Motorbike Advice for a Complete Amatuer

[douglasgdmw]

I did my training with Lothian Motorcycle Training in bathgate http://www.lothianmotorcycletraining.co ... T:About_Us , they were excellent and catered for levels right up to advanced driving. Why Bathgate from Edinburgh? Well, it meant I was on roads I was less familiar with and potentially quieter than Edinburgh. I wanted to avoid bringing any bad habits of riding roads I knew too well into the process. Worked for me. Can't recommend those guys highly enough.

Sandra also used these guys when she did her CBT years ago. Really nice bunch of bikers and the training is more than about just passing your test. Others that I have heard good reports about are Scot Bike.

George

[Lazydonkey]

To slightly contradict myself I really enjoyed just bumbling about town on my triumph when I got Kevlar jeans, riding boots that looked like timberlands and a waxed jacket. That made it a bit less arduous but still wants the freedom you have in your head.... Or any American film! Just back in from crossing Glasgow on my pushbike and the triumph definately feels safer!

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[sendmyusername]

Regards what bike - if you get any 50cc bike there is a good chance you well end up driving in the gutter, with cars forcing their way past you on anything faster than a 30mph zone.
Nothing smaller than a 125cc, sometimes the best way to avoid an accident is to accelerate, not brake, on a 50cc you don't have that option.
For around town a 125cc is perfectly adequate.
You should ride 3/4 of the way out where the drivers side tyre runs on a car. (not the middle as that makes you liable to be squeezed, and means you are running on all the oil dripped out of engines)
Get through your test as quickly as possible (both parts)
If you are older and have motorcycle entitlement on it, ignore it, that is no longer valid.
You need to sit you cbt.
In the old days when you passed your car test you could ride up to a 125 indefinately.
That is no longer the case. The dvla changed it.
(i still know people driving around on bikes that "aren't aware" of this - ok until they have an accident or make a claim)

[ed]

As above I sat my CBT last year and I currently have a YBR125.

I used Pro-Scot in Kirkcaldy for a CBT- £119 for a guaranteed pass and they also do Weekends. On reflection the guaranteed pass thing is a waste of money. One of the other people on the course (sitting 50cc scooter rather than 125) crashed as they left the yard and still passed.....

I used to hate my commute (13 miles into Edinburgh) but now its much more bearable. I have already passed the theory test so will be sitting my full test in due course as 125 isn't enough for making good progress on NSL roads.

As suggested sit your CBT and see if its for you and take it from there.

[pete]

@ pete & rossybee

To be fair, I've got a bike, walking shoes, Asics Nimbus 20 Lites and a potential de-tour of 6 good coffee shops on the way there and >10 good bars on the way home; I'm looking for justification/excuse!

You know I posted that and thought afterwards "Guy wants a motorbike, not reasons he shouldn't get a motorbike."

I did my test decades ago and still one of the best rides I had was taking a rented 125. I was late and stuck in rush hour traffic near Reading and got passed by a courier with panniers on. So I figured "if he fits through a gap with panniers on, then I must fit without them."

I didn't blink for the next twenty minutes, (was probably 5 but it felt like twenty.)

What a way to make heavy traffic exciting.

[Corranga]

Think £1k for good kit and £1k for the full test..

I did my CBT, and owned a 125 which I used occasionally (commuted maybe 6 times in total) plus a few hours on weekend mornings.
When I moved onto the bigger bike, I took 4 lessons, the first was in the yard on a YBR which I felt was too small, moved onto a BMW GS650 and passed 3 lessons later with only 1 minor fault.
Sold my 125 the next day for more than I paid, and haven't ridden a bike since - that was in 2008

My commute at the time was 7 miles and I really couldn't be bothered getting the kevlar jeans, boots, CE armoured jacket, gloves, waiting for the bike to get some temperature in the engine...
Repeat changing clothes when arriving at work.
Repeat changing clothes to go home.
Repeat changing clothes when arriving home..

[sendmyusername]

Guy here also said he went for a cbr600.
I'd recommend an older 2000 r6 (carb model) they go for £1-2000.
There is not a lot in it, but the R6 feels quite a bit lighter on the road.
The acceleration is very linear with no steps.
The brakes are out of this world (i've found that, on balance, how fast you can stop is ultimately more important than how fast you can go.)
Most confidence inspiring in the wet bike ever.
Easiest to drive slowly and normally, and fits through traffic with ease.

I've currently got a 95 blade.
0-100 the r6 keeps up (without the drama of the blade) 100-0 i reckon the R6 wins.
Yet the R6 is an absolute doddle to drive sensibly and not to get carried away with.
Get yourself a 125cc and find out it is for you, and within a year you'll want more and have to sell/buy another bike and all the hassle.
Getting an R6 or old cbr6 and it will last you 2-3 years easily.
Tbh, most people that need something faster have never exploted the 600s properly and could just do with some proper lessons.

[B12ANR]

Given the scope of your activity for the bike, I agree 100% with flyingscot68. If you plan to expand on commuting the 2 miles then I would look at something bigger (600cc) and aim for whatever suits your intentions / style needs. Sit on as many options as possible to get the feel for them. I've always had sportsbikes but they are not great for commuting over distance and (IMO) encourage you to push on. Try sitting at the speed limit on a sportsbike and cars just ride your @rse.

[rossybee]

@ pete & rossybee

To be fair, I've got a bike, walking shoes, Asics Nimbus 20 Lites and a potential de-tour of 6 good coffee shops on the way there and >10 good bars on the way home; I'm looking for justification/excuse!

You know I posted that and thought afterwards "Guy wants a motorbike, not reasons he shouldn't get a motorbike.".

Aw cheers Pete, just make me feel bad why don'tcha

On a side note, and completely irrelevant here, a colleague was at a course in Aberdeen recently and had his BMW S1000RR (I think that's right), in a titanium colour and it was stunning...

[j2 lot]

On a side note, and completely irrelevant here, a colleague was at a course in Aberdeen recently and had his BMW S1000RR (I think that's right), in a titanium colour and it was stunning...

Think that's what Shug had before his current steed.

I would echo what other posts have said about protective gear - get the best you can and make sure it fits right to provide best protection.
There is little to touch the experience of riding a bike and if you take to it (not everyone does) , you will be hooked.

[greido]

Thanks for all the replies guys; I'll speak to the other half and if that goes well will look at the doing the CBT to get a feel for it.

[pete]

Guy here also said he went for a cbr600.
I'd recommend an older 2000 r6 (carb model) they go for £1-2000.
There is not a lot in it, but the R6 feels quite a bit lighter on the road.
The acceleration is very linear with no steps.
The brakes are out of this world (i've found that, on balance, how fast you can stop is ultimately more important than how fast you can go.)
Most confidence inspiring in the wet bike ever.
Easiest to drive slowly and normally, and fits through traffic with ease.

I've currently got a 95 blade.
0-100 the r6 keeps up (without the drama of the blade) 100-0 i reckon the R6 wins.
Yet the R6 is an absolute doddle to drive sensibly and not to get carried away with.
Get yourself a 125cc and find out it is for you, and within a year you'll want more and have to sell/buy another bike and all the hassle.
Getting an R6 or old cbr6 and it will last you 2-3 years easily.
Tbh, most people that need something faster have never exploted the 600s properly and could just do with some proper lessons.

I bought a CBR600fx. Kept it for a couple of years and then took some more lessons. Never felt I needed anything faster.
Sold it a few years later when S was pregnant because they are stupidly stupidly dangerous.

[Lazydonkey]

Only if it's an idiot with no self control holding the handlebars.

[checks username]

ah right, sorry you're right.



On bike choice it's simple, sit on them, blag rides and buy whichever gives you the horn. There aren't really sh*t bikes anymore, they will all make you giggle. Two wheels in edinburgh have honda and triumph and are very noob friendly. I had a 1200cc buell as my first bike and then moved onto a street triple r. Both were fun for completely different reasons.

[graeme]

It's all been said I think.

Don't bother with 125cc, they're lethal on main roads as you just don't have the power to keep up, so end up with tailgaters. 500cc/50hp is FAR safer, even though it sounds like more power should be more dangerous.

Rule 1 - ATGATT - All the gear, all the time. Skin can be worn down to the bone in a 30mph slide. Ankles snap like twigs in trainers or boots. Even if you buy touring boots, try on a pair of very good race boots and see how rigid they are. For good reason. Gloves, read reviews, get lots of armor. Clothing, realistically you'll want textiles for commuting, and 2-peice suits must zip together. Armor is graded, so buy the very best. My gear cost well over £1k and a leather suit can cost way more than that on its own.

Don't kid yourself that you'll actually commute on it. It's a great reason to get into bikes, so go for it, but after the novelty wears off you'll just hop in the car, put the radio on, and save yourself the 20 mins of faffing it takes to get dressed and undressed each way. And how many days have I biked to work in the sun, only to ride home in the pissing rain... Also, 2 miles isn't enough to even warm a bike up, so don't buy anything you care about.

Dangerous? Yeah, and most of the risks aren't all that controllable, because they're mostly other people in cars trying to hit you. But good observation skills and a sensible head will keep you alive a bit longer than average.

[BigD]

I started out on a CBR600F which was a fantastic bike but fancied something different after a few years. Great bike for the slightly taller person which is where I struggle with R6's etc. Now have a 2002 GSXR 1000 which is big compared to modern litre bikes but fits me better. Still have to stop every hour or so in motorway driving as it gets a bit painful. It's fine when on A or B roads though as you move around more.

Anyway, you don't have to spend £1,000 on your kit on day one. I didn't, I bought cheaper cordura gear at first and a decent helmet and boots but not top of the range. I think my first gear was around £400-£500 all in. I didn't and couldn't afford to spend £1,000 on the kit whilst going through the test. It was cheaper but still CE approved armour etc etc. I wanted to make sure I could do it before I committed (All the gear, nae idea and all that).

Even the cheaper kit is very good these days and probably better than when I first bought mine. I've usually bought a more touring style clothing and have had my current (not top brand) leather jeans and jacket for a good few years, served me well with a couple of offs too. Thankfully fairly low speed but no marks on me whatsoever.

I agree on what was mentioned about people upgrading to litre bikes before finding the limits on a 600, I definitely did.