Ricey Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 .......a smudge on a wall somewhere if I have a crack at getting a bike licence. I have literally zero experience on a bike and I do mean zero.....like literally I'm not even sure how to change gear. Having thought about getting the cheapest dreg end 4x4 just to 'experience' owning a 4x4 it occurred to me that I would be far more enjoyable to learn something new and exciting as opposed to driving round in a saggy, damp, ready to conk out Chelsea tractor that I don' need. Carla's moving out soon so I'm going to have some time on my hands. I figure its a pretty dear do to learn but looking at the price of bikes it seems to be as expensive to buy a cheapish bike and learn. I have a nagging doubt that rather than looking like this I'll end up looking like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubapics Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 There's only one way to find out... just do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Go for it Bike are fun and an adrenaline rush ....... but safety first and all that I fancy doing the same, and want something that goes "potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Aye go for it i say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 There's only one way to find out... just do it! Remember the initial question.....I'm concerned about the smudge bit! I'm 30 this year and no experience of bikes at all....probably couldn't pass my car licence test again I have acquired many bad driving habits and I'm generally a bit of a spoon. It got me thinking reading someone elses thread the other day about 370 or a bike and Rabbitstew said it really makes you a better driver etc........just wondering if I'm really going to be a bit of a liability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Go do your CBT and see how you get on. No experience required and you do it in day. Gets you out on a little run about and see if you enjoy it. If you do then look at doing the proper license. Oh and it definately makes you a better driver, far more aware of those around you and road craft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Get a 125 DT or some thing to get used to, they don't go that fast then move on to something else when your confidence grows. My Sister did the same and after 3 months riding a put-put she got bored, took the big bike test and got a 600-somehting-or-other ............ she is a girl, so you can do it too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Go do your CBT. If you do then look at doing the proper license. Clinical Butt Test? I no understandy????? Don't I just get a licence buy a 1000cc bike then crash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Go do your CBT. If you do then look at doing the proper license. Clinical Butt Test? I no understandy????? Don't I just get a licence buy a 1000cc bike then crash? You want Direct Access then. Go google Direct Access and CBT, you'll get the idea. They are roughtly the complete opposite end of the biking spectrum to each other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Go google Direct Access and CBT I don't think you can do them in that order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac@TarmacSportz Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Dude, you can't even play footy without coming home with another swollen body part. Do you honestly think Ricey + Bikey is a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Dude, I did mine 2yrs ago after putting it off for years. I did an intensive course, I had only ever ridden a 125 once about 15 yrs ago whilst on holiday. So the course took me through CBT to full license over about 2 weeks. I was nervous but I had a great instructor (a bit of a ball ache at times but really made me aware of all the dangers out there and what to look for). So I was worried about my first bike but my mate wanted to sell me his Bandit 1200 and I was like 'but it's a bit big for my first bike' and he convinced me to buy it by saying that I would only want a bigger bike within a few months. I think he was right at the end of the day the bike only goes as fast as you twist that throttle. I took my time and got used to the bike. I love it, it's awesome. Set me back £1200 T Reg with 13k miles on the clock. I'm going to be using it a lot more this year to save the miles on my other baby. So there's my story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 i'd love a bike, my wife on the other hand doesn't love me to have a bike, and like you i have nip nadda experience on one. what i do know is i'm very likely to wipe myself out cos i'm a muppet. tempted to get a trike no need for a bike licence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Go do your CBT. If you do then look at doing the proper license. Clinical Butt Test? I no understandy????? Don't I just get a licence buy a 1000cc bike then crash? You want Direct Access then. Go google Direct Access and CBT, you'll get the idea. They are roughtly the complete opposite end of the biking spectrum to each other Christ it all looks a bit complicated. The whole biking scene strikes me as a bit of a 'clique'....I don't know why but I kind of get the impression that the bigger boys who hang around the local bike garage would beat me up for wearing a fluorescent vest over my denim onesie. Dude, you can't even play footy without coming home with another swollen body part. Do you honestly think Ricey + Bikey is a good idea This is true but I did purchase and use an angle grinder the other day without severing any body parts or chopping my Fiesta in half so I think I'm improving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 i'd love a bike, my wife on the other hand doesn't love me to have a bike, This is why my R6 has sat in the garage untouched for a good few years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 i'd love a bike, my wife on the other hand doesn't love me to have a bike, This is why my R6 has sat in the garage untouched for a good few years i used to go to the bike show in brum when i lived in cov, loved sitting on them, loved the looks, the feel of them, been on the back of a few, love the acceleration and feeling of exposure. closest i ever go to that feeling was a caterham. i'd love this but i know that after 35 min with my legs craped up in that race position my dodgy knee would be killing me i think i would be more comfortable and safer on something like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Yep sod that..........insurance quotes for a 600cc Kawasaki worth a grand Pay Annual £1962.42 Pay Annual £1985.74 Pay Annual £2596.23 Pay Annual £9199.08 9 grand............sexy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ok so maybe something slightly smaller a 350cc would only be around £250 to insure. Amazing how I can by £8750 more likely to have a crash with 250cc more...........don't they know me? I can crash with ANY engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Yeah.........sod this for an idea. Estimated cost to obtain licence - £811.........how about nooooooooooooo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Yep sod that..........insurance quotes for a 600cc Kawasaki worth a grand Pay Annual £1962.42 Pay Annual £1985.74 Pay Annual £2596.23 Pay Annual £9199.08 9 grand............sexy Thats mad. My mate past his test a few years back and I sold him his first bike which was a Kawasaki ZX6R and his insurance came in at about 600quid. One thing I will say. Back in "the day" when I passed my bike test, nearly everyone`s first bike was a 250cc bike. You rode that for a year or so, then moved "up" to a 600cc, then after a bit longer maybe a 750cc, and then maybe a 1000cc when you`d been riding for years. The other key thing is that back in those days, a 1000cc bike like a Yamaha FZR1000 only produced the same amount of power as a 600cc bike does these days. It amazes me those people these days who pass their tests and jump straight onto a GSXR600 or R6, which is miles quicker than people with years of experience would have a few years back. I guess its not helped by the manufactorers stopping making the 250cc bikes and the 600cc bikes are sort of pitched at as a good entry level bike!!! As someone else said, the bike only goes as fast as you make it. Theres no reason why you cant ride around slowly. Noone forces you to wring its neck. I used to be the only guy out of all my mates who had a motorbike, and one by one they all saw mine and started to pass their tests. What I used to do is to always go out with them for a few months of riding and teach them to ride properly. The key mistake a lot of people make is to try and keep up with a faster more experienced rider, rather than keep up with their own ability. It takes a long time to learn your bikes limits, and more often or not you may have a few crashes. For example, knowing how far you can lean the bike over... you can really lean it over a lot more than you think. Typically you can get the footpeg scraping the road and still have a safety margin. As I said on the other thread, riding a bike makes you 200% aware of your surroundings. You find yourself turning into a mind reader and predicting what other car drivers will do before they have done it. That guy 2 cars ahead who just looked over his left shoulder.. is he going to turn left? Whats to his left? Another car... okay, in that case the car in front is likely to brake suddenly etc. etc. At 30 your plenty young enough to learn to ride a bike. Taking the CBT is a good start. You do it in a day, gives you a little bit of experience on a bike etc. However personally I found I didnt start learning anything until id passed my test and started getting that experience on the road myself. Having a mate whose a biker who can show you the ropes and look out for you would be an excellent help. Even getting a pillion ride on a few bikes can give you a feel for what its like. Feel free to drop me a line if you need any advice on anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Cheers wabbit. I think I'll do the CBT first and see if I like it........I still feel quite nervy about being on a crotch rocket - I've got this unnatural feeling that I'm going to fall off or something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I started properly on an R6 but only because my Dad left it to me. I'd hacked around on mates bikes before, 125's and 250's and such. Dear god a 600cc is fast, mentally fast. And its dead easy to go fast. Thats the mistake people make IMO, they dont realise how quickly they are going until they have to react - them BAM - you hit something before you even knew it was there. Driving to what you can see is so much more important on a bike as you cant simply stick the anchors on and hope for the best like you can in a car (if the worst happens). As you say, chasing mates who are much more experienced is a very bad game to play too, just because the bike can take a corner at a certain speed, doesnt mean you know how to ride it around the corner at that speed. Also when you're more experienced you're happier to handle decreasing radius corners. Thats something that catches noobs out as they put the brakes on when they realise the corner is tightening which then sits the bike up and off the road they go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Also when you're more experienced you're happier to handle decreasing radius corners. Thats something that catches noobs out as they put the brakes on when they realise the corner is tightening which then sits the bike up and off the road they go Yep, ive had that happen to a couple of my mates before. One broke his arm in 2 places and I had to call the ambulance and wait for him until it arrived. When we are out riding we tend to keep track of the person behind you to make sure they are okay and its not a good feeling when you come around a bend then cant see your mate behind you any more. Cheers wabbit. I think I'll do the CBT first and see if I like it........I still feel quite nervy about being on a crotch rocket - I've got this unnatural feeling that I'm going to fall off or something! I remember it being weird when i first started. I was used to push bikes, but on motorbikes you have to lean into the bend and turn the handle bars in the opposite direction it seems. Took me some getting used to! Another thing is that speed doesnt feel the same on a bike as it does in a car. If your doing 100mph on a motorbike it feels like 50mph. If your doing 100mph in a 350z roadster then you know it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamN Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Go do your CBT and see how you get on. No experience required and you do it in day. Gets you out on a little run about and see if you enjoy it. If you do then look at doing the proper license. Oh and it definately makes you a better driver, far more aware of those around you and road craft This! Borrowing some bike gear and doing your CBT (£100) is the best way to see if you like it or not. Once you've done that, if you don't like it, only £100 lost. If you do, you can buy yourself some bike gear (decent enough budget helmets are £100 or so new, I'd never buy a second hand helmet as you don't know if it's been dropped, all other gear can be bought second hand on eBay) then buy and insure a cheap 125 to practice on the roads yourself you can always take lessons but it's good to get out and practice on a 125 before going and getting a big bike (IMO of course). I'm speaking from experience as this is what I did and I'd recommend it to anyway. Owning a 125 for 4 months was probably the best thing I did. Then you'd have to do your bike theory (£31), then module 1 practical (£15.50) and then module 2 practical (£75), to be able to remove the L plates, take a pillion, and ride bigger bikes Alternatively (assuming you're over 21) you can do a direct access course which means you COULD go from never riding a bike, to riding a brand new 1000cc gsxr (if you had the money). Personally I think that's mad, but it's possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I am seriously considering doing my CBT and getting a bike as my commute involves the Dartford bridge / tunnel so not only will I avoid the traffic but it will be free. Now hopefully the bikers on here won't shoot me down in flames but the thing that has put me off before is that most (not all) bikers driver (ride?) like complete and utter planks who think the road is their race track and tailgating a car at 60/70mph and undertaking are 'normal' practice... I am not too worried about becoming a smudge somewhere as if we all felt like that we would never get out of bed in the morning I like the advice about getting a smaller bike to start with that sounds very sensible, which is why it is probably the last thing I will do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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