Noobie

[bikernoobie]

Hello all,

I am currently 16 but am looking to start riding at 17 due to not being able to afford a car. (If I can find one) I think I will be going with the cbf as I cannot afford a yzf or rs125 and being 6"1 I believe a cbr will be too small, not gone for a ybr either as I have heard that the cbf does slightly better mpg and has a more comfortable riding position.

I was wondering is it worth sticking on a cbt until 19 or passing my test as soon as? I will most probably keep riding a 125 for a bit though as it will make sense as a uni bike

[Az]

Benefits of getting your A1 license at 17:
-You're more likely to get out of that 2 year 6point probation period without any points on a 125, it'll be a lot easier to get 6points on a bigger bike or car.
-No L plates, riders with L plates seem to be treated like retards on the road by car drivers.
-Gives you an idea of what to expect if you end up doing your A2 license when you're 19.
-You can give people lifts on your bike and use the motorway legally (although I wouldn't advice u do either on most 125's).


Negatives of getting your A1 license:
-Cost, an A1 course may cost you around £600 where as your CBT is only £100-120
-You end up riding the same bike regardless of if you do your A1 or just your CBT alone.

Personally, I'd do my CBT first, ride around for a few months, get some advice from BCF, watch Youtube vid's and do my A1 tests without training (£131 for tests and theory) if I had the spare cash.

I'd pick a YBR over the CBF. They'll have the same mpg, have the same riding position and you won't suffer from any rust or any potential fuel pump issues like the CBF's do. YBR's tend to have the better finish and can be picked up for under a grand and will do exactly what you want from a 125 (besides look good).

Edit:
I'd completely discard the YZF125R, it's a waste of money and you pay extra $ for the looks, it's not that much faster than a CBF around town.

An RS125 will most likely benefit from a top end rebuild as soon as you get it, I wouldn't recommend getting one or even considering one unless you know how to ride a 2 stroke properly and can do top end rebuilds yourself.

[pinkyfloyd]

I'd do my CBT 1 week after you turn 17. Then within those 2 years get your theory test done and have DAS on an A2 bike booked for the space between turning 19 and the CBT expires. Spend 2 years bumming around on the CBT.
____________________
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.

[bikernoobie]

[Teflon-Mike]

You don't have to take any training to self book the tests on your own 125 for A1.

Mod 1 is £15.50 I think, Mod 2 £75; that's £90.50 if you pass both first time; and the ONE advantage Az didn't mention, is its effectively a 'perpetual CBT'; you never have to pay for a repeat to keep L-Plate entitlement; you have full licence and all that brings.

Easy to get your first CBT, planning on not taking tests until... and then something changes plans, and CBT lapses, and you haven't got a licence; so you start over from scratch doing another CBT, and you go so far, and you dont have money so drag it out,or something else happens, and so it goes on, and repeating CBT becomes a habbit, an expedience letting you carry on biking without actually getting up and getting what you want.

If you set a goal, worst that can happen is you don't achieve it; not setting it, you will NEVER achieve it. You have two years you cant do much, but you CAN do A1, so to my mind it makes sense to spend that time at least TRYING to get your A1.

Its better than doing nowt. And as Az has pointed out, there ARE advantages, like getting countdown on New Driver Probation started early.

Not so sure about loosing the L-Plates being a positive advantage in how drivers see you..... At least they fucking SEE the L-Plate to treat you different! But, yeah, riding same bike with and without L's quite regularly, if they DO look, they tend to give you a bit more respect; where if they see an L-Plate its a bit of a red-rag to a bull, and many just HAVE to bully past so you don't hold them up, even if you are actually breaking the speed limit yourself!

But, main 'joy' of passing tests, is just that... feeling of success! The achievement, and validation of not being just some kiddie-come-lately on an L-Plate.

And confidence it brings. You have made the grade and earned your road room; bloke with the clip-board has given you a piece of paper to tell you you are a competent rider, not a complete idiot.

And YES, the A1 tests are EXACTLY the same tests as for A2 or A3, the only difference to those test schemes is you ride a bigger bike.

The Mod 1 course is the same size, shape and same exercises; Mod 2 route the same roads, the expectations and requirements identical; its JUST doing it on a different capacity machine.

So, final benefit; if you pass A1 on your own 125... you are onto a flyer if you then want to upgrade.

- You ought need less training to do either an A2 or A3 course; as you have confidence gained you can already pass the tests.
- You know the ropes; so turning up at test, you should be less nervous, have all the right paperwork, etc etc etc. Its just a formality re-doing what you already done.
- Either is just an 'upgrade' to licence entitlement; A1 will have secured your Theory/Hazard pass and as said, no need for a CBT, so you wont have to worry about how long is left on either cert, or have to hold fire to get certs before you start training for A+ tests.

Last thought on training:

Lessons is for life... not just for licences

I always reckoned that every hour of training, learning to do it right, right at the start, was worth a day, a year down the line.

Mainly because, having been riding a year, you become less responsive to being taught, and habits become engrained and harder to break.

Meanwhile; value of training is hard to see, other than in licence you get; BUT, you don't count crashes you don't have, and when you first set out, THAT is when you are most likely to make mistakes and do most of your falling off.

So, if you follow CBT with the odd lesson on your own 125, its good learning, and unlike an A2/A3 course where to be on the A2/A3 bike you have to have an instructor watching you, and be paying them for their time to watch you wobble; you can go away, practice to your hearts content for price of petrol on bike you already have.

Gets you into good habits straight away, and just ONE nugget of learning you pick up from lessons, COULD be the one nugget that saves.. if not your life, at least a whole lot of pain hassle and money in repairs.

Two years is a long time on a motorbike; a lot of riders only ride regularly for a couple of years; then they get a car as every day transport, and if they come back to bikes, often not as every day transport but as a leisure pursuit.

Its somewhat ironic, then, that so many quite often put them selves at most risk, riding the most often, doing the most miles, in all weathers, when they would get the most benefit from a bit of learning; then when they DO go get some, its to get a licence under DAS... just to go ride a few miles a year on Sunny Sundays, not battling half awake commuters in cars!

So if you can afford it, training is GOOD!

Lessons is for life... not just for licences

And if you can massage some money for lessons out of your budget, its a good place to put some spend; you'll get more value from a lesson that saves a crash, than you will from a crash-hat that 'might' save you a little hurt when you do have one.

While if you think you are likely to go for A2 training when you are old enough, IS worth thinking about pulling that forward, and getting it early, so you can get benefit from it straight away... I mean, you wouldn't wait until you had got a bike up to 60 before you put your crash-hat on, so leave it until you want to take tests to get the training in?

So, end of the day your call; BUT, Do your CBT, get your bike and gear sorted, but give some thought to further training, and have a crack at getting your A1; even if you FAIL you will learn something, and its a darn site cheaper failing A1 tests on your own bike, than failing A2 or A3 when you are paying for a school bike to do it. So you really don't have a lot to loose at least trying for it; and while rewards may be marginal, they are there, and they are helpful. IMO at least.
____________________
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?'

[Az]

[dydey90]

One thing that you could get out of the way is your theory test. If you get the A1 entitlement then you won't have to do it again if you get an A2 or A license in future.

And there's the fact that your average arsehole in a BMW will see your 'L' plate and automatically think "I HAVE TO OVERTAKE HIM, HE MUST BE GOING SLOWER THAN ME"
____________________
This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[Baffler186]

If your heart is set on the CBF (looks wise) don't let the fuel pump issue worry you that much. if it does need replacing (and mine didn't) a new one is IIRC £90, and you could fit it yourself in 20 minutes.

As for licenses - all good advice has been given, just up to you to decide what's best for you. Personally I always felt like a student with L plates on, even though I was 32, so passing my tests, like Teflon Mike says, is a real sense of achievement.
____________________
Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[bikernoobie]

Thanks all, I think the most likely course of action would be getting the cbt and sitting on that for a few months before attempting the A1 either without lessons or with a few depending on my finances

[Rogerborg]

Sensible chap, you'll do well.

I'd suggest:

Turn 17
Do your CBT and insist on it being on a geared 125, otherwise you might as well have done it on a moped at 16.
Get a 125. If you want big, try and find a decent Varadero 125 in budget. However, keep an open mind and don't pass up any Japanese branded 125 in good condition at a bargain price.
Book and pass your theory test while getting some riding experience.
Have a look at the module 1 videos on YouTube. Book your module 1 test yourself. It's only £15.50, you might as well have a go.
If you pass, consider booking module 2 yourself. That's £75, so is a bigger gamble. However, if you pass, you've then got yourself a motorcycle license. Yes, it's A1, but that means no more CBTs, no more theory tests, no more L plates (until you do A2 and then A tests), and the clock starts running on your 2 year "new driver" probation. It's in the bank and you'll know that you can do it again at 19 and then 21.

The licensing regime looks burdensome, and it is, but that's the game as it stands. Winners win, losers complain about the rules.
____________________
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

[bikernoobie]

Another noobie question,

I think I get the basic theory of cornering, brake before, push the handle bars but don't hold any of your weight on them and smooth throttle roll on through the corner, but what happens if you misjudge the radius and come in too fast? Do you use the front brake, rear brake, both?

[sidewinder]

[sidewinder]

[Ayrton]

I owned a cbr125 and i'm over 6ft. Found it pretty comfortable unless i was sat on it for more than 2 hours, but the only time that happened was when i got lost . I suggest you find a dealer and sit on one before you remove it from your list, a few friends who where my height and taller liked it, while some didnt.
As for the ybr, my brother had one and they are pretty robust. It will do around the same mpg as a cbf and most other 125's

[Teflon-Mike]