DAS the right choice

[onlyJaz]

I have been on a CBT for almost 7 months and have quite enjoyed my experience in riding for the most part, nothing that has scared me away yet.

I am now thinking to just get the full license and move up to a 400-600cc (not yet decided on bike) as the 125cc just isn't doing it for me. I'm not a speed freak but I would like something that feels more solid, is able to hold 70 comfortably and has a decent 0-60 but more on that after my test!

Which DAS providers would you guys recommend in the North/East of London? I went to A2Z riders for my CBT who seemed okay (nothing to compare them to tbh).

What's a reasonable price to pay?

Since I'm here, maybe a silly question, but do you recommend I just book my theory now while I'm doing research on DAS providers, since it lasts for 2 years?

Thanks
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Yamaha YBR 125

[linuxyeti]

Yes, get your theory out of the way, then concentrate on getting your mod 1 & 2 done, before your cbt runs out, for no other reason other than it'll be a waste of money if you let it lapse, and have to redo it before your mod 1 & 2 tests, whichever method you choose to do it, be it DAS or on your own
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Beware what photos you upload, or link to on here, especially if you have family members on them

[bamt]

If you are aiming for DAS this year, then get the theory booked. It can take a while to get a slot, depending upon where you are etc., so best not to have that holding you up.

[NJD]

Theory test is a game and I applied no logic and after being shown the "correct" answer once I then henceforth memorised it and when it got to test day the questions, some at least, where almost like for like. I got the DVD from the DVSA website, something like twenty quid at the time IIRC?

I paid around £800-850 all in for my A2 with one re-test for a module included in that so could haven about £150-170 cheaper approx should I have passed first time.

Spread the cost out and do one module at a time. Being confident and being able to pass are two different things.

Any company you go with go with from the start as I tried to switch halfway to fast track and they wanted me to start all over again, balls to that. Most places are going to want 3-4 days out of you or thereabouts to prove your worth on the more powerful bike.

Waiting times are forever and a year and for me it was a pain juggling a work schedule with the schools. "Oh we don't do tests on those days. Oh we don't do this on that day. So on and so forth." So look forward to that.

Oh how I enjoy I'll have all this go through, at some point, again.
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The do it all, T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶,̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶l̶u̶m̶p̶,̶ ̶C̶h̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶o̶o̶d̶l̶e̶

[Rogerborg]

Yup, book your theory now.

Then consider booking module 1 A1 ("light bike") yourself and doing it on your own 125. It's the cheapest practice you'll get (£15.50), and if you can do it on a 125, you can do it on a 600.

You will have to do it again on an 'A' test bike via a training school, but having done it yourself you should be able to work through any test nerves and discover that there's nothing particularly complicated about it.
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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

[Teflon-Mike]

You need Theory/Hazard, + Mod 1 + Mod 2 for any licence.

Actual 'tests' are all the same, regardless of what licence entitlement you are booking for; just Mod 1 & mod 2 have to be done on bigger cc bikes for higher licences.

You may as well go get the Theory/Hazard nailed before you start, many schools, wont let yo start training without is, as they cant put you in for 'block-booked' tests (through the school) without.

With that in your pocket; as you have a 125, you may as well milk it for all it's worth and go self book and take the Mod 1, at the very least on it; as Rog suggests, it's cheaper than a DAS lesson to learn the ropes of the cone course, even though you cant use an A! Mod 1 towards and A2 or RWYL A licence.....

On which basis I would suggest, you take it all the way A1, and finish the job, taking A1 Mod2, for the A1-125'only' licence..... Benefits, are small, but they are there; if first full licence starts the clock on the NDA probation, you can use motorways, carry pillions, ride abroad and ditch the wretched L-Plates, and NEVER have to repeat a CBT to continue tiddling.....

And it's a useful stepping stone to higher licences; first up you turn up for a DAS course with a full bike licence in your pocket, you aren't an absolute beginner, thy need waste too much expensive training time teaching you to suck eggs over, or worrying about test-nerves; you been there, done that and know the ropes; all you should have to do, is spend a bit of time getting comfy ad familiar with bigger heavier bike, and go re-do what you did on the light-weight. As such should seriously improve your chances of getting the higher-licence for a shorter course, and able to milk that more scant training for more useful 'learning' rather than just 'practice' and test-tips.

Biggest bonus, though, should be psychological; it's not a huge leap into the unknown, you have bee there, done that, just on a littler bike, it IS known. Meanwhile, you have a full-licence in your pocket; you don't 'have' to pass to keep riding; and you haven't got any other pressure that your CBT may lapse and need repeating, or that your theory will drop out of date, etc.

Failing DAS can get very expensive, very quckly; using schools to provide the bike to do tests on at £250 a day or so, and depending on school courses/price schemes, where not being 'put forward' for tests if the instructor doesn't think you have made muster in the 3-says or whatever, or they dont offer 1/2 day 'test' sessions, just full day or even 3-day courses, demanding you book a whole new course, if you dont make thier mark to be put forward or dont pass if you were; costs can get pretty big, pretty quick, A-N-D, any certs you are relying on on the mean-time, lapsing away in the back-ground btween times, and quickly if you have to wait a month or so to save up for 'further training' or 'repeat' tests.

On that basis, finishing the job, and gatting your A1 on your own bike, for repeat CBT money and probably half repeat CBT time! You are quids in and well ahead of the game on the cost/risk/benefits ratio... For the sake of taking that 'small' effort to get the A1, self booked, on your own bike, before 'doing DAS'.

Best laid plans of mice and all that; 'life' has a habit of chucking googlies at us; and there are plenty of potential trip-ups along the way to a full licence, which can screw the plan; Most likely are finding the time to be able to take 3-days or a full week 'out' to go do a course, as well as finding the relatively big-cash upfront to pay for it. If all goes to, then great, but, one small stall tends to lead to another, and another and small set-back can quickly become a major impediment.

If you have got the bike; and have got the inclination; doing A1, self booked, relatively for pennies, and not a lot of time, certainly more easily 'found' time; a couple of hours that can be begged off the boss, r massaged in and around other stuff, rather than half or a full week of 'holiday time', makes it easy and do-able; to nail down that 'once and forever' CBT and give yourself a clear, and better hot at a higher licence, and without the pressure so much is riding on it, has got to be worth more than passing thought.

Theory/Hazard, is probably the more major concern here and now; not just because you need it regardless, but it is rather random; they have bunged so much non road crud like how many chest compression you should give a heart attack victim! Or PC Indoctrination, with things like 'why' a tram is better for the environment than a rhinoceros; there's a shed load ore in t now you ether 'know' or you don't, that you cant 'blag' on common cocum, whilst the 'Haz-Pep' is a computer-game, that bears about as much comparison to reality as Grand-Theft-Auto, ad you ca 'win' or yo cat, depending o how much practice yo have had on the play-station!

Mod 1? It's a CBT cone exercise 'under pressure'! Listen to the examiner, follow his instructions, and don't stress it; it's not moto-gym-khana! And you are most likely to muff it from over thinking it! IF you can walk ad chew gum at the same time without bumpng into lap-posts, shouldn't bee too big a deal!

Mod 2? Its what you probably do every day! If you're not in traction or dead, and after half a year's road riding, your bike's still rideable; shouldn't be a big deal! ALL they want to see s you ride from one side of town't'other, without, a) falling off b) killing any-one c) Breaking too many road laws, (like speed limits!) d) causing hazard to other navigation. Ie: its pretty much what you likely do every day! And you are more likely to fail the ruddy thing trying to do 'something' different on test to please the man with a clip-board, than for not being a good enough rider!

To my mind, the Mod 2 is the 'easiest' of the three parts to the test; so if you follow advice you have to get the Theory/Haz before you start, that an A1 Mod1 is useful pre-traning for the few quid t costs, you MAY as well fiish the ob, for the hour it takes and the £80 it costs, and get the licence nailed down and changed colour, for it all; and give yourself that spring-board before 'Doing DAS'.

Meanwhile, you have at least two visits to the local DSA motorcycle test center.... get there early... there will likely be two or three instructors hanging around outside having a fag, (getting paid!) to wait around whilst their candidate sits in the waiting room and wobbles round the block with clip-board whallah!

Go talk to some of them.... ask them for a leaflet! They likely have a few in their pocket or on the bike! And good chance, that stood around, they'll be far ore amenable to 'chat' than if you caught them on the 'phone or in the office to ask prices, and bookings, and be far more likely to give you useful intel, hints and tips, and the 'sense' whether they would be the better to go with, than talking to some-one on the phone!

Crikey!! You don't EVEN have to have a test booked to turn up and find where they are hanging around and have a chat! Tripple whammy! a) you get to know where the test center is and how to get there b) you get to do your bike school research 'face to face' c) you can watch some other newbies wobbling around the cones, through the chain link, AND likely listen to the commentary on t from the instructors watching their candidate!

Waiting room will probably be full of leaflets if you stick your head round the door, too, and you MIGHT even catch an examiner on his break having a fag with the instructors to get his 4-penneth on the topic...Its a old fashioned notion, getting out nto the real world, to do 'research', but it often adds a dimension you'll never get from a flat panel display!
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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?'

[NJD]

Oh jesus christ.

<faints>
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The do it all, T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶,̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶l̶u̶m̶p̶,̶ ̶C̶h̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶o̶o̶d̶l̶e̶

[M.C]

Yes do your theory, Camrider are highly recommended. I was going to go with them but a pal (who I was doing the course with) didn't like the 'session' format. Getting it done in 3 days (at a different school) was good but I was shattered by the end of it, I doubt I would have been able to handle a 4-5 day course.

[onlyJaz]

Thanks guys, really appreciate all of your responses. I might do as a couple of you suggested and get the theory and Mod 1 on my 125cc done since it's only £15 odd.

[onlyJaz]

[Pjay]

1 Stop Instruction and SN Motorcycle Training are in the area you mentioned and I can personally vouch for both. Good prices and great instructors at both places.
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struan80 - I'll go first - satisfied tick 1

[Teflon-Mike]

[Rogerborg]

[Pjay]

Jesus Christ Tef, that's put me off Motorbicycling.
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struan80 - I'll go first - satisfied tick 1

[M.C]

A double teffing

[angryjonny]

[M.C]

[angryjonny]

[M.C]

[Cronik]

A sturdy teffing indeed.
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*A Vacuous Vacancy*

[TbirdX]

I did my CBT in Feb last year, thought I'd see how I went before going all full test.

I'm thinking I might do the full test this summer (if we get one) so did my theory a few weeks back, got a few things on the go so once the dust has settled I'll be looking at a camrider 4 session deal thing I think.
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VFR800X - TTR250

[Bikesortrikes]

Teflon-Mike dropping some serious knowledge. Take that to heart because thats years of experience right there. Good stuff

[NJD]

[Rogerborg]

[onlyJaz]