6 months on a 125, time for an upgrade?

[Aaron702]

Hello everybody. First post here so please go easy on me .

I passed my car test at 17 3 years ago and after racking up over 30k miles in that time and finding driving to be my new passion, decided to give motorcycles a go.

It all started with my CBT back in October 2019. I was extremely nervous but picked it up well and got myself a 2011 Honda CBF125. It was a bit of a shed but with some help from a friend and a trusty Halfords socket set it has since been turned into a nifty, reliable commuter.

My riding consists mostly of inner-city commuting in heavy London traffic with the occasional weekend jaunt. The commuting is a necessity to justify the cost (offsets an annual train ticket) but the real reason I wanted a bike was for leisure. As such I've been keen to improve my skills and step up to an A2 license.

To get to the point, what I really want to know is what is the best way to prepare for the tests in the most economical/sensible fashion? Intensive week-ish long courses seem to be the most common option but prices vary by hundreds of pounds depending on the number of days. I am wary of the fact that in the grand scheme of things I am still a newbie but with a good grasp on road-sense and semi-competent control of a motorcycle thanks to my commuting experience, how much benefit can I expect compared to a complete beginner? Should I book a couple of days and see how I get on or do I book a full length course?

The next question is obviously a new bike; A2 legal of course. I'm not interested in restricting something big (not really sure why, but maybe someone can convince me of its merits?) but would like something nearing the full 47bhp. It has to be congestion-charge and ULEZ compliant and cheap to insure. I'm London based with a locked garage to store it but I am young and theft is rife so I'm expecting to pay upwards of £2000 per annum. Budget for the bike itself is up to £2500.

Bit of a read I know but wanted to include all of the details. I look forward to your advice! Cheers.

[Teflon-Mike]

You have spent 6 months commuting on CBT+L's.
If you were competent and confident enough to commute.... you are competent and aught be confident enough to take tests and not have to do it on L's... if not there's something wrong, and chucks up the suggestion you are NOT competent and confident enough to be commuting.

So.. last question first; stuff what bike; that's pretty much the last thing you need, and for a bigger bike, the first thing you need is a licence to let you ride it... so goal, at the mo is the A2.

Oh-Kay... you got CBT, you got a 125, you got some miles under your belt. MY Advice.. the best 'preparation; for the tests, is to just go do them.. and you can do that for about £150 self booked, on the 125 you already got, no course required. And £3odd of that is the Theory/Hazard you'd have to have anyway.

Oh-Kay.. pass A1, it only endows you with an A1 entitlement to ride nothing more inspiring than the 125 you already got.. b-u-t... does allow you to carry pillions, use motorways, ride abroad, but most of all DITCH the wretched L's!!! That's worth the price of on it's own. And once done.. you never have to repeat CBT.

That's my recommended first step. It may not get you where you really want to end up... but its a step in the right direction. The tests are exactly the same, whether you take them on a 125, an A2middle-weight, or a full fat A-bike... and there's no prep like the actual doing of. And done on your own 125 self booked? It's pretty economical, and a dang site less expensive to fail, than paying £200 a pop for DAS bike and instructor supervision, on top!

So, once done, IF, you want to carry on to the A2... well, you'll be going to a school, with a full licence in your pocket that shows that you can pass the tests and know whats required. All you should need from the school is a litt;e time to get familiar and comfy with the bigger heavier bike, an it's power; and the regulatory 'supervision' to let you be on the thing on Her-Majesties-Highway... so more win, and you aught need less expensive training time.

B~U~T, of all three licences, A1, A2, and RWYL'A', IMO, its not the A1 that is so often derided as a waste of time, because it only lets you ride a LKearner-Legal 125 like you can on L's, but the A2; because the A2 begs pretty much the same course and tests as RWYL'A' but lamms you with that 45bhp power restriction, which unlike in years gone, where it was only for 2 years, now its for the life of the licence.

So... do A1 on your own bike.... find out what it takes to pass tests, and if you do, all to the good. If not? Well, you haven;'t wasted DAS course costs for the attempt; just £15 or £75, and a bit of time and petrol, and the examiner will tell you what you need to do next time to pass! Its a pretty cheap lesson!

THEN... well, a 125 can be as fast as pretty much ANY bike of any CC is legally allowed to go in this country... I know mine is, and its not even endowed with the maximum A1/Learner-Legal permitted 15bhp!

While for the leisure 'fun', its ownlee a 225.. something not taken too seriousely by most, that I don't have to take too seriously, and I have more fun riding the crap out of the thing 'just' for the fun, than I do on my 750, which I have to treat a tad more seriously... worth a think... p[robably an imediete yeah-but, but still..

125's have a LOT to commend them, and as a youngster facing punitive insurance, esp where you live, and especially used for higher miles, in regular commuter service, one has an awful lot more to recommend it.

Bigger bikes go faster... but they also empty the wallet faster! Be warned.

Just as point of ponder; I get about the same 70mpg from both the 750 and the 125. Mostly because, riding the 125 just for fun, i tend to rag it everywhere! 750 I'm a tad more laid back on.. it goes pretty much as fast as my bravery will allow, just by twisting the wrist, and when I do, life and licence are both inordinately at risk! 125 takes some effort to get the most from, hence where there's effort needed, there's reward.

And add on the cost front; a pair of tyres for the 125 cost about £100, and for good ones. For the 750, they are upwards of £200 a pair, and they only last maybe 3-5ooo miles. I've yet to wear a set out on the 125! They should last around 10-20ooo miles. And here a googlie... commuter service, especially on a bigger bike, KILLS tyres.

Used to have a mate with a TL1000, who commuted 40 miles a day on the dang thing; then wimped out every time we had a ride out, because his tyres were squared from the commuting! It can rather damp the fun, of a leisure ride, not being able to use the bike as intended 'cos the tyres have a 50p corners on them! Or having to wimp out to save them tyres to get to and from work the till pay-day!

But, your young.. and you wont learn until you have tried I guess... so what the heck.

Advice is to self book and do A1 on the bike you got.. fond out whether you have what it takes to pass, and get up to par. As sad, examiner will tell you what you done wrong, so even if you fail, its a not so expensive lesson. Pass, and its all gravy, you can ditch the L's and don't have to repeat CBT, and are on track for a higher licence as and when you want to get around to it.

At a guess you are a couple of months either side of 21 years old.you have to be 24 to do RWYL'A' via DAS straight off the batt, or 2 years from passing A2, via Accelerated-Access. Its a bit on the tipping point; and depending how long the test centres stay closed, and lead times for courses after that, the gap/overlap between being able to do do a RWYL'A' straight off via DAS vs via AA, was pretty short.

If you do A1? Well, you are on the way, and once done no more L's no more CBT, and you know you can do it.. and do you REALLY need a bigger bike for the year or so?

Why not stick to the 125 and count up insurance NCB along with the full licence history?

There's NO RUSH, and rushin' be fast way to pain and problems on two wheels!

Take your time, but my advice is start with A1, self booked on your own bike. Its good preparation, and its cheap. And oif you want to ride just for fun... well, a bigger bike wont deliver extra 'fun' in proportion to the extra cc.. extra costs, disproportionately to the extra cc, maybe? but... rid out the usefulness of the 125, get an A1 in your pocket, THEN decide which way to go....
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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?'

[Polarbear]

My version of a reply......

Yes it is.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Eddie Hitler]

[wr6133]

[GSTEEL32]

I'd always advocate the A2 in your situation. Commuting and driving a car will make your transition into the MOD2 test much easier.

As you live in London, buy an old bike anyway, as it'll end up getting scratched / pushed / treated badly as soon as you park it up.

You'll find an under-powered large bike infinitely easier than a over stressed small bike to ride regularly.

Costs are much of a muchness, your not going to equip a FZR600 on a "M" plate with a set of super-soft rubbers, are you ?

[Easy-X]

To be fair if you're just commuting in London then a 125 is perfectly adequate. Getting an A2 just means you can join the "Smug Club" lots of members here
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Aaron702]

[andy46]

My son had a 125 at 17 and rode it on L's untill he turned 19. He should have taken his test but a snapped clutch cable on the way to his test put an end to that and as he was only 6 months away from his 19th the test was put off till he could do it on a A2.
A few lessons and a test just a month after his 19th got him his A2 and he bought himself a 650 Deauville which he restricted with a kit off ebay, actually I did it for him.
I don't think the kit has seriously affected the performance, the deauville has as much power as he needs and is a powerfull bike compared to his 125. It certainly has enough for a commuter and enough to have fun on a ride out if you've never ridden anything which is actually quick.
Plenty of 650 or 700 deauvilles about and your budget should get a reasonable one, they're a big, heavy bike tho. he's 6'4" and well proportioned.
If he's still got it when he's 21 he can take the kit off and do his A on it.

While I agree with Tef about having fun by extracting the max from a 125, sometimes you might not want to work that hard for your riding enjoyment, so i'd vote yes to an A2 upgrade.

[terrytibbs]

[bhinso]

Now now.

Tef used to have a mate, but by the time he'd finished a reply to him, the mate had died of old age.

[TheIncredible...]