Beginner bike

eoin.d

Hey everyone im looking at getting a licence for a motorbike. In my forties so will be going for an A licence. I have full car truck and bus but no experience on bikes.
Am i right in thinking i will have to do IBT and test on a bike at least 600cc?
What are your thoughts on a bike over 600cc to learn on?
Thanks

punisher5112

Theory test to get learner permit depending too.

Definitely want to be doing on a 600 or more.
Much better road holding.

eoin.d

"Beginner bike "was what i meant to put as thread title if mods can change it please

punisher5112

Try out the ibt bikes and see how you feel before buying one.

eoin.d

punisher5112 wrote: »

Theory test to get learner permit depending too.

Definitely want to be doing on a 600 or more.
Much better road holding.

I was hoping i would get away without theory test as i had bike on licence before but not on my current licence.
Is it easier to learn on a bigger bike?

punisher5112

eoin.d wrote: »

I was hoping i would get away without theory test as i had bike on licence before but not on my current licence.
Is it easier to learn on a bigger bike?

Honestly imo a bigger bike is much better to be honest.
You say you had bike? Was it the under 50cc one.

eoin.d

punisher5112 wrote: »

Honestly imo a bigger bike is much better to be honest.
You say you had bike? Was it the under 50cc one.

Im not sure what it was. It was on my licence maybe 15 years ago.

Mjolnir

eoin.d wrote: »

Hey everyone im looking at getting a licence for a motorbike. In my forties so will be going for an A licence. I have full car truck and bus but no experience on bikes.
Am i right in thinking i will have to do IBT and test on a bike at least 600cc?
What are your thoughts on a bike over 600cc to learn on?
Thanks

Yes it has to be over 600cc or 599cc can't remember and over a certain kw.

Depends there's a massive difference between a 650 dragster and my 600 cbr
A cbr 1000 is another world away altogether.
Fazers, bandits, cbf600, sv650 are all very capable very forgiving learner bikes and this is from an idiot who would of happily jumped straight onto a busa.

Basic rule, naked and touring bikes are forgiving for learners so are cruisers but c¤ntishly heavy.
Sports bikes are much less forgiving and a different riding experience.

Also welcome to the dumba$$ club we have lots of fb groups hahah

eoin.d

Mjolnir wrote: »

Yes it has to be over 600cc or 599cc can't remember and over a certain kw.

Depends there's a massive difference between a 650 dragster and my 600 cbr
A cbr 1000 is another world away altogether.
Fazers, bandits, cbf600, sv650 are all very capable very forgiving learner bikes and this is from an idiot who would of happily jumped straight onto a busa.

Basic rule, naked and touring bikes are forgiving for learners so are cruisers but c¤ntishly heavy.
Sports bikes are much less forgiving and a different riding experience.

Also welcome to the dumba$$ club we have lots of fb groups hahah

Definitely be going for a sports bike. Ive always loved the look of a cbr.
With so few insurance companies is it always possible for a learner to get first time insurance on something over 600cc?

punisher5112

eoin.d wrote: »

Im not sure what it was. It was on my licence maybe 15 years ago.

I'd say that was it, that would have no help to you.

Have you done the theory since 2006 if I recall right them your covered.

punisher5112

eoin.d wrote: »

Definitely be going for a sports bike. Ive always loved the look of a cbr.
With so few insurance companies is it always possible for a learner to get first time insurance on something over 600cc?

I'd recommend against for doing test.

You need a naked like said previously as these are much easier to control for turn about, walking along side while you don't put the foot down etc etc.

I done my test on a 600 Yamaha naked, had dogs run out in front of me and then chase me, he obviously could see I controlled it well as I passed.

Mjolnir

eoin.d wrote: »

Definitely be going for a sports bike. Ive always loved the look of a cbr.
With so few insurance companies is it always possible for a learner to get first time insurance on something over 600cc?

Depends on the age where you live and if you can get a grade 2 or above assessment, if not you'll either be refused or given a phone number for a quote. Even with a grade 1 or 2 assessment you'll be looking at a relatively high quote.

It's next to impossible do a full u turn on the test when riding a cbr. I've done it off my bike walking and it can't do it in one move. Also depending on your tester while you're allowed to peddle back and make it more a 3 point turn they can still fail you for it.

Sports bikes are incredibly unforgiving to learn on, hard on your back and knees on any decent length journey, leave you tired as all hell too.
Between the seating position, how they handles and the throttle response there is a much greater learning curve.

Get what ya like and can insure, but ultimately they aren't great to learn on, I'm just a d!ckhead and like what I like and despite everyone telling me better I'll still do what I like. Would I have been better off with a fazer oh god yes but here we are.

Also fazer has a detuned r6 engine with a much more comfortable forgiving ride position.
Oh and when you drop it and there's an incredibly high chance you'll drop your first bike the cost of fairings is eye watering.

Knowing all that if ya still want one, can afford to buy and insure it, have done the ibt and still really want it go for it. There's a lot more to a bike than the look of it though.

Mjolnir

Actually should of added there's a stupidly high chance that as a new biker on a 750+ sports bike you'll f@ck yourself up higher cc sports bike less forgiving and higher chance of an accident.

New permit, no ncb you won't get a 1000cc sports bike insured or a 750 in all reality you'd be pushing it on a 600

zubair

OP, you mentioned twice about riding something over 600, is there a particular bike you had in mind.

Same as MJ, I'd steer you away from a sports bike to start, power aside, the riding position is just wrong for learning, in particular the clip ons. I did my test on an Sv650s, it's not even a sports bike but the clip ons just made life harder for slow riding in particular the uturn, in fact the bars touched the tank on full lock. I'm not saying it can't be done, obviously, because I could uturn the bike but a more upright bike would have been much easier and I probably had to practice more for the test.Lots of suitable beginner bikes out there that are faired (er6, diversion) so they'll have the sportier look without the back and wrist breaking riding position, but if you drop it you'll find out how expenseive a bit of plastic can cost (if you can even find a replacement). It's your first bike, not your last, plenty of time to get your dream sports bike later. Just get something safe and easy to learn on to start.

All that said, don't buy a bike until after you've done your IBT.

nigeldaniel

In relation to the OP, I would say myself to anyone starting off for the first time having never before been on a motorbike, consider getting hold of a 125cc and spend a few hours pottering around in a big yard. A big clean yard at that, not a gravel yard. Once you master slow control 10kph in first gear doing U-turns, and stopping, going, braking and so on, you will transfer much easier to a big bike. When I started out a few years back I made a slight mistake at starting off on a 600 bandit and it took me about 15 hours off lessons to get the hang of it right. It was a school bike so I had nothing else to practice on in between. There is lots of confidence-building to be done for newbies.
If you fancy an A bike [600cc] then a bandit or an sv650 comes to mind. the SV650 can have small forward control [gear shaft and back brake] so if you have big feet in a size 12 like me you might like to keep that in mind.
PS. A small bike can be a bit of fun too and if you drop in in a yard you won't get too upset.

zubair

nigeldaniel wrote: »

In relation to the OP, I would say myself to anyone starting off for the first time having never before been on a motorbike, consider getting hold of a 125cc and spend a few hours pottering around in a big yard. A big clean yard at that, not a gravel yard. Once you master slow control 10kph in first gear doing U-turns, and stopping, going, braking and so on, you will transfer much easier to a big bike. When I started out a few years back I made a slight mistake at starting off on a 600 bandit and it took me about 15 hours off lessons to get the hang of it right. It was a school bike so I had nothing else to practice on in between. There is lots of confidence-building to be done for newbies.
If you fancy an A bike [600cc] then a bandit or an sv650 comes to mind. the SV650 can have small forward control [gear shaft and back brake] so if you have big feet in a size 12 like me you might like to keep that in mind.
PS. A small bike can be a bit of fun too and if you drop in in a yard you won't get too upset.

Not trying to take away from your advice or expericne but the IBT is designed in this way already, start on a 125 in a private yard/ car park etc and work up to an A on the public roads.

eoin.d

So much great advice there everyone. Yes i really just want something i can learn on and get the basics down and get some experience. I definitely have a draw towards sports bikes especially a cbr, but if there not great to learn on i will get a more suitable bike first.

robbie_63

Hey Eoin,

My first bike was a CBR650F, picked it up in Oct 20 the day after I finished my IBT Lessons.

They are a great bike to start off on, not too powerful, little bit more upright than on a normal sports bike.

I done my IBT on a Fazer 600 and it was a doddle to scoot around at very low speed and to hold it on the clutch,
CBR took a bit more getting used to but once you keep practicing you will get there.

Only problem with a sports bike starting off is when you drop it, you can do a lot of damage to the fairings, etc.

I've had mine 6 months now and only dropped once, although that was because a car hit me from behind!

Rob

nigeldaniel

zubair wrote: »

Not trying to take away from your advice or expericne but the IBT is designed in this way already, start on a 125 in a private yard/ car park etc and work up to an A on the public roads.

Thats kind of what I was trying to say but with the bike school up in the air at the moment I left out the IBT.

eoin.d

robbie_63 wrote: »

Hey Eoin,

My first bike was a CBR650F, picked it up in Oct 20 the day after I finished my IBT Lessons.

They are a great bike to start off on, not too powerful, little bit more upright than on a normal sports bike.

I done my IBT on a Fazer 600 and it was a doddle to scoot around at very low speed and to hold it on the clutch,
CBR took a bit more getting used to but once you keep practicing you will get there.

Only problem with a sports bike starting off is when you drop it, you can do a lot of damage to the fairings, etc.

I've had mine 6 months now and only dropped once, although that was because a car hit me from behind!

Rob

I guess with enough practice you can learn on anything. Just depends on what you can get insured on. I definitely wont be buying anything near new but what would you need to be spending to get a safe reliable bike to learn on for a few years. I know it depends on the bike , but roughly?

galwaytt

I'm going to suggest looking at A2 bikes . Good for learning on, and if you pass your test on it you can progress to a full A without doing a further test, by taking MOD 5 lessons.

Mjolnir

galwaytt wrote: »

I'm going to suggest looking at A2 bikes . Good for learning on, and if you pass your test on it you can progress to a full A without doing a further test, by taking MOD 5 lessons.

Why in gods name would you do that? If you're 24 or over that's asinine to be polite.
If he's capable of passing an A2 he's capable of passing an A and not having to hold and be restricted by an A2 for 2 years.

That's just a pointless exercise in futility.

Jimmy Bottlehead

eoin.d wrote: »

I guess with enough practice you can learn on anything. Just depends on what you can get insured on. I definitely wont be buying anything near new but what would you need to be spending to get a safe reliable bike to learn on for a few years. I know it depends on the bike , but roughly?

Yes you can technically learn on anything, but what (almost) everyone is saying is true - learning on a sport bike will be more difficult than it needs to be.
And you really don't want to add in unnecessary complications to motorbikes especially when you're learning. Mistakes are costly on a bike, so keep it simple. Learn on a comfortable, easy to ride bike, because I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy riding so much (yeoooo) that you won't care what you're riding for quite some time. By that stage, you should be competent and that's the better time to get a bike that you want.

Plus your bike tastes may change. I was adamant on getting a cruiser when I started. I got a naked because it was good for learning on. Loved it. Never really liked sports bikes. Then got a sports tourer last year. It's a strange aul hobby.

As for your final question, it REALLY depends on the bike. I picked up my Honda Super Four for €1050 back in 2015. I sold it last year for €1100. Super solid bike for learning and enough power to keep me interested that long. Personally, I found it superb to learn on, but they're not extremely common any more.

You're best off figuring out your bike budget, posting it here, and seeing what bikes fit into it. I assume you've budgeted for gear too?

Betsy Og

I agree with going straight for A licence, but remember you can usually rent instructor bikes for the test, so you don't necessarily need to buy a test suitable bike.

I'm currently having good craic on a 125, bought for young fella to learn on next year. Sure it struggles on National Roads but it's grand for pottering up and down country lanes and the hours of practice are a good reintroduction at relatively low speeds and forgiving throttle. So a 2 bike strategy wouldn't be bad - something for at least a year (get 1 years NCB, test, in my case maybe an Insurance Assessment) & then go for the dream bike! The gear is expensive too so best not to be going "all out" on everything at the same time.

Question - is there a name for aimless 'touring', driving down roads you don't know and taking whichever turn looks more interesting - I bloody love it anyway, just don't know how to easily describe it.

galwaytt

Mjolnir wrote: »

Why in gods name would you do that? If you're 24 or over that's asinine to be polite.
If he's capable of passing an A2 he's capable of passing an A and not having to hold and be restricted by an A2 for 2 years.

That's just a pointless exercise in futility.

No more pointless than your rant tbh.

Maybe you should re-read my post, or possibly actually read it for the first time.

OP could get a nice mid-size bike, that he likes, is comfortable with, and not break the bank, and more or less ignore whehter it's A2 or A. If it's an A2 restricted, it can be unrestricted for s.f.a.

If it happens to be an A, fine. You really need to remove the blinkers.

Examples of A2 eligible (and some are A eligible as well):

BMW F650 - various versions
BMW R850 - various versions
Ducati Monster
Ducati Multistrada
Ducati Supersport
Enfield - various versions
Harley Davidson - various versions from 883 to 1340 to 1450
Honda CB series - lots
Honda Hornet - various
Honda Goldwing 1500
Honda Deauville
Honda cruisers - various
Kawasaki ER, EN, GPz, KLR, VN, Z, Zephyr,
KTM - 690, 640
Moto-Guzzi - lots
Suzuki - Bandit, SV, DL, GS, GSX, GSF, M, C, ....the list goes on
Triumph - lots.
Victory - several
Yamaha - lots & lots. MT, FZ, FZR, VStar, Dragstar, XJ, XT,


Anyone who thinks the above list is 'limiting' needs to spend more time on their bike tbh.

Mjolnir

galwaytt wrote: »

No more pointless than your rant tbh.

Maybe you should re-read my post, or possibly actually read it for the first time.

OP could get a nice mid-size bike, that he likes, is comfortable with, and not break the bank, and more or less ignore whehter it's A2 or A. If it's an A2 restricted, it can be unrestricted for s.f.a.

If it happens to be an A, fine. You really need to remove the blinkers.

Examples of A2 eligible (and some are A eligible as well):

BMW F650 - various versions
BMW R850 - various versions
Ducati Monster
Ducati Multistrada
Ducati Supersport
Enfield - various versions
Harley Davidson - various versions from 883 to 1340 to 1450
Honda CB series - lots
Honda Hornet - various
Honda Goldwing 1500
Honda Deauville
Honda cruisers - various
Kawasaki ER, EN, GPz, KLR, VN, Z, Zephyr,
KTM - 690, 640
Moto-Guzzi - lots
Suzuki - Bandit, SV, DL, GS, GSX, GSF, M, C, ....the list goes on
Triumph - lots.
Victory - several
Yamaha - lots & lots. MT, FZ, FZR, VStar, Dragstar, XJ, XT,


Anyone who thinks the above list is 'limiting' needs to spend more time on their bike tbh.

You said get an A2 and pass your test on it, gues what that means he's restricted to A2 bikes for 2 years I read it fine.
Remove the blinkers because I don't think someone should follow bad advice and pointlessly complicate things?
If you're over 24 you qualify for full A category, even if you buy a 125cc you'd be best served taking the test on an A and not p!ssing around being restricted for 2 years.

You left out the period of 2 years before you can do mod 5 for progressive access and now you're leaving out the fact the likes of a fzr needs to be restricted for A2. A fair amount of those bikes need restricting to be A2 eligible, they are not automatically A and A2 eligible.

Being someone that likes sportsbikes I know where he is coming from your advice is useless to him getting on a true 600+ sportsbike in any decent frame of time.

Think you could spend the couple more seconds to provide all the caveats that come along with your advice.

Jimmy Bottlehead

Hotblack Desiato

Mjolnir wrote: »

A fair amount of those bikes need restricting to be A2 eligible, they are not automatically A and A2 eligible.

nothing is.

zubair

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

nothing is.

Yes it is!

eoin.d

Alot of great bikes have been mentioned any of which i would be very happy with. I will definitely be going for the A licence, and be finished with it. God only knows when i will get any bike with this lockdown. Couple of months wait for a theory test , IBT not even running and i cant imagine how long i will have to wait for the test then

zubair

I'd still suggest doing the IBT before geting a bike. Your instructor will have plenty of advice for you too. Keep us posted on how you're getting on.

eoin.d

zubair wrote: »

I'd still suggest doing the IBT before geting a bike. Your instructor will have plenty of advice for you too. Keep us posted on how you're getting on.

Oh yes i definitely wont be getting a bike until i have IBT done. Thanks for all the help guys

Hotblack Desiato

You see, when you get the itch* you need to act on it, not leave it until "someday". Because you never know when a global pandemic is going to close the whole country down for over a year...



* not that itch, you need to go back to the doctor about that.

Hotblack Desiato

zubair wrote: »

Yes it is!

no it isn't!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpAvcGcEc0k

Ultrflat

I'm so close to pulling the trigger on Husqvarna Svartpillen 401 (2020) I just have to wait one month, its a present to my self.

The reason I'm waiting is to find out what's going on with my contract.
I'm hoping it'll look like this.

Trigger Happy

Nice bike but I think drop down mirrors might be better suited to a more experienced rider.

Ultrflat

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Nice bike but I think drop down mirrors might be better suited to a more experienced rider.

I agree 100% it just looks lovely with them I'll wait till I've got a lot more miles under my belt.:)

Jimmy Bottlehead

You'll also drop your bike at some stage, and you'll HATE yourself if it's (basically) a brand new bike.

Pick up something that ya won't mind getting the odd ding or scratch on. Not a fancy new bike with drop mirrors that looks pretty.
You're getting a lot of good advice on here, from seasoned riders who've all also had their first bike experiences.

robbie_63

Is this your first bike or what level are you at?

flashinthepan

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Nice bike but I think drop down mirrors might be better suited to a more experienced rider.

Take them off and swap them left to right and they would be upright :-) mirrors
Then when he gets the experience swap them back upside down again
what do you think?

omerin

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

You'll also drop your bike at some stage, and you'll HATE yourself if it's (basically) a brand new bike.

Pick up something that ya won't mind getting the odd ding or scratch on. Not a fancy new bike with drop mirrors that looks pretty.
You're getting a lot of good advice on here, from seasoned riders who've all also had their first bike experiences.

Agree and it's usually your first bike, more often then not as a result of a temporary loss of concentration. You're right it will piss you off, not because of the cost and the loss on the resale but some of the goodness is gone from the bike. If i were starting again I'd get a decent second hand bike from a bike shop and make your mistakes on that.

dmigsy

Ultrflat wrote: »

I'm so close to pulling the trigger on Husqvarna Svartpillen 401 (2020) I just have to wait one month, its a present to my self.

The reason I'm waiting is to find out what's going on with my contract.
I'm hoping it'll look like this.

The Svartpilen 401 is a great bike for learning on and buzzing around town. Not great for longer distances in terms of seat comfort and obviously there's no wind protection. I bought a new one as my first bike a couple of years ago. I did sell mine after about 8 months to get sv650 that I could do my A test on. In hindsight I defo regret not going straight to the bigger bike. The SV650 is actually a bit easier to handle as the seat height is a bit lower. I'm 5' 9" and couldn't flat foot the Svartpilen. I can easily with the SV. Passed my test on it iand I've no plans to change it anytime soon. It still has more power than I have ability to fully use.

I'm 2 years in and have never dropped a bike. Sure, it's something to consider but it's not inevitable that you'll drop it as a learner.

Now, after saying that I'm nailed on to drop the bike in the next week!

zubair

Ducati scrambler or xsr7 would have a similar style but would probably be more sensible purchases. I don't think the 401 has much of a selection of aftermarket options if you wanted to mod it in anyway or just needed parts and it's a bit niche when it comes to resale.

Varik

401 can use most of the 390 dukes parts.

Ultrflat

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

You'll also drop your bike at some stage, and you'll HATE yourself if it's (basically) a brand new bike.

Pick up something that ya won't mind getting the odd ding or scratch on. Not a fancy new bike with drop mirrors that looks pretty.
You're getting a lot of good advice on here, from seasoned riders who've all also had their first bike experiences.

If I drop my bike, its my own fault. If it happens. I fully expect to get dings and scratches. But at the same time why get something you don't want. I could go by a Bros ride for 6 months never dropping it once.

Buy the 401 and drop it the day I bye it or may well never drop it. Surely that's down to your own level of awareness about what your doing?

But having said all of that if I start on a something like a bros, then move up to a nicer bike after a couple of months. Hmmm this is interesting. Pros and cons.

dmigsy wrote: »

The Svartpilen 401 is a great bike for learning on and buzzing around town. Not great for longer distances in terms of seat comfort and obviously there's no wind protection. I bought a new one as my first bike a couple of years ago. I did sell mine after about 8 months to get sv650 that I could do my A test on. In hindsight I defo regret not going straight to the bigger bike. The SV650 is actually a bit easier to handle as the seat height is a bit lower. I'm 5' 9" and couldn't flat foot the Svartpilen. I can easily with the SV. Passed my test on it iand I've no plans to change it anytime soon. It still has more power than I have ability to fully use.

I'm 2 years in and have never dropped a bike. Sure, it's something to consider but it's not inevitable that you'll drop it as a learner.

Now, after saying that I'm nailed on to drop the bike in the next week!

I'm 6.1ft but skinny. I felt the Husky has the best of both worlds. Its been reviewed so often as a really nice beginner bike, But I hadn't though of sitting my test. The guy below said XSR7.

so much to think about.

zubair wrote: »

Ducati scrambler or xsr7 would have a similar style but would probably be more sensible purchases. I don't think the 401 has much of a selection of aftermarket options if you wanted to mod it in anyway or just needed parts and it's a bit niche when it comes to resale.

I think the XSR7 is awesome sounds amazing, but is it too much power for a beginner?

Jimmy Bottlehead

Ultrflat wrote: »

If I drop my bike, its my own fault. If it happens. I fully expect to get dings and scratches. But at the same time why get something you don't want. I could go by a Bros ride for 6 months never dropping it once.

Buy the 401 and drop it the day I bye it or may well never drop it. Surely that's down to your own level of awareness about what your doing?

But having said all of that if I start on a something like a bros, then move up to a nicer bike after a couple of months. Hmmm this is interesting. Pros and cons.

Because as a beginner, you're more likely to drop it. And once you factor in what you knock off the value of the bike, it'll be extra sickening. You can drop a Bros and not give much of a toss, but it also won't cost ya much in resale value.

As for something you don't want... If you haven't ridden a bike before, pretty much ANYTHING will be a hoot once you're on it.
And yes, moving to a nicer, more powerful bike IS a nice experience.

You mention level of awareness, but if you've not ridden before, your skill level will be low. Same your sense of awareness. You have to start a poor rider, becoming good is optional. You won't realise your own limitations (or ability to hold up a bike) til you hit them (and she's too far leaning to pull back up).

Like I said earlier, you're getting solid advice from riders who know a lot, with your own (I assume) low level of experience. You can take it or not. But a smart man learns from his mistakes; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Trigger Happy

Moving from older smaller bikes up to newer bigger bikes is a big part of the experience IMO.
It's like a personal reward for getting more skilled and experienced. It's something to look forward to too.

But each to their own. We all have to learn our own lessons!

Ultrflat

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Because as a beginner, you're more likely to drop it. And once you factor in what you knock off the value of the bike, it'll be extra sickening. You can drop a Bros and not give much of a toss, but it also won't cost ya much in resale value.

As for something you don't want... If you haven't ridden a bike before, pretty much ANYTHING will be a hoot once you're on it.
And yes, moving to a nicer, more powerful bike IS a nice experience.

You mention level of awareness, but if you've not ridden before, your skill level will be low. Same your sense of awareness. You have to start a poor rider, becoming good is optional. You won't realise your own limitations (or ability to hold up a bike) til you hit them (and she's too far leaning to pull back up).

Like I said earlier, you're getting solid advice from riders who know a lot, with your own (I assume) low level of experience. You can take it or not. But a smart man learns from his mistakes; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Ok so I have had a few Bikes as a kid I had a Honda z 50, then I had a ****ty dt125 for the fields and my old man wouldn't let me ride it on the road and made me get a moped which I destroyed, but I was also stupidly careless and young.
But I wouldn't regard it as a strong grounding for experience.

The reason I mention awareness is simply because I've watched people dropped their bikes and 9 times out of 10 its down to what's going on around them. My self included I dropped my moped so much. But I did'nt care it cost me money nothing but gave me freedom. I think I'd be approaching it differently this time around I'm a lot older and more caring about my belongings.

I agree with you about taking other peoples advise, I'm not disputing that. all I'm saying is that on one hand I'm being told buy something that you don't mind dropping. Then on the other side buy something because the 401 wont see you to your test. Its kind of confusing.

robbie_63

Its a lot to consider,

I think what most guys are saying is to get something a little bit older, easier to ride that you can get practice on and work up to doing your test.

At the start there's a big learning curve when you get out on the road by yourself and have to deal with traffic, other road users.

If your planning on doing the A Test then definitely get a bike which is A Suitable, it just makes it so much easier that you can practice on it and then eventually do your test on the same bike, when your starting out it take a while to get used to different bikes and you don't want to have to hire a different bike on the day of your test.

I would save the new bike for after you have passed your test, you can treat yourself properly and you will be a lot more informed about what you like and how different bikes handle.

I done my IBT on a Fazer and it was a great bike but I didn't like it on the open road as there was little\no wind protection,
I try to take the bike to work 3-4 times a week so this was a non runner for my 45 Min commute to work.

zubair

Ultrflat wrote: »

I agree with you about taking other peoples advise, I'm not disputing that. all I'm saying is that on one hand I'm being told buy something that you don't mind dropping. Then on the other side buy something because the 401 wont see you to your test. Its kind of confusing.

This isn't really conflicting advice TBH, a bike you don't mind dropping and one that can get you to your test can be the same thing. The former advice is more about not buying a new 2021 or there abouts dream bike, this is your "first" bike, not your last.

What age are you as this impacts what you can apply for and what stage are you at in the process already (permits, IBT, etc.)?

dragx

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

a smart man learns from his mistakes; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Never heard this, great quote.

I'm just getting into bikes now at 28. Even if I had the money to buy a new bike I wouldn't, just seems like absolute madness to me.

My first car was (still is) a 2010 Peugeot 207 that I bought in 2018. I never thought I was the precious kind but the first time I scraped the wheel pulling up to a kerb I nearly cried! Now imagine I'd started driving something nicer like a new Golf.

Ideally I'll start on something like a Hornet or ER6 (assuming all goes well with the IBT and I feel comfortable at 600, maybe I'll be content on a smaller bike) that's a few years old and while I can still take pride in it, I wont be kicking myself if it takes a fall.