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Jordan444
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 23 Feb 2012
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 Posted: 17:53 - 23 Feb 2012  Post subject: Which bike for a lanky learner? |
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Hello everyone at BCF, Im new to the forum and motorcycles in general. Iv posted this on similar websites and asking my friends too, to get as much info as possible. I dont know a whole lot about bikes so advice is like gold to me.
Ive just passed my CBT and Im hoping to buy a bike in the near future to practice riding and maintaining. Then after a few months I'll go in for my proper test.
Heres the problem! I love the look and style of cruisers. Its these bikes that got me to learn in the first place so I have my heart set on buying one. However, Ive heard they arent great to take tests on because theyre harder to corner.
Some bikes that have caught my eye are the Hyosung Cruiser 2, Suzuki Intruder, Marauder, Honda Shadow etc.
But apparently cruisers arent great for tall people too, and since im 6ft 4 and 14 stone that might be a problem!
Please could anyone give me some advice? Is there any cruiser which is good for learners? Should I buy a cruiser or a standard bike?
It doesnt have to be 125cc, as I may restrict it until I pass my test. Im looking to pay up to £1000 for a second hand one.
Thanks in advance 
- Jordan
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swampy
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Jordan444
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J.M.
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| FirebladeRuss |
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FirebladeRuss
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| Posted: 18:13 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: |
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Nope, you can't. 125 or less mate.
I'm 6'2" as well and I can happily report I find my GZ125 Marauder very comfortable, and it doesn't look that small either.
I'm looking to sell my Maruader soon though! Interested?!
https://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt115/russ528/GZ125/th_DSCF6719.jpg
IN all seriousness, I'm aiming to have a full license by the end of March at the very latest (with a bit of luck!). I spent ages looking for one with no rust and the chrome all in really good condition. I've given it a new chain and sprocket, new rear tyre last week , new spark plug, new brake pads, and changed the oil twice in the year I've had it.
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Last edited by FirebladeRuss on 18:16 - 23 Feb 2012; edited 1 time in total |
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| N cee thirty |
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N cee thirty
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Jordan444
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| Posted: 18:24 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: |
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| RussGZ wrote: | Nope, you can't. 125 or less mate.
I'm 6'2" as well and I can happily report I find my GZ125 Marauder very comfortable, and it doesn't look that small either.
I'm looking to sell my Maruader soon though! Interested?!
https://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt115/russ528/GZ125/th_DSCF6719.jpg
IN all seriousness, I'm aiming to have a full license by the end of March at the very latest (with a bit of luck!). I spent ages looking for one with no rust and the chrome all in really good condition. I've given it a new chain and sprocket, new rear tyre last week , new spark plug, new brake pads, and changed the oil twice in the year I've had it. |
Haha, how convinient!
If its as good as you say and youre in my area then possibly!
And thanks for the CC info guys, it was a friend that told me that so good job you corrected me.
| swampy wrote: |
If you've got a grand and you only ended up paying £800 for a bike, you could pass all of your tests for £121.50 and have money left  |
Well I have a bit more than that but I was saving £500 for the test itself, but what youre saying is that if I buy and use my own bike I wont need the two days training as part of the test?
Also ive looked at the Honda CG125's and Im not asthetically pleased! Is there anything a bit...cooler?
Thanks
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Scootaloo
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| Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike
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| Posted: 18:29 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: Re: Which bike for a lanky learner? |
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| Jordan444 wrote: | It doesnt have to be 125cc, as I may restrict it until I pass my test. Im looking to pay up to £1000 for a second hand one.
Thanks in advance
- Jordan |
| swampy wrote: | It does if you wanna ride it on L plates mate. |
| Jordan444 wrote: | Can I not restrict a larger bike to 125cc until I pass my test? |
Who did you do your CBT with? Were you paying attension? This sort of thing ought to have been explained!
Meanwhile bollox to trying to justify a Learner bike on looks or comfort or any crap like that.
125 Learner bikes are just that; to LEARN on; all they have to do is be easy to ride and easy to flog when you have got your licence.
125 cruisers dont work well either as learner bikes Cruisers or learner bikes, they are a waste of time!
See other comments elsewhere on this board; get a regulation Learner-Commuter like you probably did your CBT on, a Yamaha YBR or Honda CG125, thats 'one size fits all' simplicity; easiest to ride; cheapest to own, and easiest to flog on when you are done.
Go look at cruisers when you are done, and got your licence.
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Jordan444
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| Posted: 18:47 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: Re: Which bike for a lanky learner? |
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| swampy wrote: | | Jordan444 wrote: | Can I not restrict a larger bike to 125cc until I pass my test? |
Like the others have said, I think you're confusing capacity (measured in cc) with power (measured in BHP).
Different bikes of the same capacity will put out differing levels of power. So a 125cc may produce anywhere from 10 BHP to say around 30 BHP (example only - can't be arsed to find out real world figures).
The legal power limit for someone riding on L's is 14 and a bit, but you are also limited to a maximum capacity of 125cc.
HTH |
Thanks, that makes sense now.
| Scootaloo wrote: | I think your confused
A CBT licence will allow you to ride a 125cc machine.
they are a single day course that costs about 100 quid
Once you have passed your CBT then you can do the restricted licence for about £500, this will allow you to ride any machine under 33 Bhp.
Regards, Scootloo |
Well Im 22 and was planning on doing the direct access actually. There is new regulations coming into force apparently which means if I dont do it now I wont be able to ride a larger bike until im 24, or something along those lines.
And yes Ive got a budget for £500 for gear, £500 (plus anything left from gear) for the test and £1000 for the bike.
So, if we're forgetting cruisers and going for a decent, standard bike to learn on you guys recommend the CG125?
Thanks
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| Posted: 19:46 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: |
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| Posted: 20:04 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: |
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I'd ignore people's opinions on what type or style of big is deemed 'good', as that's a decision only you can make as to what you consider 'good'.
I usually agree wholeheartedly with tef's statements, but will have to disagree on this one.
I personally, find the gz comfortable, suitably proportioned for my height, handles well enough for winding my way through traffic and will hit over 60mph when required. Not to mention getting 200 or so mile out of a tank. It also looks nice, again, in my opinion. Not everyone thinks they look nice and that's fair enough, everyone's allowed an opinion. It has wider tyres than cg's and is overall larger in proportions. The low seat makes you feel very stable and in control as well due to the low centre of gravity.
Again, personally, I found that for me, the sports a look 125s look silly with me on them. I felt silly riding it, like I nicked a kids bike.
No I'm not saying all this because I think I stand a hope in hell of selling mine to you, chances are you'll want one before I'm ready to sell, or you'll be at the other end of the country. I'm saying it because I do believe everyone is entitled to like whatever kind of bike they want and they shouldn't feel pressurised to get something just because a few guys on a forum said that what they liked was rubbish.
Cheap cg's and the other crap you do our cbt on are easy to sell I'm sure...a bit like owning a 1.1 fiesta, in beige, when you were 17. But they're boring as sin, no character and look exactly for what theey were designed. Learning, dropping, not spending any money on and flogging on again.
You get what you want mate, but be sure to go sit on a few things to help you decide first. Dont just buy something by looking at pictures and reading forum opinions.
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iMark
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| Posted: 20:29 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: |
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I heard Mod 1 was harder on cruiser style bikes too but I passed both my module 1 and 2 without any problem on my Hyosung Cruise II.
Since you said your kind of interested in the Cruise II, the seats are very comfy on it, which is a bonus, you don't get a sore arse 
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| Teflon-Mike |
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| Posted: 22:06 - 23 Feb 2012 Post subject: Re: Which bike for a lanky learner? |
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| Jordan444 wrote: | Well Im 22 and was planning on doing the direct access actually. |
and dont tell me you 'believe' that DAS is a £500 'course' done over three or four days, and gives you a full licence at the end, and that testing on your own 125 only gets you an A2 'restricted' licence, and is a waste of time if you are over 21?
DAS is a provision IF you are over 21 to take the same tests, as any-one else, but on a big bike. Only reward for such is you get, straight away a Full licence without the 2 year probationary power limit of 33bhp. Test on a 125, you still get a full licence. Its not an A2, that doesn't exist yet. Comes in with those new laws and it WILL be permenantly restricted; but currently you get a full A, sand in two years, no more tests have to be passed or anything; the probationary restriction lapses.
The £500 of a DAS course, also wont get you a licence. That 'cheap' course will almost certainly be no more than the DAS training. DAS provides IF you are over 21 you may ride a 'big-bike' on L-Plates IF under radio supervision of card carrying DAS instructor.
£500 for three days of training is barely £20 an hour; and if that includes the overheads of providing a bike to train on, Instructor is barely paying himself a living wage; so I would SERIOUSLY doubt that that price also includes the £15.50 Mod 1 test fee and the £75 Mod 2 fee, the DSA charges... and which you are likely to be asked £25-50 for for a Mod 1 booking through the school, or the £100-125 they may ask for similar 'block booking' for Mod 2.
You do NOT have to do a DAS course to test under DAS....
I could two up you to the test centre on my 750; slap L-Plates on the thing, wave a certificate of insurance around for a car which has "+ any other VEHICLE with owners concent" extension on it, you are a named driver on, and you could do your tests on it.
You dont HAVE to take an intensive DAS course over 3 or 5 days to train under DAS; you can train up on a 125, in hourly lessons if you wish, and only do one or two hourly DAS lessons, to get familiar with a DAS bike for tests.
From comments; I think you are being given pretty 'minimal' info and mis sold on training!
And intensive DAS courses, pander to the impatient; who coming out the other side after a VERY skimpy bit of prepartion, with a full licence EITHER think tbecouse they have done the course and got the licence they know it all; jump on something very powerful and hurt themselves very quickly, or come out, suddenly devoid of the advising voice in thier ear, and cant remember a thing, wondering what the fuck they are doing... and hurt themselves, pretty quickly!
Either way; a £500 DAS course is unlikely to get you a licence; it almost certainly will have another £150 - 250's worth of test fees 'hidden' on the end, you haven't budgeted for...
Meanwhile that £500 course is NOT a garantee of getting a licence; and on 'cheap' courses, failing can get fucking expensive, as tess will have been 'ahead booked' probably on the same day, or within course duration; and failing Mod 1 you cant 'repeat' for three days.... and will loose Mod 2 booking fee..... While the DAS School, may NOT offer ad-hoc DAS sessions just for repeat tests, and you could have to book another complete course to try again.
CHECK THE SMALL PRINT!
If you are going to do DAS, ask the questions; be sure you know what you are getting for your money; be sure you are aware of hidden costs; AND what the score is if you fail.
ALSO be aware that doing an intensive DAS, most of what you are paying for is test-tricks to impress the examiner; and a lot of expensive instructor time to do little more than follow you around, letting you 'practice' on a big-bike, the instructor NOT teaching you; just fullfilling requirement to provide 'Radio Supervision' to let you ride big bike on L's under DAS provision..... you could be doing all that on your own, on your own 125, and not paying a penny more than the petrol!
| Jordan444 wrote: | There is new regulations coming into force apparently which means if I dont do it now I wont be able to ride a larger bike until im 24, or something along those lines. |
The DAS age limit is raising from 21 to 24 as of January 19th next year. That is all, as far as DAS is concerned.
As far as 125's? Well the details have not been fully disclosed by DfT as they should have been, BUT: In 'principle' they intend keeping unsupervised L'Plating on a 125.
Testing on a 125 though will only get you an A1 licence to ride.... a 125!
There is a query, as yet unresolved; as to the two year qualifying period of holding an A1 licence to be able to 'upgrade' from an A1 to an A2 licence. Some suggest that at 19, there will be a 'fast track' straight from CBT to an A2 licence testing on an A2 bike. But this isn't confirmed.
If you have passed A1 on a 125, though, you will have to wait two years to do either another test on an A2 bike or a 'Conversion Training Course' to get A2, and two years after that, again, test or course to get full unrestricted A.
It will mean that under 24's will find it harder to ride anything bigger than a 125, but NOT impossible.
| Jordan444 wrote: | And yes Ive got a budget for £500 for gear, £500 (plus anything left from gear) for the test and £1000 for the bike. |
So £2K 'All in' budget.
That is 'respectable'. But see comments above; I doubt that a DAS course will get you a licence for the £500 advertised price. You will also need the Theory/Hazard passed (£31) before booking DAS, then the test fees, £90.50 + any school 'admin' fees for expedited block bookings; and if you fail, it can get expensive.
DAS to Full Licence = £1000 THAT is the more typical 'all in' cost of getting a licence via DAS.
That leaves you fuck all to buy a bike, tax it test it, and get some riding kit.
SURE you still want to do DAS?
Big-Bikes DO tend to be cheaper than 125's, so if you chuck your dosh at DAS, you could justify some of it on the fact you could get a better bike for your money; but a Virago 535 in decent nick is going to take big chunk of the change you have after the DAS course and test fees, and you'll be looking at more hard used ones, not nice shiney posing perches, if you want any money left for helmet, tassled leather jacket and chaps, if not the insurance!
£2K WOULD get you a good YBR125 or CG125 though; my preference the YBR.
Budget £1250 for one three or four years old in good fettle, with fresh MOT; likely to still have plenty of life in it and be reasonably reliable, trouble free and not cost much in maintenece, or depreciation. CG's are older and fetch a premium being a 'Cult' learner bike.
I would advise strongly against blowing big money on a load of riding gear, all in one go. The 'My First Motorcycle Outfit' is often NOT great value for money.
£200 might get you leather jacket and trousers; another £150 a hat, then £30 for gloves and £70 for boots, and you have blown £450 on gear that wont keep you dry, wont keep you warm; is as likely to be more restrictive to wear, not last as long as it ought to, and which in a spill, DOESN'T offer anywhere NEAR the 'protection' you THINK you have bought!
Leather is great on a race track; but it only provides abrasion resistance when we slide along the road. On real roads, we tend NOT to slide so far before we are stopped by something hard and unyeilding. Cheap leather is often 'thinned' top make it feel more supple and wears away quickly, or spits; and its only ever as strong as the seams anyway.... so cheap leathers may not even offer even the 'abrasion' resistance they should.
Protective clothing is also the LAST line of defence; wont stop you crashing; only effects how much it gonna hurt when you do!
And even then, only between certain limits. Fall off at walking pace and a pair of jeans may be enough to stop you grazing your knee and all the extra protection leather might offer, completely redundant. Wipe out on a corner and face plant a 45 ton artic.... leather PROBABLY isn't going to help you much!
We survive on bikes on our wits, and by NOT crashing and using our wits to avoid it; not putting our head in a fancy plastic pot and hoping for the best!
Attitude is all.
And most of us old hands started out with a bike, a cheap helmet, and a pair of wooly gloved we found in the back of a draw! We then bought 'gear' as and when we could afford it. And learned the hard way to buy quality over quantity.
Common sense:
You can improvise an awful lot of 'riding kit' rooting through your wardrobe (or other peoples!) and selecting 'sensible' outdoor wear, and working on the principle of LAYERS to give you impact padding and lots of material to be worn away by abrasion, rather than trough hide.
Use your budget 'strategically'. Buy only what you NEED, and buy for quality.
Helmet; legally required. Get a good one. Buy on the 'fit. £150ish if you want a full face that stands a chance of actually staying reasonably fog free, and the visor staying where you put it. BUT, they all meet the same legal safety standards, and I do rate the simple open face, which can be bought for as little as £25. And with no visor mechanism to fail, no visor to fog, no vents to be in the wrong place; cant go 'wrong'! Also offers a much better field of view, and puts you in the breeze, feeling a 'bit' vulnerable, rather than cocooned in a plastic bucket looking at the world through a plastic post-box! That £25's worth then will all be 'protection' not 'features'; and worth a thought.
But essentials are the Helmet & Gloves. Rest you can 'improvise' until you can afford 'decent' kit. Starting with water-proofs, which hide multitude of improvisations beneath, and keep you dry. Rains in Briatin, more often than we tend to crash! Followed by good Boots. Rest follows as and when.
Keeping it 'skinny'; you can cover the basics, Hat, Gloves & oversuit for probably under £100. That leaves you a bit more in the bank to get yourself properly sorted.
Dont know what your insurance situation is likely to be; but £1250 for a YBR, £100-150 for 'essential' riding kit; you are on the road for £1500 or so, that DOES leave you £500 to pay for the £121.50's worth of tests. MAYBE a couple of lessons before each mod, AND 'lee-way' if you have to repeat either of them.
You can get some good riding experience on a 125, that WONT flatter newbie mistakes and will help you lay down a good foundation skillset in preparation for riding bigger bikes. And you wont be paying over the odds for training, just to watch you practice. What you DO pay for will be actual useful instruction teaching you 'stuff'.
Licence obtained; all be it a 33bhp restricted one; you can flog the YBR on, for pretty much what you paidf for it.
Worst case you get back a grand, and cashwise be in the same place as doing DAS and save having 2 year licence probation, but being 'up' by the lesser risk of failing tests, and probably better prepoared for a big bike by your time on a tiddler.
But; in all liklihood; you'd be able to flog on a £1250 YBR for probably £1100, which would get you a slightly more respectable 535 Virago, and you'd probably still have umpety months of insurance to carry over to it; maybe even a few quid to pay the policy adjustment.
Going the 125 route; IS more 'doable' on your budget.
BUT; bidding large chunks of your budget on riding kit that probably wont earn thier keep, pledging large chunks of it to pay an instructor to watch you ride a rented 'big-bike'... likely to jepordise your chances of getting on ANY bike, on the budget you have, unless you get a bit more clued up; think about what's what a bit more carefullt; put some priorities in order, and place your spend a BIT more 'strategically'.
Important thing, here and now is getting that licence.
DAS could do it; Tiddling it could do it; pro's and cons either way. But that 'spend' needs to be worked out a BIT more carefully.
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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?' |
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