I’ve always wanted one, but I’ve never done anything about it. Recently I’ve been thinking about it more and more.
I’ve got a full drivers license, so as far as i understand it, i just need my cbt to ride a 125cc on the road on L plates.

I know it’s not going to be quick, but i was initially thinking of riding like that for a year, to see if i get on with it. Won’t be used for commuting, just literally for getting away from the missus!

Anyone done similar? Also any tips for me on what bike to go for and what to avoid?

Or just feel free to put me off! 😉

Get the proper license, that way a) you’ll be taught how to ride a bike, and b) you can get a proper one 🙂

Haha yeah that’s the eventual plan! Mrs has ideas on finally getting married, so money will be a bit hard to come by ’till after!

a good reliable honda cg125, cheap as chips to run. never had one but i did have a aprilia rs125 which although quick and handled great, it was expensive to run and went wrong,a lot.

had a couple of bigger bikes but my mtb habit has now taken over, i do have a 100cc peugeot scooter sitting in the shed for hot sunny days cruising around in shorts and tshirt(not recommended as gravel rash hurts) and pretending im in ibiza (but with less eye candy)

however on the way back from chicksands yesterday i saw a accident that had just happened on the a507 in which a 70 year old had crashed into the back of a car and has life threatening injuries!

http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Buntingford-and-Royston/Motorcyclist-in-his-70s-in-critical-condition-after-A507-crash-13082012.htm
watch out for those car drivers!

+1 for honda cg125, cheap to run.
re: your comment about not quick,
a 125 will have no trouble keeping up with traffic anywhere except a motorway.
my advice: do it.
also: get some proper training, so you dont end up chucking the bike up the road the day after your test while wobbling round a corner at 45mph when it could easily be taken at 70mph.
(luckily i was unhurt, my gear saved my skin)

Tom

I did exactly that, i got my CBT and then a Yamaha YBR125* to get used to the whole motorbike thing (as I’d never ridden before).

125 was great fun, 200miles per £8 and i gained a lot of confidence in my abilities to handle the weight, speed etc (compared to a push bike!)

Overall, it took me a couple of years to pass my ‘big bike’ test, but i was in no rush, choosing to feel ‘ready’ to step up to the bigger class. My thought was that i needed to get some good miles under my belt before trying bigger bikes. I’m glad I did.

Take no notice of the idiots who say ‘go get a proper licence, big bike, spend loads, blah blah, do what you feel is right, what you can afford, take your time and be safe while having fun.

* I was recommended to stay away from cheap ‘chinese’ brands of smaller bike as they can be prone to problems, falling apart etc. good advice tbh, i bought the yammy and got my money back once i upgraded.

This motorbike is what you want

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_2OnW5VutQ[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhp4CMpdBX0&feature=related[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgVkWOyYqsI&feature=related[/video]

Make sure you get an organ doner card and talk it over with the nearest and dearest for when they have to use it.

Cheers all! Definitely some food for thought. Looking forward to it now!

Edit : Cheers Steve!!

I always say learn on a 125 for a year on a cbt and then do your Direct access. Something like a Honda Cg or Yamaha ybr to learn on and sunny commutes and sell it for what you paid for it and then do your direct access. The amount of dangerous idiots who do their direct access and buy a R1 makes me laugh. They wobble round corners and do dangerous overtakes. I spent 3 years on a 125 and then a naked 600. When i feel ready i may get a R1.

I spent 3 years on a 125 and then a naked 600. When i feel ready i may get a R1.

Good advice, but at least get an adult sized 125.

Make sure you get an organ doner card and talk it over with the nearest and dearest for when they have to use it.

Good advice, for everyone.

I spent 1 day on a 125 myself, then got a TDM 850 before gradually increasing capacity (955, 1050, 1200). I have not yet required an organ donor card, and neither have I felt the need to ride like a complete appendage.

It depends on the person whether bimbling about on a 125 is really worth while IMO. It wasn’t something I had the time or inclination to do – the majority of my riding is fairly long distance where a 125 would be a nightmare given my size and the need to use motorways of occasion. For me Direct Access made most sense, and I feel that as I am a bit older and have got my stupidity mostly out of my system it wasn’t an issue.

Besides… these don’t come in 125cc.

13th April 2012[url=http://www.flickr.com/people/alpinist-photography/]on Flickr[/url]

Another for a cg125 just sold mine after a solid year

Bulls to a yammy nowadays ybr custom is still alright mind.
Get yourself down to your local KTM dealer and look at the duke 200 or enduro road legal 125
S#!t yourself up good n proper go off road and you won,t look back!

I have not yet required an organ donor card

The concept is that you carry one and someone else might benefit, no-one ever requires one. You might die crossing the road and your offal might be handy for someone else.

Believe me, I wasn’t having a go at bikers, that’s why I said “,for everyone”. If I was having a go, it would be at your choice of bike! 😀

I bought a cbr 125r to begin with and rode about at nights sorting out U turns etc for the big bike test. On my days off I would take it on longer trips.. it was slow but I learnt quite a bit on it. Happy I bought it as I remember going into a few corners a little quick and managed to sort it out quite easy with the weight of the thing,not to mention the speed that I was going (probably around 45mph)

I wouldn’t get sucked in by reading stuff on the internet. I went from around 12bhp to 140bhp and convinced myself that I would be fine. Half the folk on here and elsewhere raised their eyebrows and said I’b be dead. It all starts to get a bit scary before you even try out a bigger bike with all the negativity you’ll get on here and folk around you that don’t bike at all. You end up getting the idea that as soon as you get a hold of a throttle of a bike with that sort of power.. that you’ll instantly wheelie off the back of the bike before you make it to the first corner. With all the negativity it left me a nervous wreck about my first drive of the bike I went to look at.. a kwak zx9r. I said to the owner that I was a bit wary of it (because of all the shi&% I had read and believed in!) and expected it to wheelie down the road if I wasn’t careful with the throttle.

Well I set off from the guys house with that extra 100bhp+ and had the idea that the ride would be similar to descending a mountain in the alps on a 70’s steel road bike with a loose headset.. how wrong I was. No, how wrong all the naesayers were! The power was there (if and when you wanted it) and it was all so tame and easy to ride until you let it pick up and got heavy handed with the throttle. I think I believed that with a bike with such a high top speed and quick 0-60, I’d be off the back of it or tank slapping all over the place.

Like Capt Kronos said about having most of his stupidity out of his system.. this is the key.

Its like jumping on a downhill bike you’ve never ridden and trying to ride down fort william with 100% commitment. It’s not something anyone would do. Your brain tells you how hard or fast to go,it won’t let you go any further. When on a motorbike you will find you will take it a little more cautiously than on a pushbike as sliding out around a berm is something you get up and walk away from with very little damage to the bike. When on a public road with a bike costing thousands of pounds that can be instantly written off with a slide-out.. you tend to take corners well within the bike’s capabilities compared to an mtb! You won’t be pushing the ability of the tyres with the inside foot down to get an idea of how much you can push it. Exactly the same if you bought a powerful car. You don’t go out and rag it around corners on it’s first outing.. but driving it easy, it can easily be as safe as a low powered car.

Get a mate who currently has a licence but no bike…

Buy a nice 600, get him to insure it, you then use it and let him use it on occasions.

That way it’s a win win, he gets to keep up to date on his NCD, you get to ride a bike, he gets to ride a bike again.

Once you then decide biking is for you, get on with taking your test etc.

stevewhyte – Member
Make sure you get an organ doner card and talk it over with the nearest and dearest for when they have to use it.

What an absolutely CRAP thing to say in a thread.

Muppet.

weeksy – Member
What an absolutely CRAP thing to say in a thread.
Muppet.

Almost as crap as suggesting buying a 600cc bike and riding it uninsured, without a licence and with no previous professional tuition…… Bravo

Go and get your full bike licence.

Nicely put Martin… a bit more balance to the usual… I think bigger bikes can be very easy to ride and the point about getting the stupidity out of the system is true too.

As always, its the bit between the ears that controls the body… that controls the bike.

Go for it, get a bigger bike and enjoy the best form of personal transport going…

gravitysucks – Member

weeksy – Member
What an absolutely CRAP thing to say in a thread.
Muppet.

Almost as crap as suggesting buying a 600cc bike and riding it uninsured, without a licence and with no previous professional tuition…… Bravo

If you can’t tell the difference between someone making a joke and someone being horrible then i despair for the forum.

gravitysucks – Member
Almost as crap as suggesting buying a 600cc bike and riding it uninsured, without a licence and with no previous professional tuition…… Bravo

P.S. You don’t need professional tuition to ride a bike… but it’s advised to pass the test. It’s not actually terribly complex to ride a bike.

Despite my post being in jest, the logic has worked in the past 🙂

I did my cbt a few weeks ago. I don’t have that much interest in having a 125 for a length of time (did the 125 thing for about 5 or 6 years in my youth) so and going to just go straight to a direct access course next month.

I had forgotten just how much I love the feeling of riding a bike, nothing really compares to it.

🙂

stevewhyte – Member
Make sure you get an organ doner card and talk it over with the nearest and dearest for when they have to use it.
What an absolutely CRAP thing to say in a thread.

Muppet.

Really, sorry but I’m pretty well qualified to talk about motorbikes on this or any forum. I would stand my experience against anyone.

If you don’t think that riding a motorbike is dangerous Then you are deluded and probably should not be riding.

The thrill and anticipation or riding and owning a big bike is amazing, the reality is less so. Spending your time riding at the speed limit does not work and no one does this on big sports bikes (with all sort of bs excuses). The reality of riding in the uk now with the traffic volumes and high levels of policing not to mention the potential to go to jail with the twist of 5 sec or throttle is not fun any more.

I don’t ride sprtsbikes on the road anymore, I have seen too many killed. If I get another sports bike then it will be track only.

There are millions of sensible bikers out there, but it only takes one tit or porr car driver to make you need that organ donar card.

Really, sorry but I’m pretty well qualified to talk about motorbikes on this or any forum. I would stand my experience against anyone.

If you don’t think that riding a motorbike is dangerous Then you are deluded and probably should not be riding

Of course i think they’re dangerous, but putting someone off them by implying they’re likely to be killed is a bit harsh don’t you think.

All bikers have a certain sense of mortaility, i admit i get worried when the wife is out on the roads on her R1.
On Saturday this week, i spent a few hours in Camarthen hospital collecting my mates who’d crashed earlier in the day on track… but… doesn’t mean i’d condone riding a bike like you have.

Do you recommend donor cards for people who go to Morzine and do the DH tracks ? or tell anyone who smokes they’ll be dropping dead of cancer in 10 years ?

I can of course see your point… just thought it was uncalled for.

I think anyone who smokes knows the risks these days.

Not every new bike rider is fully aware of them.

As I said, I have seen too many crashes and deaths on the road, riding a sports bike on the oaf the way it is meant is no longer an option for me. The risk now outweighs the reward.

I think it’s worth pointing that out to any potential new rider.

riding a sports bike on the oaf the way it is meant

Riding ANY vehicle like you are on closed roads or the track results in accidents.

our cbt instructor did a good job of drilling in the fact that people wont see you despite your white helmet etc. You have to adopt a very different approach to riding a bike although it is arguably an approach everyone should be using whatever they are driving!

As I said, I have seen too many crashes and deaths on the road, riding a sports bike on the oaf the way it is meant is no longer an option for me. The risk now outweighs the reward.

as always on forums, opinions vary…. your part above, i couldn’t disagree with more if i tried.

Either get a 125 and get some experience or do direct access and get something mid-sized but not too sporty. The best experience you can get is time in the saddle.

While power and speed are the big differences that most think of when getting a big bike over a 125, braking power is a huge difference and modern sportsbikes have fantastic brakes that can catch a novice out.

However, everyone is different and the choice is yours! But what ever you do buy remember you can always change it if you don’t like it.

And finally I’ve had more fun on small bikes like 125s 250s 400s and 500s thrashing them stupid without hitting 3 figure speeds. I’ve got a Fireblade at the moment and its fantastic but to get that same flat out feeling is highly illegal and extremely dangerous.

I see we have the usual doom and gloom merchants on board here… 😉

Anyhow, I did what the OP is suggesting. CBT then a Yamaha SR125 for nearly a year. I did my test on that just to get rid of the L plates initially. I took one day of lessons on my own bike with my test in the afternoon although the test is 2 parts these days I believe.

I’m my opinion using a 125 for a while, then stepping up to a mid sized bike is the way to go. Even a 125 feels seriously fast the first time you open the throttle, as does a CB500 when you take the restrictor off! FWIW, I don’t think anyone needs more than 100bhp or so. I’ve never had more than 110 and, believe me, that’s all you need to punt 2 people and lots of luggage around at a fairy decent pace. 🙂
There’s loads of nice 125s available these days too, an if you buy a nice used one you’ll loose very little money on it. I know people who’ve done direct access then bought a ‘Blade and scared themselves shitless when there’s plenty of middleweight twins (Suzuki sv650, Kwak er650, BMW F650/800) that are plenty fast enough for everyday riding, cheap to run and will tour and commute with equal ease. That’s the way I’d go. 🙂

PeterPoddy – Member
I don’t think anyone needs more than 100bhp or so.

I don’t think anyone needs a 9kg hardtail, or a £20,000 Mercedes when a Mondeo diesel will do the job, or a 5 bedroom house for 3 people…

However, i like BHP.. i like the ‘Oh crap’ moments when you open the throttle to the stop 🙂

Spending your time riding at the speed limit does not work and no one does this on big sports bikes (with all sort of bs excuses). The reality of riding in the uk now with the traffic volumes and high levels of policing not to mention the potential to go to jail with the twist of 5 sec or throttle is not fun any more.

I don’t ride sprtsbikes on the road anymore, I have seen too many killed. If I get another sports bike then it will be track only.

Wow, so motorcycling is only about buying expensive sportsbikes and going as fast as possible with some other people in leather onesies? I’m clearly doing motorcycling wrong.

Wow, so motorcycling is only about buying expensive sportsbikes and going as fast as possible with some other people in leather onesies? I’m clearly doing motorcycling wrong.

Me too then. 🙂

P.S. You don’t need professional tuition to ride a bike… but it’s advised to pass the test. It’s not actually terribly complex to ride a bike.

Talking about disagreeing.

Wow, so motorcycling is only about buying expensive sportsbikes and going as fast as possible with some other people in leather onesies?

Can’t see where anyone has suggested that.

It’s just the one aspect that I no longer frequent. If I wasn’t very much into my cycling now I would probably still have a bike and ride like an old fart like you. 😉

stevewhyte – Member

Talking about disagreeing.

Well it worked for me… and several others i was chatting to at the weekend over beers at Pembrey.

Don’t forget, 20 years ago there was no such thing as motorcycle instruction, people bought a bike, did a 100m test and got their licence… next thing they were out riding.

I’m fairly sure the vast majority are still kicking round.

before we had the baby i sold my car and got a varadero 125, best type of 125 as it was put to me, high up position so you can see over the traffic.

i only did my CBT training, to be honest i hated every minute on the road, i was totally invisible to every single person in a car. thankfully it was only a 4 mile commute each way to work on A roads.

i think you have to be a certain person to be a biker, i did give it a good go and did it all year round, manhole covers and oil spills were good fun in the wet.

i found the CBT a joke aswell, just a few hours in a carpark and your let loose on the roads.

again just my opinion, i know theres a good few bikers on here who love it and the best of luck to them and you if you decide to take it up. if you do get the best gear you can afford.

Don’t forget, 20 years ago there was no such thing as motorcycle instruction, people bought a bike, did a 100m test and got their licence… next thing they were out riding.

And back then the accident rates were massively higher than they are now, so everyone got married, had a family, then came back to biking in their middle ages and started crashing on their brand new sportsbikes again. There’s a reason motorcycle accident rates have dropped. This is it! 🙂