Discussion
I have happily discovered that bike insurance is not as expensive as first thought..
I've rung a few schools near me (W London) but they are quoting about £650 for a 5 day DAS including CBT. Can I get it done cheaper? A few posts from a search mention it should be possible for less than £500. If so, any recommendations on schools appreciated.
My only prior experience with bikes was riding my moped around a field between the ages of 14 and 16. Even though it was a 90cc Honda C90, and got to the giddy heights of 30mph on grass, I don't think this will allow me to skip a day or two of DAS will it?
I've rung a few schools near me (W London) but they are quoting about £650 for a 5 day DAS including CBT. Can I get it done cheaper? A few posts from a search mention it should be possible for less than £500. If so, any recommendations on schools appreciated.
My only prior experience with bikes was riding my moped around a field between the ages of 14 and 16. Even though it was a 90cc Honda C90, and got to the giddy heights of 30mph on grass, I don't think this will allow me to skip a day or two of DAS will it?
You may not need the full 5 days - best to go for 1 and let the instructor advise you on how much more training they think you need. I started with no experience and took 3 days DAS + CBT to get there.
Trained with bikewize(.co.uk) and can't recommend them enough. Excellent tuition and a great bunch of people if they're not too far from you.
Trained with bikewize(.co.uk) and can't recommend them enough. Excellent tuition and a great bunch of people if they're not too far from you.
I'm afraid I disagree.
IMO, it's best to get as many days training as you can afford, for two reasons.
Firstly, if you fail, you've got a 10+ day wait until you can retest. During which time your skills may deteriorate, you may need or want another day or so's instruction, etc. Retesting would be an expensive pain, so better to give yourself the very best chance of passing first time.
Secondly, you don't know what you might learn in that extra day. For example, new road situations might crop up that you hadn't covered earlier on. You're going to be riding a bike for life, so you might as well get the best possible start. Unless you go on to take advanced instruction (very highly recommended, incidentally), your DAS could be all the formal tuition you'll get for a lifetime on two wheels.
Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun
IMO, it's best to get as many days training as you can afford, for two reasons.
Firstly, if you fail, you've got a 10+ day wait until you can retest. During which time your skills may deteriorate, you may need or want another day or so's instruction, etc. Retesting would be an expensive pain, so better to give yourself the very best chance of passing first time.
Secondly, you don't know what you might learn in that extra day. For example, new road situations might crop up that you hadn't covered earlier on. You're going to be riding a bike for life, so you might as well get the best possible start. Unless you go on to take advanced instruction (very highly recommended, incidentally), your DAS could be all the formal tuition you'll get for a lifetime on two wheels.
Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun
Hi Jon,
Yes, I've got one. They are a fantastic first big bike. (I had a little bike before my SV.)
- The V-twin engine is lovely and torquey; nice low down grunt.
- Fast enough for riding in the real world, without being scary. (The only times I've wanted more power have been on track days, but then you always do! The bike can actually cope quite well with track use.)
- Light weight, which is reassuring in a first big bike, and good low speed handling for filtering, U-turns, etc.
- Touch wood, mine's been totally reliable, even through winter riding.
If you want a bike that will grow with you as your riding progresses, then I can recommend it.
If you do get one, I'd recommend getting both a 'fender extender' and hugger fitted, as they make a big difference in keeping crud off the bike. The SV's regular fender is none too good. Whatever bike you get, I'd definitely recommend booking straight onto one of the "intro advanced" days too, such as something like BMF RIDERplus ( www.secondsteprts.co.uk/coursewith.html ) or the 6h Development Course ( www.advanced-motorcycle-training.co.uk/Courses.asp ) or even a full advanced course; you'll be faster and safer.
Hope this helps, but feel free to PM me any SV queries.
Cheers
>> Edited by Mark_SV on Saturday 23 July 14:05
Yes, I've got one. They are a fantastic first big bike. (I had a little bike before my SV.)
- The V-twin engine is lovely and torquey; nice low down grunt.
- Fast enough for riding in the real world, without being scary. (The only times I've wanted more power have been on track days, but then you always do! The bike can actually cope quite well with track use.)
- Light weight, which is reassuring in a first big bike, and good low speed handling for filtering, U-turns, etc.
- Touch wood, mine's been totally reliable, even through winter riding.
If you want a bike that will grow with you as your riding progresses, then I can recommend it.
If you do get one, I'd recommend getting both a 'fender extender' and hugger fitted, as they make a big difference in keeping crud off the bike. The SV's regular fender is none too good. Whatever bike you get, I'd definitely recommend booking straight onto one of the "intro advanced" days too, such as something like BMF RIDERplus ( www.secondsteprts.co.uk/coursewith.html ) or the 6h Development Course ( www.advanced-motorcycle-training.co.uk/Courses.asp ) or even a full advanced course; you'll be faster and safer.
Hope this helps, but feel free to PM me any SV queries.
Cheers
>> Edited by Mark_SV on Saturday 23 July 14:05
Great, well have the small obstacle of passing the test first, but looks pretty reasonable insurance wise.
Still can't decide between a new one or a second hand one tho (same for any bike). Depreciation isn't that awful on a bike, and 0% finance is great, but you can get a lot more kit on a used one and insurance is cheaper ..
Still can't decide between a new one or a second hand one tho (same for any bike). Depreciation isn't that awful on a bike, and 0% finance is great, but you can get a lot more kit on a used one and insurance is cheaper ..
The current finance deal should influence second hand prices downwards. Either way, you’ll probably get a better deal second hand. To get an idea of second hand prices, you can have a look in the bikes-for-sale section of MCN or search www.biketrader.co.uk
If you do go the second hand route, then I’d advise getting your chosen bike HPI checked before you buy. I was going to buy an absolute mint example from a reputable-looking guy, but an HPI check revealed it had been clocked. (The guy was reputable and knew nothing about it. It turned out his original dealer had clocked the mileage.)
If you do go the second hand route, then I’d advise getting your chosen bike HPI checked before you buy. I was going to buy an absolute mint example from a reputable-looking guy, but an HPI check revealed it had been clocked. (The guy was reputable and knew nothing about it. It turned out his original dealer had clocked the mileage.)
keitht1 said:
You may not need the full 5 days - best to go for 1 and let the instructor advise you on how much more training they think you need. I started with no experience and took 3 days DAS + CBT to get there.
Trained with bikewize(.co.uk) and can't recommend them enough. Excellent tuition and a great bunch of people if they're not too far from you.
Seconded. I used them two and a half years back and they're a good bunch.
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