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Soon to be new biker from the Barnsley area!

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Johnnyseven
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 26 Apr 2014
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PostPosted: 16:16 - 26 Apr 2014    Post subject: Soon to be new biker from the Barnsley area! Reply with quote
Hello all, been visiting here for a little while since I booked my CBT so thought I should say hi.

I'm gonna be taking CBT in a weeks time and I cant imagine anything other than me loving it. I've never been on a motorcycle before but figured I should just give it a go as I've always wanted to try it out. I'm 21.

So assuming that I will love it, the only thing that has me wondering is what bike I should get afterwards. I'm thinking the best thing to do is get a 125, I know (think) I could get some training and go for an A2 (?) licence and get something a bit bigger but having never ridden before, a while riding around on a 125 is probably best.

I've seen lots of 125 bikes and most of them seem like they would just be too small, I'm 6'6 and think it'd be pretty dumb for me to be perched on top of some of the bikes I see. I walked past an RS125 I saw parked in town the other day and it didn't seem much taller than my knees.

Maybe it isn't as bad as I think it is, I don't know much at all about bikes so if anyone has a suggestion, let me know.

Two bikes that have caught my eye are the Yamaha YBR125 and the Honda Varadero 125, the Varadero especially looks like something more my size.

As a last little thing I plan on going to a store for gear and trying everything on, the idea of ordering stuff off the internet without trying it on, especially when its what will probably end up between me and tarmac, doesn't seem too appealing. Any suggestions about gear are welcome too!

Bit of a long intro post but anyway. Hi!
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Rogerborg
nimbA



Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 16:30 - 26 Apr 2014    Post subject: Re: Soon to be new biker from the Barnsley area! Reply with quote
Johnnyseven wrote:
I could get some training and go for an A2 (?) licence

Yup.

Johnnyseven wrote:
and get something a bit bigger but having never ridden before, a while riding around on a 125 is probably best.

There's nothing to stop you riding around on a 125 after you're licensed up.

It's a sensible plan, many of us did it, but with hindsight I'd just have got my tests out of the way ASAP. It makes so many more bikes available, most of which offer better value for money than a 125 that's likely to have been neglected.

That's especially true with your size. If you do go for a 125, the Varadero is a fine choice. It'll cost you, but it'll hold its value.

Other options are:

The Hyosung GT125/GT125R although I wouldn't personally recommend them.

A supermoto / offroad stylee. Depending on your budget and handiness with a spanner, I wouldn't overlook the Sinnis Apache or Pulse Adrenaline (in that order), although going Japanese branded is a safer bet.

Gear, I'd get down to the local J&S or similar and see what takes your fancy. RST is a reasonable middle-priced brand, I've been generally happy with my RST jacket and trousers.

It'll take you a while to figure out whether you really prefer leather, cordura or kevlar lined denim, so don't rule out buying as cheap as you can on eBay or Gumtree - you should be able to score some alternative sets of gear that you can try out to see what you prefer.
____________________
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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Johnnyseven
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 26 Apr 2014
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PostPosted: 16:48 - 26 Apr 2014    Post subject: Re: Soon to be new biker from the Barnsley area! Reply with quote
Rogerborg wrote:

There's nothing to stop you riding around on a 125 after you're licensed up.


I somehow hadn't thought of that, will look into it as I could then potentially get an A licence a year earlier I think.

I've seen the Hyosungs but I haven't seen people saying many good things about them, quite the opposite most of the time.

The Sinnis Apache is one that I've been looking at a lot since I saw Mr Spicy on the youtubes and I forgot to mention it. While I've never really messed with anything with a motor as far as fixing things goes I plan on getting well into that as it seems more than worthwhile with motorbikes.

Thanks for the info!
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MCW
World Chat Champion



Joined: 20 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 17:14 - 26 Apr 2014    Post subject: Re: Soon to be new biker from the Barnsley area! Reply with quote
Johnnyseven wrote:
Two bikes that have caught my eye are the Yamaha YBR125 and the Honda Varadero 125, the Varadero especially looks like something more my size.

Hellooooo!

I have been riding around on a 2004 Varadero 125 for nearly 2 years, and sold it a couple of weeks ago for £300.00 more than I paid for it, so can confirm that they do keep their value. Rogerborg is always right, but has yet to start talking about 'verydearos'. He will.

I got the Varadero as, being the size of most of Wiltshire, I didn't want to look like a bear on a tricycle on anything smaller. I loved it and nearly cried when the buyer rode away on it... I never had a minute's trouble with it, other than having to replace the battery, and would really recommend one to you.

Its height is a double-edge sword. It is bigger than a lot of much more powerful bikes. I liked being comparitively high(er) up on the road and the riding position is very comfortable. BUT, (and this may not apply to you, as I am a big wuss), its height also means it has a much higher centre of gravity than any other 125. I was a very nervous rider to begin with and dropped it within about 0.3 milliseconds of first riding it. This set my confidence back about 4 million years and has caused me to have become unable to stop exaggerating....

I found learning to ride a motorbike far more difficult than I had imagined it would be. With hindsight, I would probably have been better off starting with something a bit smaller. You will probably take to it like a duck to water though, so best of luck!
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dydey90
World Chat Champion



Joined: 01 Oct 2013
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PostPosted: 18:04 - 26 Apr 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry, did somebody say Barnsley? Shifty
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750
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Johnnyseven
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 26 Apr 2014
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PostPosted: 15:53 - 03 May 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thought I'd update this in case anybody cares, just got home from passing my CBT, first ever time on a motorcycle and loved it! Ended up getting one to one tuition after my fellow trainee gloriously wheelied through a hedge whilst learning the clutch and ended up calling it a day.

Only things I had problems with were sometimes taking corners too wide and I kept forgetting to cancel indicators/trying and failing to cancel indicators. Working the gear lever and some of the handlebar controls was a bit awkward due to me being longer than the average fellow. Did it on a CBF125. The instructors were great!

Plan on going to J&S or similar place if I can find one closer to get all the gear, then see about getting a bike, think its best if I go for a 125 at least until I get bored just for the extra experience. Can always resell it so it shouldn't hurt too much.
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MCW
World Chat Champion



Joined: 20 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 15:56 - 03 May 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote
Johnnyseven wrote:
Thought I'd update this in case anybody cares, just got home from passing my CBT, first ever time on a motorcycle and loved it! Ended up getting one to one tuition after my fellow trainee gloriously wheelied through a hedge whilst learning the clutch and ended up calling it a day.

Only things I had problems with were sometimes taking corners too wide and I kept forgetting to cancel indicators/trying and failing to cancel indicators. The instructors were great too!

Plan on going to J&S or similar place if I can find one closer to get all the gear, then see about getting a bike, think its best if I go for a 125 at least until I get bored just for the extra experience. Can always resell it so it shouldn't hurt too much.


Hurrah! And well done. Smile Enjoy.
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writernick
Nova Slayer



Joined: 06 Nov 2012
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PostPosted: 20:15 - 03 May 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote
Did you do your CBT with 2WT in Barnsley? Good lads there.
Well done on taking your first steps/ride.
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Dave70
World Chat Champion



Joined: 21 Jan 2012
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PostPosted: 21:36 - 03 May 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats Thumbs Up

A sensible decision to spend a bit of time on a 125 until you get the hang of things.Your starting out at a great time of year too. By that, I mean lighter mornings, which I found were a good time to go out and get some practice in, as the roads are quiet.

When I started out, I had no road experience at all ( don't drive) and being on the road with other vehicles behind me used to send me in to a bit of a panic. So I used to get up and go out at the crack of dawn, which was brilliant, as I'd rarely come across another vehicle.

Good luck on finding a bike and hopefully, you may get some gear on sale if you shop around. Look online too for deals or if the place you buy your bike from sell clothing, haggle them for a discount and/or some freebies thrown in. Thumbs Up
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