Advice needed for a newbie

[WD Forte]

Late to this thread but will chime in anyway.

I know its an old thing now but one of my neighbours had a
Yamaha Virago 535 that I had to ride back here from the Bristol city centre for him when he was ill.
I was amazed how light it felt in comparison to my then CX500
let alone the Beemers I had

Perhaps a modern equivalent ( Rebel?) may be worth considering?
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bikers smell of wee

[BRUN]

Himalayan might be a good idea ?

[BRUN]

[Easy-X]

[ThunderGuts]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Meh, octogarian. May as well go out in a blaze of glory. R1 it is.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Tony Norton]

Hi All,

as I said, just after my taster session on the SV650, it was just too much everything for me. So we, that is my instructor and I, decided that the best way forward for me is to initially go for the A2 licence. In the light of that decision I feel it unwise, at this stage, in view of the weight and power involved, to go for anything that would enable me to take the "A" licence until such time as I have gained some experience at A2 level.

With this in mind I have decided that, for the time being, I would have 2 bikes in my garage. In addition to my YS125-5C something that is just "big" enough to be A2 legal. After much research I am currently thinking that the Yamaha MT-03 is possibly my best bet. The seat height is just a touch lower than the YS (15mm), so getting on and off should not be too much of a problem, and only just under 40Kg heavier.

Luckily I was able to take out some euphemistically named "Equity Release", (It's actually a lifetime mortgage) to finance this project, so I can consider buying new. When, and if, I get my A2 licence, my YS, which I bought in October 2020, near as dammit new (a 20 plate with 8 miles on the clock) can be sold to recoup some of the money spent on the MT-03.

If all goes to plan I will be doing a similar exercise from A2 to A. One thing is for sure, it won't be on an SV650!

Thanks for all your help guys,

Tony N

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[Easy-X]

Get some test rides in! Even just sitting one gives you a fair idea. (I just sat on an XSR before buying one as I knew the engine.)
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[BRUN]

Herald Brute 500 ?

43bhp
145kg

[Keithy]

BMW G310R

https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/en/models/roadster/g310r/technicaldata.html#/section-technical-data

785mm seat (lowering option) and 181 kg tanked to the gills.

[Tony Norton]

Hi guys,

sorry to bend your ears again, but I think a change of plan is looming. When searching for light bikes with low seats I came across the CCM600 Spitfire Bobber.

My thoughts went along the lines of doing DAS on one of those. I think that, although it is less than 650cc, the power, at 56bhp is well above the 47bhp mark. I'm awaiting a reply from CCM concerning whether or not it is "A" legal.

The advantages, from my point of view, are: - The seat is 35mm lower than my YS125 and the bike only weighs 6Kg more.

One thing does concern me however. Why are there so many of them on the market with very low mileages? What makes riders buy such an expensive bike and get rid of it so soon? If they've been buying for long distance commuting, or doing the motorways at a ton or more, they shouldn't have bought it. All the reviews tell you that!

The primary object of this exercise for me was to obtain a full motorbike licence, then if I wake up one day and it looks like being fine and dry I may well think "I'll go out for an hour or so on the bike." For me it looks as though the Bobber would be ideal for that. Or is there some hidden quirk that I am unaware of and has not been disclosed by the reviewers?

I would much appreciate some input from somebody who has had one, or knows somebody who has, and can explain the low mileages involved before getting rid.

Cheers
Tony N

P.S. Somebody suggested some days ago that the SV650 was only 20 odd Kg heavier than my YS. According to the specs it is, at 198Kg, some 53% heavier, nearly 70Kg. Too much for an old man like me to lug around.

[Tony Norton]

Sorry Scotsman,

I misremembered what you said. You were saying that the SV650 is only 24Kg heavier than the MT-03 I was thinking about.

Mea Culpa.

Tony

[Zen Dog]

[Ayrton]

[Tony Norton]

Hi All,

I was particularly interested in the last 2 contributions from "Zen Dog" and "Ayrton".

As a result my thinking has changed a little. The latest "plan" is, after looking at, sitting on, and hopefully doing some slow riding on private land, to perhaps buy a CCM Spitfire Bobber. Perhaps upgrade the seat if necessary, then use it through DAS and, hopefully, the tests.

If I land up with an "A" licence, to then sell the Bobber, and my YS, and get a Honda CMX 500 Rebel, which was the bike I really fancied in the first place. It's a pity that, at 34Kw (45.6bhp) it falls just 1.0 Kw (1.5 bhp) short of the "A" category. Maybe that was Honda's intention, to make a bike with bags of oomph that just, only just, falls into the "A2" category.

I realise I'm going to lose some money doing it this way, one always does when chopping and changing, but if I get where I want to be in the end it could be well worth it.

I will give my thoughts on the CCM after the pre-arranged meet with it tomorrow.

All the best,
Tony N

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[ThunderGuts]

Good luck with it, but there are logistical issues with doing your tests/learning on your own bike; not sure how you insure it (and doubtless it'd be expensive as a provisional licence holder), then you've got to get it to the test centre / training school unless your instructor is willing to come to your bike (wherever it's being stored) and ride with you as you can't ride it anywhere by yourself, you have to be accompanied at all times by an instructor. You might have a trailer to load it on, but again that's more faff.

I'd just do the test on their bike - see the control mechanisms as part of the learning. Tell the instructor you were finding it challenging and they can give you some extra time to work on that. Doesn't have to affect your choice of bike at the end of it all.

As for the Spitfire; obviously entirely up to you, but I really don't think it's the right bike given your various comments in this thread. As mentioned above, it's a fairly powerful single which means it'll be very torquey in it's delivery, so it'll feel more urgent and probably more sensitive to throttle inputs, than the SV650. Again, as mentioned, it's likely to engine brake pretty hard, it may or may not be vibey (engine balancing can be quite impressive these days though) so might be numbing on the hands/feet/bum over even shortish rides.

I think you can do better and could do a lot worse than a Honda Rebel for something moderately powered, low and easy to handle. Why not just go around a load of showrooms and sit on bikes. You won't get any feeling on how they ride, but you will on how easy they are to get off their side stand when you sit on them, how easily to get on them, how much foot you get on the ground when stationary, posture etc.. plus you can talk through what you do and don't want with the salesman. My experience of motorcycle showrooms (albeit this is fairly limited) is they're a pretty upfront bunch who will tell you how it is if you ask them; bikes generally sell themselves so I don't find you get the hard-sell you would in a car showroom for example.
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TG.

[Diggs]

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[Tony Norton]

Hi Thunderguts,

I understand what you are saying. When I first got the YS125, before getting my CBT, I had a single bike trailer. Every Wednesday during last summer I'd trail the bike to an area of off-road land where I would meet up with my grandson, a biker of 16 years experience (currently rides a Honda Blackbird), and we'd lay out cones and I would practice all the slow riding manoeuvres. Result, a first time pass on my CBT.

For the DAS my instructor, who's base is only 5 minutes from where I live, is willing to come round to mine, with the necessary radio gear, and go from there. Insurance, I haven't yet investigated that, but I'm sure anything can be bought, at a price.

It was an SV650, the bike my instructor uses for DAS, that I had a "taster" on last Thursday, and the bike and I didn't get on that well. Mostly it was a weight problem, the bike's not mine, which is why I'm thinking of the CCM Spitfire. It's only 6Kg heavier that my YS125.

I do fancy the Honda Rebel, but powerwise it is just short of the "A" category, which would mean taking an extra step via "A2".

Re motorbike showrooms, my nephew, Paul Denning, owns and runs the Yamaha dealership in Verwood. He also managed the PATA Yamaha WSB team. They won everything in 2021, so I guess he'll be doing that in 2022.


Diggs,

thanks for the tip on the frame welding. Is there any particular area where this is likely to be a problem? I've done a fair bit of welding myself, arc and gas, (not MIG or TIG) so I might recognise dodgy welds. Pigeon shit and blow holes. I don't have the facilities to X-ray welds. If it has to go back would this be at CCM's expense? If it has had a frame change I would expect there to be some sort of verification of this, a certificate perhaps?

Thanks for your comments one and all.

Cheers
Tony N.

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

Uhm I don't know if you realised yet, but the CCM isn't an A2 bike - it's an A bike. If you're comfortable with using it then at least you will get the full A license if its' used on the MOD 1 and 2 tests.

Still need to get an L plate on it and have it insured (they will check for insurance on your own bike at the test centre - they did it to someone who got their 125 off a trailer at the Shieldhall MOD 1 centre when I was there).
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PRESENT: 2018 BMW S1000XR SE Sport.
PAST: 2009 Kawasaki ER-6F. 2021 Zontes ZT-125U.

[Diggs]

[Tony Norton]

Hi Scotsman,

yes, I was aware that the CCM is an "A" machine. That was the main thing that attracted me to it, a direct route to "A" category on a light bike. BTW, it's also a pity that the Rebel is not quite an "A" bike.

I'm not quite sure what will happen about the Insurance. I do know that I can quite cheaply get Fire and theft cover, that's what I did for the YS125, especially as it would be kept in a locked and alarmed brick built garage. When the alarm guy fitted the extension of my house system to the garage, I asked him to put a really loud sounder in the garage, preferably one that would do some physical damage if a would-be thief was in the garage when it went off. So he fitted 2!

I'm hoping that I would be able to get the necessary road cover when I tell them that it will only go out when I am supervised by a qualified instructor and, of course, carrying "L" plates.

Cheers
Tony N

[Nobby the Bastard]

Good luck with finding an insurer for a bike you can only ride under supervision.....
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050