anyone got any top tips that you're willing to pass on to a new rider that you wish someone had told you when you first started out??

I'm also looking for advice on physical security for the bike. What kind of stuff do you recommend? Chains, disc locks?

The bike is being delivered to me in a weeks time, I haven't sorted out the insurance for it yet. Kind of on the same theme as my previous question but is there anything I can buy security wise that you recommend to bring down the insurance quote? Getting a price of about £750 fully comp, kept in a locked garage overnight.

Lots of questions, sorry!

Nediam

slob · 10-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Hi and welcome to the club.

I'm sure you'll be fine with your first big bike, just take it easy until you know what's what.

I use a couple of disc locks when I'm out and about.
You can't beat a ground anchor and the best chain you can lay hands on inside the garage.
The sad truth is, if a pro wants it, they'll take it. That's what the insurance is for.
I have a 500W PIR lamp outside my garage, so anyone who wants to take a look does it in a pool of bright white light, before they even get to locks and alarms.

craigie · 10-01-2009, 09:34 PM

Insurance wise an alarm and Thatcham approved and Sold Secure locks and chains should make a bit of difference, alarms are a pain in the arse though.

Enjoy the bike and just take your time to get to where you want be, experience is the best thing so just get out on it and ride at a pace you enjoy. If you scare the **** out of yourself just slow down a bit, no need to prove anything to anyone.

10-01-2009, 11:33 PM

Hello Nediam, I got my S2R this time of year early in 07 and rode it everyday I possibly could and loved every second doing it

it was the first bike I had owned for 30 years and it was like starting all over again, but riding this particular machine I soon easly got used to a motorcycle again.

Particular to the S2R is I think that you need to quickly get used to the throttle, because the bikes engine builds power fast and it might catch you out if your not expecting such a terrific thrust forward from the motor, the only other thing I can think of is the bikes tight turning circle when going round street corners slowly, and how you have to stretch your arms to lever the bars to get the bike to turn, otherwise the thing is fantastic and has more capability and substance built in to it than I could hope to even scratch the surface in my wildest dreams, what a briliant bike it is and I wonder if I ever will get bored of it.

11-01-2009, 09:05 AM

Hi from another newbie and well done...
You could find your local IAM group and go along and get some riding tips from them. I thought it was worthwhile when I did it....

12-01-2009, 02:52 PM

Hi and welcome!
I'm a relatively new member here too and the guys are great - loads of good advice and tips as well as events. Its a very big first bike - Like Chris and Nean say, take it steady, the big twin will keep pulling all the way and have this effect of doing a ton + before you know it. So be careful about sticking to the speed limits - as you'll have to retake your test if you hit 6 points and from what I've seen on the tv, Humberside and Yorkshire Police are the hottest on speeding in the UK. I also saw that one of the Bike cops rides around on a Hayabusa in those parts!
Good luck and enjoy!

J.P · 12-01-2009, 02:59 PM

Hi there and welcome to the club. Very brave of you to have done your test in the depths of winter and a very well done for passing it.
I second what Jimbo696 said about the IAM group near you. It's best for cheap, useful & life saving advice. Well worth doing and could help towards lowering your insurance, but it probably won't because you're a new rider.
Best for insurance for me was Ducati Insurance 08704 106060
and the only people who would actually insure me when I upgraded quickly after passing my test was,
Bike Team - 0844 800 8354

Funkatronic · 12-01-2009, 06:02 PM

Hiya

warm welcome to you

Did the same as you and bought an S2R 800 as my first big bike a little while back. I rode it pretty much everyday rain or shine until i had a little spill in early nov caused by an idiot in an audi trying to change lanes and undertake me into a roundabout exit:-( Since then its been waiting for the insurer to come and view it at the garage and im getting serious withdrawal symptoms

the s2r is very easy to ride, its well balanced and nimble, and the slipper clutch make life easier for inexperinced riders, especially when changing down as on big bikes with dry clutches, its very easy to lock the back wheel.

That said, it is very quick bike that can lose you your license easily, its also quite heavy so riding gently & carefully is good advice, be ultra aware of other road users, give them plenty of room, never assume they have seen you ever, and keep an eye open for the unexpected.

Another good bit of advice is get more training such as Bikesafe and IAM as well as general rideouts with other more experienced riders. these improve your skills and reduce the chance of bad habits developing thus keeping you safer on the road and might even save you a little on your insurance

other than that, enjoy it, its a fantastic machine and a joy to ride. even after my spill i dont regret choosing the s2r as a 1st big bike (ok a little extravagant maybe but i couldn't help myself ;-)

If your going to ride through winter, get some ACF50 and apply liberally to protect your shiny machine from the elements.

As to insurance, best deal i found was Quinn direct over 50% less than the next nearest quote but maybe i was lucky.

as to physical security, i have just bought an almax IV chain/and a hardie ground anchor for my garage, even with the supplied tail bag, its not the most portable item as it weighs about 30KGs, but i am confident it wont be chopped easily. a cover is also advisable, what cant be seen is less likely to get pinched
i also use a disc lock (or 2 sometimes) and the bike has a meta alarm and immobilizer (which i believe was factory fitted on the s2r800 but i could be wrong)
I have also been looking at the datatool snitcher or a tracker of some sort but have not decided if they are worth the money . Hopefully i will fit one before tis bike gets nicked

dont be afraid to ask for advice, so many of the members on here have been really friendly and helpful towards me over the last 6 months, i'm really looking forward to putting more faces to names once the weather improves and regular UKMOC rideouts are back on the cards ;-) i am very tempted to make it to the UKMOC weekender in may also

get in touch with your local rep, he/she should be able to get you in touch with others more local to you. Not sure who this is in yorkshire tho

welcome again and enjoy your bike

14-01-2009, 08:41 PM

If I only had one piece of advice for a newly passed it would be 'slow down' I ride in London and I wrote off my Buell 2 months after passing purely because I was going to fast and wasn;t experienced enough to realise how quick things change infront of you. I was lucky it was just the bike that was knackered!

Capo · 14-01-2009, 09:29 PM

Welcome, hope to see you at the Arrow Mill national ride out.

10-01-2009, 07:31 PM	#1
Nediam Nori Guest Posts: n/a	Newbie rider with an S2R 800 Hello everyone! Newbie from West Yorkshire. Been lurking the last few weeks while having lessons and waiting for my test. Anyway, passed my test on Monday and bought a 07 S2R today. Hoping I've not bitten off more than I can chew with buying a monster for a 1st bike! Has anyone got any top tips that you're willing to pass on to a new rider that you wish someone had told you when you first started out?? I'm also looking for advice on physical security for the bike. What kind of stuff do you recommend? Chains, disc locks? The bike is being delivered to me in a weeks time, I haven't sorted out the insurance for it yet. Kind of on the same theme as my previous question but is there anything I can buy security wise that you recommend to bring down the insurance quote? Getting a price of about £750 fully comp, kept in a locked garage overnight. Lots of questions, sorry! Nediam

12-01-2009, 02:59 PM	#7
J.P No more Monster... Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London Bike: Other Not a Ducati Posts: 4,326	Hi there and welcome to the club. Very brave of you to have done your test in the depths of winter and a very well done for passing it. I second what Jimbo696 said about the IAM group near you. It's best for cheap, useful & life saving advice. Well worth doing and could help towards lowering your insurance, but it probably won't because you're a new rider. Best for insurance for me was Ducati Insurance 08704 106060 and the only people who would actually insure me when I upgraded quickly after passing my test was, Bike Team - 0844 800 8354 __________________ J.JP ------------------------------- My Mum says, there's no such thing as Monsters.

10-01-2009, 08:59 PM	#2
slob . Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: East London Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 9,714	Hi and welcome to the club. I'm sure you'll be fine with your first big bike, just take it easy until you know what's what. I use a couple of disc locks when I'm out and about. You can't beat a ground anchor and the best chain you can lay hands on inside the garage. The sad truth is, if a pro wants it, they'll take it. That's what the insurance is for. I have a 500W PIR lamp outside my garage, so anyone who wants to take a look does it in a pool of bright white light, before they even get to locks and alarms.

10-01-2009, 09:34 PM	#3
craigie Only bronze? Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: london Bike: M900 Posts: 424	Insurance wise an alarm and Thatcham approved and Sold Secure locks and chains should make a bit of difference, alarms are a pain in the arse though. Enjoy the bike and just take your time to get to where you want be, experience is the best thing so just get out on it and ride at a pace you enjoy. If you scare the **** out of yourself just slow down a bit, no need to prove anything to anyone.

10-01-2009, 11:33 PM	#4
Chris & Nean Guest Posts: n/a	Hello Nediam, I got my S2R this time of year early in 07 and rode it everyday I possibly could and loved every second doing it it was the first bike I had owned for 30 years and it was like starting all over again, but riding this particular machine I soon easly got used to a motorcycle again. Particular to the S2R is I think that you need to quickly get used to the throttle, because the bikes engine builds power fast and it might catch you out if your not expecting such a terrific thrust forward from the motor, the only other thing I can think of is the bikes tight turning circle when going round street corners slowly, and how you have to stretch your arms to lever the bars to get the bike to turn, otherwise the thing is fantastic and has more capability and substance built in to it than I could hope to even scratch the surface in my wildest dreams, what a briliant bike it is and I wonder if I ever will get bored of it.

11-01-2009, 09:05 AM	#5
jimbo696 Guest Posts: n/a	Hi from another newbie and well done... You could find your local IAM group and go along and get some riding tips from them. I thought it was worthwhile when I did it....

12-01-2009, 02:52 PM	#6
cairojay Guest Posts: n/a	Hi and welcome! I'm a relatively new member here too and the guys are great - loads of good advice and tips as well as events. Its a very big first bike - Like Chris and Nean say, take it steady, the big twin will keep pulling all the way and have this effect of doing a ton + before you know it. So be careful about sticking to the speed limits - as you'll have to retake your test if you hit 6 points and from what I've seen on the tv, Humberside and Yorkshire Police are the hottest on speeding in the UK. I also saw that one of the Bike cops rides around on a Hayabusa in those parts! Good luck and enjoy!

12-01-2009, 06:02 PM	#8
Funkatronic another year another bike Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: London Bike: S2r 1000 Posts: 1,597	Hiya warm welcome to you Did the same as you and bought an S2R 800 as my first big bike a little while back. I rode it pretty much everyday rain or shine until i had a little spill in early nov caused by an idiot in an audi trying to change lanes and undertake me into a roundabout exit:-( Since then its been waiting for the insurer to come and view it at the garage and im getting serious withdrawal symptoms the s2r is very easy to ride, its well balanced and nimble, and the slipper clutch make life easier for inexperinced riders, especially when changing down as on big bikes with dry clutches, its very easy to lock the back wheel. That said, it is very quick bike that can lose you your license easily, its also quite heavy so riding gently & carefully is good advice, be ultra aware of other road users, give them plenty of room, never assume they have seen you ever, and keep an eye open for the unexpected. Another good bit of advice is get more training such as Bikesafe and IAM as well as general rideouts with other more experienced riders. these improve your skills and reduce the chance of bad habits developing thus keeping you safer on the road and might even save you a little on your insurance other than that, enjoy it, its a fantastic machine and a joy to ride. even after my spill i dont regret choosing the s2r as a 1st big bike (ok a little extravagant maybe but i couldn't help myself ;-) If your going to ride through winter, get some ACF50 and apply liberally to protect your shiny machine from the elements. As to insurance, best deal i found was Quinn direct over 50% less than the next nearest quote but maybe i was lucky. as to physical security, i have just bought an almax IV chain/and a hardie ground anchor for my garage, even with the supplied tail bag, its not the most portable item as it weighs about 30KGs, but i am confident it wont be chopped easily. a cover is also advisable, what cant be seen is less likely to get pinched i also use a disc lock (or 2 sometimes) and the bike has a meta alarm and immobilizer (which i believe was factory fitted on the s2r800 but i could be wrong) I have also been looking at the datatool snitcher or a tracker of some sort but have not decided if they are worth the money . Hopefully i will fit one before tis bike gets nicked dont be afraid to ask for advice, so many of the members on here have been really friendly and helpful towards me over the last 6 months, i'm really looking forward to putting more faces to names once the weather improves and regular UKMOC rideouts are back on the cards ;-) i am very tempted to make it to the UKMOC weekender in may also get in touch with your local rep, he/she should be able to get you in touch with others more local to you. Not sure who this is in yorkshire tho welcome again and enjoy your bike

14-01-2009, 08:41 PM	#9
littlejimmy12 Guest Posts: n/a	If I only had one piece of advice for a newly passed it would be 'slow down' I ride in London and I wrote off my Buell 2 months after passing purely because I was going to fast and wasn;t experienced enough to realise how quick things change infront of you. I was lucky it was just the bike that was knackered!

14-01-2009, 09:29 PM	#10
Capo You Are What You Is Join Date: May 2005 Location: A Foward Location Bike: S4r Posts: 1,948	Welcome, hope to see you at the Arrow Mill national ride out.