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DomJohn7 |
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DomJohn7 L Plate Warrior
Joined: 28 Apr 2018 Karma :
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Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 05:18 - 29 Apr 2018 Post subject: |
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What do you mean 'still' ride a moped? Just because that's the first motor-vehicle any-one becomes eligible for by age, doesn't mean that a( you have to have one, b) start on one.
If you have been riding one for umpety years on L-Plates, though that is something for me to grumble about..... L's for LEARNER not test-dodger!!
Oh-Kay... so, you are 20 years old, and want to leap from something almost as fast as a fit-kid on a push-bike..... to as much as you can get on one go...... right.....
First up, Ninja 300's etc.... FORGET IT...... for now.... when it comes to getting a motor-bike, when you dont have a licence.... the bike is actually the very last thing you need, or need worry about.
Top of the list is that licence.... remember L-for-Learner......
If you are young enough to have not been awarded AM licence entitlement for passing a car test umpety decades ago, then you will, have had to take a Compulsary-Basic-Training (CBT) course at some point to ride a moped on L's.... which suggests you aren't starting completely at the start.... also suggests you probably have some gear like a crash hat, and possibly some clue as to other essentials like Insurance and Tax and stuff, probably even the usefulness of water-proofs, and a dang good lock and chain.....
BUT these are all things way ahead of a bike, in the list of things you 'need'.... and still ahead of any bike you may hang an L-Plate on, is that licence.....
Theory... double check on that it IS the Theory/Hazard test for a MOTORCYCLE that you have booked? Not one for a car... that wont count towards a motorcycle test-set one bit....
Next up... you need a valid CBT or DL196 certificate..... so if you haven't got one, cant find it, or its ran out of validity.... go sort.. means talking to schools.
CBT is the only mandatory bit of training any-one has to take; entirely possible to take tests for A1 - 125 only licence entitlement, A2 'restricted' motorcycle entitlement or unrestricted 'A' without going through a school....
Its a lot easier to do the A1-125 tests that way, and it only costs the DSA test fees, something in the order of £125 including the Theory... buyt you have to have a bike, that's road legal and meets test requirements.... as said, easy on a 125, as you are allowed to ride one of them on L's unsupervised before passing tests...... A2 and unrestricted A-Bikes you are not.... you must be under supervision of a card carrying DSA approved instructor to ride one on L's.... which means you practically have to go through a school to do the tests for these licences.. little niggle of insurance companies being loath to give you insurance for a bike you don't have a licence for, also sort of makes life awkward to go-it-alone, for the higher licence entitlements....
WHICH brings us round in a circle..... IF you have to dive in determined to go as big as you can... you need a licence, that begs a course, you need talk to schools..... how much, how long, when, where, and whats the deal for lunch! THAT really is about all there is to it....
Till you have done that... booked a course, done it, learned a bit, been stuck in for tests, and passed them..... everything else is all pretty much academic......
GO TALK TO BIKE SCHOOLS!!!!
You want to know what they expect you to have, bis a motorcycle Theory/Hazard pass cert before you turn up; what gear they deem essential, by way of whether they expect you to have your own crash hat and glove and wet-weathers, or what they may provide; What the course costs are, and what they include... some include the test fees, others dont; what's the deal on further training or re-tests? Some have fixed course price, and you do or you dont, if you dont, you pay for a whole new course, or further training or accompanied test/lessons on an hourly, probably much higher rate..... so ask the awkward questions... and ask what the lunch arrangements are... do you need to make sandwhiches, or do they stop at the instructors favourite road-side butty bar etc.
And DO you really need/want to do an A2 licence test?
Often suggested that the A1-125 only tests are a 'waste of time', but, as they can be done on a bike you can ride on L's, DIY and cost a relative pittance to take, I believe that if ANY tests are a waste of time, it is actually the A2 tests...... they beg the same costs and hassle by way of a school, course and hire-bike to take them, as tests for an unrestricted 'A' licence.. which can be pricey, and get very much more so, if you do need further-training and or re-tests...... and if you want the unrestricted A eventually, you have to re-do, and re-pay.... which is all rather irksome to get the licence to NOT get the tarmac rippling performance of a full quota 'big-bike', in that five year window that the A2 licence has much if any relevence......
Hint: big bikes cost big money... they use more fuel, they eat tyres at an alarming rate, and whether you use the performance they offer or not, they demand the levels or maintenance comensurate with that performance..... and when we have a 70mph max speed limit in this country most 125's can achieve, and a lot more speed limits below that they can break along the way...... its a LOT of money to spend for not a lot more than the bragging rights of having a bigger number on the side-panel.....
There are a lot of good reasons why a bigger bike may be more useful or appropriate.... B-U-T there are far far more that are almost entiurely ego driven...... so how much do you REALLY need a bigger bike...... and how much REALLY is that worth to you? And probably more pertinently... do you have that sort of money to spare for it?
For cheap get-to-work wheels, a moped, or 125... DOESN'T have to be ridden on L-Plates.... infact that is daft when the repeat CBT to perpetually pretend to be a learner is as much as just doing the damn tests and being done with it! The bikes are over-priced, and the insurance is silly, especiually for a younger rider... but, tax is only £17 a year or something daft; the MPG you get can be fantastric, and service spares are relative peanuts.... for comparison, a pair of tyres for my 750 cost about £200, and they last maybe 4-5ooo miles depending on how I ride the thing..... If I cranked up average annual miles of 6K that would mean at least one if not two or three sets of tyres a year....... on the 125... the tyres cost barely £100 a pair, for a good sticky set, and they last.... well, if I ever wear a pair out I'll let you know! You can realistically expect around 10-15ooo miles from them, and ironically get more miles out of the rock-hard ecconomy brands... that's three times the miles or more for half the price or less... and the costs translate to everything else.... like brake pads and spark-plugs and stuff.
So.... you pay a heck of a lot more to do the same miles on a bigger bike..... probably no faster..... after you have spent a lot more to get the licence, which you will loose that much faster if you try to go any faster and use that performance the bigger bike may have.... and an A2 one only just does.......
Which brings us to the bottom line.... Can you afford it, and IS it really worth it?
A2 courses start from around £600... which may or may not include the test fees..... budget around £1000 to be realistic, and add half as much again for contingency, if you don't pass in a week as you hope....
Then you may start to think about actual bikes..... and again, whats the imperatives, and can you afford it?
Once you have passed the tests, you have the choice... and you are a qualified rider..... there is no best choice starter bike..... you dumb enough to ride like an idiot, you gonna get hurt..... you smart enough to be sensible, the bike dont matter much..... its down to you..... all that really changes is how much you pay along the way......
So... go talk to the schools... ask the impertinant question about what thier fees cover and what the catches may be if the 'Sure! We'll get you through in a week!" optimism isn't quite born out in reality.....
THEN... with a licence in your pocket, and some better ideas of what is and isn't more or less important, you may go bike shopping..... if you have the money... which is where it starts, and ends.... everything in the middle is not so significant, really. ____________________ 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?' |
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Rogerborg |
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Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 08:01 - 29 Apr 2018 Post subject: |
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The DVSA guide on YouTube is as good a place to start as any.
If you've been riding dirty without a CBT, you'll need to do/redo one.
Your training and tests will be done on (in practice) a 500cc bike like a CB500, or even a restricted 650, so by the time you're licensed up you'll be ready to ride pretty much anything.
The 300-ish class of bikes would be fun, but there aren't that many around used, and you'd be taking a step down from your training bike, so don't make any premature decisions.
Absolutely key is to find a decent trainer. Make sure you speak to the person who will actually be training you, not just the admin frippet. You don't want to end up being palmed off onto someone like Mike. ____________________ 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 |
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Bozzy. |
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Bozzy. Scooby Slapper
Joined: 07 Aug 2017 Karma :
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ThatDippyTwat |
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ThatDippyTwat World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 Aug 2016 Karma :
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NJD |
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NJD World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Mar 2015 Karma :
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Copycat73 |
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Copycat73 World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Jan 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 09:42 - 29 Apr 2018 Post subject: |
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i`ve seen the 300cc ..a2 ..offerings from Honda , Kawasaki Z300 ,KTM 390 Duke , Yamaha YZF-R3 and they all look cool and smart as fcuk ..
some good finance deals to be had apparently too ..
plenty of motorcycle schools abound .. you`ll find one that suits you ..
enjoy
and
O! beware, my lord Tef, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” It is thought to allude to “know-it-alls” , often green-eyed, who tease their prey. ____________________ Whatever I post I have no citation and no intention of providing one..
caveat emptor |
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