Boodler

Hi all!

Just registered here as it seems very likely that the VTR 1000 F bike will be the winner from a "bike selection race".
I'm from Central Europe, Hungary (so let me know if there are mistakes in my grammar), and finished the bike license about 2 weeks ago, picked up the license on tuesday. (Yes, i know that starting with a 400 or 500 cc bike is the advised way. The problem is we have tax on both new and used bikes here. From 500 to 1000 cc, the fee is roughly the price of a high quality helmet -Arai, Shoei-, or its exactly the same as the ABS for a VFR. From 250 to 500 (well, 499) cc the fee is about 75 % of the 500 to 1000 cc's fee. I would rather spent these amount on proper gear - which I will hopefully pick up next Tuesday -.)
Since the Hungarian license rules are different than in the U.S, let me write a few words about the process.

We have the following steps for bike licence:
1st step: "A1 licence" - available from age 16, and is good up to 125 ccm displacement AND up to 11 KW performance
2nd step: "A limited" - availbale from age 18, and is good up to 25 KW performance (no displacement limit)
This is where it becomes complicated:
"A unlimited" - 2 years after you have the "A1" , if you are above 18
"A unlimited" - 2 years after you have the "A limited", if you are above 20
"A unlimited" - you can have it if you are above 21. -> You have an extra exercise you have to do: Move the bike in an "8" figure (You push the bike around)

At least, as far as i know, the forums here have a returning issue about licence requirements...

So, it is possible that you have no licence at all and you are above 21 can make the "A unlimited" licence. (And ride you turbo charged Hayabusa egally)

Further requirements:

- Theorical (?) exam - 55 quesitons:

10 of them is like:
- How many people can you carry on a bike?
- What are the effects of alcholol to driving and riding? (we have only one word to ride and drive)
- What effects moving faster has on your vision (eg.: closer objects become blurry etc)

10 of them :
- table recognition. ("No waiting" sign - can you wait on the pavement? )
("No pass" sign - when riding a bike, could you be passed by an other bike or car?)

20 of them:
- how close can you be to a car that you are willing to pass?
- what to expect when passing a parked bus (that "unloads" passengers?)
Since this is the biggest part, very different questions may come up

5 of them: mechanical questions:
- If you press the chain, how much should it move?
- How often to check the battery level in summer/winter
- What backlash (?) is acceptable at the clutch? (at your left hand)

These were all questions you received 1 mistake points if you gave a wrong answer.

Last 10 questions: "Traffic questions" - these are drawn pictures, you have to give the correct order of traffic in an intersection
(like 1st one is the car on my right, then 2nd is me with the bike, and 3rd is the car who have to give priority to the car and bike)

In the last 10 questions you get 3 mistake points for a wrong answer.

So the 55 questions makes up to a total of 75 available points (45 one mistake point questions and 10 three mistake points questions)

Up to 9 (or 10) mistake points are allowed. (fortuately i don't exactly know, as i had 3 mistake points. All of them came from the 20 questions part:
One was bike related question (not motorbike, but a cycle), and other one was in connection with tram ( I dont remember the 3rd)

After you have completed that test can you go further and begin the practice, which i think is similar to the MSF course (only that it is mandatory).
It has 2 parts:
- training (maneuvering through cones at low and higher speed, hard braking, intensive accelearation, figure 8s etc.)
- traffic (you go out into the traffic and try to ride within the rules )

That sums it up. Personally, i think the theorical exam could be more realistic
(There are questions like: can you use high beams on your bike,
if the beam could "blind" the person in a boat on the river, coming towards you.)
Or an other one:
As a pedestrian, are you allowed to cross the street (road? ) in a tunnel?

And a few questions about the bike:
- I didn't have the chance to sit on a VTR F so far. How is the seting position compared to the VFR, XX, CBR F ? (These are bikes i had the chance to sit on) - I'm about 6'3, ~204 pounds -> any thoughts if I should expect a comfortable seating position?
- Also, I'm not sure about the dashboard on the VTR F. On new modells, the speedo meter or the tacho meter or both are digital?
- Furthermore, can someone please post a picture about the choke, and write a few words about the process of starting a cold engine?
- How well the bike handles bad quality (pot - holes, creased tarmac - I hope i use the right word here. I mean when because of high temperature the tarmac deforms. The same can be seen at bus stops -) roads ?
- How is the wind protection? I understand the bike is the tour styled version of the VTR SP, the question is, how much it remained on the sport side and how much touring attributes did it get?
- Finally, although I think the decision is nearly already made, how appropriate is the VTR F as a first bike?

Thank you in advance !

Birdoprey