In a quandry, help me out here...

[yaigi]

Ok, so, I am having a bit of a quandry and I'm thinking posting here might help, or it might confuse matters further, but it's worth a try haha!

I did my CBT back in March. Got a YBR Custom in April, been riding nearly every day since doing a 15/20 min journey to work and back weekdays with the longer weekend ride. When I did my CBT the instructor recommended when I did my test I should do it on the 125 and spend a couple of years on that or a restricted bike afterwards. At the time I could see his point cos although there were no problems with my CBT I was VERY nervous and having never ridden before it seemed to make sense to get a bit of experience under my belt.

Since then I have come on in leaps and bounds, my confidence has improved massively, I've fallen off once but got back on, and I've got good slow control of my 125. I have had three lessons in the past month and have just booked my Mod 1, on a 125. However, on my last lesson my instructor said it wouldn't be too late for me to go for the bigger bike, and now there's a niggle in my head as to whether I should or not. He seems to think I'd be fine (after a couple of lessons to get used to the different bike).

Sooo, my question is, what do you think is the most suitable thing as a new female rider with the above experience to do? Take the test on a 125 and carry on with that afterwards, take it on a 125 and get a bigger restricted bike, or take it on the bigger bike?

I feel I may now have opened the floor to many a varied opinion, please do join in the poll but if you would like to share your reasoning it would be much appreciated!
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What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)

[Billo63]

As you say, you've come on massively since those early days.
Changing to a big bike will come so much easier than you think & will soon wonder why you didn't go for big bike earlier.

do big bike, have no restrictions then find a bigger bike than you currently ride - 125 that you feel comfortable with - there's no rule that says you have to jump on a busa before the inks dry on your licence

Which ever way you go , enjoy
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I might not be a gynecologist, but I know a cunt when I see one

[UnknownStuntm...]

Big bike. They're not *that* much bigger, and once moving you don't notice the extra weight being a problem.

If anything, I reckon a heavier bike gives you a little more 'presence' on the road and is a little more stable.

That and you'll be bored of a little bike before long.

[Rogerborg]

InB4Tef: it's a full license, not a big bike license.

Granted, it's a "big bike" test, but...

If you're paying for lessons anyway, I'd give serious consideration to doing the DAS test. The bigger bike is easier to ride (honestly, genuinely, it is) and you don't have to get something daft afterwards.

Given the mess that licensing is in, particularly with regards to insurance and license durations, have a full A on your license is also less hassle in the mid term.

Sit on one of their DAS bikes, see how you get on. If you enjoy it, it's the right route.
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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

[Andy_Pagin]

No brainer really, big bike is easier to ride in every sense than a 125. You'll get used to it in a couple of hours, ache like hell the next morning.

When you pass mod2 and buy your own big bike it'll take a week or so for your muscles to adjust to the weight (only really relevant when stationary) and riding position.

Restricted? Why? Just restrict the amount you twist your right wrist
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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

[ThoughtContro...]

If money is no object and you feel ready for it, do a DAS.

If you'd rather do it on the cheap and blow the extra money on a bike/gear/bling/carbon tat rather than lessons, then do it on your 125, and get a 33bhp restricted bike, but get it done ASAP before the rules change.

If your 25+ and are usually flush with cash then there's no rush. If you're young or money is tight then you've got till January, otherwise you'll be stuck on a 125 for a good while, and it'll be expensive to get a full A licence.

It's all down to what you want tho, not anyone else.
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Prize cunt
--
"In a world of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell

[yaigi]

Thanks guys, I'm 28 so time not an issue, and I've already paid for my lessons and Mod 1 so would only have to fork out for a couple of lessons on the big bike, and the hire of the bike for Mod 1 & 2 plus the Mod 2 test fee. Will have to add that up actually cos if that's going to be over a couple of hundred quid then maybe a no go afterall.
____________________
What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)

[kotachi]

There's always the option of selling your 125, getting refunded on what's left of your insurance, and using the proceeds to fund the DAS and getting an old (pre '00's) big bike? Just a thought.
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CBT done - 24/03/2012, theory test done - 03/04/2012.. Mod 1 done -26/06/2012, Mod 2 done - 29/06/2012. Current steed: Cage.
Suntan Sid said: "Look at it this way, your employer wants to pay you the minimum amount, it thinks it can get away with, and extract from you the maximum amount of graft. Ergo it's your responsibility to ensure that karma is restored and you do as little work as you think you can get away with, for the maximum amount of money."

[Teflon-Mike]

Sounds like the YBR has done everything you could have hoped for, and your 'time on a tiddler' hasn't been wasted.

Choice is basically test on it for A-Restricted, or use a DAS bike for full un-restricted.

Since you are paying for lessons anyway, how much 'extra' is it to use the DAS bike? And can you change your Mod 1 booking from 'Standard-Bike' to 'DAS'?

With 3rd Directive looming, there are advantages to testing DAS, and getting it 'out the way'; but testing 'standard' bike could be less pressure.

I'm going Only You Can decide.....

But personally, I'd say dont get rid of the YBR just yet; still useful. Get yourself on a DAS conversion lesson, see if you LIKE the big-bike, and how comfy you may be testing on it.

If that gives an amber light..... do MOD 1 under DAS...... its only £15.50, and if it proves too stretch your comfort zone too far, you can always go back to the tiddler, and do it that way, and have same licence in two years 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?'

[yaigi]

Yeah I can change my Mod 1 details up to three working days before the test date (Aug 31st!) so if I decide this quick enough I may be able to get a lesson on the big bike and sort this out once and for all.

My partner has a Fazer 600, might it be a good idea for me to have a little go up and down the (very quiet) cul-de-sac?
____________________
What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)

[yambabe]

What Mike said, get your instructor to let you ride the DAS bike and see how you get on with it.

It's all down to confidence at the end of the day, and you can have no idea how confident you will be on a bigger bike til you've given one a try.

If you feel OK on the big bike go for DAS. If not, get the test done anyway on the 125 and put up with the restriction - 2 years goes past really quickly, honest!
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Rogerborg]

Oh, for sure, try it out. There's a little bit more weight at 0mph, but after that it's gravy.

You can book a "standard" (aka A2) bike test but be given an A1 license if you rock up on an A1 bike, so I don't see any fundamental issue with just turning up on a 500 and saying "Dunno what you're on about, I booked 'big bike'". It's exactly the same test either way, they just tick a different box.

If money's an issue, you can sack off the training altogether, practice on the YBR, then get yourself insured on the Fazer and ride than on (but not to) your tests after suitable Private Road practice. It's powerful enough that you can use it for the current A / DAS / "big bike" test, or the new A3 category next January, so there's no hurry.

All perfectly within the law, as long as you can swing the insurance.
____________________
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

[tbourner]

I was bricking it the first time I sat on the 500 to ride around a car park for a bit!
Took maybe 3 minutes before I realised I wanted to do the test on that rather than a 125.
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Trev, now a biker?
Looking for first big bike.

[Shinigami]

Big bike,

Had my first go on one the other week and it's so much easier than my 125 once I got the feel of how much throttle to give it. Felt like the bike did the work rather than me
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[yaigi]

Thanks guys, still not sure what to do but I'm curious, the instructor on my CBT said "you put most people who ride bikes on a restricted bike and they probably won't even notice" - I thought I smelled bullshit, but what are your thoughts on this? Is it THAT different?
____________________
What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)

[ThoughtContro...]

[Teflon-Mike]

Smell of bull.... hmm... I dont think so... think its a generality that is emitting a little odor of ripeness curtecy of qualifying omissions.... but has more than a 'seed' of truth.

I have a VF-Thou... for five years that was an 'every-day' rider, and I know it's foibles pretty well. I have a CB750, that was an every day rider for three years, I again, know pretty intimately.

If some-one came along in the night and slipped some washers up thier chuff.... I THINK I would notice it!

VF is a heavyweight 120bhp 'torque-monster'..... loosing almost three quarters of its grunt, and KNOWING what it ought to feel like.... I'd be returning home, and pulling carbs to bits looking for split diagphrams or dodgy ignition. CB750, likewise, it would have lost half its power, I'd KNOW something was not quite right, pretty quick.... especially if the clutch didn't slip in 3rd under a big fist-full.... I really MUST get round to fitting them new plates!

Eldest, turned up on his GPz500S couple of years back, when he got his 33bhp Restricted......

Getting on that, an unfamiliar bike, and of 'less' power than I am used to.... Err.... yeah..... it's not got the same 'go' has it? Is that because its 33bhp restricted or is that simply because its only half or two=thirds the displacement, im used to?

I WOULD have to ask. And only real 'tell' would be if I were to get a bit spirited with it and try pushing the envelope a bit.

Stock, ought to have 60bhp, and book says do 125mph. But I KNOW that if it was 33bhp restricted, it would top out at about 105... but I also know that that 125mph is only really achievable in 'ideal' conditions with that kind of power; my 750 had 25% more, and book only gives that 128mph....

So the 'difference' is small and WELL within the variances of speedo-accuracy & experimental error.....

If I maxed it out and only saw 110 on the dial.... I be pretty confident it was restricted (Intentionally or unintentionally; No1 Son is rather prone to buying bikes pre-fucked.... saves him the trouble, though he is rather determined in his own endevours down that avenue!). If I saw 120-130 I'd not be so sure, if I saw anything more, I'd be fairly comfy it wasn't restricted, but not 100% confident.

So you CAN tell.... and a clued up rider, doing more than take it for a blat round the block, is suspicious, could get some ideas one way or the other....

And, would be more of less noticeable depending on the bike. If it was an R6 for example, again I'd have a bench-mark to compare to in what I normally ride, and I would EXPECT an unrestricted R6 to take off like a scolded cat in comparison, having more power than even the VF-Thou, and bugger all more mass than a 125 Super-Dream! IF it didn't pull away even as well as my 'lardy' 750... I'd suspect something was 'wrong'.

But would I be 'bothered'? Well, yes, actually, If I bought a loonie six... I'd expect it to deliver..... only does one thing, and that's fast-fast, and with its balls chopped off, so it didn't do that, I'd be a bit peeved. On the other hand, if I bought an ER5, it would NOT be for single-minded adrenalin trips; be as a 'Sensible' all-round, low cost commuter.... and difference in performance between what it might have 'restricted' and gain from unrestricted.... even if I KNEW it was restricted..... I would probably NOT be in any great hurry to start taking the bike to bits to pull the washers out..... if it ent-broke, dont fix it.... kind of thinking; at least until I'm doing a major service, and have the spanners out!

For a Newbie, used to no more than a Learner-Legal 125, that probably has between 10 & 15bhp..... leap to 33, putting two or three times the muscle in your right hand, be a big enough revelation on its own, and you dont 'miss' what you never had.

What it IS is the 'IDEA' in the back of your head that "Oh! I Could have SO MUCH MORE!"

But, reality is that whatever bike you have, that's PRETTY much true... but the reality is that even if you DID have it... wouldn't make THAT much difference all THAT often.....

If you are pondering the merit of DAS on having that unrestricted licence straight away, against whether you would 'miss' the power loss of restriction?

No.... you WONT miss the restriction power.... people say you'll get bored and want it, BUT, reality is that its that "IDEA" nagging in the back of your mind, and looking at the sweeties through the glass of the shop window.

And that's something you will have even if you aren't on restriction... Heck! I've been riding three decades, and everything from slow speed trials to road-race, tiddlers to litre bikes.....

I look at VFR1200 or R1 and 180bhp and STILL think "What if!" and start salivating....

BUT I know the REALITY is, 75bhp 750 will do 95% of everything I might want a bike to do, 95% of the time, and rarely using more than 75% of its performance...... it would be shear 'self indulgence'....

Geez.... I can do more than half of what I ever want to on a ruddy 125 Super-Dream, and perversely have as much or more fun doing it, than on a big-bike, taking it more seriously, and worrying about the cost of tyres and brake pads!

So, to my mind, Makes NO ODDS whether you go restricted or DAS.

If your sensible you wont get a loonie bike after anyway, so its JUST how important it is to you to indulge that compulsion for sampling ALL the sweeties in the shop......

MAIN thing, is that if you go restricted route, you dont have the choice.

Go DAS, you have choice. You can ride a restricted bike on unrestricted licence, but not vica-versa.

And if you go DAS, takes away some 'hassles', in as much as you dont HAVE to worry about finding a naturally 33bhp bike, or fitting restrictor kits and finding some 'proof' of restriction if ever challenged, and YOU can decide if or when you want to step up, NOT the calender.

Back up... do the conversion lesson... take it from there, and dont sweat the small stuff
____________________
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?'

[Rogerborg]

tl;dr - you won't miss what you never had.

What a carb based restriction should do (and we're talking 2 washers with 20mm holes drilled in them for a 500 twin, not a £200 FI scampack) is essentially the same as just limiting the maximum throttle opening.

An ECU restrictor might be more clever, giving you optimum acceleration until the power hits (a guesstimated) 25kW then chopping it off, but I wouldn't bet on it, there's not a huge market for them, no comparative reviews, no competition. How many people even bother to verify that a restrictor that they've had fitted does keep "net power output" below the magic number?

If you like to use a lot of wide open throttle, it might frustrate you. Me, I rarely do so, I probably wouldn't miss it that much. What I do miss when jumping off the 500 onto one of my smaller bikes is the extra stability, smoothness and satisfaction. It's just a nicer ride, I really should just get shot of the other ones.
____________________
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

[yaigi]

You guys have helped me lots with coming to this decision, muchos gracias! I have just rang the place I do my lessons with about doing a lesson on a bigger bike to see how I go, he's getting the instructor to ring me back in a bit and arrange it

Flutters of excitement in ma belly!

Edit: It's rather busy at the moment on the lesson front, but I have got a big bike lesson on Wednesday 29th August, just re-booked my Mod 1 to a couple of weeks later as well incase I need an extra couple of lessons

Will let you know how I get on with the 500cc bike, hopefully it's as easy as many people have said xxx
____________________
What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)

[Rogerborg]

You'll love it! Don't think of it as bigger or faster, think of it as more stable, more visible, with better brakes and suspension.
____________________
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

[yaigi]

[Teflon-Mike]

[banditjohn]

Do your test on the 500 and keep your 125 until you can either afford to change or have the confidence to go higher.
All the best and good luck what ever way you decide

[JaneyGSXR]

Hiya

I'm just in the middle of my DAS and not regretting the 500 in the slightest. I was nervous at first going from a 125 to a 500 but I find it a lot easier to ride. Just done my mod1 and passed so slow rides and u turns were fine. Until my CBT I had never even sat on a bike and that was only back in may this year. I would consider the 500

[yaigi]

Exciting! My lesson on Wednesday was cancelled and re-arranged for today. So if you're around the Maghull/Lathom/Southport area today between 4 and 6, watch out for me having my first go on big bike

Will let you all know how I get on!
____________________
What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)