A2 bike reocmnedations

[josh95]

Hi guys im Josh,
I have spent the last couple days scrawling the web at potential bikes to buy after I do my A2 (next month).

The only bikes I can find is:
Honda CB 500 range (r,f,x) I liked the X the most
Ninja 300
Yamaha R3
Ninja Er-6n (35kw)

These bikes are rather pricey all upwards of 3,500 second hand upwards of 5000 new.
I have heard of people restricting bigger bikes like 600cc's but it just seems a bit dodgey to me? To be honest i dont know how the system is regulated at all I know i must be within 47bhp (35kw) but how do i even prove this?

What would happen if I was riding a 600cc with 60+bhp on the roads?
Do you think the police even know?

Im aware after 2 years I can do my A test so I dont really want to buy a brand new bike only to loose a lot of money on it when i sell on in 2 years....
If I buy a 600cc bike and restrict it can i take the restriction off?
also even with a restriction i would be charged as a 600cc in the insurance so its a bit of a ball ache really.
The whole system just seems stupid in my eyes.

I like the look of the ninja but I have heard its a bit boring, after awhile it is too slow. I have ridden 125cc's and after a couple weeks i found them unbearable because of how slow it was.
Is the 300cc nippy enough to accelerate from most cars? also i need to ride on 70mph A roads every day...
I was thinking the Honda CB 500x is my best bet right now?

In summary I want your opinion of a bike that can easily do 80+ on the motorway and nippy enough to entertain on the weekends?

[robertw95]

First off no 600cc bike can be restricted that I'm aware of, most people do not even bother restricting the bike chances are you'll not get caught unless riding like a tit, I wouldn't bother buying new and I wouldn't bother with these 300cc bikes
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07 Dt125r, sv650s k8, zx6rr 04

[DRZ4Hunned]

Rules are stupid, I went for a DRZ400SM because fun and surprising cheap to insure £240 TPFT @ 19. I'd rather get a CB400SF than a CB500. But best bet would be to get an SV650 and 'restrict' it ready for your A license. Or be daft and splash out 5k for a new bike (somebody has to)…
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[josh95]

So you recon if I just buy an Sv650 and dont bother to "restrict" it ill be okay? I know my mate who just did his A2 is getting a bandit

[robertw95]

[josh95]

what about a gs500, the newer ones look alright pretty cheap too

[Rogerborg]

GS500 is a budget bike with plenty of sad owners. It does avoid the whole restriction issue though.

The previous 25kW licensing system was in place for two decades and many - I'd suggest most - coppers and insurers still had no clue about it. They don't get trained in this stuff, they pick it up in the canteen apocryphally.

So riding unrestricted is not risk free, but it's low risk. I reckon you're in more danger of crashing and potatoing yourself than getting done for Otherwise Than In Accordance. Although it does happen.

There are outfits who will cheerfully sell you 50p worth of washers and an 'official certificate' when no such thing exists[2]. Cost is £60 (Kickstart Engineering) to over £200 (FI International).

Given how dodgy the folk selling these kits are[1][2], I'd have little confidence that they even are restricting the bikes to anything like 35kW anyway, so you're relying on the paper to end the conversation.

You can print a piece of paper, right? Having some sort of 35kW plate, tag or sticker on the carbs, engine or bike will add peace of mind.

In the end, only you can make the decision about risk and how much you choose to mitigate it. GS500 is legit, any other 500 (CB, GPZ, ER) will likely be very safe, above that you may (but are not likely to) be asked to prove your innocence.

[1] https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=4111555
[2] https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2009/november/nov1309-the-33bhp-certificate-rip-off/
____________________
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

[Beehive Bedlam]

Fazer 600 98-03 one of the more powerful A2 bikes can be had for less than £1500 can be restricted and de-restricted in the test centre car park when you are old enough to hold a full license.

[RedPanda]

This isn't comprehensive and is a tad out of date (which just means you can buy them all used), but it may spark some ideas: https://images.mcn.bauercdn.com/upload/295210/a2%20licence%20chart.pdf
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CBF125 (2013) -> CBR600F (2001) -> 'Ninja' 300 (2014)

[josh95]

Okay well to be honest Im now more confused then when I started.
Thanks for the input anyway guys

[Rogerborg]

[josh95]

Are bandit 400's any good

[Beehive Bedlam]

[josh95]

[Alpineandy]

[Alpineandy]

[stevo as b4]

It does make me laugh, that newbies are only aware of or can only possibly read about new/nearly new bikes suitable for A2 licence holders. Maybe it's because the magazines and press only push new bikes sales and try to give the impression that it's only new bikes that are purpose built or legal for A2 usage.

I've never had anyone yet say would a Suzuki RG250 or a Honda CB400N be a good A2 bike? But I'd rather have either of these in good condition than a new plastic R6 replica for £5k+.

[josh95]

i think i will just be boring and start off with a gs500, if i get bored of it i will get something else:)

[Wednesday Biker]

I like the cb500's look good and I think they would be fast enough for you to not get bored for a while.
SV restricted would probably be my choice because then you have a nice bike when you take the restrictor out and they wont cost as much as the ninja or cb500.
Its not dodgy getting them restricted but if you go to a main dealer it will be 250-300 for them to do it.
Ninja 300 looks nice but the top end isn't that high but it will piss 80 on the motorway and accelerate pretty well.But a bit too expensive for me.

[Beehive Bedlam]

[Rogerborg]

BodyGuard is operating on a different mental level to the lesser races of man, but he's not wrong that "not that anyone will know or care".

Bit of paper, job very nearly done.

Or GS500.
____________________
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

[K4rolis]

Hi, I'm new here, wasn't sure what the consensus on creating similar threads on this forum is, so therefore did not risk creating a new one.

As per the subject of this topic, I'm also looking for an A2 bike. However, I believe my circumstances are slightly different from the OP's. Main difference I believe is the fact that I'm 23 and will be 24 this winter. I know it is a bit of a waste to go for A2 at this age, but I've always wanted a motorcycle and now that I can sort of afford one, I don't intend to miss another summer.

I believe due to my circumstances, going for an A2-legal unrestricted bike is a bit of a waste (though I've never had a bike before so I'm open to hearing your opinions on this matter as well). I was planning to spend £2200-2500 on a used bike (looking mostly at SV650's), but then I looked up the insurance costs for a new rider and decided that I can't afford more than £2k on a bike.

So what would be the main suspects for a £2k A2-restrictable bikes? Still SV650 and maybe Bandits?

The restriction debate is quite interesting as well - I guess the main concern for me is not to have my insurance void in case of an accident, so I reckon just having a piece of paper will not be enough..

P.S. I've got my Mod 1 Tomorrow and I still haven't booked a Mod 2 yet - not feeling that confident on the roads!

[Rogerborg]

Suzuki does have a strong showing. SV, Bandit, GSX650F (Bandit in a frock) are all viable. CB600, ER6, XJ6, all fine for the purpose.

Doing A2 does make sense, since you can get yourself any of those bikes, restrict or "restrict" it, then the moment you turn 24, do your A tests on it. Just "unrestrict" it in the test centre car park, or "licensed mate rode it in, he's off to look for a bacon butty".

A fair number of folk have done that now. Even if it's genuinely restricted, you're unlikely to use more than 35kW on test anyway, just crack on and get up to speed, job done.

Good luck with the tests.
____________________
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

[wr6133]

[stevo as b4]

Thing is though, that 400cc greys are rare, expensive and sought after, and anything 2stroke with 250SP on the side is way out in orbit these days.

All the best/most popular/sportiest greys are long since cheap entry to biking material and having not been made for 20-25years means they are less than brilliant daily options for most people.

That and the fact that there are only so many to go around and therefore not everyone that wants one could get one, means they are best left as project/fun/track bikes for those with a few ££££ to spend on them and plenty of time and patience to search for all those trick aftermarket NLA jap bits etc.

I have nothing at all against the 300cc Ninja motor, other than it's a shame emissions etc has meant that it's detuned quite a bit from it's GPZ/GPX250 relatives. The 40bhp these bikes had would have been closer to 50bhp at 300cc.

My gripe is that these engines are wrapped up in cheap/basic and all plastic and show lets pretend ZXR/CBR chassis and bodywork.

A Ninja 300cc motor with the emissions crap removed and a re-map to suit, stuck into a frame that's more like an Aprilia RS125 would be quite a motorbike for fun IMO. At the same price as these very basic steel framed commuters with a superbike fairing on top, then hell I'd probably go out and buy one TBH!