Madenness
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 23 Nov 2015
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Rogerborg
nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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 Posted: 14:56 - 23 Nov 2015  Post subject: Re: A complete newbie |
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| Madenness wrote: | Do I not need to do a Theory at all (I have been driving my car for 5+years) |
You do not need a theory to ride a 125 on L plates.
You will need to do a motorcycle theory (it's essentially the same as the car one with a few bike questions) before sitting any actual tests to get a non-provisionaL license.
| Madenness wrote: | Should I take lessons before a CBT, like you do with a car? |
No. It's Compulsory Basic Training. If you've had a wobble round a car park and enjoyed it then you're already better prepared than you need to be.
| Madenness wrote: | How can a bike 7+ years old only do so little? |
A lot of bikes only get used in summer, or for short commutes, and many owners have other vehicles.
My commute is 25 miles * 4.5-ish days a week * 48 weeks a year = 5400 miles. That's split across two bikes and a car.
| Madenness wrote: | How often do you service a bike and how much are the costs? |
A 125 will want an 1 litre oil change every 1000 miles. Any cheap generic 10W40 oil will do. Tyres will cost you about as much as a car (same ballpark price, half the tyres, twice as often). You'll go though brake pads faster, and chain/sprocket sets every 10,000 - 20,000 miles or so, but on a 125 they're not expensive.
Expect to see about 100mpg out of a 125.
XT125 is fine, go as low mileage as you can because regular maintenance doesn't magically reverse wear and tear.
Sable on here got (IIRC) 44,000 miles out of a Sinnis Trackstar import before ripping the sump off on a mini roundabout, so don't completely dismiss them.
However, once you're bitten by the bug then you'll want to get licensed up and onto bigger bikes ASAP. Even a 250 offers a lot more usable open-road performance than a 125.
Enjoy, it's ace.
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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 |
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Val
World Chat Champion
Joined: 03 Nov 2012
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