getting a bike license

[85rob]

hello every one , im rob and im 19

Ive always been interested in bikes and would love to get a full license but im unsure as to do my cbt and A2? (33bhp) now or wait untill im 21 (yr n half) and do the direct access. i dunno about waiting times but id be looking to the a2 test in the autum giving me the summer months to get used to two wheels. ive also read on this site that the tests will be getting harder and adding an off road part to it which is pushing me towards the A2.

what would you lot do in my position

also does 2K sound right to get, insure a 125 and do the tests?

ps the spell checker is great every forum should have one

[trevoriv]

I was in the same situation as you 2 years ago but now im 21 so im going direct access

For £2k you could do your cbt (for around <£100 presuming you have a provisional license already) and get an nsr125 or something similar with insurance with the remaining £1900 and ride that around on L plates until you turn 21 then do your Direct licence which shouldnt be a problem as you would have had 18 months riding experience on your 125 bike.

However if your worried about the test getting harder or getting bored with a 125cc bike then you could do your a2 and get a bigger bike restricted to 33hp. The problem with this approach is that with £2k as your budget your gonna struggle to get a nice bike methinks especially when you factor in the cost of your cbt, lessons, A2 test, a bigger bike and the restrictor plus bigger bike generally equals more insurance

To be honest i really wish i had bought a nsr125 when i was 19 as by now i would have had 2 years road experience albeit on a small bike on L.

[michaelryland]

If you can manage to borrow a friends 125 then you can practice on that, then take a 125 test and then you can go straight to a 33bhp bike. Which I recon is the best way to do it. You can get the same amount of time on a bike but it will be faster.

Then you can restrict any medium sized bike down and ride that. Just don't restrict a big bike, because it is the same power with a lot more of the weight, this has got to slow it down a lot, some people on another topic are talking about a restricting a 660, which I think would really be to big.

Just don't wait untill your 21 because then it would be a waste of a year and a half, also it would be so much harder just to go straight on a big bike. Rather than go up though the different sized and powered bikes.

[JonB]

[0ni]

Or you could get a big bike and not restrict it?
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Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.

[Villers]

I started when I was 21, the first thing I will say is DONT TALK ABOUT IT JUST GO DO IT!!!! It will be the best thing you ever did!

At 21 it cost me 100 notes for a cbt, I paid 2200 for an RS125 (it was an absolute minter though) and about 300 to insure it.

A test will be expensive if you want to go for the 33bhp. My DAS cost around £400.

Good luck and keep us updated!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[michaelryland]

It is going to fell like a rocket when it is derestrict it.

Its just its got to be heavier than a smaller bike with the same power.
suppose it is cheaper than getting a smaller bike then a bigger bike though.

[tatters]

[0ni]

[Harold_Shand]

If you have a knock, the Insurance companies engineers DO check for restrictor if you have an A2 license. They will get out of paying if they can. I think I must be one of the small minority of wimps who would worry about not getting a payout if I lost my legs.

[jamie192]

tbh the 33 bhp restrictor is just like the riding a 50 restricted, very few do it, very few get caught, only difference is there is alot more change on a 50 because if a copper sees you doing 60 mph on flat they know its not restricted, second how slow would a 33 bhp 400 go, like what 100 odd mph, if ur doing that ur guna get done for speeding nothing else, i ride with a 70 kit on my bike, when i get my 400 i plan to ride with no restrictors on it, you get caught just move out the country
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Ride Fast, Brake hard, don't fall off!

[Ste]

[stevo as b4]

I would certainely go and pass your test, but how you do it depends on your situation, what/when you need the bike for, and your budget.
I waited until 21 to start riding on the road, and i went straight for a DAS test. It was great fun and i passed first time. But it was late october, so i thought there was not much point buying a bike until spring, (big mistake!) The insurance costs have risen quite quickly over the last 5yrs, and when i found myself looking for a bike, an SV650 and CB500S, were on the shortlist, i found that insurance on a new bike was much more than id expected. I was qouted over £1450 for a CB500 and £1800 for an SV!
I decided that i couldnt afford that, so i ended up buying a KMX200, which i could insure, but it would have fitted into the 33bhp class, so really i could have just done the test on a 125 instead i spose, and waited for the restriction period to pass.

[jimster]

If you've got 18 months to go until you can do the DAS, there's only one sensible option as far as I'm concerned:

Do your 125cc test. This will be dirt cheap and if you buy a 125 you'll be able to go straight on the roads on your own after doing the CBT.

A 125 will also be cheaper to insure, cheap to run + fill with petrol, and you'll have loads of fun and be more experienced when you're ready to move to something bigger.

If you drop the bike, it'll be cheap to repair and you won't be so hacked off. Insurance will be affordable and you get dirt cheap road tax.

I don't think people should underestimate how fun it is riding a 125, round town they're more than fast enough, nice and light, easy to steer, and you really get to rev them hard if you're going above 50, which I don't think you can do on a much bigger bike unless you're aiming for the land speed record.

If you want to go long distance they're not ideal, most will do 65, or more if you get a derestricted 2-stroker and don't mind the reliability issues.

Then in 2 years you can get whatever bike you like!
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Current: Yamaha Diversion XJ900
Previous: Yamaha Diversion 600cc, Piaggio Zip 50cc, Honda CG125-W, Siamoto Caddy 50cc moped

[JodieWodie]

Do your CBT, do your A2 test, buy a 500 or such, get it restricted..(will still do 90... better than a 125)..
in 2 years time get the 500 de-restricted...live with the power of that for 6 months, buy a 750 or similar and fly off into the sunset !!

Trust me..you need to pass your A2 test now,.. as someone said DON'T TALK ABOUT IT - DO IT !!!
Just get those lessons in.
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Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow"