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Trying to look on google about these but could do with some more advice on it.
I am a complete novice to motorbiking, and im hoping to do a crash course including CBT, and full licence. The problem is i dont know what i really need or which course it is i go for.
The bike i want to go for will be around the 400 - 500 cc mark. Can someone please advise of which places offer this, im in shrpshire so round here would be ideal but if not i can travel just to get it done
Im pretty sure things have changed since I took my full DAS course 5 years ago, but I would advise to take the equviilent 'full' licence test.
Dont mess around with the restricted courses if you are even remotely considering 500cc. In not time you will find yourself wanting more CC, even if you dont its better to have the option there.
I did mine a couple of years ago (I think the licences have changed again though so I'll keep my advice generic).
Do your CBT first, even if you have no intention of getting a 125cc to practice on. It'll give you an idea how much training you're going to need.
Don't book an accelerated/all-in-one/pass-in-a-week style course. I did and regreted it on day 2 when it became apparent the school was crap. I ended up paying another £200 (plus test fee) to do it elsewhere as I'd hardly had any time on the bike by the time the first test came arround.
If the intructors turned up it was 10-11am before they did, so that's half the day gone before you've even got on the road. The weather was against us,w hich is fair enough if they'd handled it profesionaly. Instead we got one day on the 500's riding on snow and ice which just made the whole experience an exercixe in sphincter clenching, followed by 2 canceled days. But they wouldn't cancel them unless you turned up, as a location of their choseing, I booked at their local branch, but they closed that due to the weather and insisted we all make our own way to their other school 50 miles of uncelared roads away, if we didn't turn up the lesson was forefit, and if we did all they did was hang arround for half the day waiting for a foot of snow to clear itself, then re-book it. And when we did get on the road they just acted like we were a nucience for burning their petrol and putting miles on their bikes. The bikes were another problem, there were 'school' bikes and 'test' bikes, the school ones would probably fail the cursory glance the inpector gives them let alone an MOT (slack chains, slipping clutches, half helevers missing)!
The second school I went to did unlimited half-day lessons for the same price as the first school charged for a week, and wouldn't put you in for a test untill they thought you'd pass rather than having to book a date before you've even started an engine, the bikes were faultelssly maintained (none of 'they all do that, try slipping the clutch more'), the instructors were friendly, and there was so much riding in a full day that I was knackered by the end!
Is it worth getting a 125cc bike for a couple of years, as i am a complete novice - or doesnt matter?
I did direct access in 3.5 days. You didn't need the additional theory test back then, so you just turned up on Monday am, sat the test Thursday and that was it. Really enjoyed it. Bought a VFR750 the next week and never looked back.
Hi astura, i've been a motorcyclist for the past 17 years now, the way I did my test was to do CBT at age 17,rode 125 for 1 year to serve my 'apprenticeship' then did full bike test and bought a 600. I'd reccommend doing it this way as your first year on a bike is a massive learning curve and doing it on a 125 at least you wont have the kind of instant acceleration a larger bike can give you which can get you into trouble, even bikes around the 500cc category which I would class as a commuter bike (cb500,er500 etc) has enough acceleration to frighten most car drivers and can possibly get you into trouble depending on how you ride it. but it will also depend on what you want to use the bike for, I used to do a 5 mile commute on my 125 then do 10-20 miles of a night time chasing friends on bigger bikes (you really learn how to carry corner speed chasing bigger bikes on a 125!) but the biggest thing is......enjoy it!if you do do the direct access course be sensible afterwards dont go and buy the biggest fastest thing you can afford as you'll probably end up in hospital, be sensible, buy upto 4-500cc but take your time I've seen too many people think they can handle 'only' a 600 (gsxr,r6,zx-6R etc) and end up upside down in a hedge! I've had a wide variety of bikes including yamaha DT125R (loved that bike!), suzuki bandit 600,yamaha wr400 enduro/supermoto,KTM640 LC4 supermoto, suzuki TL1000s (still loving this bike to this day!) and done track days,long distance touring,supermoto track days, enduro's,green lanes!
(p.s this is my first post on stw, my names James!)
im hoping to do a crash course
really?
Anyway, I'd skip this year on a 125 carry on, too small, too limited, too vulnerable. Do it all in one go then go for something like a Bandit, Fazer or SV650. Physically bigger will make you feel more confident (maybe miplaced), and confidence means you'll relax and enjoy yourself. And not having to rev the tits off it all the time means you'd be more likely to skip out the town for a blast, and riding for fun is how you shoot up the learning curve
Ex London Dispatch Rider
your first year on a bike is a massive learning curve
This is true regardless of the size engine.
The main advantage of having a decent sized engine is you don't have to bimple along an A road with an irate BMW driver 2 inches off your rear wheel trying to push you off the road, so he can get past.
Licences have changed but as long as you're over 25 you can still do direct access. There's places all over the place, you're looking at £5-600 minimum from novice to get your licence. I keep pricing it up. Wife still won't let me 😥
These are a bit more expensive, but I'd fancy this for the extra off road training.
http://www.circuitbasedtraining.co.uk/das_courses.asp
I keep pricing it up. Wife still won't let me
The course is the cheap bit, once you pass that's when it gets expensive!
The course is the cheap bit, once you pass that's when it gets expensive!
Ain't that the truth!
Tomorrow's gonna be pretty expensive!
footflaps - Member
I keep pricing it up. Wife still won't let me
The course is the cheap bit, once you pass that's when it gets expensive!
The divorce would be the expensive part 😆
To the OP: there was a thread recently with a fair bit of info in it which you might find of use/interest.
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/thinking-of-doing-a-bike-licence-and-getting-a-bike
Will take a look at that link thanks. Thanks for all the different opinions,. Im quite a cautios driver, not really fussed about top speed. Im 32 so Been driving for 17 years, but I fully understand that riding a bike is different kettle of fish.
Im quite happy to just have a 125 initially, but friends are saying im better going for something with more power just to get you out of sticky situations, bit undecided at the mo as to wether to have a yr on a 125 then move bigger or go straight for the full licence, the only other thing is I have a 30 mile commute, got 2 options motorway quick route or normal roads a bit longer, if I have a 125 motorway out the question, but I do understand the need to learn riding first
If you need to go on the motorway then I'd say a bike really isn't the right tool. I love bikes, but the thought of spending any significant time on the motorway in one fills me with dread.