Absolute beginner

[Drc12369]

Hi.. As the heading States in a total novice.. Never even sat on a motorbike before but I've got the bug and have been obsessing over getting a bike and a license for the past month now.. I'm already in love with a Honda city fly with 17k on it going for £700.. So basically what are my options regarding getting a license? I don't want speed or power just something that I like the look of and can maintain myself, for a few really short trips a few evenings a week to my gym and for the odd b road jolly on sundays. In a few weeks I'll have just over a grand to blow on the whole thing and I'm looking for advice.. I've joined here cuz every time I've looked into any kind of bike review or question google sends me here.. I've been members of lots of car forums before depending on my motor and this place seems ideal for me.. So advice on the steps I need to take to get myself riding and I'm assuming the bike in after is a good option? Cheers

[Rogerborg]

Ahoy.

Definitely give it a try, biking is ace.

Sadly, licensing is a mess.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/369984/routes-to-your-motorcycle-licence.pdf

At a minimum, you'll need to do a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course to validate your provisionaL entitlement to ride a 125.

This can be a great experience or you can end up doing it with Instructor McShouty and a bunch of life-long pedbois just wanting their repeat tickets. You'll have to suck it and see.

Once you've got that, you're looking at £200 - £300 on helmet, jacket, trousers, boots, gloves, waterproofs and security (16mm+ chain and ground anchor if you're storing it outside) before you're in a position to buy a bike. Factor in a couple of hundred for insurance as well, 125s are surprisingly expensive to insure.

A Cityfly is fine, although I believe exhausts are getting hard to find for them so don't buy one that's needing anything done. A decent 125 at £700 won't be available for long, and with your budget you'll be begging not choosing.

But that's a bit down the line. CBT first, see if you enjoy it, then onwards and upwards.
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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

[Drc12369]

Cheers for the reply mate... Yeah fully comp is £180 I'm factoring in kit around £150 anchor and chain another £30 but the insurance I have money for already. The license seems a nightmare.. I'm 38 with a full car license I've had for 21 years and I want to ride a 125cc so what do I need? Just a cbt? Or something else?

[arry]

Just a CBT for the 125 but then you're locked on L plates

At your age the licensing is easier as you aren't age limited in respect of progressive access so you can do your MOD 1 MOD 2 and theory after your CBT and you've a full licence to ride anything - so long as you take the tests on a bike that conforms to the licence regulation

[wodge]

A lot of the riding schools offer a "have a go on a motorbike for free" type scheme.

www.geton.co.uk

Its free, you book, you turn up, you have a 20 min lesson. Whats to loose...

Teflon Mike's website has good information for the basic stuff. and if you read it from top to bottom you can then scroll through his posts on here without stopping .

https://teflonmike.craywiki.co.uk//0_Lo_040_Features_036_1st_Bike.htm

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago, decided to have a go, joined up on here, bought some second hand good quality gear off Ebay and ended up with a 25 year old yamaha. Insurance on that for me with a CBT and a car licence is about 60 quid TPFT.
I spent less than a thousand initially all in, learnt a lot, had fun.
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nolidge iz pouwur.
Yamaha RXS100 RS100

[Slacker24seve...]

[Drc12369]

Just registered with the Get On scheme... No courses near me (Bath) in next 3 months.. Hopefully I'll be fully mobile with my own 125 and a license by then. Just waiting on my cash in November

[Val]

Hello and welcome

All questions has been answered already...City Fly looks like nice bike
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Adrian Monk: Unless I'm wrong, which, you know, I'm not...
Yamaha Fazer FZS 600, MT09, XSR 900