Sports car to Bike
Discussion
I'm running an Integra dc5 type-r at the moment, but due to work this is getting a 500 miles/week added to the clock. I'm considering selling up and buying a bog standard diesel as a workhorse, then a bike for fun and good weather.
I've had it instilled into me from a young age that motorcycling will result in an untimely death or maiming - so I'm wanting to do this in the safest way possible. Looking at doing a course like http://www.ridertraining.biz/staged-access (direct access is off the cards as I'm not 24+).
I'm just after a bit of advice or recommendations for someone in my position, what you wish you would have known, best steps to learn properly etc.
Cheers
Matt
I've had it instilled into me from a young age that motorcycling will result in an untimely death or maiming - so I'm wanting to do this in the safest way possible. Looking at doing a course like http://www.ridertraining.biz/staged-access (direct access is off the cards as I'm not 24+).
I'm just after a bit of advice or recommendations for someone in my position, what you wish you would have known, best steps to learn properly etc.
Cheers
Matt
I sold my EP3 to take up biking. It was without a doubt the best motoring decision I've ever made. How long would you have to wait to do DAS? I think you'd be better off going for DAS, less hassle than doing A2, buying an A2-friendly bike and then having to do another test for a full licence, and then selling the A2 bike.
Mastodon2 said:
I sold my EP3 to take up biking. It was without a doubt the best motoring decision I've ever made. How long would you have to wait to do DAS? I think you'd be better off going for DAS, less hassle than doing A2, buying an A2-friendly bike and then having to do another test for a full licence, and then selling the A2 bike.
Just under 2 years before I could do DAS. Was thinking more along the lines of a 600 with restrictor to conform to A2 license.. Should be plenty fast enough for the first couple of years? Then the option of losing the restriction or changing bike..blue said:
Do it. You can ride some good enough bikes on a restricted license. The savings over a car are significant.
Exactly. A decent 125 will feel more sporty than an Integra (no offence to Integra owners) and then there's the chance to step up in a year. New novelty. Rinse and repeat, all for less money than a year's insurance on a (*cough* proper) sports car, really Get on two wheels as quick as you can. Having to ride something with less power for a while is no bad thing; it'll help you build up your experience at more modest speeds, giving you more time to react and think about what the bike is doing. You'll feel so much more "plugged in" to a bike than in any car, and you'll find yourself focusing on your surroundings (road conditions, potential hazards, etc) far more than you've probably been used to, so it's not just about adapting to a different vehicle - there's more to it than that. I suspect that your biggest regret may be that you didn't start sooner. Keep us posted...
srob said:
You'll get more motoring satisfaction and feel more connected to the road on a CG125 than you do in your Integra.
As much as I love motorbikes (and I guess your using the lower end of bikes here), there's no way I'd swap a car such as the Integra for a bike that struggles to 50mph!!No idea what bikes are allowed under the new schemes but an old school 400 could be restricted and you wouldn't loose money on it. What about the KTM 390 thingies? Cheapo CB500? Aprilia RS125 or a MIto if your feeling brave?
dai1983 said:
As much as I love motorbikes (and I guess your using the lower end of bikes here), there's no way I'd swap a car such as the Integra for a bike that struggles to 50mph!!
I would, I had an EP3 and if I wanted to have fun, I'd pick the CG125 every time. Speed isn't everything, and you can't lean an Integra. Do it! My housemate went from hot hatches to a GSX650F restricted to 46bhp, and a diesel hatchback, and he has no regrets and has serious fun on his 46bhp restricted bike, and gets satisfaction from his efficient sensible car.
He rode an unrestricted CBR400 for a few months but dropped it once or twice... someone crashed into it parked and wrote it off and he got the modern GSX650F, and restricted it, and his riding came on leaps and bounds - only slightly less power, but has taught him to carry speed and ride more smoothly...
I hate to say it, but the restriction is good for you... coming from a car you'll find even an old 60hbp CBR400/VFR400/ZXR400 a time warp in comparison, and some time with a restricted bike WILL make you a better rider, and hopefully make you less likely to throw it down the road too.
If I was you i'd try to get a good unmolested Aprilia RS125, and a sensible car for two years... the 125 will be not much use for more than fun stuff, and will require plenty of fettling and maintenance to keep it reliable, so you'll need the cheap runaround car, but you will have a lot of fun on it! - two stroke bikes are supposed to be immensely fun compared to 4 stroke bikes, but are disappearing from our roads fast. Enjoy one while you can, learn to carry serious corner speed on it, read the road better, and prepare yourself for something bigger once you've done your DAS at 24.
Or... do your DAS now, restrict a bike, and have wicked fun! (and take 10000000 tests, eeeeeugh.)
He rode an unrestricted CBR400 for a few months but dropped it once or twice... someone crashed into it parked and wrote it off and he got the modern GSX650F, and restricted it, and his riding came on leaps and bounds - only slightly less power, but has taught him to carry speed and ride more smoothly...
I hate to say it, but the restriction is good for you... coming from a car you'll find even an old 60hbp CBR400/VFR400/ZXR400 a time warp in comparison, and some time with a restricted bike WILL make you a better rider, and hopefully make you less likely to throw it down the road too.
If I was you i'd try to get a good unmolested Aprilia RS125, and a sensible car for two years... the 125 will be not much use for more than fun stuff, and will require plenty of fettling and maintenance to keep it reliable, so you'll need the cheap runaround car, but you will have a lot of fun on it! - two stroke bikes are supposed to be immensely fun compared to 4 stroke bikes, but are disappearing from our roads fast. Enjoy one while you can, learn to carry serious corner speed on it, read the road better, and prepare yourself for something bigger once you've done your DAS at 24.
Or... do your DAS now, restrict a bike, and have wicked fun! (and take 10000000 tests, eeeeeugh.)
Once you get into a bike even a restricted one, you'll wonder what all the fuss is about with cars like the Integra in terms of performance. They are a fantastic car, but not a patch on even a mediumly fast bike.
Although I have spent the day hooning around on my 954, so maybe a little biased. My RX8 offered nowhere near the level of involvement as a bike.
Although I have spent the day hooning around on my 954, so maybe a little biased. My RX8 offered nowhere near the level of involvement as a bike.
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