Advice for a new biker

[Alasdair]

Hi, I'm 17 in 3 months time and I really want to ride a motorbike. I just got my provisional licence which made me start finding out more about learning to ride a bike. I've never ridden a motorbike before but now I'm almost 17 I want to start riding as soon as possible. I have a lot of questions about beginning to ride a motorbike:

•Can you suggest some good bikes/ brands of bike for someone who has never ridden a motorbike before? Apparently Japanese bikes are best, is this true? I heard that Honda is a good brand but I don't know.

•Should I start on a 125cc like the law says or get a better bike and not waste money?

•Can anyone tell me about how I get lessons and weather I need to buy a bike before I can get lessons?

•Is there anywhere that will lend me a bike with the lessons? Do they also let you borrow the safety gear?

•Also, Where can i buy good gear? can anyone recommend good safety gear/ brands of gear that I need?

•How much did it cost for you when you started riding?

Thanks for any help.

[Kingstondavo]

Some quick answers for you. I suggest you have a good read of this thread first though as they will all be answered in there... https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=33113

•Can you suggest some good bikes/ brands of bike for someone who has never ridden a motorbike before? Apparently Japanese bikes are best, is this true? I heard that Honda is a good brand but I don't know.

- Yamaha YBR, Honda CBF, CG etc - any Japanese 125 commuter style bike will do you right

•Should I start on a 125cc like the law says or get a better bike and not waste money?

- If you are suggesting riding round on a bigger bike with a provisional and a CBT you are completely insane. I'm gonna assume this isn't what you meant, but if it is, please stay the hell away from the roads we all ride on, they are dangerous enough as it is.

•Can anyone tell me about how I get lessons and weather I need to buy a bike before I can get lessons?

You will need to do your CBT first - you dont need to buy a bike before doing this.

•Is there anywhere that will lend me a bike with the lessons? Do they also let you borrow the safety gear?

Most CBT places will provide everything you need

•Also, Where can i buy good gear? can anyone recommend good safety gear/ brands of gear that I need?

Get yourself down to a shop and try things on, for helmets fit is way more important than brand. A £60 helmet that fits will protect you far better than a £200 one that doesnt.

•How much did it cost for you when you started riding?

From the endless new bike threads I've seen on here - you will need to budget at least £1500 for a decent 125, decent kit, and insurance.
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Rogue_Shadow]

Hi Bud Welcome to the forum

I'm in the same boat as you, recently got an interesting in riding a Motorbike after 4 years of Driving a Car and Work Van
Have you done your CBT?


•Can you suggest some good bikes/ brands of bike for someone who has never ridden a motorbike before? Apparently Japanese bikes are best, is this true? I heard that Honda is a good brand but I don't know.

Honda, Yamaha most Japanese bikes are.
If you do a search you'll find this forum has tons of owner reviews and opinions on good starting Bikes.


•Should I start on a 125cc like the law says or get a better bike and not waste money?

You need to start on a Bike or moped up to 125cc on a provisional licence. You gain your provisional licence by completing your CBT, after which you can ride any bike or ped up to 125cc by yourself with L plates. With the only restrictions being you cannot carry a passenger or use the motorways


•Can anyone tell me about how I get lessons and weather I need to buy a bike before I can get lessons?

You can buy a bike before or after, Most training schools can offer a motorbike for you to use during the training session. Its all down to what is available local, but id be surprised if the school didn't offer a motorbike.


•Is there anywhere that will lend me a bike with the lessons? Do they also let you borrow the safety gear?

Again down to what is available locally to you. Be very surprised if a school didn't offer a Bike & gear for you to wear.


•Also, Where can i buy good gear? can anyone recommend good safety gear/ brands of gear that I need?

Good gear can come from various places Online and in stores being the best bet. Your number 1 priority is a Safe and good fitting helmet. DO NOT BUY a second hand helmet, buy a Helmet for your fit, do not compromise. Generally go to a store and try on gear and or helmet, if the price is right perfect, if not take note of the the model numbers and return to the internet


•How much did it cost for you when you started riding?

I'm still in the proccess, having paid £95 for my CBT and an 2 hour follow on lesson.
But you need to factor in

# A Motorcycle or Moped
# Tax, Insurance
# Gear (Gloves, Jacket, Helmet Ect)
# CBT
# Lesson - Optional but advisable (From me anyway, if only 1 or 2 between tests)
# Theory
# Mod 1 Test
# Mod 2 Test

If you do a search on the forum, you'll find ALOT of the answers to the questions you have buzzing around your head.
But 9 / 10 questions you'll type into google about Motorbikes, A thread from this forum will pop up.

I expect a more experienced member will clarify what I've typed up far better than I have

[Rogerborg]

[mayup]

I almost forget how to ride on it, i wasn't touch the bike for 4or5 years. After graduate i would buy a new one. After all, it's good for my health
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Just follow your heart

[lozzypop1]

[Andy_Pagin]

Personally I'd tough it out for three months and save every penny I could and go for a 125 as a starting point.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[dungbug]

Hi fella, welcome to the forum. I went the route of getting my CBT done and smoking around on a 125, as I hadn't ridden a bike for nearly 15 years. It's been great for building up confidence and preparing me for my test. As Andy says, a 125 is a good starting point.
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CBT: Pass 25/06/2011 Theory Test: Pass12/06/2012 Mod 1: Fail 08/07/2012
Mod 1 Retest: Pass 15/0702012 Mod 2: Pass 03/08/2012
Suzuki GN125 (Sold) ~ Current bike: Yamaha YZF 600R Thundercat

[Alasdair]

I'll start on a 125 as my first bike then. I'm thinking of getting the Aprilia RS125 because lots of people have said good stuff about it and I think its really good.
Another question though: Is it better to drive a car before riding a bike? My dad says thats what he did and that its much safer but i don't know. I just want to ride a bike now . Also, I wouldn't mind driving a car before riding a bike if the law wasn't changing next year so that people 17- 24 have are limited to a 125. If I do my test this year then I think that the new law wont affect me, but then that's not enough time to learn to drive a car as well like my dad says I should.
How long did it take you to learn to ride?

[HJM]

[Kingstondavo]

[BusySam]

The RS125 ain't the cheapeast of bikes mate, not in terms of a 125 anyway. I had the RS50 and it was an enjoyable bike to ride, but now I'm 17 and want to move up to a 125 I've been looking at a few Jap 125s, hopped on a mates YBR earlier today and just popped 20 metres down the road and back and it seemed like a very nice bike to ride. Cheap and cheerful too. The RS125 does look nice but think about the long run you'll spend a fair bit of money on it an if you're planning on getting your test done before Jan 2013 then you can move up fairly soon and proberly won't be worth it..

[Alasdair]

OK, fair enough. The YBR is much cheaper and I only really need a beginners bike for a short time.

Also you said "You think its really good? is it the shiny plastic?" but no, its not the "shiny plastic" its cos the RS125 is a bit faster and has a 2 stroke engine not a 4 stroke and apparently can be modified to 140cc and has good reviews and my mates recommended it and other stuff... however the "shiny plastic" does look nice ...but that's not got anything to do with a good bike. All I really need is a bike to start on though, and there is not much point spending loads on a bike I might only have for a year or so.

Only problem now is my dad telling me to drive a car before riding a bike. He's just really paranoid about danger since he crashed a police bike and broke all his limbs (he looked like an Egyptian mummy). He says I need experience on the road first before riding a bike. He wants to do his own driving test on me before I can ride. That's just annoying cos I want a bike not a car. He only crashed cos the bike broke anyway, and I would maintain my bike. I guess it might take some time for me to get a bike... that's the problem with being only 16 and still controlled by parents... I mean there are people at collage who race bikes and their parents don't control them all the time. For now I'll just get some more money together and try to learn to drive and ride as fast as possible and find out more stuff. Sorry for ranting a bit but I'm annoyed at not being allowed to ride just yet, and by the time i pass my test next year i'll be limited to a 125 (with the new rules).

[MG]

Difficulty is your dad doesn't appreciate your reasons for wanting to get the bike now. Have you tried explaining to him that the licence regs change in Jan 2013?

And as far as being safer on a bike because you've driven a car goes, well that's very very naive.
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'03 Honda Cityfly 125 > '02 Honda CB500S > '98 Honda CBR600F

[Kingstondavo]

In a way he is right about the car thing, if you make a stupid n00b driving / highway code mistake in a car, yes it can be expensive but unless you are being an utter tw*t at the time then you are very unlikely to suffer a great deal of personal harm....

On the other hand, a mistake at 15mph on your bike Can cause serious injury (not by any means saying it will.) at the end of the day biking is dangerous and should be taking seriously, and I'm sure he is just looking out for you...

Honestly if I'd have done some of the stupid things I did age 17 in a 1 litre corsa on a 125, I'm sure I wouldn't have made it to my 20th birthday.
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Alasdair]

yes, now I think about it my dad probably has a point. I thought of a compromise though: I could pass my bike test this year if I can so that the new laws don't affect me next year. Then drive my brothers car for about half a year or so or until my dad says I'm up to standard, then start on a bike.

Sound like a good idea? or not? I guess I might end up just having to re- learn how to ride a bike in a years time, but at least I will have held the licence since before 2013. It could be pointless though because by that time I'll be about 18, then a year later I would be allowed to get a 400cc which could be good enough until I'm 24. I dunno.

[Kingstondavo]

I'm not saying he is right... just that he has a point.

There are plenty of guys on here who don't have car licenses and ride bikes perfectly safely!

These new license laws sure do make it complicated...
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Efes123]