I’ve passed my CBT/theory so want to do the direct access tests 1 and 2, local centre want £600 for training and bike hire to put me through which I cant afford.

Without wanting to sound like an ass I don’t think I’l need a 4 day course to pass the tests and I cant afford £600 when the tests are only £20 each!….can I sell my 125 and buy a 650 for the test and drive it on the roads if I am accompanied/shadowed by a full license holder or must they be a registered instructor?

No. You need to be accompanied by an instructor.

DAS courses are quite intensive, it’s a millionty times harder to pass than the car driving test, are you certain you don’t need to do the course?

Sorry, but the course isn’t about passing a test, it’s about learning to stay alive long enough to enjoy the new license.

Or just pass on your 125 and bide your time.

As Onza says, it’s more about learning how to ride than doing the bare minimum to pass the tests. learn on the 125 then do the full tests later.

and no, you can’t ride a 650 unless under instruction without a full licence.

Part 2 is £75 (during the week, £88.50 if evening, weekend or bank holiday).

To ride a 650 on L plates you need to be ‘under instruction’ with a qualified instructor and have a one radio to get instruction/commands.

£600 isn’t bad considering it’s instruction and specific prep for the tests. Plus bike hire inc insurance (and gear as well if you’ve not got it). Mine included a couple hours in the part 1 test area to practice under full conditions.

Buy a 650 and trailer/van it to the test.

probs around 30 years ago i had a sidewinder i think it was called. like a tiny sidecar which moved up and down when cornering. allowed me to ride a bigger bike on L plates. do’nt know if this would be allowed now though.

sidecar loophole no longer works I don’t think

there is a reason why the course takes 5 days and costs a lot – its a difficult and intense course. You will not pass the test without training. I had been riding bikes for more than ten years everyday and still did 10 hours of training to pass my test

Whereas my lad did a weekend course. Five minutes in the instructor told him it was a waste of time so they just raced around between cafes. He’d been racing mx and enduro since he was a kid.

If you can ride and already have a car licence it can’t possibly be hard.*

*I pre-date this nonsense and just had to avoid running over a bloke jumping out from behind a car.