CBT done....what next

[darich]

Hey.....
I completed my CBT at the weekend and am now in a position to buy a 125cc bike if I so wish.....obviously!!

I'm unsure if I should go for the DAS (CBT trainer said he was perfectly happy for me to move onto bigger bikes) and get my full licence.....or if I should look at a 125cc and ride it for a few months or a year then go for a restricted test on my 125cc. I know that after either I could go buy any bike and restrict it depending on the route I take.

Apart from the obvious reasons like cost, licence/bike restrictions I'd be grateful for opinions from experienced riders about what my options and why I should go for a particular method.

Incidentally, I'm not mechanically minded at all so buying an old bike to tinker with or even a non-runner isn't appealing although I do drive so the bike won't be my only transport.

Opinions welcomed.....thanks!!

[shooey]

Personally follow your instructors advice and get a little old 4 stroke 125 to practice, something like a CG 125 

[scream]

i'd go for a cheap 4 stroke cbr125r/cg125 etc...  to keep you rolling

and get straight in for the big bike test (DAS or whatever it's called nowadays)

you can always chop the 125 in for a better bigger bike when you pass 

[brfc7]

Agree with the posts above, buy yourself a 4 stroke 125, Honda CG's are indestructible  This will help build up your experience while taking DAS lessons. And if you buy at this time of year (bikes are gen cheaper now) come the summer when you pass your test you should get your money back 

baz

[Kermittheflyingbog]

Personally follow your instructors advice and get a little old 4 stroke 125 to practice, something like a CG 125 

I don't think that's what his instructor is suggesting 

I would get ya test done if you can afford it and then the worlds your oyster, you can choose from any bike and make your own informed decision 

[Biff]

IMO I think that the choice of bike will be dictated by the cost of insurance ( Unless you are the Sultan of Brunei )and how sensible you are, if you have only just passed your CBT or even your DAS, you are still a novice rider.  And as such you don't need a 160bhp superbike, go and learn the basics first as the other posts mention. 

[darich]

Thanks all......
To clarify.....my instructor did not advise me to take any particular course of action - he simply said I had handled the CG125 competently enough during my CBT to, in his opinion, use a bigger bike if I decided to go for DAS - "I'm perfectly happy for you to use the bigger bikes" were his words.

I don't have Sultan of Brunei sized poskets unfortunately but neither am I skint......I'm coming more round to the suggestions posted above - buying a cheap adn cheerful bike and getting practice. The test and lessons can wait for the time being, even until next year.

Ideally I'd like to pay just a few hundred pounds for a 125cc bike. Any more than around £700 and I'd be aswell paying the same amount and going for DAS.
I also like the cruiser style of bike eg Yamaha Dragstar or the Regal Raptor. Any opinions on either of them?

Many thanks to all for the tips!!

[Biff]

As for the bike that you get, don't get one of those Korean/Chinese/Taiwanese things, they are made of monkey-metal and will fall apart by the time you get to the end of the road. get something from one of the Big 4 (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki)

There are a number of fair decent cruiser types on the market, my brother has one of those 125 Suzuki anal Intruders, and he regularly rattles from Edinburgh to Cambridgeshire on it.

As always when buying used, take someone that has a bit of an idea, as you will only be looking through rose-tinted glasses

[The Padman]

Most instructors will not advise on a particular course of post CBT action, think standing up in court with the words, " But my instructor said! ". Speaking as an instructor out of hours I would give you the following advice, By all means purchase a 125, experience on the road accounts for a lot, and chances are you will get your money back provided you do not buy a new machine. Now for the important bit, make sure you take the DAS lessons as well! there is so m uch more you need to learn and a good school will teach you how to ride and not how to pass a bloody simple test.

Keep safe.

[darich]

Thanks to all for the advice so far.

My initial plan was to go for the DAS then get something around 600cc. Nothing like a Ninja or R6 though....I'd prefer something like the ER6-f or SV650S....bit sporty but more upright at the same time.

But having read the above posts, almost everyone is advising buying a 125 and riding that for a while before going for DAS. I can see the logic in that - extra practice on a smaller bike. However, if I buy a 125 (I like the Varadero) then it'll probably set me back around £1500......then another £600 for the DAS later on. Why not go for the DAS just now for around £600 then I can buy the 600cc bike that I'd like??

Apart from the practice I'd get on the 125cc is there any other reason why most advice is to get a smaller bike before going for DAS? I fully appreciate I'll be/I am an inexperienced rider but being on the road is far from a novelty to me  (20years driving and many years cycling).

I'm not arguing with the advice posted - I'm new to biking and genuinely interested to know why no one has advised going for the DAS straight away.

[burnmw]

I meant to post in here when I saw it last week but forgot, so I'll say my piece now

I was in a similar situation about 18months/2 years ago (I was 21 at the time), I'd always wanted to ride but never really had the inclination to do anything about it, bit of a pipe dream if I'm honest. I mentioned it to my GF's dad (Shooey), who suggested I donned a set of his spare leathers and went out on the back of his bike with him. I agreed, and off we went.

I really enjoyed myself and he said if I promised to take my test/get a bike, that he'd let me have his spare leathers cheap. I'd long passed my driving test (3 yrs) and been driving for some time, and before that I'd always ridden a push bike and would regularly go for longish rides so I had a fairly good road sense.

I weighed everything up and went and did my CBT/theory and decided it would be best to just crack on and do my DAS all at the same time, which I did. Since then I've bought a CBR600f and really enjoy riding it, and I'm definitely glad I didn't get a 125 in between as I wouldn't have had the funds to get the CBR.

So, my tuppence would be to just get on with your DAS! As I've said, my only road experience on two wheels before my CBT was on a push bike, and I managed just fine! At the end of the day, a 600 is only a heavier 125! If you don't twist the throttle wide open it'll do exactly the same speeds as a 125, but the upside is it gives much more room for future growth. At the end of the day, you're not a young lad who thinks that they're invincible (judging from the fact you say you've got 20 years driving exp), so yeah, go for it!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, most training centres have 125's that you can rent for a reasonable rate. Might be worth grabbing one for a few sessions to get that little extra experience. I didn't but did do the full 3 day DAS course (and failed my first time, put my foot down )

[darich]

Burnmw....thanks for that.
I'm kind of in a similar position.....if I go buy a 125cc for £1500 it could well hamper any chance of a decent 600cc in a few months time once DAS is out the way.

I'm 38 and had a car since I was 19...mainly sporty numbers like Gti/16v/turbos etc....current car is a remapped Audi A4 2.0T quattro....last car was BMW 3.0Z4 so I'm used to moving along quickly and the novelty of fast vehicles has long since gone although I do like the option of being able to overtake!! I appreciate the bike will be faster than the car but it's not like I'm going from a Corsa with noisy exhaust to a fireblade where I'll get a shock at the power.

I've already bought boots, jacket, trousers and gloves....and wore my own gear (except helmet) for my CBT. All I need is a helmet and I'm fully kitted out.

As for failing first time, it seems that almost everyone I've spoken to has taken more than one attempt at passing!!

PS thanks fro reminding me I'm not a young lad any more!!

[Kermittheflyingbog]

I appreciate the bike will be faster than the car but it's not like I'm going from a Corsa with noisy exhaust to a fireblade where I'll get a shock at the power.

I think you will  nothing you've driven/ridden before is anything like the power to weight ratio you get on a modern sports bike, I rode some pretty quick bikes when in my teens (the quickest being a 350lc) but moved on to cars, had some very quick cars with power improvements which had power to weight ratios well over 200bhp/ton but when I got on my zx6r (a 1997 model) for the first time in 2005 it scared the shìt outta me, 0-60 a little over 3 seconds and up to a 100 in around 6, holding on for my life, took 6 months and a couple of trackdays to totally appreciate how to ride it.
You have a sensible attitude and maturity in your favor, but some naivety counting against, take it easy and enjoy it

[mark2488]

I meant to post in here when I saw it last week but forgot, so I'll say my piece now

I was in a similar situation about 18months/2 years ago (I was 21 at the time), I'd always wanted to ride but never really had the inclination to do anything about it, bit of a pipe dream if I'm honest. I mentioned it to my GF's dad (Shooey), who suggested I donned a set of his spare leathers and went out on the back of his bike with him. I agreed, and off we went.

I really enjoyed myself and he said if I promised to take my test/get a bike, that he'd let me have his spare leathers cheap. I'd long passed my driving test (3 yrs) and been driving for some time, and before that I'd always ridden a push bike and would regularly go for longish rides so I had a fairly good road sense.

I weighed everything up and went and did my CBT/theory and decided it would be best to just crack on and do my DAS all at the same time, which I did. Since then I've bought a CBR600f and really enjoy riding it, and I'm definitely glad I didn't get a 125 in between as I wouldn't have had the funds to get the CBR.

So, my tuppence would be to just get on with your DAS! As I've said, my only road experience on two wheels before my CBT was on a push bike, and I managed just fine! At the end of the day, a 600 is only a heavier 125! If you don't twist the throttle wide open it'll do exactly the same speeds as a 125, but the upside is it gives much more room for future growth. At the end of the day, you're not a young lad who thinks that they're invincible (judging from the fact you say you've got 20 years driving exp), so yeah, go for it!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, most training centres have 125's that you can rent for a reasonable rate. Might be worth grabbing one for a few sessions to get that little extra experience. I didn't but did do the full 3 day DAS course (and failed my first time, put my foot down )

you doing donny then lol 

[burnmw]

you doing donny then lol 

Don't you f*#king start!