Sell the Car & buy a BIKE??

[arry]

I have a mate that did exactly that - he was in his late 50's when he started and went off to do the BMW Rookie to Rider thing and ended up buying a brand new 1200GS (well, buying it.... leasing it). His experience of it was really good although it was far more expensive than a local riding school which he's now associated with (he's since gone on to be Advanced Rider and does a lot of observed rides).

BTW he canned off the GS after 2 years - partly because PCP mileage restrictions meant he wasn't using it as much as he wanted, and much more partly because he tried a Tiger Explorer 1200 and said it was a much better bike.

He's since gone onto the KTM 1290 Adventure and says he'll never part with it.

[Mountain_Man86]

[arry]

It certainly wouldn't be a bad first bike. A lot of us had to put up with a lot worse than that.

7 days is a lot more training than you'll get on a 'standard' DAS course - I did mine, before the MOD1/2 changes (so just one practical test) with CBT one day, 2 days on 125's then 1 and a half days on a 500 having the test on the afternoon of the second day.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

I test rode a F800 something or other on a BMW demo day out of Squires cafe about three years ago. My god that bike was horrible - in every single way. Gutless, vibey, heavy - but worst of all, eye wateringly uncomfortable. Arse-wise it was torture - and I'll ride pretty much anything for several hours at a time, including planks like a KLX250 and a CRM250. Seriously - my old '90s cb500 was a better bike in every way, apart from the fact that it didn't have the ground clearance of the BMW (but when would that ever be a concern for 99% of riders).
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Bhud]

[A100man]

All I'm hearing here is

'I'm going to buy a BMW - tell me it's a good idea..'

Get some miles under your belt. This time of year is ideal cos it's horrible out there. If you're still up for it come spring/summer get your beemer.
but please try out some others first

The 'subsidised' course thing sound like a con.
____________________
Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600

[A100man]

[Mountain_Man86]

[wr6133]

The Beemer school is a con because it's designed to make you join the rest of the 4000 mile a year rental, Charlie McEwans wobbling along to a coffee shop after buying some stickers to put on their empty giant panniers. If that's what you want cool, go for it, just stop looking for validation you'll find that on a BMW forum along with great advice on how to apply fake mud, the knobbliest looking tyres with 0 off road ability and the corrrect order to stick the stickers on your panniers.

If you have actual real money the best way to go about your first bike is go get your licence at a normal price from a normal school. Once you have that go buy a bike that fits your budget and requirements, or as close to them as you can afford. Then ride this bike that you actually own, gain experience, don't worry about PCP mileage limits, don't worry about dropping it, don't worry about taking it off road and dinging it in a way that kills its final value on the PCP, basically abuse it and learn from it in a way a first bike should be abused and learned from. After getting some time served on this bike, sell it and approach the market with a clear idea of what you like, what you don't like, what fits your riding and what kind of mileages you will cover.

[A100man]

[Mountain_Man86]

[Bhud]

It may sound like there's a disturbance in the force, but in reality, the chances are slim that the first big bike you buy will be the right one for you as a daily rider.

Just as an example, I have noticed that after a succession of mid-sized road bikes, I have a tendency to always put off-road handlebars on them, and often risers. I always tweak the suspension to suit me, too. These are just things I ended up doing which improved the bike for me. In the course of doing them, learning about suspension setup, turning a bike at speed and in low-speed maneuvres, filtering through traffic, etc. were all a part of a learning curve. I now know that if I were to take, say, a VFR750, or YZR600 or similar, I could set those bikes up just as I know how, and they would suit me very well indeed. I know that a supersports bike wouldn't really work for me and the sort of riding I do, although I'd find it fun. Same goes for an adventure bike (any).

The skills required to actually use a GS1200 in the manner of a factory test rider, up in the hills and mountains, are fairly advanced and impressive. It's something you can definitely pick up if you decided to take some courses and package trips in Spain. But that's not what you're planning to do, is it? You want a bike that will take you to work and back, and have some space for groceries. That bike, how good is it for filtering through traffic if you've just passed your test? Are YOU up for filtering through traffic during the rush hour on an oversized adventure bike? Are you up for checking your tyre pressures in the dark, cold and rain of the early winter morning or evening?

All of these questions will only be answered with time. At the end of the day, BMW would not offer finance packages and use the best of Harley sales tactics (and better) if such tactics didn't work. However, that won't change the fact that it's unlikely you already "know" that one of those bikes will suit you and your intended purposes right off the bat.

[Mountain_Man86]

[Mountain_Man86]

Having looked around, I am quite excited by the concept of trying out lots of different bikes. Although i'm leaning towards a BMW as a first bike, I am certainly not a BMW fan-boy. For reference, i've never owned one of their cars and don't plan to.

I'm excited to eventually try out Ducati's, Triumph's and many more as time progresses.

[wr6133]

[Brava210]

[struan80]

Biking is absolutely great. Gets the adrenaline pumping and is a good workout for your heart. It cures depression for the time your out on the bike anyway. Filtering and overtaking become a pleasure, much to the annoyance of car drivers.

Any bike will do but if your new I would recommend going straight for 1000cc sportsbike. Realise you shouldn't have bought it, then buy a tractor because everyone seems to these days.

Definitely get the bike, use your wife's car or even buy a cheap runaround as you'll need every penny you get for touring on your GS.

Hello there.

[LNF]

Life is too short to buy a bike that you don't like, of course it's even shorter if you decide to add 30 years to your age by getting a GS....

The only bit of input I'd have would be to look more closely at the BMW training school (which is all it is with a marketing name).

There was a place near me that did it when I did my licence a few years ago, so came across them at coffee stops and waiting at the test centre etc... What stood out to me that they did as part of their package, is what the school I went through and most others advise people against, which was plonking the two modules together.

So when you do your MOD 1 not only do you have the general test pressure but also the knowledge it'll hit you in the pocket if you fail as you'll lose your mod 2 fee. It obviously is no skin off their nose, and a valid way of getting it done quickly but BMW don't sell it as a cheap bare bones get your license deal it just didn't seem to balance with the dream sell of 'rookie to rider'.

[Mountain_Man86]

[Mountain_Man86]

I took my theory test today... and PASSED it

First step in the right direction..

I've now got an appointment booked with BMW Bahnstormer to enquire further about their 'rookie to rider' scheme. It might not be any good for me but you never know until you find out all the information.

One thing for certain, I will take me time and consider all my options on how best to get my license - including local riding schools.

[Keithy]

I did the BMW rider trading 7 day DAS in September. I had initially considered Rookie-to-rider but I’m too tight. You can spec a GS310 or F750 etc. but they are brand new, 2 mins on Autotrader bikes section and you realise you can save a chunk on a 2,000 mile example that’s like new, enough to pay for your course or buy your kit.

Ian, the chap who runs rider training in Royston, says that he has a lot of ‘sign me up for a 310’s who get half way through the course and change their mind. You spend 5 days on the F750 so will soon get an idea of what it is like. Just like you I thought the 750 would be my dream bike, it ain’t, I got a middleweight. It was £3.5k so much cheaper than either of the above, less worried if it gets dropped and easier to manage and gain experience on.

Get the course done - all your kit is included so you aren’t paying out for kit you will be stuck with if you don’t like it - and see how you feel after. I’m 6ft, fat and feeble with little legs so you might be happier on the 750 than me but see how it goes.

With regards to the car, keep it. Two weeks and no riding here because I really don’t fancy a 2 hour ride and 2 hours cleaning the bike after.

Let us know how you get on

[Mountain_Man86]

[Freddyfruitba...]

[oilyrag]

I really like their brand. Oh I mean bike

[Mountain_Man86]