125 pre-DAS, to buy or not to buy?

[Fredfreeloade...]

Hi all,

Newbie here. Got my CBT in September of last year. Loved it and wanted more - *opens wallet*.

Instructor on the day said I was generally good, a little ropey round the edges, but would probably be ok on a four day DAS, which I duly booked on the spot like an over-eager schoolgirl.

DAS is now a few weeks away (work commitments since sept) and I've only had an hour on a friends 125 since the CBT. I'm a little worried that 4 days wont be enough to pick up everything i'll need for a successful test pass.

Given the price of DAS I don't really want repeat the exercise if possible, especially as i'll already be spending fair bit buying helmet/gear etc.

I would welcome opinions on whether its now worth going all in and buying an old 125 to get some good ride time in for a few weeks ahead of the DAS with the hope this leads to a first time pass.

I would take a hit on the insurance (not insignificant for a newbie) as I would need to flog it after a successful test to free up cash for a bigger bike (not sure how long I'd want to spend 125ing-around with a full licence in my pocket!)

Anyone done something similar / can think of an alternative or other option which may help?

Thanks all...

[F1.ash]

I probably wouldn't bother buying a 125 but you could book a 5 day DAS instead of a 4 which would be significantly cheaper for that extra day compared to the expense associated with buying a 125. It may give you some useful breathing space. Don't over think it either, I think you'll surprise yourself when you get on a bigger bike.

[Rogerborg]

It makes little financial sense.

You'll be gambling on a used 125 without any experience in spotting problems. You're guaranteed to lose a big chunk of the insurance money. Then you've got the pleasure of every Daryyyl on Gumtree offering you a hard Staffie for it, and every sensible buyer asking why you've only owned it for a month.

It's easy to spack up the mod 1 in particular and dab a foot down or have a wobble, but even if you used a 125 for a trial run at it (which I recommend if you already own one), you've still got to actually do it right on the day on the big bike, and no amount of training, practise or delay will change that.

Just go for it and tackle problems on the road rather than in your head.
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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

[zark]

If you've had an hour on a friend's, can't you have a couple more?

You only need to get the habit of how to ride/go/stop/change gear so that the sequence of movements feels normal.

How the bike actually behaves, feels and responds will be different for each bike and deffo different btw a 125 and 600... So you don't need to get used to that. That's what the training's for.
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CBT - Oct 13. Theory - July 14. Mod 1 & 2 - June 15.
Rides a Fazer like an idiot... Edit: Now ride a Fazer Thou...

[asta1]

I did a similar thing for my A2 tests. CBT in summer, messed about for a few months, 4 day A2 DAS course in February. Hadn't ridden at all in the interim and I think ropy would be a fair description of my riding.

In the interest of full disclosure I didn't pass first time (cocked up the MOD2 once), but you'll be surprised how quickly it comes back and how comfortable you feel after even an hour or so. If you're worried, have a chat with the instructor and maybe take the first morning of your DAS on a 125 just to get back into the swing of things.

Worth noting that even an extra day training and a retake of a module is much cheaper and simpler than buying, insuring and reselling a 125 just to practice on.
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CBT Acquired: 09/07/2015
A2 Licence Passed: 12/02/16
Current Bike: Yamaha MT-07 bought 02/07/16

[Fredfreeloade...]

Thanks chaps, some wise words there - seems like I might have been suffering from a slight case of 'sledge hammer to a nut' syndrome.

Unfortunately I no longer have access to the friend's bike but i'll certainly investigate tacking an extra day on to the DAS - that hadn't occurred to me tbh.

I have also just discovered a bike rental place near(ish) to me which is offering 125's for a week at £100. Might also be a good option to get back into the ride/go/stop/change gear sequence as suggested - will give me [an excuse to buy sooner] chance to get comfortable with my new gear as well!

Thanks for the encouragement - feeling a bit happier about getting stuck in now.

[Rogerborg]

[AshWebster]

Do all people posting on here know what a DAS course is actually like? Some/most of you passed years before it was even introduced! It's not one-on-one strict instruction with the instructors focusing on you for 6 hours straight. From my experience there was only about 3 hours on the bike each day. (maybe my place was bad - who knows)

I'd recommend getting as much practise on the 125 before you get to the course - from my own experience there will be between 3 and 5 of you (with ranging skill) on the course and you dont have all day to pick up the basics. If you can master the fig 8 and u-turn on the 125 its a great basis to work from.

Mine was a 4-day course and i felt a lot of pressure to get upto standard, maybe a 5 day course would suit you.

As other have said though, dont buy a 125, borrow one (or rent one that seems cheap enough). The road riding (Mod 2) is super easy on a 600+, but the for me the off road manoeuvres (Mod 1) were the tricky bit. Get to an empty car park, use some cones and the correct measurements for the fig of 8 and u turn (google is your friend) and practise practise until you can do super tight manoeuvres.

good luck!

Ash
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Honda cg125 J reg peice of shit ---> CB650F ---> 2016 CBR600RR
Ford KA ---> 93' MR2 ---> 94'MR2 ---> 98' Subaru WRX STI Ver 3 (track car)

[F1.ash]

[M.C]

[kgm]

[Rogerborg]

[rpsmith79]

[Kentol750]

I, imho, don't like teaching for a whole 'day'. I can't do 6 hours riding without wanting to put the bike in a hedge and get a taxi. How anyone thinks a new rider can get on a bike and ride for a whole day and be learning anything after hour 4 is beyond me. There's a reason schools put pe at the end of the day.
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Some bikes.

[AshWebster]

See the variation of DAS courses? I'm glad I brought it up

OP make sure you choose the right option for you!
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Honda cg125 J reg peice of shit ---> CB650F ---> 2016 CBR600RR
Ford KA ---> 93' MR2 ---> 94'MR2 ---> 98' Subaru WRX STI Ver 3 (track car)

[M.C]

[Analogkid]

Do the 5 day one, the extra day is usually started on a 125, if you were good during your CBT, you should pick it up fine.

Oh and if you are going to be hiring a 125, for some wobbly practice, make sure the insurance excess is not silly. There's. A good chance you will drop it, fine on the school bikes with crashbars already dented, you'll be fine on the 5 day, and on day 2 you'll be on the 600cc, and you'll love it.

I trained with Pro Scot in Kirkcaldy Fife, rarely more than 2 students per instructor, they also hire the actual test centre for an afternoon, so you can run through a few mock tests using the DVLA equipment and course (with terrific runway style tarmac that had huge grip ) and timing equipment for swerve/emergency stop etc, but at the very least they should be able to get you to a wide open space and allow you to practice the mod1 manoeuvres.

Good luck

[Fredfreeloade...]

[SDFarsight]

Normally I'd recommend buying a 125 so that you get the road experience and muscle-memory. However if your DAS is only weeks away then it's really not worth buying a 125 as (assuming you pass it) you'll be wanting to sell the 125 almost as soon as you've bought it.
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