Wanna learn to ride a bike

[UKMuFFiN]

Hey, for a while now ive been thinking about learning to ride and then obviously getting a motorbike. I have'nt the first clue about motorbikes so just been googleing and found out that if you're under 21 (im 19, 21 in dec 2007) you can only ride a certain category - A = upto 125cc.

Anyone over 21 can do a Direct Access Scheme

Either way you have to do the theory test and CBT. My question to you guys is; is it worth learning now etc or waiting till im 21?

and any good links for training centres and such (im in south wales area)

cheers.

[dave87]

Go for it now, I did and I can't say I've looked back. I did my cbt, bought a bike, then rode around for 4 months, then did the test that allows under 21s to ride up to 33bhp bikes. Im currently riding a Honda Varadero - quite a capable bike, and much more comfortable than the cbr

TBH, my advice would be to do the CBT anyway and see if you like it - they last for 2 years so you dont lose much by doing it now. Then look at your options again

[Michael]

Of course it's worth it; Would you rather wait until you are 21, take the test, buy a bike with 600cc or more and then kill yourself due to lack of experience... or spend the next couple of years with a nice means of transportation and gain experience, not to mention NCD.

I just bought my first bike on Saturday, pick it up on Tuesday. £1700 for the bike, £600 for insurance. Aprillia RS125.

Same year / colour scheme as this one:



The 2006 model is loovveeelllyyy..... bit too expensive for me though:

[UKMuFFiN]

What sort of cost am i looking at then for learning, theory test, CBT etc. Is insurance for bikes typically the same or more expensive than cars?

Cheers.

P.S. They look schweet ^

[dave87]

Apparently, new drivers need 40-45hours of lessons on average before they pass. So working that out at say £23/hour that would be between £920-1035 excluding any test fees, whereas I did the entire course (upto 33bhp) for £400, with my cbt free, and the £25 for the theory test.
On a motorbike you will also likely pay less on insurance than a comparable value car, especially if you take tpft cover for the first couple of years

[UKMuFFiN]

£23/hour!?! Woah. Was only £17/hr or 10 lessons for £150 when i learned to drive a car.

How did you get it so cheap?

[dave87]

Originally Posted by UKMuFFiN

£23/hour!?! Woah. Was only £17/hr or 10 lessons for £150 when i learned to drive a car.

£23/hour is the average for the SouthEast, though I only pay £20/hour for driving lessons, and at most, will probably need 25 hours worth, cause I already ride a bike

How did you get it so cheap?

You mean the bike training? - was a special offer with ProBike training, basically if you signed up to do the full course then you got your CBT free. Then I used my own bike, so I got 10 back each day - and one of the days they even paid my fuel

While I was at it I took out their insurance thingy - if I didn't pass first time then I would get 3 more free tests and infinite free tuition, and if I passed first time I got £100 of the £150 it cost back I passed first time with 4 minors

[Michael]

I managed to get my dealer to throw in my CBT for free with the bike. Already had 20 odd hours driving lessons so I have road sense, don't really need to do a full bike test just yet, so wouldn't bother factoring that in straight away.

[dave87]

Originally Posted by Michael

don't really need to do a full bike test just yet, so wouldn't bother factoring that in straight away.

Nope, I didn't and it was probably a good thing - the intensive courses either rush you to develop control over the bike, or spend so much time learning that then you get little time spent preparing for the test. I did mine after about 4 months on the road, though I have friends that never bothered doing it, and once their CBT lapsed bought a car

However, if you don't do the test you are restricted to a 125, if you do, then you can ride anything up to 33bhp - 250 or 400, even a 600 single restricted (BMW 650GS comes in here)

[Rave]

It's slightly more expensive to pass your test on a direct access bike I think, presumably because the training centre's bikes cost more and you might need a bit more training to get used to them. Personally I rode a moped for a year and a half from the age of 16 then did a 1 1/2 day intensive course on a 125 when I was 17. That was enough for me to pass my test.

If you bought a 125 and did your CBT now, you could ride it around until dec 2007, then you'd still have 5-6 months to pass your direct access test before your provisional licence expired. Alternatively you could pass your test now and wait out the two years on a 33bhp bike. If you're only going to be riding around town a 15bhp 125 would probably do you fine, but if you want to venture onto faster roads then a 33bhp bike will be quite a lot more pleasant to ride. There's nothing (other than the cost) stopping you doing a 125 test now and a direct access test to upgrade your licence when you turn 21.

[ekundo]

i think i read somewhere about the EU goons adding in new restrictions, cant remember exactly what they were but i'll try look it up, it was something nasty like an extra 2 or 3 years restricted after the 33bhp stage and no direct acess till after you're 24.

i'd reccomend doing it sometime soon

£600 for insurance

thats the cost of my current bike, insurance and a tank of fuel but then again, its an '81 superdream

[dave87]

Originally Posted by ekundo

i think i read somewhere about the EU goons adding in new restrictions, cant remember exactly what they were but i'll try look it up, it was something nasty like an extra 2 or 3 years restricted after the 33bhp stage and no direct acess till after you're 24.

Indeed you did - and it breaks down to this

17 - 15bhp max
19 - 33bhp max
21 - cant remember the figure, but it was probably something like 60
24 - unrestricted

But This wont come into force until 2012, by which time I will be 25 anyhow (though I will be riding faster bikes way before I'm 21, due to having done my test - 2 years down the line the restriction is removed - 9 months down 15 to go....(which incedentally, the start of my second year @ uni)

[ekundo]

yeah, that sounds like it, didnt realise it was 2012. my 2years are up on the 11th of august.

CANNOT wait

[loki]

I'm thinking of getting a bike myself but i'm much older than you lot. 23 here so i would be able to get a higher engine capacity i believe. I really need to read up on the specifics.

[dave87]

Originally Posted by loki

I'm thinking of getting a bike myself but i'm much older than you lot. 23 here so i would be able to get a higher engine capacity i believe. I really need to read up on the specifics.

Yup, you can to DAS course - direct access - which you do your CBT on a 125 like everyone, then you go onto 500's (usually kawasaki er-5s) for your training and test. Not a lot harder, the only thing that is slightly more difficult is the u-turn, because you are on heavier bikes (though some find it easier )

Originally Posted by ekundo

yeah, that sounds like it, didnt realise it was 2012. my 2years are up on the 11th of august.

CANNOT wait

nice one. What you riding atm, and what are you planning to get when your restriction is up?

[UKMuFFiN]

wheres the best place to look for bikes? I've tried autotrader.co.uk but there didn't seem to have much on there...