Getting a full license license the cheap way

[George88]

Hi all,

First time post. Was hoping to find out some info about getting a full license on the cheap, if that's even possible.

I'm looking in to getting a license but want to do it the cheapest way, similar to how I got my car license (mum's insurance for 3 months, practiced every day in her car for 1-2 hours and only needed 6 lessons in the end).

As far as I can tell, the "route" for a bike license is:

CBT - £100
Bike theory - £30
Module 1 - £15.50
Module 2 £75

Total - £220

However, I keep reading about this thing called "direct access scheme" if you're over 24 (I'm 25), which sounds more like a direct scam than a scheme because it looks like it costs a bomb. This place charges £140 per day and obviously no ones passing their test after 1 day only: https://www.bristolmotorcycletraining.co.uk/courses_direct_access.html

According to https://www.gov.uk/cbt-compulsory-basic-training/cbt-certificate-of-completion, you can ride a 125cc after doing a CBT. So I was wondering if its realistic to just get a 125 and practice for a few months, every single day, then book in for the theory, mod1 and mod2 tests and get the full license?

I know riding a 125 is not even close to riding a 600 so I doubt showing up to the tests after a few months of practice with a 125 would be a good idea, but I know a guy with a more powerful bike and I know he'd let me practice on it once I got accustomed to a bike's controls (in private property obviously).

So does this sound realistic or just stupid?


Cheers

[thewhyoffry]

Lets put it this way... I did my CBT, used a 125 bike to commute 40 miles a day 5 days a week, sun rain and mega rain for the past 11 months.

Currently doing my full licence, booked in for 4 days training to get myself used to a 600cc bike and although the controls are the same it is completely different. Even though I feel to be a good rider lessons teach you what an examiner wants to see and what not to do. Don't get me wrong, my brothers friend did a CBT and full licence within 3 days and passed 1st time but everyone is different. I had the option to do 3 days training but happily took the 4.

You have to remember that whilst Mod 1 and 2 tests are pretty cheap you have to use a bike school's bikes to get there and do the test on. So you are paying for their bike use, petrol, insurance, instructors time, overheads etc. Ive ended up paying 600ish for my DAS and thats if I pass 1st time, more and the cost will go up.

Doing it cheaply whilst great in theory, just doesn't work

[TallPaul_S]

If you just have a CBT you're only allowed to ride a larger than 125 bike on the public road in the supervision of an instructor.

Turning up to do a mod 1 or mod 2 on a 125 will get you a license for a 125. Exactly the same as CBT, but you'll be able to ride on motorways and carry a pillion (and no L plates, obviously) but you'll still be limed to a 125.

DAS isn't a scam, it's a course where you can go from a complete novice without even a CBT and never having sat on a bike before, to having a full llicense and able to ride any bike (age permitting) at the end of the week. Obviously, that takes a fair bit of training, and the cost reflects this.

You can get a full license cheaply, but you'll need 6 months on a 125 (minimum) plus at least a day or 2's training on a 600 before the mod 1\2, so it won't be quick. If you want the license quickly, well that's not going to be cheap, you'll need to do DAS. Choose one or the other

[Clanger]

[MC]

Or way back to last year where you could do your tests on a 125 and get a full (albeit restricted for 2 yrs) license.

You can do the tests yourself, but it involves buying a 600cc bike that's eligible, getting insurance on your provisional, and finding a legal way to get it to the test centre (a van or someone to ride it there for you).

If you go through a school a DAS course will probably cost you anywhere from £300ish to nearly £800, depending on length etc. If you have experience on a geared bike you'll probably be looking at a 2-3 day course, 4-5 if not (although it varies).
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[lynnnsr]

I did it a similar way. If you can use a 125 as a replacement for whatever form of transport you use now doubling up as practice it won't really cost you anything extra. It is possible to buy and sell a second hand bike without making a loss on it.

I practised over the course of 1,000 miles I would have done in a car anyway. After that I had 2 hours' formal training for Mod 1 (along with a 'practice' test on my 125) and a few hours weaving in and out of lines in a car park on my own.

Then 2 hours' formal training for mod 2.

I thought DAS was expensive too and so only took the training I needed. If you can get competent on a 125 and then approach some schools on this basis you should find one who works by the hour.

If you have a friend with a big bike you can use for the tests you will save loads on bike hire and pre-test instruction as well; though insurance may be difficult to get. I used my dad's bike and insured it myself with bikesure, but it was OK for me to do that as I bought it off him at around the same time.

Can be done but considerably more hassle to arrange it all yourself than handing over a large wadge of cash and taking a week off work.

[George88]

[ficedula]

[J.M.]

Practising on a 125 for months is an excellent idea, so long as you enforce to yourself good driving standards. However you will definitely want to get practise in on a machine similar to that you will take your tests on.

The difference between a 125 and a 600 is insane for a new rider. The power. Careful hopping on to a GSXR1K, or anything similar. You'll find speed limits ridiculously easy to exceed

DAS courses are essentially a faster (more expensive) way in to the big biking world, for those that don't wish to wait.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[FriendlyEllis]

I did DAS every Saturday last February with
https://www.prtnortonway.co.uk as I couldn't get weekdays off work.

Instructor Tim was great. Enjoyed the lessons so much, left each one really looking forward to the next.

Glad I did. Passed both 1st time.
On the scale of it, amortising that money over the rest of my motorcycling life is nothing, but I just wanted to pass and get riding.
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Honda CB600F Hornet 2013 -> Kawasaki Z1000SX ABS Tourer 2015

[Rogerborg]

First, there's no such thing (formally) as a "DAS course". DAS refers to taking your test on a category A motorcycle, and also to the training certificate that an instructor should be carrying when they're instructing you on an A2 or A bike (and if they're not, you're the one riding Otherwise Than In Accordance)

Anyway, yes, it is realistic. However, your chum's "TLR" is a 135bhp litre bike. It's perfectly fine for sitting category A tests. The DVLA haven't listed it because they won't expect anyone to do so.

Your problem is going to be insurance. Most insurers won't cover you on your provisionaL entitlement on anything bigger than a 125. The exception that I know of is Bikesure. See what they say when you ask about a TLR1000.

If that works out for you, then I would encourage you to give it a go, it's very satisfying to get yourself up to test standard. However, in practice, getting access to a friendly training school bike and professional instruction may work out cheaper than temporary insurance on the TLR.
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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

[pinkyfloyd]

I find it strange why people seem to think DAS is stupidly expensive. Yes it costs around £500-£600 for the course including test fees (which take out a little over £100 of that cost).

Yet learning to drive and getting 20 hours at £25 an hour is deemed as reasonable and you then need to pay for your test on top of that.

The only difference is with DAS you pay for intensive training on a machine that is a lot more dangerous than a car and you spend whole days out with the instructor rather than an hour here and there. Compare your DAS course fee to the cost of going through a car driving school and you will find its not that expensive after all.

As for the OP saying its a scam. Give getting your A full motorcycle license without a DAS course a go and then come tell me its a scam.

Good luck in finding the following:

Someone who will let you ride their bike off road and give good coherent instructions on passing a test.

Practicing for mod 2 in real road conditions on said bike (good luck with that).

Somewhere to insure your big bike on L plates.

Some way to get it to the test centre because you cannot simply ride it there. And back after mod 1.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[MC]

[Doovy]

As Pinky said.
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Yamaha RXS 100 > Honda CD 250 > Honda Hornet 600 > Honda CBR 600RR > Yamaha RXS 100 > Kawasaki ZX6R J2 > Yamaha FZ1

[pinkyfloyd]

[Rogerborg]

[Teflon-Mike]

Go with your plan.
Get a CBT, get a 125, get on the road.
Book & Do theory till you pass.
Book and do Mod 1 on 125, till you pass.
Book and do Mod 2 till you pass.
At that point, you will have a 'full' A1 cltagory motorcycle licence, and you wont have paid a school a penny, other than for the CBT.
After THAT, to 'upgrade' your A1 entitlement to an A2 or full unrestricted A, you only have to re-do Mods 1 & 2, under relevent scheme on A2 or Full A eligible bike.
If you can get insurance on a mates A/A2 eligible bike for tests... well, you may be onto a goer, if they'll let you pillock about on it a bit first to get a feel foe the bogger machine, and pillion you over to test center on it, and slap L's on for you to do tests.
If not... then devil and the deep, you going to have to pay a school some money, if for nothing more than providing you test wheels.
BUT, having passed tests and got a full motorcycle licence, re-doing tests, ought to be a mere formality; so YES, should only have to take one day's training; turn up at half eight in the am, instructor follows you over to test center; do Mod 1 in the morning, trundle about with the instructor to find some-where for lunch; go back, to test center in the pm, do Mod 2... job done.

Its down to how much you value 'training' and being tought to be safe and competant, rather than just getting a bit of paper that says you aren't utterly incompetant at riding....

Bike instruction is NOT 'expensive'; courses may seem a big chunk of cash, but; you are getting a proffessional teacher, who'se work is seasonal, and who is providing a hire-bike, with bludy high road and public liability insurance overheads to let unqualified newbies ride it; for what? Less per hour than an odd-job man!

FFS, my daughter came home not long ago, wanting dance lessons that worked out more fucking expensive, per lessons! Her bloomin ice skating lessons were £20 per quarter hour, on top of entry to the rink! £80 per hour to learn how to prance around on a frozen pond!

OR.... Barely £20 an hour, including bike hire and all insurance to learn stuff that is likely to save your life.....

Back to top, its your call..... how much do you value your life? 'cos that ONE bit of advice a bike instructor is likely to give you could be the one thing that saves it for you.

Think about it. If you really want to do it 'on the cheap' then Do your A1 solo, and see how you go, upgrade from there; BUT, seperate the issues here; there are two. ONE is learning to ride and ride safely, other is getting a licence to ride legally. They are not the same thing, and getting one wont always get you the other.

Do it the skinny way via A1, and self learning; remember passing test is only the beginning, and if you dont pay an instructor for some useful life saving learning, you still better get it some-where.

Learning by doing, is the school of hard knocks; and on bikes, tends to teach you what NOT to do, not what you SHOULD have done, and you might only have ONE chance for such learning, and its game over, you wont have a second chance to do it different!

Trouble is its very hard to see the value in training, we tend not to be able to count accidents we DONT have because of it.

And accidents dont just cost.... they hurt too. Makes price of training seem even better value if you look at it that way. But... its your life, your call; do it the way that you think best suits.
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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?'

[MC]