|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
cbank30
Joined: 26 Apr 2010
|
 Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:38 am Post subject: Getting a Motorcycle, Learning to ride |
 |
|
I've never driven a motorcycle but I've riden on scooters before. I want to buy a motorcycle in Seoul; I was thinking a Dealim Roadwin 125 as a first choice. I have no experience riding, but I was wondering if there's a place to train to ride a bike outside of Seoul, or if it would be possible to learn on the spot once I purchase one. Any tips/suggestions for first-bike purchases as well as training for riding would be appreciated. Also, if I buy one of these, do I need to get it insured through the government?
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
hapkido1996
Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Location: Anyang, Gyeong-gi
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
I've never heard of gov't motorcycle insurance. The seller, if reputable, will probably require you to buy insurance before taking the bike.
You've never ridden a motorcycle and want to learn in Seoul. You're going to die, man. I'm not joking. Please don't do that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
Find a gigantic and empty parking lot near where you live. Take bike there. Fall down tons. Wash, rinse, repeat for two weeks. Then you're ready to die.
Seriously, if you've never ridden, or at least have been a passenger, take the path less eager. I love to ride but you've got to understand this beast far more than you would a car. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cbank30
Joined: 26 Apr 2010
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| So it looks like I'll have to take some classes (if they're offered) in order to learn. Does anyone know of any places outside of Seoul that teach you how to ride a bike? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sadguy
Joined: 13 Feb 2011
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
you are nuts. why don't you get a scooter? changing gears in this kind of traffic for a beginner is dangerous as hell and yes, you will kill yourself.
imagine this, you're in 3rd gear and the light has turned red and you down shift but abruptly break too fast by mistake and the taxi behind you hits you which hurdles you off your bike. you fall to the pavement with just a t-shirt and jeans on and you slide 10 feet. your skin is easily rubbed off, imagine swiping a ripe kiwi on the road. yeah, that's called road rash. don't do it, you're an idiot if you do. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Italy37612
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
Location: Somewhere
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I had been riding for 12 years before I came to Korea. I still find riding my 600cc in traffic in Seoul pretty daunting. There are so many HORRIBLE drivers here you need to have your 'A Game" as a motorcycle rider to survive in riding in Korea, especially Seoul. Taxis and buses don't pay attention at all. When it is a motorcycle vs car you lose every time. You are taking your life in your hands riding in Seoul every time you leave your garage. If you are a beginner learning in Seoul I can almost guarantee you will get in some kind of accident your first year.
I would say, buy a small scooter and leave it at that. Learning to ride an actual manual shift motorcycle for the first time, and doing it in Seoul, is a bad idea.
If you are really set on getting a 125 shoot me a PM. If I am not busy one weekend I will give you some some free lessons, so you don't die. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
coralreefer_1
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I had never ridden before I bought my first Daelim Daystar back in 2008, and although downtown Daegu is nothing like Seoul, I bought the bike on a Friday evening from the motorcycle street in downtown and drove it home. The only practice I had was a few minutes driving up and down that rather closed off street the bikes are sold on.
I certainly wouldnt suggest it (In my case I didn't really have a choice) but it shouldnt take more than a few minutes to get used to the shifting/braking. In my case the more difficult adjustment was getting used to the turning while moving rather slow/not letting the bike fall over.
The place you are buying it from should be able to put it in the back of a bongo truck and deliver it so some designated place where you may be able to get some practice in a less congested environment..however finding that place, and a fee to get the bike there may vary greatly. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Don't listen to these naysayers.
YES, it is dangerous.
YES, you have a much higher probability of getting seriously effed up.
But, if you use some common sense, you'll be fine.
For example, don't go riding through Euljiro/Gwangwhamun/Jonggak at rush hour. Stick to smaller streets, less congested areas. Go outside of Seoul to the more open roads. Ride early in the morning or later in the evening, but not at night. Always, and I mean ALWAYS wear long sleeves, denim (at a minimum) gloves, and a helmet. Getting a motorcycle jacket and pants is advisable.
This whole "fall down a lot in a parking lot" stuff is bunk. I've driven and never fallen down, even when I was learning, PLUS I've had an accident. I managed to stay up during the accident.
If I were you, I wouldn't waste my time on a class in Korea. Language difficulties and purpose of the classes is a big reason for this. Taking a motorcycle safety foundation class is important, even if you are experienced. If you can ride a bicycle, you can keep a motorcycle up, and learning to shift is not that difficult, especially if you know how to drive a stick shift car. Same principle, different motions.
Insurance is mandatory. Find the bike you want, get the insurance, then get the bike. Register the bike and have a Korean license. IF YOU DON'T THEN YOU'RE DRIVING ILLEGALLY AND YOUR INSURANCE IS WORTHLESS. THEY WILL NOT PAY IF YOU NEED THEM TOO IF YOU WERE DRIVING ILLEGALLY.
I will say this - if you have ever felt uncomfortable driving a car back home, you probably don't want to drive here. If you've had a lot of close calls before, if you find yourself not paying attention to your surroundings, etc, then you don't want to drive here. There have been many people killed, people way more experienced then you (JongroGuru, a member of the cafe, is the most memorable example - search his name and you'll see what I mean) who have been killed here. Scooter or motorcycle doesn't really matter. If you practice a bit, you'll get the shifting stuff down pretty easily, but if you're an idiot, if you don't pay attention, if you drive through green lights without checking for red light runners, if you think that driving here is like back home, just with more cars, then don't do it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| sadguy wrote: |
you are nuts. why don't you get a scooter? changing gears in this kind of traffic for a beginner is dangerous as hell and yes, you will kill yourself.
imagine this, you're in 3rd gear and the light has turned red and you down shift but abruptly break too fast by mistake and the taxi behind you hits you which hurdles you off your bike. you fall to the pavement with just a t-shirt and jeans on and you slide 10 feet. your skin is easily rubbed off, imagine swiping a ripe kiwi on the road. yeah, that's called road rash. don't do it, you're an idiot if you do. |
'Sadguy' has no idea what he talking about. Ignore him.
A motorcycle is no more dangerous than a scooter. Actually, given that it's larger and louder than a scooter, has a much better centre of gravity and also given that people for some reason tend to wear more gear when riding a motorcycle and treat it more like a proper vehicle--I'd say motorcycles were actually safer than scooters in Korea.
It's funny that Koreans think scooters are always safer even if the engine size is the same. Apparently, the girl riding on a scooter in a dress with no helmet while sipping on a latte while darting over sidewalks is safer than me on a motorcycle with my relatively large engine and helmet obeying most of the traffic rules.
If you go down at 80km/h you go down at 80km/h. It doesn't matter at all what vehicle you're riding. It could be a horse or a bicycle and the results would be the same. What it comes down to is your helmet, your gear and your sensibilities.
I started with a Daelim Roadwin 125 when I was learning how to ride and I still ride the same kind of bike (though I have the naked version now). I learned how to ride in Korea with no training. It can be done!
If you have a friend who can help you get started, you should do that. Otherwise, just find a quiet road and practice, practice and practice. Learning from Youtube videos is a good idea as there are plenty of videos that show you how to do everything!
After about a week of practice on the quiet road, you can start branching out more and more. It's uncomfortable when you're in traffic the first few times but after a month or so you will feel completely comfortable with changing gears and maneuvering around. At that point, you should start becoming comfortable with leaning and the weight of your bike.
Don't worry about stalling either. You WILL stall your bike more than fifty times in the first couple of weeks. Maybe more than a hundred times. It takes getting used to. I stalled my first bike so many times and with my current bike, I haven't even stalled it once.
Remember, riding here is dangerous but it doesn't have to be that dangerous--it's all in how you ride. Adapt to the Korean driving style but don't do any of the stupid things they do (riding on sidewalks, running red lights, riding in the opposite lane etc).
When you get to a red light, lanesplit until you're on the crosswalk and in front of the cars but when the light turns green, go through SLOWLY as some taxis will try to run the red. That way, you're not in traffic (it's all clear ahead).
Good luck!
PS. I live in Anyang, not Seoul. I learned how to ride in Suwon and have only rode my motorcycle to Seoul on a handful of occasions and found Seoul to be a nightmare compared to Gyeonggi-do. That's not to say you can't do it though, just exercise more caution while in Seoul. I know plenty of people who have only ridden in Seoul that get on just fine.
Last edited by myenglishisno on Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ccikulin
Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Location: Sunae-dong, Bundang
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I just did pretty much exactly what you're thinking of doing. I just bought a Daerim Roadwin 150. I can't give you a lot of advice on learning how to ride, since I'm still very much a beginner myself, but I did just go through buying a bike, insuring it, and registering it, so I can tell you how to do that. And as far as the Daerim Roadwin goes, I have no complaints so far. Seems like a solid bike.
One big difference though is that I live in Bundang, not in Seoul. Bundang is not nearly as busy, crowded, or crazy as Seoul, and even so, I wouldn't dare take my bike out during rush hour here. I have been mostly practicing down in the lower levels of my apartment building parking lot, where there aren't many cars. And, I have taken it out very late at night/early morning when there are hardly any cars on the road. If you're careful and take it slow, I think you can learn how to ride here. It would definitely help to have someone who knows bikes to help you getting started.
If you do get a bike, and you want to get it insured and registered, the first thing you need to do is get insurance. It's not too expensive and you need proof of insurance to register the bike. I paid around 270,000 for a full year, and I did it all online. Just had to run to an ATM to send the payment in. I had a Korean coworker help me out with it, and it didn't take long at all. After I paid, they emailed me a document showing that my bike was now insured, so I took that, and the paperwork I had from the previous owner to the Motor vehicle registration center (차량 등록 사업소 in korean) The guy there did most of the paperwork for me, and in total I had to pay around 80,000, but it only took about 20 mins and I walked out with registration papers and a license plate for my bike. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sadguy
Joined: 13 Feb 2011
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| myenglishisno wrote: |
| sadguy wrote: |
you are nuts. why don't you get a scooter? changing gears in this kind of traffic for a beginner is dangerous as hell and yes, you will kill yourself.
imagine this, you're in 3rd gear and the light has turned red and you down shift but abruptly break too fast by mistake and the taxi behind you hits you which hurdles you off your bike. you fall to the pavement with just a t-shirt and jeans on and you slide 10 feet. your skin is easily rubbed off, imagine swiping a ripe kiwi on the road. yeah, that's called road rash. don't do it, you're an idiot if you do. |
'Sadguy' has no idea what he talking about. Ignore him.
A motorcycle is no more dangerous than a scooter. Actually, given that it's larger and louder than a scooter, has a much better centre of gravity and also given that people for some reason tend to wear more gear when riding a motorcycle and treat it more like a proper vehicle--I'd say motorcycles were actually safer than scooters in Korea.
It's funny that Koreans think scooters are always safer even if the engine size is the same. Apparently, the girl riding on a scooter in a dress with no helmet while sipping on a latte while darting over sidewalks is safer than me on a motorcycle with my relatively large engine and helmet obeying most of the traffic rules.
If you go down at 80km/h you go down at 80km/h. It doesn't matter at all what vehicle you're riding. It could be a horse or a bicycle and the results would be the same. What it comes down to is your helmet, your gear and your sensibilities.
I started with a Daelim Roadwin 125 when I was learning how to ride and I still ride the same kind of bike (though I have the naked version now). I learned how to ride in Korea with no training. It can be done!
If you have a friend who can help you get started, you should do that. Otherwise, just find a quiet road and practice, practice and practice. Learning from Youtube videos is a good idea as there are plenty of videos that show you how to do everything!
After about a week of practice on the quiet road, you can start branching out more and more. It's uncomfortable when you're in traffic the first few times but after a month or so you will feel completely comfortable with changing gears and maneuvering around. At that point, you should start becoming comfortable with leaning and the weight of your bike.
Don't worry about stalling either. You WILL stall your bike more than fifty times in the first couple of weeks. Maybe more than a hundred times. It takes getting used to. I stalled my first bike so many times and with my current bike, I haven't even stalled it once.
Remember, riding here is dangerous but it doesn't have to be that dangerous--it's all in how you ride. Adapt to the Korean driving style but don't do any of the stupid things they do (riding on sidewalks, running red lights, riding in the opposite lane etc).
When you get to a red light, lanesplit until you're on the crosswalk and in front of the cars but when the light turns green, go through SLOWLY as some taxis will try to run the red. That way, you're not in traffic (it's all clear ahead).
Good luck!
PS. I live in Anyang, not Seoul. I learned how to ride in Suwon and have only rode my motorcycle to Seoul on a handful of occasions and found Seoul to be a nightmare compared to Gyeonggi-do. That's not to say you can't do it though, just exercise more caution while in Seoul. I know plenty of people who have only ridden in Seoul that get on just fine. |
i have no idea what i'm talking about?
dude, i've been riding for 12 years. i also bought a motorcycle with no idea how to ride it when i first bought one. luckily, i lived in the suburbs where traffic is sparse and the roads are wide and i had a friend who taught me.
there are habits you need to build as a motorcyclist that you don't need as a car driver.
seoul has a different driving culture than back in the west.
as far as a motorcycle being safer than a scooter, i don't see how that can be.
when you stall out in busy traffic, you start to panic and you may do something dumb like pull the throttle too hard without holding the break hard enough and the bike may slip under you (this happened to my cousin in vietnam) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| nathanrutledge wrote: |
| This whole "fall down a lot in a parking lot" stuff is bunk. I've driven and never fallen down, even when I was learning, PLUS I've had an accident. I managed to stay up during the accident. |
I didn't literally mean fall down a lot. Figured the style of the post made it clear I was being a bit cheeky about the matter.
But I got my bearings in a big empty parking lot for a local stadium. The point was that I was recommending starting off somewhere not on an actual road.
Everything else you said is spot-on.
-----
sadguy: I think myenglishisno's point is that scooters aren't safer. Which is true, they're just as dangerous as motorcycles. A friend of mine had a scooter for a while and constantly had fresh stories about all of the insane people he encountered. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| sadguy wrote: |
| myenglishisno wrote: |
| sadguy wrote: |
you are nuts. why don't you get a scooter? changing gears in this kind of traffic for a beginner is dangerous as hell and yes, you will kill yourself.
imagine this, you're in 3rd gear and the light has turned red and you down shift but abruptly break too fast by mistake and the taxi behind you hits you which hurdles you off your bike. you fall to the pavement with just a t-shirt and jeans on and you slide 10 feet. your skin is easily rubbed off, imagine swiping a ripe kiwi on the road. yeah, that's called road rash. don't do it, you're an idiot if you do. |
'Sadguy' has no idea what he talking about. Ignore him.
A motorcycle is no more dangerous than a scooter. Actually, given that it's larger and louder than a scooter, has a much better centre of gravity and also given that people for some reason tend to wear more gear when riding a motorcycle and treat it more like a proper vehicle--I'd say motorcycles were actually safer than scooters in Korea.
It's funny that Koreans think scooters are always safer even if the engine size is the same. Apparently, the girl riding on a scooter in a dress with no helmet while sipping on a latte while darting over sidewalks is safer than me on a motorcycle with my relatively large engine and helmet obeying most of the traffic rules.
If you go down at 80km/h you go down at 80km/h. It doesn't matter at all what vehicle you're riding. It could be a horse or a bicycle and the results would be the same. What it comes down to is your helmet, your gear and your sensibilities.
I started with a Daelim Roadwin 125 when I was learning how to ride and I still ride the same kind of bike (though I have the naked version now). I learned how to ride in Korea with no training. It can be done!
If you have a friend who can help you get started, you should do that. Otherwise, just find a quiet road and practice, practice and practice. Learning from Youtube videos is a good idea as there are plenty of videos that show you how to do everything!
After about a week of practice on the quiet road, you can start branching out more and more. It's uncomfortable when you're in traffic the first few times but after a month or so you will feel completely comfortable with changing gears and maneuvering around. At that point, you should start becoming comfortable with leaning and the weight of your bike.
Don't worry about stalling either. You WILL stall your bike more than fifty times in the first couple of weeks. Maybe more than a hundred times. It takes getting used to. I stalled my first bike so many times and with my current bike, I haven't even stalled it once.
Remember, riding here is dangerous but it doesn't have to be that dangerous--it's all in how you ride. Adapt to the Korean driving style but don't do any of the stupid things they do (riding on sidewalks, running red lights, riding in the opposite lane etc).
When you get to a red light, lanesplit until you're on the crosswalk and in front of the cars but when the light turns green, go through SLOWLY as some taxis will try to run the red. That way, you're not in traffic (it's all clear ahead).
Good luck!
PS. I live in Anyang, not Seoul. I learned how to ride in Suwon and have only rode my motorcycle to Seoul on a handful of occasions and found Seoul to be a nightmare compared to Gyeonggi-do. That's not to say you can't do it though, just exercise more caution while in Seoul. I know plenty of people who have only ridden in Seoul that get on just fine. |
i have no idea what i'm talking about?
dude, i've been riding for 12 years. i also bought a motorcycle with no idea how to ride it when i first bought one. luckily, i lived in the suburbs where traffic is sparse and the roads are wide and i had a friend who taught me.
there are habits you need to build as a motorcyclist that you don't need as a car driver.
seoul has a different driving culture than back in the west.
as far as a motorcycle being safer than a scooter, i don't see how that can be.
when you stall out in busy traffic, you start to panic and you may do something dumb like pull the throttle too hard without holding the break hard enough and the bike may slip under you (this happened to my cousin in vietnam) |
I'd say riding a scooter would be better for a beginner, especially in Seoul. After riding a scooter for a while and getting used to the Seoul traffic and riding a 2 wheeled vehicle, then the OP should move up to a proper motorcycle if they want. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| sadguy wrote: |
| myenglishisno wrote: |
| sadguy wrote: |
you are nuts. why don't you get a scooter? changing gears in this kind of traffic for a beginner is dangerous as hell and yes, you will kill yourself.
imagine this, you're in 3rd gear and the light has turned red and you down shift but abruptly break too fast by mistake and the taxi behind you hits you which hurdles you off your bike. you fall to the pavement with just a t-shirt and jeans on and you slide 10 feet. your skin is easily rubbed off, imagine swiping a ripe kiwi on the road. yeah, that's called road rash. don't do it, you're an idiot if you do. |
'Sadguy' has no idea what he talking about. Ignore him.
A motorcycle is no more dangerous than a scooter. Actually, given that it's larger and louder than a scooter, has a much better centre of gravity and also given that people for some reason tend to wear more gear when riding a motorcycle and treat it more like a proper vehicle--I'd say motorcycles were actually safer than scooters in Korea.
It's funny that Koreans think scooters are always safer even if the engine size is the same. Apparently, the girl riding on a scooter in a dress with no helmet while sipping on a latte while darting over sidewalks is safer than me on a motorcycle with my relatively large engine and helmet obeying most of the traffic rules.
If you go down at 80km/h you go down at 80km/h. It doesn't matter at all what vehicle you're riding. It could be a horse or a bicycle and the results would be the same. What it comes down to is your helmet, your gear and your sensibilities.
I started with a Daelim Roadwin 125 when I was learning how to ride and I still ride the same kind of bike (though I have the naked version now). I learned how to ride in Korea with no training. It can be done!
If you have a friend who can help you get started, you should do that. Otherwise, just find a quiet road and practice, practice and practice. Learning from Youtube videos is a good idea as there are plenty of videos that show you how to do everything!
After about a week of practice on the quiet road, you can start branching out more and more. It's uncomfortable when you're in traffic the first few times but after a month or so you will feel completely comfortable with changing gears and maneuvering around. At that point, you should start becoming comfortable with leaning and the weight of your bike.
Don't worry about stalling either. You WILL stall your bike more than fifty times in the first couple of weeks. Maybe more than a hundred times. It takes getting used to. I stalled my first bike so many times and with my current bike, I haven't even stalled it once.
Remember, riding here is dangerous but it doesn't have to be that dangerous--it's all in how you ride. Adapt to the Korean driving style but don't do any of the stupid things they do (riding on sidewalks, running red lights, riding in the opposite lane etc).
When you get to a red light, lanesplit until you're on the crosswalk and in front of the cars but when the light turns green, go through SLOWLY as some taxis will try to run the red. That way, you're not in traffic (it's all clear ahead).
Good luck!
PS. I live in Anyang, not Seoul. I learned how to ride in Suwon and have only rode my motorcycle to Seoul on a handful of occasions and found Seoul to be a nightmare compared to Gyeonggi-do. That's not to say you can't do it though, just exercise more caution while in Seoul. I know plenty of people who have only ridden in Seoul that get on just fine. |
i have no idea what i'm talking about?
dude, i've been riding for 12 years. i also bought a motorcycle with no idea how to ride it when i first bought one. luckily, i lived in the suburbs where traffic is sparse and the roads are wide and i had a friend who taught me.
there are habits you need to build as a motorcyclist that you don't need as a car driver.
seoul has a different driving culture than back in the west.
as far as a motorcycle being safer than a scooter, i don't see how that can be.
when you stall out in busy traffic, you start to panic and you may do something dumb like pull the throttle too hard without holding the break hard enough and the bike may slip under you (this happened to my cousin in vietnam) |
That's why you should take a course if you can or just practice a lot before you take on the streets. By the time I started taking the bike out I had practised long enough to be comfortable with the interplay between the brakes (front and rear) as well as the weight of the bike. Enough so that I knew not to fully apply the front brake except for in dire emergencies when there is no other option.
The OP has already owned a scooter. If he thinks he can handle Seoul traffic on a motorcycle, he probably can. He just needs to learn how to ride it in a safe place. I do recommend going to a driving school of some sort over learning on your own but many self-taught people get on fine here.
If you're smart about it, there is no reason why not. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I've done the scooter-motorcycle transition as well, on a Daelim Citi-II, at peaceful Yeuju. Talking of driving school, I am going to one now to get the 125cc and above licence. I find the Korean driving rules quite different to Australia. Namely in: who has priority at intersections, who is at fault in accidents, etc. If I applied my Australian etiquette here, I'd make a nuisanse of myself. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
