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Glad to hear it was a simple fix i'd say try and keep on top of checks and keep the level at least half way at all times as well as just to prevent further damage if any to the engine, also just check and be sure there isnt a slow oil leak (there probably isn't) but this is the first time ive read of an engine having such a small amount it wouldn't run. I'd personally a quick ten minute test ride covering a handful of miles (not to far to push back home) will make (if there is any) any additional faults clear, if it doesn't do anything strange it's all good

I'm not sure how quick batteries loose their charge when left sitting as mine only goes a couple of days without being run or checked, might be worth taking the battery out and checking it still has full charge. Might be worth a quick check of the oil filter as well, if you're doing a self service then change both at the same time.. if you mean a service by kawasaki or a local garage I'd get the non-running out of the way before booking it, the above are both easily done and will avoid charges for simple issues.. if the above doesn't fix your problem maybe a short video so we can hear what's happening or an update. Although on the contrary if you're have a service done by a garage etc then they should change the filter/oil themselves, so when you do top up (providing it's a service by a dealer) only add enough to get it about the second mark on the dipstick.. they should change the oil and filter. and another one (probably laughable) is does it have the kill-switch in the on position and does it have enough fuel (basic ik but worth asking). be sure to update, no problem

From a quick google search of what happens to engines with low or no engine oil the first lines of most replies are "can cause serious damage".. I'd suggest leaving the bike sitting until you've purchased the correct oil and topped up, I check my oil once every couple of weeks (although my bike has very close service intervals so can neglect slightly), engine oil is designed to last a fair few miles so when's the last time you did a check? And as I've never owned a kawasaki I personally couldn't answer the fail safe issue. Also I've been reading posts on another forum where a user had suspicions that his ignition barrel had collapsed inside, after leaving it to sit for a day he came back and it worked and started fine, is the bike left sitting outside.. also read another post that one person experienced the engine freezing, not sure what bikes they ride but might be useful.. First get the engine oil out the way and then attempt to start it.. might be a little rough to get started and running but just try to keep the revs up and at a steady pace and slowly let out the revs if you feel it's doing to die again just keep the revs up (might be worth putting the dash light on to tell if there is a change in power without revs).. let the bike warm up and see how it runs.

In simple terms, no you cannot ride anything more than a 125cc with "L" plates, to ride the bikes you mention you must take both a theory test and complete and pass Module 1 and Module 2 tests for the license type you wish to go for, in your case it would be the full "A" unrestricted license. Also be aware that a CBT is only valid for two years, as it's not been a full year yet you still have some time to go until it expires however it may be worth saving up and completing both of the above as soon as possible to prevent having to re-take the CBT. Also once the full license is obtained this will allow you to take as much time as you want to save for the bike you wish to purchase and not have to worry about re-sitting tests. Explains it all; http://www.90-one.com/testchange.html

As long as they feel comfortable, warm (combined with under glove) and offer a decent level of protection then you've got yourself a bargain.

I'm going to assume a search of ebay or amazon has already been done.. unless you're personal preference is not buying from anyone but a retailer.

As you just want a "hastle free commute" then it sounds like your far away from making a choice, the want to get of a train doesn't mean that you're ready for a motorbike (given the distance and traffic in london), I assume you've passed your CBT? Also at that distance I'm going to recommended that you invest in a decent breakdown cover, you soon find out the true weight of your bike when it runs out of power miles from home *cough cough*, not fun to push (and yes I pushed it to avoid a call out charge). I think bearing in mind how quickly you've gone from £3000 125cc's to scooters, you're changing your mind quickly, look into it a bit more before investing.. although I'm sure the advice here will take care of that.

Having a good set of mirrors on your bike and in the correct position will help you see what fully behind you, the whole idea as said of a shoulder check is to check your blind-spots a quick glance left or right of either shoulder. The only reason you feel you're not seeing anything is because of limited experience and not knowing how far back you should be looking, a quick glance is all you need, if you sit down and turn your head side to side over your shoulders with the intention to look as far right and left as possible then that's how far you should be looking. My instructor and I had a on-going joke during my CBT that I was attempting to be an owl because I'd try and look quite far behind me (taking my eyes of the road and not focusing on controlling the bike) that's what the mirrors are there for. It's hard to say when is appropriate to perform a lifesaver, however a glance of the mirros before most turns (or sense where the traffic is, comes with experience) should suffice. All in all if you want to switch lanes and after doing a lifesaver spotted the bonnet of a car it's far to close and isn't safe. Summary; The more you ride the more confident you'll be, at the moment you're going to worry endlessly about the small things, just be as alert as possible and learn how to be confident on your bike out on the roads, various weather, times of day, different roads etc. Give it a couple of weeks of 3-4 times a week riding (even on the same route) and you'll be comfortable in no time and wonder what you was worrying about.. it takes a couple of weeks to settle in and get used to being out and about.

The distance you're going to be travelling each time is quite a distance, I'm not sure what the service mileage is outside of chinese 125's are but you'd soon reach the first service interval, looking for something that has decently spaced intervals would ensure you're not forking out for a service a week or so after purchase.. so I'd say stay away from lexmoto, keeway, pulse etc.. although the bikes that you're listing are expensive options, so I don't think budget base will of entered your mind. Your height also plays a factor, I'm 6'1 and own a chinese 125.. me and the mirrors have never gotten on so I rely on shoulder checks mainly, sitting on the bike and getting used the controls will tell you witch one feels best in your hands.. some manufactures offer test riders even for 125, might be worth a try when you've narrowed it down just to be sure. Also depends on what type of bike you want, supermoto, commuter, sports etc.. also bare in mind that no matter what 125 you buy they all have their limit on speed and power, some defiantly do this better than others. The more information you provide about what you feel is your best choice at the moment the more advice you can get, asking for bikes to be listed is as good as google search "what bike can I ride on a CBT".. need more information.

Every rider is different and therefore imo it would be best if you visited a local bike shop that sells gear or J&S. I hadn't even taken my CBT when I purchased my full set of gear.. I ended up getting a Frank Thomas textile trousers and jacket for £79.99 each form J&S. Always be sure to try on the gear and fully zip up, test for comfort move around walk etc.. also check out the padding on the jacket, does it move.. is it replaceable.. the protection on my jacket is held in place inside a pocket witch is held by velcro, needless to say it comes loose now and then.. be sure to inspect before you buy as opposed to buying what looks nice. £120-150 for both or each?.. I have recently been window shopping gear via ebay and have found unbranded and cheap brands that offer jackets and trousers for £50-60 each.. although have decided against.. instead buying the gear I need, when I need it.. bit by bit. Each shop sells different brands and sometimes their own brands.. Also ask the shop if it's armour is CE Approved..

Roughly the same distance for me.. you can get heated grips purchased and fitted by certain bike shops and extra fee of course but I read heated grips can cause problems with batteries so is debatable if they're worth it, I assume it depends on your bike etc. I don't have heated grips for the record, so I can't report on their time to kick into effort or level of comfortable and use-ability. Handlebar muffs are another option for winter, never been to keen on the overall look myself however if it was between them and being unable to control my bike I'd go for the muffs all day long. I'd still retain the more money doesn't mean better in all cases, it can't hurt to pop into your local bike shop or a J&S to have a look at the budget options they have in store. Examples Budget option http://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/novara-2 ... 15566.html £100 Option http://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/titanium ... black.html http://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/wr-2-gtx ... black.html They all come under the "winter" section on the website and within budget.. if you're confident on your size for definite then you may be able to get a cheaper price for the same glove on ebay or amazon (from a trusted seller of course).

£100.. For a pair of gloves, donate your riches? My gloves are "Frank Thomas" from my local J&S (£20).... require a thin layer glove underneath just because they're not the best in the high "-'s" but there again, it's cold, heated grips are available for a reason. After having topics about buying gear form the internet the argument for "more money doesn't mean more protection".. have a quick search of ebay.. there's plenty of different styles and levels of protection.

Each to their own, if there's more advanced riding techniques that i'm unaware of because of not having the training yet then my oversight, however.. I can only go of what information I have been provided with and feel safe in doing so, I was always told that using the rear gently around a corner would bring you tighter into a corner if you where going to wide.. as for speed, I ride a 125.. I'll let you know when I get there. If you want to try and use you front brake around a bend then go ahead, but when the bike lowsides or tries to stand up.. I didn't advise it

Many say that the front brake is 80% of your stopping power, and indeed does carry most of your stopping power with the rear being applied slowly and gently combined with the front to come to a stop. In slow moving traffic 10mph < the rear brake only is used to control the bike applied gently at a constant rate, if the front was used in slow moving traffic you will quickly find yourself putting your foot down and the steering often turning either left or right. Also never use the front brake around corners, round-a-bouts, bends etc.. rear only, prepare as best as possible for corners, anyhow different topic.. In all other situations the front brake should always be used, with gradual application at not grabbing even in an emergency. Front and rear combined as said when coming to a stop between junctions, stop light to stop light etc, the more you ride the more you'll get used to predicting when lights will change some time you can save your self move time by shifting into 1st or 2nd and slow riding it to the stop line and seeing if you can make it without having to put your foot down, when I first starting riding I used to accelerate right before the stop line, down-shift etc.. and would cause problems because I wasn't correctly prepared, and then when I took off I would be in the wrong gear and the bike would rev high. Slow moving control takes much more skill than going fast.

You say "more difficult" but difficult how, you've cleared up that the clutch is adjusted properly so no problems on that part.. what about the gear shifter, is that in a suitable position, does it need moving up or down to suit your foot position more comfortably, with the given information I'd check it out just to avoid any stress on the foot as much as possible (even if this isn't the fix to your issue). And as you say the oil level may be correct but bad oil is bad oil when it's time to change.. well you guessed it.. To really provide a suitable suggestion more information would be needed about what's actually happening when attempting to shift, is it simply comfort or a noise or problems shifting etc?..

Know there's a interesting excuse to use when someone walks into the pub toilets and asks what your doing hovering around the machine

Opinions differ, your setup works for you as does mine for me, all happy

The features your personally owned satnav has determines if you're a biker, please And I stated the basics needed for a satnav on a motorbike was "...", and again you want all the extra's then that's your choice, nothing to do with "being a biker"

In honesty the whole point of a satnav is to get your from A to B, if you want to pay hundreds more because of the added extras that the manufactures add on and trick you into thinking you need then by all means, they're all different. The basic for a satnav on a motorbike is; - 2D Mapping - A cover case anything else if your personal preference, brand names, ebay brands etc.. I just looked for one that met my needs, I don't have a interest in any of the add-ons, all just extra money for the manufactures.

I use a car satnav mounted via the handlebars, the one time I tried to use the weather wasn't all to great and I was to focused on riding to even look down at the satnav (could of fell of and I wouldn't of noticed). For me the problem is trying to find a suitable position, I only have one due to the handlebar design on my bike and with having no audio whatsoever from the sat nav I have to take my eyes of the road and look down, I'm a lot taller than my bike and even using the mirrors requires great difficulty. As mentioned a phone with an satnav app or google maps is a lot cheaper than a sat nav and might be a better investment if like me you find them more a distraction than helpful, nothing like good old adventure and sign postage. If you do go down the phone route.. maybe purchase some in helmet headphones that stick to the helmet (not in ear)... or a bluetooth headset? If you want to try a car satnav try argos, got mine for under £100.. motorbike dedicated satnavs where £300+ all do the same job.

My experience CBT + 1,000KM (2 Months) of riding. The guy in the shop did say that some people take two days for the Mod 1 and then one day for the Mod 2, see how I feel about it when it's time to put the money down, ideally I'd want to save costs but attempting to do it all in one day could end up costing more. As for the confidence issue I'd say that the only trouble I've had while out and about is my 125 playing up here and there making it a little harder to ride (teething problems come and go), I've thrown myself in the deep end riding all through winter and commuting to work in the cold etc. to gain the most knowledge as quickly as possible, as well as taking 40mph A Roads, big islands, junctions etc.. just so that I can be prepared as best as possible. The only real thing that I currently don't do at all is filter based on the fact that as stated 1st and 2nd gear are so close that the smallest stop could mean having to downshift and then try not to put a foot down etc (more trouble than it's worth). I personally feel that being on a bigger bike would be easier in some sense because attempting slow moving clutch control in 1st gear on my 125 is near impossible just because of how short the gear ratio is, this is why in theory I think I'd enjoy trying it on a bigger bike more because then I'd actually be able to find the bite point and practice slow riding and not have to worry about shifting. The only thing you can't prepare for is the power increase and weight increase. All in all out on the roads I feel fine, we all have the odd hiccup here and there it's natural, as above trying to give myself as much experience amongst weather, time of day, junctions, roundabouts, etc.. has enabled me to learn quickly. Although I will wait until i've put down some more miles on the road and better weather just to give me the best chance possible.

Mainly what I'm looking for, I think for me (if possible) my ideal goal would be a license this year and then a bike upgrade next year (dependant on insurance, running costs, price etc). I think it's hard to judge my rider skill on the chinese 125 that I own because 1st gear is so short that you blink and you're having to shift so the u-turns and other manurers are basically impossible to simulate. Also to do things like the 30mph speed trap I'd have to be in 4th gear on the 125.. so again, the power band might take some getting used to but should be easier overall based on the fact that I have more time to focus on the riding as opposed to constantly hitting the limits of the bike on a straight stretch of road. Since the school I'm going with are cheaper and do the test on the same day as the training (to avoid additional costs) it sure will be interesting to see if it's do-able, the guy in the shop seemed confident that a days training for anyone using the roads currently will suffice.. but who wouldn't when someone's waving money at them. Just up to me to prepare as much as possible between know and the time of the training/tests.

Yes, you have to repeat license process again (to gain a full A License) but can be done at 21 (or after holding the A2 License for 2 years) as opposed to waiting until you're 24. I share your opinion in honesty, I have a chinese 125 (I don't mind it) and often changes it's mind on if it wants to work or not, little teething problems here and there, nothing major but can honestly say that something that would do more than 40-42mph wouldn't go a miss (and more low end power). Thanks to both of you for the vote of confidence, I visited a training school's office on the way home today and they do a day's training with the test at the end of the day for £150 + test fee. (Mod 1 - £15.50, Mod 2 - £75) Awaiting the funds as said but for less than £400 (if passed first time) it sounds like a bargain, I spoke to the guy and he said some people take three days as opposed to the "two days training" method above, the fact that the test is on the same day as training makes it a little bit more intimidating but also is a bonus because you're learning it all in one day and then there's no gap inbetween. And I share the "mature full power bike" theory in that the bike goes as fast as you tell it to and also just because you have something that enables you to go 100mph doesn't mean that you should, originally I was looking at a similar chinese bike (Pulse Adrenaline 250cc) however think it might be best (when the insurance quotes allow) to buy a second hand Suzuki GSF 600 Bandit (fits in my estimated budget). Thanks again

Hi all, Basically just wanted some general advice on when is the right time to commit to training/tests for a "full license", because of my age I'm going for a "A2 License" renewing my CBT every two years until i'm 24 is not the route I wish to take and since I've already taken and passed my theory the same month as my CBT partnered with the fact that eventually the use of motorways will be needed to visit family it makes sense for me to get my full license within the two years time frame I'm allotted and then await the money to upgrade to a bigger machine. I have roughly two months riding experience witch will increase as I await better weather and also raise the funds to gain a full license My main concern is after doing some research i'm becoming more and more aware of how "serious" and "mature" of a step getting a full license is meanwhile trying not to over-think it as opposed to my CBT where I had never touched a motorbike before and thought nothing of it (passed 1st time). As well as the above mentioned prices involved, the last thing that I wish to do is donate hundreds of pounds to a company and end up with nothing I think that would put me of anything other than a CBT/125cc for life. All in all I don't want to push myself to fast to soon however would like to ideally have my license over and done with by summer time this year. After reading anyone see any obvious reasons why doing it this year would be to soon? Also any advice on how best to prepare would be appreciated, I studied for my theory for like three weeks heavily every day so commitment to road knowledge when the above price tag is involved isn't an issue, just generally any source material that will help with knowledge. Many thanks.

-1 On writing of chinese motorbikes as a choice. They're imported and sold under different brand names so it's hard to trust a "brand" when they just put there name on a stock built machine.. all bikes pass a "PDI Check" from new and are tested to be road legal, meet emissions etc. some clearly perform better in the long run as opposed to others. As long as you do your research and find out what bike is comfortable and suits your weight and height then there won't be any problems in the long run. If you're rich then go ahead and buy a Yamaha R125 or something similar otherwise it's finding a bike that meets your financial ability as well, my point being that I personally will never be able to justify the £2,000 - £3,000 that some 125'cc have, added to the fact that as a whole a 125cc engine even at redline on the best bikes never goes over 70-80, admitted some of the chinese bikes won't even get close to that. Just make sure you do your research and buy what's best for you, but don't write of chinese machines because people say "they're crap". Good look on your CBT