[Motorbikes] Learning to ride/Getting a licence

[ladysavage]

Adam has a bandit 600, aside from liking the colour i can offer no comment on it but he seems happy enough with it as a first bike!

[Semprini]

Originally Posted by SOLIDBOB

learn to ride on a big bike and not have to go through the 2 year probationary 125cc part, yes?

Beware!

[linz]

RJ did the one day thing at a place at the back of Nithsdale Road, a bit on the roof of the building, then a bit of a ride about the area. It created a monster, and he is now obsessed with bikes/importing bikes/watching bike videos/buying bike outfits...

[SOLIDBOB]

Originally Posted by linz

a bit on the roof of the building.

I think I'll leave that to professional stuntmen.

[Helter Skelter]

Originally Posted by SOLIDBOB

I think I'll leave that to professional stuntmen.

Funny that, I was thinking the same thing.

Bugger being on the roof of a building first time I'm in control of a bike...especially after watching the video Semp just posted!

[caitlinjae]

YouTube - Grease 2 - A Cool Rider

[sjonit]

the roof bit on the motorcycle shop on nithsdale road is safe, pure fenced in and lots of tyres.

[New Ratser]

I did mine a year ago with Bikerite in Rutherglen.
Great folk down there.
I was about £600 including CBT.
Did the CBT one day, then two days direct access, with the test on the third day.
I failed first time, but didn't take any more lessons, just took another test which they threw in the bike hire free, and passed.
All within a month.
After my CBT I had a Honda Varadero 125 brand new, then when I passed moved on to a CB600 Hornet brand new.
Planning on trading in this month for a new CBR600RR.
Wished I had done it sooner, and can't get enough of the things, from riding to watching the racing etc.

Should add that the costs above didn'y include the theory test.
I still have the book and Hazard Awareness disc if anyone needs a loan.

[linz]

Originally Posted by SOLIDBOB

I think I'll leave that to professional stuntmen.

Ha, it clearly sounds worse than it is. AS sjonit says, its safe! It's just an oval (I think its tarmac?) that's surrounded by tyres, and they go round it slower than you could ever imagine a motorbike could go. No leaping off the roof through a burning hoop involved at all

[Kenny Everett]

New Ratser; Had you ridden a bike before your CBT or were you going in cold?

[jenandherlaptop]

I''d suggest Bike It or Ride On

I know both of these, the practical test is included with lesson prices.
Not sure of the amount.

I'd sway more with Bike It, as they are genuinely nice guys.


My mate just sold his honda vfr 400 aswell, can't mind how much, was reasonably cheap though, as he didnt have space for it, with his 2 cars, a van and 3 other bikes lol

[Goregoat]

I reckon when I did my DAS course (four years back), it cost a total of about £3000 all in, breaking down to

Course plus test resit - £650(ish)

Helmet/textile clothing/boots/gloves - £300 (Helmet £100, textiles £100, boots £60, gloves £40. Try J&S in Hamilton, they do cracking deals)

Bike (Suzuki rf600) - £1500 (The sv650 you said you liked can be had for £2000, the slightly more rounded frame older model goes for as little as £900 now. good first big bike too!)

Insurance - £450 ( shop around, but the first year's a killer. No claims for a car don't count.)

But that's the lot, from not ever having had a bike at all to Being competent to take a 600 out on the road, and properly dressed for it. The insurance drops each year in a way car insurance hasn't, too. If i'd still had the rf600 it would have been £145 this year. The rf900 streetfighter I use now was £195.

It's well worth doin!

G

[Noizy Rab]

Originally Posted by SOLIDBOB

Dunno what bike I fancy, had a quick swatch at the autotrader there and there's a couple of decent bandits kicking about.

Also want this: http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk...icleRegLetter=

I avoid talking to Baldy George whenever possible to protect my sanity.

the sv is a v-twin sports bike, if you're gonna go for one of those you might as well buy a ducati, otherwise i'd say go for the bandit as they tend to be a bit meaner than the equivalent sv, plus if you stick a twin headlamp on the unfaired model they look pretty fuckin nasty, streetfighter action is what you want

http://www.whaccessories.com/images/...anditPuple.jpg
http://www.grundynet.com/bandit/Detail/018-sal204.jpg

[Goregoat]

the sv is a v-twin sports bike, if you're gonna go for one of those you might as well buy a ducati,

The tl1000 is probably the only suzuki equivalent to a ducati, and they were legendarily twitchy, sv's are pretty much everyday swiss army bikes and as you say, slightly less powerful than the equivalent bandit. (But i hear the Sv handles a fair bit better)

I reckon any 600 form the last ten to fifteen years will be fine, probably best not to go much bigger than a 750 for the first one, but theres the choice of....

Bandit 600, sv650, rf600, r6, ninja 600, cbr600, fazer, diversion, hornet, ducati monster600, gsxr600, thundercat, zzr600, ninja and gsxr750s,

It just depends how much you want to spend on insurance, runnung costs etc. All the bikes listed are fairly easy to get hold of, and I don't think a decent example of a 6/8 year old model would be breaking the bank.

G

[New Ratser]

Originally Posted by Kenny Everett

New Ratser; Had you ridden a bike before your CBT or were you going in cold?

Nope.
Had been a pillion way back, but had never rode a bike.