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New biker at the very beginning of my journey

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arry
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PostPosted: 07:56 - 09 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed. I might choose to have a 125 but to be restricted to one full stop? No thanks.
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SDFarsight
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PostPosted: 10:37 - 09 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Honestly, my advice is the opposite, don't waste your money on a 125, he's not a 17yr old without any other options


True, but I think it can be a useful stop-gap. Including the theory test there are 3 tests to complete after the CBT and failing just one of them can set you back over a month (depending on the time of year and where you live); a month of your expensive gear hanging impotently from a cloths hanger. Plus having a 125 allows you to be working from muscle memory during tests and lessons.
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Previous: Sym Wolf SB125Ni, 2008 Kawasaki ER6f
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bacon
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PostPosted: 15:09 - 09 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry to disagree again. But you will only end up picking up bad habits before your training while poking around on a 125 for a month on your own.

Stick to the training and make your bad habits after your test, plus he won't have a 125 to have to shift afterwards which may or may not delay him getting a big bike, be it down to money, storage space etc
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SDFarsight
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PostPosted: 19:53 - 09 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

bacon wrote:
Sorry to disagree again. But you will only end up picking up bad habits before your training while poking around on a 125 for a month on your own.

Stick to the training and make your bad habits after your test, plus he won't have a 125 to have to shift afterwards which may or may not delay him getting a big bike, be it down to money, storage space etc


No need to appologise Very Happy

That's a good point; the rider could pick up bad habits before the test which get hard to shake off. Or even more dangerious- learning how to use a bike and predict road conditions! And I'm not being (totally) sarcastic. For example; what would be a reasonable, safe, conservative pass between a parked car and the centre line may be marked down as 'insufficiant spacing' on the test. Whereas the rider who waits until a drifting Hummer H1 could make the gap would pass the test.
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Previous: Sym Wolf SB125Ni, 2008 Kawasaki ER6f
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groovylee
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PostPosted: 09:24 - 10 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

OP - i did my tests at about 32, after i had been driving for 15 years or so. that was about 6 years ago, so i was in much the same situation as you are now.

i did my CBT on an old 125, but it felt great (and fast lol), so i opted to do my tests asap and get on a bigger bike. the school let me have a quick go on an er6, and it felt so much easier to control, more stable, and much faster!

my mod one prep invoved watching training vids over and over until i knew the routine like the back of my hand, a couple of trial runs with the training school, and aced the test on the day.

mod 2 was pissing down with rain, and i made a silly mistake that cost me my pass. second go, different examiner, much better experience, test passed.

i haven't looked back since Thumbs Up

would i have pottered around on a 125 for a bit first? possibly, but after that go on the er6, i didn't want to get back on the gutless 125 Laughing

id go straight from CBT to full licence. you wont regret it, and you'll find that a decent big bike can be gotten for not that much more than a 125 Thumbs Up

good luck Cool

Lee
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R
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SDFarsight
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PostPosted: 12:11 - 10 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

groovylee wrote:
and you'll find that a decent big bike can be gotten for not that much more than a 125 Thumbs Up


One does have to wonder who exactly buys a new 125, and like you said even the 2nd-hand 125s aren't much cheaper than the big bikes. They're either rich enough to think nothing of spending £2000+ on a bike they're only going to use for a few months, or they're part of the scooter commuter brigade except not wanting the scooter part.
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bigdom86
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PostPosted: 13:17 - 10 Aug 2018    Post subject: re Reply with quote

was in a similar situation to you, car licence since 17, driving since 23 and decided to start riding bikes at 28 due to getting fed up with london trains/tubes for commuting. did CBT at 28 and bought myself a 125, always planned to do DAS but kept being put off by price, rode around on a CBR125 for couple years then booked DAS and past first time easily (think the time on the 125 helped alot here) - still waiting another year before getting my big bike as no cash Laughing been on a 600 for past few months.

if you got the cash I would go straight to DAS, pass tests and get a 600, 125s are way underpowered and are just a pain to ride, you really have to push them hard to get them anywhere which is exhausting
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 17:45 - 10 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is true especially if your a commuter riding daily miles on busy boring and congested roads in alot of traffic. And in all weather's etc. A daily grind on a wet road in high winds can be really horrible on a small skittish bike.

But if your none of those things, and ride the quiet rural roads and lanes, pushing a 125 hard is a fair bit more enjoyable too.
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Lpscoops
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PostPosted: 14:49 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum and I’ve sat reading through each and every post on this thread. I am currently in the exact same position as the thread starter in terms of age experience and questions. However I’ve literally booked in to sit my CBT this coming Saturday and I cannot wait to get started.

My plan is to complete the CBT then go for my full licence. My only issue is that I’ve got no experience on a bike and I’m debating the same thing as to whether to go for a 125 for a period of time of go straight in for the full bike licence.

Thank you to all who have contributed to this thread as it’s given me a better outlook on my options following my CBT. Good luck to all
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arry
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PostPosted: 15:00 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck with the CBT; let us know how you get on.
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Lpscoops
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PostPosted: 15:02 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

arry wrote:
Good luck with the CBT; let us know how you get on.


Cheers. I will do! I’ve opted to do my CBT on a gears bike. Any tips are appreciated. 👍🏽
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arry
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PostPosted: 15:06 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lpscoops wrote:


Cheers. I will do! I’ve opted to do my CBT on a gears bike. Any tips are appreciated. 👍🏽


Best advice I can give is don't sweat it. If it doesn't come naturally, don't be put off by having to go back a second day.

Relax and try to enjoy it.
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Kentol750
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PostPosted: 15:10 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Another caveat. Reply with quote

Persevering with the test route and foregoing the 125 can be financially rewarding.
Finding, buying and insuring a 125 could cost you a pretty penny. Any hidden issues with bike will cost. Resale for not much loss (or profit) isn't guaranteed. Iirc, it's difficult to find a decent priced insurer who will let you go from prov125 to full'bigbike' on same policy, so you may lose on that too. Cancelling said policy, means you earn nothing toward the holy grail of a 'no claims' discount.

Adding a couple of extra days to your training is normally around £100 per day when booked with a course. Don't try and do it in the shortest and cheapest time you can. If you think you'll need longer, be humble and book accordingly, it'll save the heartache and wallet injury of having to redo a mod 2 and pay for another days training.
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Johanna
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PostPosted: 15:33 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lpscoops wrote:
Cheers. I will do! I’ve opted to do my CBT on a gears bike. Any tips are appreciated. 👍🏽

Find out where the various controls are on a geared bike. Think about them a bit in the days before the CBT. All the brakes are on the right. So think: stopping with right hand and right foot. Changing up a gear is holding in the clutch with the left hand and flicking the left toes up. Changing down is left hand and left foot down. If you have trained your brain to think about it then it will feel more familiar on the day. Don't think about it too much, just have an idea where things are.
Enjoy your day and let us know how you got on.
Don't worry about what bike to get now. You'll have a much better idea when you've been out on a geared 125.
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waffles
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PostPosted: 16:47 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lpscoops wrote:
However I’ve literally booked in to sit my CBT this coming Saturday and I cannot wait to get started.


Best of luck!

Make sure you have a flick through the Highway code before Saturday. Have you ever been on the road in any sort of vehicle before?

There are videos on YouTube showing you what the CBT is like and what elements it will cover.
Like this
Or this
____________________
Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125
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Lpscoops
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PostPosted: 18:12 - 21 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the advice! I’m sat here in my cousins spare motorcycle boots and spare helmet getting mentally prepared haha. I’ll brush up on the Highway Code and I’ve been driving since I was 17 so I should be okay in that respect. YouTube is my best friend for tips and those links are great.

I appreciate the support guys. Thanks
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bacon
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PostPosted: 11:59 - 22 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're head is in the right place. Cbt then straight to DAS.

I had never even sat on a motorbike before my cbt.

I did cbt, then the theory test the following week, then my DAS 2 to 3 weeks later and found the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable.
I certainly didn't worry about buying/insuring a crappy 125 for a month just to get bullied around on the road with minimal training (aka a CBT), skip 125cc ownership, L plates suck.

Good luck and enjoy it Thumbs Up
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Lpscoops
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PostPosted: 18:38 - 25 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all,

I passed my CBT today great fun really enjoyed it. I came off the bike (over the handle bars) when we went out on the road. Had to wait up the road as the other learner was struggling and we got separated. As they approached, the radio link wasn’t working so I couldn’t hear the instruction to move off. As they got closer he gestured with his hand to move into the flow of traffic by waving me in but I wasn’t ready as I was waiting to hear him over the radio. I rushed moving off and released the clutch to quick. I shot across to the other side of the road, hit the front brake and flipped. Luckily, there was no damage to me or the bike. The only thing hurt was my pride as I’d taken to the bike really well. I was cheesed off with myself more then anything for not just waiting, letting the instructor go past and pulling out when I was comfortable to do so.

Upon reflection it was possibly the best time to come off the bike as I made damn sure not to release the clutch the way I did and to relax each time I pulled off. The instructor was cool about the situation and was happy for me to continue. I rode well and remembered to turn the indicator off haha.

Thanks to those that gave advice.

Next step will be to get some more lessons on a 125cc to increase confidence and road craft before looking into the DAS.
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struan80
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PostPosted: 20:51 - 25 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get a 125 for in between your CBD and DAS. Sell the 125 for the same or more than you bought it for.
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bacon
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PostPosted: 20:18 - 26 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just book the DAS.
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talkToTheHat
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PostPosted: 08:53 - 28 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do CBT first. Then consider how you will go about a full A licence. 125s are awful to ride any distance. Consider that a 55bhp abomination of a Polo outperforms an A1/Learner legal 125.

I had a lot of fun in my year of 125s, but mostly due to the independence it gave me.

Invariably someone's going to make the slow bike ridden fast argument, but I can't think of anywhere I'd find more fun to ride on a 125 than on a 30-50bhp bike, but ultimately what you find useful and fun is a a personal decision.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 04:37 - 29 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Something else to consider: I rode a 125 for a 6 months before taking lessons for my full license. Others at the place I learned didn't.

On the playground marked out with Mod 1 cones and all that shit - practising u-turns, figures of eight, and everything else - I looked unflappable, smooth and eminently competent on the 600cc DAS compliant CBFs. Because I'[d been on line, mugged up on the mod 1 course dimensions/layout, etc., and practised them on empty industrial estates all through winter, I looked like I knew what I was doing. Because I *did* know what I was doing.

While everyone else was sweating, wobbling and fucking up on the DAS course, I was breezing it, enjoying the chance to get a bit more practice time in, and feeling like my investment of time, money and effort of going down the 125 route was paying huge dividends.
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Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
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talkToTheHat
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PostPosted: 05:37 - 29 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll agree that time on the road on a 125 will make for less time an expense in training, but i'm not sure if offsets the cost of running a 125, or the risk of riding a 125 on the roads without being able to perform an emergency stop and a swerve to mod 1 standard.

Importantly, if you panic and snatch the front brake rather than squeeing, it hurts. If you panic and try to turn the bars like a car steering wheel, you've screwed up your evasion and it hurts.

Yes an evasion manouvre sounds easy. But there are plenty of riders that will dispute that a bike steers by torque input on the bars (not rotational input) and thus to initiate a right rurn you push the right handlebar away. Whilst most riding is subconcious, it's the nature of panic that such mechanisms are interupted, thus it is beneficial to be able to perform basic manouvers both conciously and subconciously.

Yes, I did a year on 125s. I wrote one off and consider myself lucky that I found the bap between car and road firniture through virtue of being on the tarmac.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 15:45 - 29 Aug 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

talkToTheHat wrote:
I found the bap between car and road firniture through virtue of being on the tarmac.


Was it ham salad? Those are my favourites! Mr. Green
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
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