New Kid

[scobie140]

Hi all,
I'm looking to get myself a licence by spring summer so joined up to browse, gain knowledge and ask questions. I'm 23 so will be doing the Direct Access hopefully. I'll be doing it on a low budget, was aiming for under £2000 but that looks like it will be near impossible after looking at prices for the tests etc. I'll be happy with a cheap older bike for a few years till i get a feel for it all and get used to it. So will be quiet for a while as i read up on stuff but will ask plenty of questions in the future.
Cheers

[Mikey3]

wilkommen

SV650 , would do perfect , fun, nippy, nice and torquey, easy to ride, handles luvvly (highly recommended by most magazines/websites).
Get to 100-110 quick enough, but how much do you want?!
G-luck dude
HTH
Mike
____________________
'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

[Rogerborg]

Go for it, but get booked up sooner rather than later - training schools and test centres are likely to get busy when word gets around that licensing laws will be changing for the worse early next year.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[J4mes]

Dude I never rode a bike on the road before, yet passed my test in 5 days including the CBT for £650. It can be had cheaper than this (where I learnt are offering 25% off course at the minute) which leaves you plenty for gear and a bike.

It's the best thing you'll do, totally worth it

[Teflon-Mike]

If you are trying to do it on a low budget; why are you intending to take the expensive route and do DAS?

DAS is three provisions of the test rules:

1/ you may ride a full power, over 125 motorcycle, on the road, before passing tests, under supervision of qualified instructor.
2/ You may take tests on that full power, over 125cc machine
3/ Passing tests on over 125 machine gives you full unrestricted A-Group Licence, instead of Full A group licence with probationary 33bhp restriction.

There is no compunction to do a DAS course; least of all an expensive, 'intensive' DAS course.

And there are no garantees, an intensive DAS course WILL give you a licence.

Failing DAS is expensive; the courses are expensive to begin with; and a large chunk of what you are paying for is merely an instructor to fullfil legal requirement for you to be supervised, while you are riding the 'big-bike' on the road, 'practicing'.

Four Days of a DAS course; including tests, which probably take one day out of that, means three days to train and practice. If you say about two hours practice, for every hour learning; you get ONE DAY of learning, and are paying for two days of practice.

This is NOT a lot of preparation.

For the price of a DAS course you could buy a 125. On that you could practice to your hearts content, without having to pay an instructor to breath false confidence in your ear-ole via the radio.

And it doesn't preclude you utilising the DAS rules to TEST on a 'big-bike' to get an unrestricted licence straight off.

Just means you can do most your practice more cheaply, on your own; and ONLY pay an instructor for actually instructing you, and ONLY pay for the hire of the bike for the bits you NEED, a little familiarisation with the heavier bike, and teh tests themselves.

BUT having considered that 'ecconomy'; is having an unrestricted licence 'straight off' THAT important?

Test on a 125, you get the same licence; you dont have to take the tests again or anything; and you can still ride any bike you like, provided its under or restricted to 33bhp. If you dont have ideas to jump onto anything rediculousely powerful, straight away, this need not be a big deal; you can have a 500 twin with washers up the carb-stubs, thats a very useful machine with 'enough' performanmce to be getting on with, and is pretty cheap to run.

JUST becouse you are over 21, doesn't mean you HAVE to do 'DAS' doesn't mean you HAVE to do 'intensive DAS Course', and doing the tests on a 125 is NOT a waste of time; it's the SAME licence, in the end.

Merely gives you more opportunity to practice more; train for less, and not risk as much money if you dont pass first time.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[FerretFing]

Welcome to the forum

[Okeydokey]

I'm with teflon... it doesn't need to cost the earth, there are different ways to skin the same cat!

Welcome & good luck
____________________
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruitsalad!
YB100 v. Ford Sierra (1982 I came 2nd place) Honda H100S (Currently 0 - 0) CX500 Cafe project (me 1 - wife 0.... maybe!)

[scobie140]

Cheers for the welcome, Teflon i understand that it may not be the most practicle way or even the best way to do it by going the direct access route. But I'd prefer to just blitz the full lessons and test and then get a bike and take it easy and learn it properly over the next few years before i commit and buy a newer bigger bike. after all driving lesson were only teaching you to pass the test most of the learning came after you pass so i may be wrong but the bike lessons will probably be the same. I'm not wanting a bike just to jump in the deep end and race everywhere as i'd just end up dead. I don't want to jump the gun and book up too soon as the weathers a bit of a guessing game the now, but will need to get the finger out. Anyone reccomend any good instructors in the falkirk area?

[Rogerborg]

Not Falkirk, no. You may have more luck asking in the Scotland regional forum.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike