Anyone Fancy Teaching Me?

[Rikos]

Hello all,

As some of you will be aware i am looking into doing my bike test. I am looking into for now doing my CBT and then getting a 125 and using that for my trip to work until i have got enough money to pay for my test.

Got a couple of questions, how fast are 125's? I dont want to be sat at 40mph everywhere!! Also, is this a worthwhile idea? I have no bike experience apart from scooters (twist & go).

The other thing was, i was wondering if there is anyone near to me with a small bike with gears, that would fancy teaching me how to rideand the basics (on private land of course).

Cheers for any help guys & girls.

[Rob]

125s go about 60 - 65 mph at best.... ( or they used to anyway!!) tbh main differences are the weight, the speed and acceleration is all upto you.

i will recommend 1 thing tho whatever bike u get - get a set of engine crash bars... it will save a lot of tears and damage when u drop the bike... and it will happen one day!

[Rikos]

125s go about 60 - 65 mph at best.... ( or they used to anyway!!) tbh main differences are the weight, the speed and acceleration is all upto you.

i will recommend 1 thing tho whatever bike u get - get a set of engine crash bars... it will save a lot of tears and damage when u drop the bike... and it will happen one day!

I take it they just are a casing for the engine to stop any damage? How much are they? do you have to get them for the specific bike?

[TheDon]

if your sticking to 125cc then there is a world of bikes... slow or fast... cb125 to the aprilia rs125..

personaly 125cc and under i would say stay twist and go

[Scorps01]

personaly 125cc and under i would say stay twist and go

Why?.......if you have no experiance of gears then a 125cc geared bike will teach you a lot.

[Rikos]

I must admit i do like the Aprilla RS125, does look very nice.

Also, has anyone heard of the Megelli Sport 125??

[aaronabbott]

I must admit i do like the Aprilla RS125, does look very nice

but you wont like the insurance,what about a 125cc vespa replica,a lad a work has an orignal with all the mirrors and stuff all tuned up it looks wicked and goes like stink aswell

[Scorps01]

Have look at one of these...Yamaha R125 saw one today when i was looking at a XJR1300.

http://www.superbike.co.uk/imageBank/y/yamaha%20125.jpg

[TheDon]

personaly 125cc and under i would say stay twist and go

Why?.......if you have no experiance of gears then a 125cc geared bike will teach you a lot.

a day on a 125cc - CBT would teach you all you need and then move up the chain, as for anyone over 10 stone a 125 just isnt enough for a full weight geared bike. a 500 is a safer alternative in my opinion as the 125cc bikes just dont have the power to ride safely (i.e. keeping up with traffic etc)

But then thats just my opinion from 10 years of biking, having ridden everything from a 50cc to a 1.8l harley.

The bikes that tought me most about gear changes etc were all above 500cc..

For just riding to work short distances the benifits of a 125cc geared over a 125cc twist and go are negligable.. would say that the twist and go would be more relaxing. and some of the new 125cc bikes are exceptionaly capable

[TheDon]

also one major problem with things like the 125cc aprillia etc is things like piston rings, get used to changing them...

where you have to wring their necks to get power you heat em up good!

[Rikos]

I cant get a 500cc as i would only have my CBT for now and this would be a stop gap bewteen getting my full licence.

That Yamaha is nice! Not keen on the Vespa's aaron but cheers

[TheDon]

how long are you going to leave it between getting your cbt and full licence?

as everthing is changing (and not for the better) meaning that as of october/september this year you start to have to use the super centres... which are normally further away and use stupid non road based testing methods.

And then its due to get even harder combined with more restrictions on how long before you can ride full power bikes...:(

[aztecbandit1]

Shame your not closer Rik you could of borrowed mine to get used to riding a bike as I dont use it anymore its a Gilera DNA125 which is a twist n go, type but looks more like a bike not a scooter and it does 75 mph so not that bad and has been very reliable in the 2 years i've owned it? The Aprilia is a good bike but eats sprockets faster than you can fit them and 1 of the best 125's around i found was the Sachs XTC125 but quite rare? Or if you wanted you could go cruiser style and go for a Yamaha XVS125 custom again quite reliable which i think would suit you quite well :D But sounds like you could do with doing a couple of day course's on a geared 125 as a lot of the training sites now have rollers where you can get used to the gearing so your not on the road trying to learn and the bikes fixed to the rollers and a lot safer to get used to? Good luck with it mate :D

[Scorps01]

And then its due to get even harder combined with more restrictions on how long before you can ride full power bikes...:(

Could never understand the logic on that one, unless its the same for new car drivers as well....which i doubt!!

[Rikos]

how long are you going to leave it between getting your cbt and full licence?

as everthing is changing (and not for the better) meaning that as of october/september this year you start to have to use the super centres... which are normally further away and use stupid non road based testing methods.

And then its due to get even harder combined with more restrictions on how long before you can ride full power bikes...:(

Hopefully not very long, but it all depends on money really.

@Chris - I have driven a twist and go before but never driven a geared bike, i have see Gilera DNA they're quite good. It's a shame you've not got a geared 125 to lend me

[TheDon]

i have a few other bikes you could have a go on.... bandit 600, gsxr 750, R6 or a ZX12R if your brave and have a few quid for new panels..... lol...

have ridden a DNA 125, felt a little underpowered but was generaly a laugh. that yamaha 4 stroke racer looks good although it is exceptionaly skinny.. love the tail unit.. want it for a streetfighter project.. but cant find a decent one on eBay..

[TheDon]

And then its due to get even harder combined with more restrictions on how long before you can ride full power bikes...:(

Could never understand the logic on that one, unless its the same for new car drivers as well....which i doubt!!

i know it is a joke, i can semi understand... but most of the problems are caused by born again bikers who passed 30 years ago and jump back on a bike paying only £100 for insurance then smash the fook out of it as it has a few more than 30hp....

i do agree with a bit of a limit on HP for a few months.. i started out life on a restricted licence and do believe that if i didnt i would have died.. something to do with the initial feelings of imortality that come with youth and power! still managed to fook my body up with ony a 650cc vtwin! crashed in 2001 and still feeling the pain today

[Scorps01]

i know it is a joke, i can semi understand... but most of the problems are caused by born again bikers who passed 30 years ago and jump back on a bike paying only £100 for insurance then smash the fook out of it as it has a few more than 30hp....

i do agree with a bit of a limit on HP for a few months.. i started out life on a restricted licence and do believe that if i didnt i would have died..

Yep been there done that, i died for 12 minutes in 2000 :o

and still feeling the pain today

Me too as i've got the scars and medical records to prove it :D

If somebody chooses to ride a m/bike why should they be restricted on HP? car drivers aren't. Wer'e slowing turning into a nanny state where you will do as your told or you'll get shafted one way or another.

[Ellz]

Scorps thats a little silly saying that as you abviously know that driving a motorbike is a lot more risky than a car, if you where 16/18/20 what ever age and where given a 160hp+ motorbike we all know whats going to happen, thats why its limited for a couple of years.

Rikos I've got a yamaha cygnus x its a 125cc but a 4 stroke, dont get a stinkin 2 stroke there just a pain in the arse. Mine gets just over 65mph it is a twist and go but still beats most things off the line, its £35 tax and £120 insurance a year £7 quid to fill up and goes for well i dont know 200 something not sure its its miles or km's yet as its got both on the speedo. If its miles im getting 130MPG if its km im getting 80MPG both is pretty good. I love this thing and going to and from work in to town etc me and my dad both choose it over his 1100 blackbird.

If you have the chance get your test done and passed so you can get a 33 hp jobbie, i got a fazer 600 99 version i think the 2001 or sometime round then went fuel injected, all carbed bikes are alot easy and cheaper to restrick to 33hp mine cost about £40 and after about 3 months they came out and i had a 100hp bike.

If your gonna get a 125 i would agree and stay on a twist and go all the 125 geared bikes i have driven are pointless and a hassle as your fliying through the gears no end.

The GS500 is a good starting bike, i think kawaka are just bring out a new 33hp bike for this reason i think it was a 250 or something.

[TheDon]

i agree with ells with regards to why the limit should be there.. in the end 10 years ago if you had over 100bhp you had a serious bike... now 100bhp is entry lever 600cc teritory.

with bikes easily pushing over 150bhp on a bad day i can just see more people getting killed weeks after direct access.

I full heartly would say that if i had bought my ZX12R 8 years ago i would be stone cold dead, as in the end the bikes are missiles.. and the warhead is the person riding... biking is about experience.. judging that next corner and knowing when and what is safe.. finance deals allow people to bypass the traditional routes of saving up, trading up your old for new bike that used to be the self imposed restrictions.

[Scorps01]

@ Ellz Silly for saying what?...if you was a successful young man with loads of money and after passing your driving test and you was able to afford a supercar why should you be restricted for a couple of years......free choice?

Wether the same bikes were around ten yrs ago or not at the end of the day its you not the bike that will harm you its you, your in control and if you cant control yourself then there is no hope. We used to go hooning around most w/ends on breakfast runs at silly speeds and i've done tons of track days, also i was a courier for 10 yrs so i know how to ride and my accident wasn't a car driver or something that i did wrong it was the inexperiance of another biker...period!! and proven through the courts with car driver witnesses and at 40mph.

we will agree to disagree as your lead by beaucrats in power who want to take away your freedom of choice.

For someone who has never riden b4 i would say do your CBT, pass your test and work your up through the CC range and get to a level that your comfortable with, i dont know anyone that has jumped straight to a 1000cc...

[Rob]

i passed my test about 15 years ago, had a few small 100cc - 150cc bikes and not too much since but i bought myself a 1200gs - its not a speed machine, its a plodder and is exactly what i want, nice and comfortable. I know my limits and dont act like a tool, unfortunatly cant say the same for most people i see on sports bikes........

[dlayen]

I did my cbt and full test 6 years ago over 3 days and brought a zx9r a couple of weeks after passing my test.

I only ride for fun and don't do too many miles a year touch wood never had an accident a few very close due to bad car drivers

I was 30 when i took my test and had a 2 year old daughter as the others have said if iwas 18-21 things would be different.

I personally think everyone should take the cbt before taking car test as i feel once you've riden a bike you look for them more when driving a car.

[Rikos]

Cheers everyone for all the responses

I have no intentions of passing and then jumping onto anything over 500cc.

I do and dont agree with the hp restrictions, i do as it probably will stop inexperienced people jumping straight on to something that they cant handle but then i dont agree as i believe you should have the choice.

@TheDon - if you fancy teaching me how to ride a geared bike, that'd be great!

[Scorps01]

I personally think everyone should take the cbt before taking car test as i feel once you've riden a bike you look for them more when driving a car.

I've said that for years, i've always been around bikes since the age of 12 and i also believe that you should pass your bike test and have a full bike license b4 being able to take your car test and you cant have one without the other.....there i've just cleared out roads of motorists and congestion