Same old, same old
Discussion
Right then.
Single(ish) white male, 30(ish), am in the process of selling the TVR with a plan of buying a cheaper run-around & then having a bike for 'fun'.
I, at present, do not have any bike licenses, but plan to do my CBT & then Direct Access within the next month (if possible).
My main issues are the following:
a) Having never riden a bike before (well apart from a few 125's on holiday, which had gears, if that helps), is it best to do a 3 or 4 day intensive course or spread the learning out over a longer time period ?
b) Assuming I passed, what kind of bike would a newbie be advised to purschase. I, obviously, like the sports bikes, in particular CBR600RR & R6, but would these be a bit too extreme to start on. Or, as with the TVR, are these as docile as you want, until you decide to go faster. What I mean is, would I kill myself on one of these ? Think the other half is quite concerned with this issue (the death part anyway).
c) Assuming I passed within the next month, would it be a waste of time buying now. I mean, would you suggest waiting until say April/May 2006 & get used to riding in dry weather. Or is it preferable to get used to riding in cr@p weather ?
d) Is it as much fun as they say ?
>> Edited by hobo on Tuesday 13th September 12:14
Single(ish) white male, 30(ish), am in the process of selling the TVR with a plan of buying a cheaper run-around & then having a bike for 'fun'.
I, at present, do not have any bike licenses, but plan to do my CBT & then Direct Access within the next month (if possible).
My main issues are the following:
a) Having never riden a bike before (well apart from a few 125's on holiday, which had gears, if that helps), is it best to do a 3 or 4 day intensive course or spread the learning out over a longer time period ?
b) Assuming I passed, what kind of bike would a newbie be advised to purschase. I, obviously, like the sports bikes, in particular CBR600RR & R6, but would these be a bit too extreme to start on. Or, as with the TVR, are these as docile as you want, until you decide to go faster. What I mean is, would I kill myself on one of these ? Think the other half is quite concerned with this issue (the death part anyway).
c) Assuming I passed within the next month, would it be a waste of time buying now. I mean, would you suggest waiting until say April/May 2006 & get used to riding in dry weather. Or is it preferable to get used to riding in cr@p weather ?
d) Is it as much fun as they say ?
>> Edited by hobo on Tuesday 13th September 12:14
Hobo,
Just do it, you'll love it. I've recently passed after doing the CBT then 4 days on DAs. Passed first time, good tuition I spose, and recently bought a GSXR600. This thing goes like you wouldn't believe, but treat it with respect and keep telling yourself that you're new to it all, and we should be absolutely fine...it's everyone else on the road that's the problem!!
I also think it's the most fun you can have with ya strides still on....I can't stop riding the thing, and 'er indoors thinks I'm like a kid in a sweetie shop when I get back, telling her all me stories etc....!!
ps - I'm 33 and pasty, and loving it.Wished I'd done it years ago!
Good luck mate!
Just do it, you'll love it. I've recently passed after doing the CBT then 4 days on DAs. Passed first time, good tuition I spose, and recently bought a GSXR600. This thing goes like you wouldn't believe, but treat it with respect and keep telling yourself that you're new to it all, and we should be absolutely fine...it's everyone else on the road that's the problem!!
I also think it's the most fun you can have with ya strides still on....I can't stop riding the thing, and 'er indoors thinks I'm like a kid in a sweetie shop when I get back, telling her all me stories etc....!!
ps - I'm 33 and pasty, and loving it.Wished I'd done it years ago!
Good luck mate!
hobo said:
a) Having never riden a bike before (well apart from a few 125's on holiday, which had gears, if that helps), is it best to do a 3 or 4 day intensive course or spread the learning out over a longer time period ?
I hadn't had any experience of bikes before I took my DAS and took it in August, then rode through the Winter. I got a GPz500 first and rode it through the winter, then got a Speed Triple in May. I did an intensive course over 5 days and it was not too bad, apart from being knackered. Having a car does help as you don't need to concentrate on the roadcraft side as much. Some of the guys on my CBT didn't have any road experience and struggled.
hobo said:
b) Assuming I passed, what kind of bike would a newbie be advised to purschase. I, obviously, like the sports bikes, in particular CBR600RR & R6, but would these be a bit too extreme to start on. Or, as with the TVR, are these as docile as you want, until you decide to go faster. What I mean is, would I kill myself on one of these ? Think the other half is quite concerned with this issue (the death part anyway).
The throttle does go both ways ( so I'm told....) but you can kill yourself with any bike. Of course you have to be more sensitive with the throttle coming out of bends with a sports bike, I could pin the throttle on my GPz and it would just go as it didn't have the power to spin the back up. The killer would be insurance on a sports bike, I was looking at £1500 for a GSX-R 600 with no NCB. The S3 was £1300 first year, £800 2nd year and is now £200 Fully Comp.
hobo said:
c) Assuming I passed within the next month, would it be a waste of time buying now. I mean, would you suggest waiting until say April/May 2006 & get used to riding in dry weather. Or is it preferable to get used to riding in cr@p weather ?
Bike prices go down about this time of year and rise in the spring, I'd get a bike and put it in the garage till spring if you don't want to go out on it. Also, there are lots of sales on for kit as well.
hobo said:
d) Is it as much fun as they say ?
Yes!!!!
a) Normally you can go to a training school and they will asess you during your CBT to determin whether 3 ro 4 days is better, if you have ridden a bike before i would suggest a 3 day course. You will not fail the CBT, if you can get from A to B you will pass that. I did a 3 day direct access and would recommend.
B) After passing i would recommend a 600cc, i went for a CBR600F, excellent bike, can still cut it on a track and with the GSXR (easy) but much more comfortable, good for 2 people if you want to take the wife out, plus being a honda is more or less bomb proof. Yes you could kill yourself on a 600 but you could do that on a 125, might as well do it whilst having fun!
C) I passed my test in about November time and bought my bike in December, much better time to buy, lots of deals, bad time for selling. Plus once you have passed you will want to be out on it ASAP. Lovely sunny winter morning great day out
D), Fun hell yes, best thing i did, nothing better than opening it up, you thought the TVR was fun, nothing compared to a bike.
Hope this helps.
D
[quote=tycho]
The throttle does go both ways ( so I'm told....) but you can kill yourself with any bike. Of course you have to be more sensitive with the throttle coming out of bends with a sports bike, I could pin the throttle on my GPz and it would just go as it didn't have the power to spin the back up. The killer would be insurance on a sports bike, I was looking at £1500 for a GSX-R 600 with no NCB. The S3 was £1300 first year, £800 2nd year and is now £200 Fully Comp.
Insurance for me (33years with 0 NCB) was arond £460 with Esure..Might be worth a call!
The throttle does go both ways ( so I'm told....) but you can kill yourself with any bike. Of course you have to be more sensitive with the throttle coming out of bends with a sports bike, I could pin the throttle on my GPz and it would just go as it didn't have the power to spin the back up. The killer would be insurance on a sports bike, I was looking at £1500 for a GSX-R 600 with no NCB. The S3 was £1300 first year, £800 2nd year and is now £200 Fully Comp.
Insurance for me (33years with 0 NCB) was arond £460 with Esure..Might be worth a call!
hobo said:
Right then.
Single(ish) white male, 30(ish), am in the process of selling the TVR with a plan of buying a cheaper run-around & then having a bike for 'fun'.
same ag as me when I passed
I, at present, do not have any bike licenses, but plan to do my CBT & then Direct Access within the next month (if possible).
My main issues are the following:
a) Having never riden a bike before (well apart from a few 125's on holiday, which had gears, if that helps), is it best to do a 3 or 4 day intensive course or spread the learning out over a longer time period ?
3 day course no previous experience
b) Assuming I passed, what kind of bike would a newbie be advised to purschase. I, obviously, like the sports bikes, in particular CBR600RR & R6, but would these be a bit too extreme to start on. Or, as with the TVR, are these as docile as you want, until you decide to go faster. What I mean is, would I kill myself on one of these ? Think the other half is quite concerned with this issue (the death part anyway).
I bought a GSXR750 as my first bike, get whatever you want is my opinion a CBR600 will be fine although completey different to what you learn on. they only go as fast as you twist your wrist and you have experience with fast cars so I imagine you will be ok
c) Assuming I passed within the next month, would it be a waste of time buying now. I mean, would you suggest waiting until say April/May 2006 & get used to riding in dry weather. Or is it preferable to get used to riding in cr@p weather ?
hard one, personaly I think you ought not to leave it as I imagine it will be very hard to pick up again in 6 months time
d) Is it as much fun as they say ?
yes altough at the begining it wasnt. I found the sports bike hard to ride at first but as my skill improved(still crap a lot to learn)I loved it. had many many good experiences on the bikes. there is no feeling like when you get a corner just right on a sports bike
[]
Cheers for the replies.
Having looked into things a bit further, the next test available around these parts is 29th October. So in the meantime, I will do my CBT & theory.
With regards to insurance, I have been quotes £1400 TPF&T or £2000 Comprehensive on a CBR600RR. Which is still cheaper than the TVR.
With regards the theory test, obviously I'm at an age where I didn't need to do one for the car, and therefore wondered if there are any books/videos worth purchasing beforehand.
I've done the online examples on the dsa site, only got 29 first time (failure). Didn't know about tread sizes on bikes, the glance over the shoulder needed before turning, and a couple of stupid mistakes. Got 32 second time on the 2nd example.
Having looked into things a bit further, the next test available around these parts is 29th October. So in the meantime, I will do my CBT & theory.
With regards to insurance, I have been quotes £1400 TPF&T or £2000 Comprehensive on a CBR600RR. Which is still cheaper than the TVR.
With regards the theory test, obviously I'm at an age where I didn't need to do one for the car, and therefore wondered if there are any books/videos worth purchasing beforehand.
I've done the online examples on the dsa site, only got 29 first time (failure). Didn't know about tread sizes on bikes, the glance over the shoulder needed before turning, and a couple of stupid mistakes. Got 32 second time on the 2nd example.
hobo said:
With regards to insurance, I have been quotes £1400 TPF&T or £2000 Comprehensive on a CBR600RR. Which is still cheaper than the TVR.
.
That still seem allot, i paid less than £1000 TPFT for my first years insurance on CBR600F had the licence 1 month none no claims obviously and i was 27. Put a limited millage on it and garage it to.
D
>> Edited by DamienCBR on Tuesday 13th September 13:58
600-RR with no biking experience, are you trying to kill the poor bloke? 
I would suggest something like a Hornet or a Bandit for the first year. Yes, the throttle goes both ways, but an RR is pretty unforgiving, whereas the slightly more cooking 600's give a novice (meant kindly in biking terms) a chance to get used to cars trying to kill him, slides on diesel etc before moving onto the more racy bikes.
Hobo, would you recommend a TVR to a first time driver?
Rob, still limping from a bike crash over twenty years ago.
I would suggest something like a Hornet or a Bandit for the first year. Yes, the throttle goes both ways, but an RR is pretty unforgiving, whereas the slightly more cooking 600's give a novice (meant kindly in biking terms) a chance to get used to cars trying to kill him, slides on diesel etc before moving onto the more racy bikes.
Hobo, would you recommend a TVR to a first time driver?
Rob, still limping from a bike crash over twenty years ago.
BliarOut said:
600-RR with no biking experience, are you trying to kill the poor bloke?
I would suggest something like a Hornet or a Bandit for the first year. Yes, the throttle goes both ways, but an RR is pretty unforgiving, whereas the slightly more cooking 600's give a novice (meant kindly in biking terms) a chance to get used to cars trying to kill him, slides on diesel etc before moving onto the more racy bikes.
Hobo, would you recommend a TVR to a first time driver?
Rob, still limping from a bike crash over twenty years ago.
Insurance companies also seem to like it when you start off on a lower powered bike.
My S3 is 10 years old, "only" has 100BHP but can still keep up with 600cc sports bikes until silly speeds. It's worth £2000 and won't cost me £££'s if I drop it. Naked bikes can be fun too.
In all honesty, whilst I understand what you are saying about TVR's, I think that the likes of a T350 (as mine) could quite easily be driven by someone with limited experience.
What I mean is, the pedals have long travel & you have to slam them down to the floor to spin the wheel (apart from wheel starting moving).
Add to that the fact that they grip & brake so much better than normal cars.
Its only when you take them over 5000 revs that they become a bit 'fiesty'. Not like TVR's of old which had the ability to bite at all times.
I don't know about the CBR, hence why I'm asking.
Lets put it this way. If the CBR600RR is the biking equivalent of say a Cerbera, then maybe they ain't for novices. If however, they are the biking equivalent of a T350 or Sagaris, then I would quite happily have one as a first bike, and obviously just take it carefully whilst learning.
What I mean is, the pedals have long travel & you have to slam them down to the floor to spin the wheel (apart from wheel starting moving).
Add to that the fact that they grip & brake so much better than normal cars.
Its only when you take them over 5000 revs that they become a bit 'fiesty'. Not like TVR's of old which had the ability to bite at all times.
I don't know about the CBR, hence why I'm asking.
Lets put it this way. If the CBR600RR is the biking equivalent of say a Cerbera, then maybe they ain't for novices. If however, they are the biking equivalent of a T350 or Sagaris, then I would quite happily have one as a first bike, and obviously just take it carefully whilst learning.
my answers below. for insurance try www.ebikeinsurance.com they covered me (30), 0ncd, 0 years with a licence on a 1050cc bike for £1000 Fully Comp. Bargain compared to some of the other quotes
hobo said:
Right then.
30(ish), am in the process of selling the TVR with a plan of buying a cheaper run-around & then having a bike for 'fun'.sounds like me last year but I still have the tvr for now. working on that one
I, at present, do not have any bike licenses, but plan to do my CBT & then Direct Access within the next month (if possible).
My main issues are the following:
a) Having never riden a bike before (well apart from a few 125's on holiday, which had gears, if that helps), is it best to do a 3 or 4 day intensive course or spread the learning out over a longer time period ? I did cbt plus 4 days with the test on the last day, went to a place in blackburn
b) Assuming I passed, what kind of bike would a newbie be advised to purschase. I, obviously, like the sports bikes, in particular CBR600RR & R6, but would these be a bit too extreme to start on. Or, as with the TVR, are these as docile as you want, until you decide to go faster. What I mean is, would I kill myself on one of these ? Think the other half is quite concerned with this issue (the death part anyway). yep, like said, throttle goes both ways. I bought a '96 cbr600, kept it for about 300 miles and traded it in for the Sprint. Done about 3500 miles on the Sprint since May
c) Assuming I passed within the next month, would it be a waste of time buying now. I mean, would you suggest waiting until say April/May 2006 & get used to riding in dry weather. Or is it preferable to get used to riding in cr@p weather ? don't know but there are likely some good deals coming up
d) Is it as much fun as they say ? more fun than they say
CBR = Cerb
Hornet = T350
Or thereabouts. The controls are much more sensitive on the sports bikes. The unfaired ones have longer travel controls and are much cheaper to fix if you get it wrong.
The 600 sports bikes are great fun and very competent sports machines, but they are more suited to a rider who has a bit of experience due to their razor tun in and controls.
Better to hone the art on a forgiving (but still quick and fun) machine and then go for the dedicated sports bike when you have mastered the skills.
I've had Blades and Ducati's, but the most fun I had was my old FZR600. Quick enough to be fun, but you could still wring her neck.
Bear in mind, these are the opinions of a forty year old
Hornet = T350
Or thereabouts. The controls are much more sensitive on the sports bikes. The unfaired ones have longer travel controls and are much cheaper to fix if you get it wrong.
The 600 sports bikes are great fun and very competent sports machines, but they are more suited to a rider who has a bit of experience due to their razor tun in and controls.
Better to hone the art on a forgiving (but still quick and fun) machine and then go for the dedicated sports bike when you have mastered the skills.
I've had Blades and Ducati's, but the most fun I had was my old FZR600. Quick enough to be fun, but you could still wring her neck.
Bear in mind, these are the opinions of a forty year old
I'm with Blairout - it's ok saying "the throttle goes both ways", but it won't! All the best intentions go out of the window when the adrenal gland starts working and you ARE going to want to feel that you are improving your skills, which means pushing the boundaries a little at a time - but do it hamfistedly and you'll end up on your arse pretty quickly.
I learned a lesson on my Ninja pretty quickly (my 2nd bike) - I opened her up a bit sharpish when the tyres were still cold, and came VERY VERY close to highsiding it, I had the tail whipping side to side with me hanging on for dear life, backside out of the seat! That kind of thing never happened on the Bandit 600 I had beforehand!
In short - get something a little tamer before moving up to the big stuff - if you want a more sports orientated machine, get a CBR600F.
I learned a lesson on my Ninja pretty quickly (my 2nd bike) - I opened her up a bit sharpish when the tyres were still cold, and came VERY VERY close to highsiding it, I had the tail whipping side to side with me hanging on for dear life, backside out of the seat! That kind of thing never happened on the Bandit 600 I had beforehand!
In short - get something a little tamer before moving up to the big stuff - if you want a more sports orientated machine, get a CBR600F.
BliarOut said:
600-RR with no biking experience, are you trying to kill the poor bloke?
I would suggest something like a Hornet or a Bandit for the first year. Yes, the throttle goes both ways, but an RR is pretty unforgiving,
Sorry, I don't agree. The 600rr is one of the most forgiving bikes I've ever ridden!! It's (the CBR6 in all it's variants) also the best selling bike of all time and IMHO one of the best first time bikes.
My advice is go for the bike you fall in love with rather than one you ought to because it is 'sensible'. You gotta love your bike. The 600rr is a fairly sensible option anyway.
:d
A
S2rr Kitty said:
600-RR with no biking experience, are you trying to kill the poor bloke?
I would suggest something like a Hornet or a Bandit for the first year. Yes, the throttle goes both ways, but an RR is pretty unforgiving,
Sorry, I don't agree. The 600rr is one of the most forgiving bikes I've ever ridden!! It's (the CBR6 in all it's variants) also the best selling bike of all time and IMHO one of the best first time bikes.
My advice is go for the bike you fall in love with rather than one you ought to because it is 'sensible'. You gotta love your bike. The 600rr is a fairly sensible option anyway.
:d
A
It's all relative though Anna - I now find my 7R pretty easy to ride and was tempted to say "yeah, it's easy, just go careful" but then I remembered that when I first got it, it scared the bejasus out of me and took a lot of getting used to.
I do think that a light, powerful sports bike as a first bike could easily end in tears.
S2rr Kitty said:
600-RR with no biking experience, are you trying to kill the poor bloke?
I would suggest something like a Hornet or a Bandit for the first year. Yes, the throttle goes both ways, but an RR is pretty unforgiving,
Sorry, I don't agree. The 600rr is one of the most forgiving bikes I've ever ridden!! It's (the CBR6 in all it's variants) also the best selling bike of all time and IMHO one of the best first time bikes.
My advice is go for the bike you fall in love with rather than one you ought to because it is 'sensible'. You gotta love your bike. The 600rr is a fairly sensible option anyway.
:d
A
Ah, but you've never spent a year learning to walk again after losing a couple of inches out of your knee
BaB's are about the most vulnerable road users there are. Statistically death is a far greater risk for new and infrequent riders. Far better IMHO to have a bike that requires a little less concentration to keep it on the black stuff.
There are old bikers and there are bold bikers, but there aren't any old bold bikers
Like I said, I'm forty. Being sensible is an unfortunate by product![/smal]
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