Discussion
I will soon need to stop using a car to get to/from work and love myself too much to take a bus/tube to work.
The obvious solution is to get a motorbike. First step - license.
I'll be in India this summer and plan to learn the basics (i.e. control) of biking there. Also I figure that if I can control a bike in Indian traffic, it'll make doing the same in the UK a breeze.
The game plan so far was to do all the basic training and get a feel for riding in India. Then one I come here all I'll need to do is brush up on the stuff like road positioning etc. to pass the test.
Where it gets complicated is that I'm turning 21 in the summer and I gather that license regs are changing from January and I don't want to get stuck with some silly engine size limit till I'm 26 or w/e years old. So I need to get my full license before January, but after I'm 21 to do Direct Access - correct?
How should I proceed in light of this? Perhaps do my theory before I go to India and all the practical stuff after?
Cheers,
b.
The obvious solution is to get a motorbike. First step - license.
I'll be in India this summer and plan to learn the basics (i.e. control) of biking there. Also I figure that if I can control a bike in Indian traffic, it'll make doing the same in the UK a breeze.
The game plan so far was to do all the basic training and get a feel for riding in India. Then one I come here all I'll need to do is brush up on the stuff like road positioning etc. to pass the test.
Where it gets complicated is that I'm turning 21 in the summer and I gather that license regs are changing from January and I don't want to get stuck with some silly engine size limit till I'm 26 or w/e years old. So I need to get my full license before January, but after I'm 21 to do Direct Access - correct?
How should I proceed in light of this? Perhaps do my theory before I go to India and all the practical stuff after?
Cheers,
b.
INB4 the move. I wouldn't bother trying to learn in India, you'll only get into bad habits that will see you fail once you are back in a country with a highway code. Assuming you aren't flattened by an old Chinese truck that had its brake pads replaced with bricks because it was cheaper.
Thinking about doing the same, more as an option than necessity
Am I right in thinking I'd need to do CBT on a course off the public roads, then ride something under a certain power output and do a theory and practical within 2 years? Or buy my own bike and work it out for myself?
Biggest thing I can think about going wrong is gears
Am I right in thinking I'd need to do CBT on a course off the public roads, then ride something under a certain power output and do a theory and practical within 2 years? Or buy my own bike and work it out for myself?
Biggest thing I can think about going wrong is gears
sday12 said:
Licence.
Cheers bruv, seems you're right. http://www.future-perfect.co.uk/grammartips/gramma...andy-xr said:
Thinking about doing the same, more as an option than necessity
Am I right in thinking I'd need to do CBT on a course off the public roads, then ride something under a certain power output and do a theory and practical within 2 years? Or buy my own bike and work it out for myself?
Biggest thing I can think about going wrong is gears
Been a few years since I did mine but back then you had to do a CBT course which consisted of both off road and on road tuition with a tutor for the day.Am I right in thinking I'd need to do CBT on a course off the public roads, then ride something under a certain power output and do a theory and practical within 2 years? Or buy my own bike and work it out for myself?
Biggest thing I can think about going wrong is gears
You're then restricted to 125cc or 11hp I think it is.
You don't have to do your CBT on a manual to ride a manual either. I did it on a 50cc scooter and then went and bought a 125cc Honda CG.
The CBT lasts 2 years which after that time you either have to pass your test or just take the course again.
I loved my little Honda CG did up to 60mph and used about a tenner in petrol every 2 weeks. Great in traffic too. Rush hour? Pfft what rush hour.
Cricky, it was easier in my day. You rode a 250 on a provisional licence for as long as you wished, then if you wanted something bigger you took a test, which meant you rode around the block outside the exam centre and if you came back, you passed!
Then rode home, gave the Honda 250 Superdream to your kid brother, and bought a Honda 1000 CBX 6 cylinder and insured it for about £150 fully comp even though you were still a teenager.
Unfortunately, the down side to that was most of us were dead before we were 21. But apart from dying, it was a great system.
Then rode home, gave the Honda 250 Superdream to your kid brother, and bought a Honda 1000 CBX 6 cylinder and insured it for about £150 fully comp even though you were still a teenager.
Unfortunately, the down side to that was most of us were dead before we were 21. But apart from dying, it was a great system.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Cricky, it was easier in my day. You rode a 250 on a provisional licence for as long as you wished, then if you wanted something bigger you took a test, which meant you rode around the block outside the exam centre and if you came back, you passed!
Yep! in my day you started with a 'Fizzy' at sixteen first though.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Cricky, it was easier in my day. You rode a 250 on a provisional licence for as long as you wished, then if you wanted something bigger you took a test, which meant you rode around the block outside the exam centre and if you came back, you passed!
Then rode home, gave the Honda 250 Superdream to your kid brother, and bought a Honda 1000 CBX 6 cylinder and insured it for about £150 fully comp even though you were still a teenager.
Unfortunately, the down side to that was most of us were dead before we were 21. But apart from dying, it was a great system.
Ahhhh, for the old days...Then rode home, gave the Honda 250 Superdream to your kid brother, and bought a Honda 1000 CBX 6 cylinder and insured it for about £150 fully comp even though you were still a teenager.
Unfortunately, the down side to that was most of us were dead before we were 21. But apart from dying, it was a great system.
As above, get your CBT done now. The gubbermint only seems intent on making it harder for new riders and appear to be determined to get us all off the road. A little 125 will teach you bike control and give you experience.
.blue said:
Where it gets complicated is that I'm turning 21 in the summer and I gather that license regs are changing from January and I don't want to get stuck with some silly engine size limit till I'm 26 or w/e years old. So I need to get my full license before January, but after I'm 21 to do Direct Access - correct?
If your 21 this year you can either do your DAS once your 21 and ride any bike, or you can do your a2 between now and the end of this year and you will be restricted to 33bhp for two years, then you can ride what you want.PorkaFly said:
If you learn to ride a motorbike in India you may not make it back to the UK alive...seriously.
This. Indian roads have the highest death rates in the world for a reason. It's not a place to learn to ride. Also, healthcare is such that even a minor off could see you becoming very seriously ill.Just do your CBT in the UK, buy a CG125 or something and get some experience.
The main point of learning the basics in India was that to do the same here, it would cost me what, a few hundred pounds for a half day session?
I just want to get into the hang of balancing a bike, steering with arms/body, gears on foot etc. - i.e. the things that I think will be hardest to adjust to having driven only cars.
It's not my first time in India and have driven there before so have some sense of Indian traffic. Of course I would only be learning on quiet/empty roads - so perhaps only a handful (hopefully less!) of lessons will be enough to get a feel for bike control.
As soon as I am confident controlling a bike, I will do the rest of my rider training back here. Am I overestimating how hard it would be to learn to ride?
I just want to get into the hang of balancing a bike, steering with arms/body, gears on foot etc. - i.e. the things that I think will be hardest to adjust to having driven only cars.
It's not my first time in India and have driven there before so have some sense of Indian traffic. Of course I would only be learning on quiet/empty roads - so perhaps only a handful (hopefully less!) of lessons will be enough to get a feel for bike control.
As soon as I am confident controlling a bike, I will do the rest of my rider training back here. Am I overestimating how hard it would be to learn to ride?
Edited by .blue on Saturday 3rd March 11:54
.blue said:
The main point of learning the basics in India was that to do the same here, it would cost me what, a few hundred pounds for a half day session?
I just want to get into the hang of balancing a bike, steering with arms/body, gears on foot etc. - i.e. the things that I think will be hardest to adjust to having driven only cars.
It's not my first time in India and have driven there before so have some sense of Indian traffic. Of course I would only be learning on quiet/empty roads - so perhaps only a handful (hopefully less!) of lessons will be enough to get a feel for bike control.
As soon as I am confident controlling a bike, I will do the rest of my rider training back here. Am I overestimating how hard it would be to learn to ride?
Yes, you are possibly... I just want to get into the hang of balancing a bike, steering with arms/body, gears on foot etc. - i.e. the things that I think will be hardest to adjust to having driven only cars.
It's not my first time in India and have driven there before so have some sense of Indian traffic. Of course I would only be learning on quiet/empty roads - so perhaps only a handful (hopefully less!) of lessons will be enough to get a feel for bike control.
As soon as I am confident controlling a bike, I will do the rest of my rider training back here. Am I overestimating how hard it would be to learn to ride?
Edited by .blue on Saturday 3rd March 11:54
Like somebody else said above, you will get into bad habits, it could cost you more in the end to get straightened out. Assuming you survive. I appreciate you have been to India before, but I also assume you didn't learn to drive on Indian roads? Think about it for a moment, if you are having to concentrate on learning to ride a motorcycle, changing gear with your foot, balancing the brakes etc then you won't be properly concentrating on the elephant or cow wandering into the road or the countless thousands of people asleep on the hard shoulder. Do at least some training here!
.blue said:
The main point of learning the basics in India was that to do the same here, it would cost me what, a few hundred pounds for a half day session?
I just want to get into the hang of balancing a bike, steering with arms/body, gears on foot etc. - i.e. the things that I think will be hardest to adjust to having driven only cars.
It's not my first time in India and have driven there before so have some sense of Indian traffic. Of course I would only be learning on quiet/empty roads - so perhaps only a handful (hopefully less!) of lessons will be enough to get a feel for bike control.
As soon as I am confident controlling a bike, I will do the rest of my rider training back here. Am I overestimating how hard it would be to learn to ride?
I doubt a CBT will cost you much more than £100, less if you can find a deal like the poster above listed.I just want to get into the hang of balancing a bike, steering with arms/body, gears on foot etc. - i.e. the things that I think will be hardest to adjust to having driven only cars.
It's not my first time in India and have driven there before so have some sense of Indian traffic. Of course I would only be learning on quiet/empty roads - so perhaps only a handful (hopefully less!) of lessons will be enough to get a feel for bike control.
As soon as I am confident controlling a bike, I will do the rest of my rider training back here. Am I overestimating how hard it would be to learn to ride?
Edited by .blue on Saturday 3rd March 11:54
Have you ever ridden a pushbike? Your second sentence suggests you have no idea how to balance a bike.
If not, I'm not sure learning how to balance for the first time on CBT is particularly clever, you'll end up wasting much of the day that you're paying for. Not only that, but when you fall off, you'll be going much faster than you would when cycling, and are quite likely to hurt yourself enough to stop your training in its tracks.
If you can cycle, fine ignore this, if not, spend a few quid on a cheap pushbike and figure out the basics first.
Hello.
At the moment, (The system changes January the 19th)
Compulsory Basic Training - allows you to ride up to 125cc, and 14.6 bhp, as a learner, no going on motorways, no carrying passengers. However, 16 year olds are only allowed 50cc, and 50 km/h restricted, just in case there are any reading.
If you can ride a bicycle, you can do CBT, it isn't difficult.
(Note: if it is derestricted, you are riding without a licence, and hence insurance, which means losing the licence. Same with the old two stroke 125s, which can be derestricted, usually to 33 bhp.)
Once you've done CBT, there is a theory test, which is like the car one, but bike focused.
Then the actual test. There are two parts - Module 1, which is off road, riding around cones and ensuring that you can do low speed control.
Then Module 2, which is on road, just you, the bike, traffic, and the examiner.
Once this is done, you have a licence which is restricted to 33 bhp, for two years, and then the restriction is lifted.
Direct Access Scheme is pretty much the same, but instead of being restricted, you are allowed anything, however you must be 21 or above.
Either way, most training companies will do it all for 600 quid. (ish.)
As said earlier, next year in January the system changes. A 3 tier licence comes in, with tests and training between each stage. DAS age is raised to 24.
Tiers are 125cc 14.6 bhp, A1 at 17 years old, 47 bhp A2 at 19, and the full licence at 21.
The cost for this is likely to be triple what it is now.
As to the India part, I would give that a miss - their accident rate is absolutely atrocious. The traffic off a recent Top Gear episode is fairly normal. At least here, 99.9999% of drivers will be on the correct side of the road.
At the moment, (The system changes January the 19th)
Compulsory Basic Training - allows you to ride up to 125cc, and 14.6 bhp, as a learner, no going on motorways, no carrying passengers. However, 16 year olds are only allowed 50cc, and 50 km/h restricted, just in case there are any reading.
If you can ride a bicycle, you can do CBT, it isn't difficult.
(Note: if it is derestricted, you are riding without a licence, and hence insurance, which means losing the licence. Same with the old two stroke 125s, which can be derestricted, usually to 33 bhp.)
Once you've done CBT, there is a theory test, which is like the car one, but bike focused.
Then the actual test. There are two parts - Module 1, which is off road, riding around cones and ensuring that you can do low speed control.
Then Module 2, which is on road, just you, the bike, traffic, and the examiner.
Once this is done, you have a licence which is restricted to 33 bhp, for two years, and then the restriction is lifted.
Direct Access Scheme is pretty much the same, but instead of being restricted, you are allowed anything, however you must be 21 or above.
Either way, most training companies will do it all for 600 quid. (ish.)
As said earlier, next year in January the system changes. A 3 tier licence comes in, with tests and training between each stage. DAS age is raised to 24.
Tiers are 125cc 14.6 bhp, A1 at 17 years old, 47 bhp A2 at 19, and the full licence at 21.
The cost for this is likely to be triple what it is now.
As to the India part, I would give that a miss - their accident rate is absolutely atrocious. The traffic off a recent Top Gear episode is fairly normal. At least here, 99.9999% of drivers will be on the correct side of the road.
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