Routes in Scotland..

[fsrus]

If anyone has any good routes in Scotland can you post them here.
I am just getting into bikes,but my mate has a Bandit 600,and we go away for weekends on that.
He's thinking about getting a CBR 600,looks very nice in my opinion.
So,basically any 150/300 mile routes with a b+b at the end of it that we can head home to Larkhall/Paisley on the next day.
We went to Mallaig from Larkhall the other week there,OMG,what a run,despite the 12 cans of lager in the rucksack on my back.
The beach at Morar is like the caribbean..just so beautiful.

Anyway, i would be getting a 125 or a 250 as my first bike,i don't know much about bikes but was thinking about a RG 125 or a ZZR 250.
Any opinions would be appreciated.

[Korn]

A two stroke 125 is about equal in performance with a 250 four stroke. The two stroke will be more violent wheras the four stroke will have more power available throughout the rev range, instead of having most of it concentrated in a tight power band.

Have you ridden a bike or scooter before?

[Stevo]

If you find it comfortable to ride then try to get a nice ZZR250 for your first bike. They are fairly small, so depends on your size, 770mm seat height i think, but they are nice to ride, and have plenty of performance for a 250, or a first bike after passing the test, especially if your restriced to 33bhp. I think someone on this site has a ZZR, they might be able to tell you more, but for a small first bike i reckon they are pretty decent, and a better bet than any 125!

[fsrus]

[G]

You could also consider something like a Suzuki Goose or, SXR400 or even cb500/gs500/etc. all these bikes won't produce *that* much more pwer than a sports 125/zzr250 but will produce the power in a much more 'friendly' way (the ZZR250 redlines at around 20,000rpm, if I remember!)

[fsrus]

[G]

If you're under 21 one you have to ride a bike restricted to 33hp for two years after passing your test.... Of course the restrictors occasionally 'fall out' once they have been fitted with a certificate to say they've been fitted .
And yes, it is the law.

[fsrus]

I'm 24 just now anyway.
They really should make those restrictors better quality if they keep "falling" out.

[retrofly]

Hi
Why dont u just do your direct access and get a big bike, u dont have to ride it fast

Luke
____________________
"The food was not undelicious"
-Homer Simpson (Exceptional beast : Underachiving Human)
www.geocities.com/retrofly

[fsrus]

Nah,i would be too tempted to see what g-force is like.
Seriously i would end up killing myself,so i'll see how i get on with a 125-400 maybe,then if i'm still loving it,i'll see about moving on from there.

[TiN]

Well...unless you take some sort of test, you'll be stuck with a 125...on L plates...

At your age, it would be foolish not to go straight for the full license (direct access)...you don't even need to get a big bike, you could get an NSR etc..but you would have the option of upgrading to any bike in the future...

You may think "oh, I won't be needing anything over 33bhp for 2 years" and decide to take the restricted route...fair enough, but a lot of people think that, and usually regret it...sure, you could probably get any bike restricted, but is it really worth the hassle?

A bigger engine capacity doesn't necessarily mean a faster bike...but bigger bikes are usually more comfortable (on the a$$ and on the ears) than smaller bikes...

It's all down to your own personal outlook though...

Tin

[Rob]

I agree with Tin.. if you can do a full test - do it.. you WILL regret it if you dont!!! You will soon find even big bikes are a lot more controllable than you think and small bikes just seem to get slower and slower!!!!
____________________
Love is 1050cc

[fsrus]

I will do the full test at some point,just i ain't sure when i'll get round to it.
Hopefully i'll get out on a 125 or summit and get a good taste for it.

[Stevo]

It aint a bad idea to do a normal bike test, and get a 2yr restricted license, as if you can find a nice 33bhp bike you will still have some fun, and get some all important experience, whislt enjoying reasonable running costs, and cheaper insurance, meaning that you will probably be able to afford a newer /bigger bike sooner. Its also cheaper to do a course/ lessons &Test on a 125, rather than paying top dollar for DAS, and then finding out that you cant afford to insure a big bike after, which is what happend to me. I did DAS in winter 98 and in 99 i was looking to get a new SV650 or a CB500S, but i couldent afford the insurance, so i had 18mths on small bikes, KMX200/TZR250/CG125 before finally getting what i really wanted last yr. If you get 1-2yrs no claims on a small 33bhp or under bike, then you should find insuring your first big bike is much easier. The Other thing is that i know people that have been sucked in by having m8's with bikes, into thinking that they want one too, so they spend ££££'s on DAS and get a big bike, then find out a few months later that they dont really ride much, or like it that much, and so loose a shed load of cash selling up again. If your not 100% sure then i say do some lessons, pass test, and then get a nice small bike to see how you like biking. The biggest prob with the 33hp limit is finding a nice and suitable bike in that catagory, which is why i think the ZZR is good if you can find one. They still sell them new in some countries, but sadly not here.