Remy

Brilliant!!

Well done and good luck for Mod 2!!

If I were you I'd do the CBT first and see how you feel about it all! You may feel more than ready to do the DAS or perhaps want to have some more practise beforehand. Bear in mind that riding a bike is not the same as driving a car; the road awareness is up to a point but on a bike you have to be so much MORE aware. Once you've ridden you may feel that a 250 won't be enough for you. I passed on a 125, got myself loads of practise before the test and that was what suited me best. I got used to the 125 but once I went out on my 650 there was no going back! Even though it's restricted there is no comparison

don't ask

I'm going Mon 21st

Well done, glad to hear it!!

I bought mine in July last year brand new, it was a 10 plate but a 2009 model, cost me £1899. Black (of course!). I absolutely loved it, was a very easy bike to manoeuvre and handle and the upright riding position was perfect for me. I took it everywhere - Shropshire hills, mountainous Welsh sheep tracks and it never put a foot (wheel) wrong. I dropped it a few times but that was down to my total inexperience . For a basic bike to learn to ride on I don't think you can get much better. Good Points Light and easy to manoeuvre No weird handling faults Good turning circle Excellent battery - well mine was anyway, I stored it last October and it started first time in March Upright riding position (if that's your thing) Amazing fuel consumption - some rides I got nearly 280 to the tank Comfortable seat I easily got over 70mph on mine but think that does depend on rider weight and if you are going uphill/downhill (does get noisy though!) Bad Points Very weak front headlight Did get stuck in neutral sometimes, when pulling away I was reluctant to part with it when I passed my test as I was a bit nervous of the Gladius, after having a mishap involving too much throttle and not being able to put my feet on the ground. However once I ventured out on the Gladius, there was no turning back - bye bye YBR!

Thank you for the days - The Kinks

Congrats!!

I take it you passed Alex?? If so well done!!

Best of luck for tomorrow! Fingers crossed ...

Well done, bet you are still smiling

I voted no, I think it's enough that the A2 test is restricted, without further restriction imposed. Aren't there always going to be people who have more impatience than sense and that won't change! Some people suddenly become 'experts' because they have passed a test but as most of us know confidence and competence only comes with experience, it doesn't come overnight (even though some will achieve it way quicker than others ..). An extreme analogy would be a horse rider who has only just mastered the basics of walk and trot on a steady cob, going out to buy an ex-racing Thoroughbred (and yes they do ). Although in that situation the vast majority won't cope with it! We should all be adult enough to know our limitations in any situation and if we make the decision to ignore them, well nobody is responsible for our actions except us!

Well done! Isn't it a great feeling

I've got a Buffalo tail bag which carries a fair amount of stuff and is mounted on a Renntec rack but it's a bit of a pain with the bungees, zips etc. I saw another Gladius which had a rack for a hard topbox and thought it looked really good without the box, and am tempted to get one as it will be more secure and far easier to access and lock. Only drawback is the price!

Well done!

That's great news, well done!

Because I took the test on my 125. Good luck with the DAS

My bike is a restricted Suzuki Gladius (SFV650), it takes the restriction really well as it's a v-twin. There is hardly any discernible difference at lower speeds it's only if you wanted to thrash it (which I don't) that you might find it levelling off - however I've never gone that fast

Most people have advised DAS and if that is what you want to do fine . From another point of view I passed my CBT on a YBR 125 (my own) and then practised on it for the next six months. Many instructors have YBRs as school bikes so it wouldn't have mattered if I had done the CBT on one of theirs, if insurance was a problem (I got my hubby to ride mine to the training centre for me). Then did my Mod 1&2 and got a restricted Gladius, which I love - it has loads of power for a restricted bike and I don't feel I am missing out on anything! For me this was the best way, I preferred to take my time practising and gaining confidence on the roads in my own time, rather than going through a DAS quickly and perhaps 'overbiking' myself too soon. By the time I was ready for the test I felt I had enough road experience to cope with riding a bigger bike. The YBR was a fab little bike for learning, very easy to ride and manoeuvre, and I used to get over 70mph easily, but I am female and probably lighter than most male riders. However there were two big lads well over 6ft who also learned on them, and they didn't look too big for the bikes. I wouldn't spend too much on a first bike - I made the mistake of buying new (although it was a pretty good price) and dropped it three times (you WILL drop it!). Luckily for me it was hardly damaged. You'd be much better off buying s/h and won't lose much if you keep it in good nick. And once you've passed and have ridden a bigger bike you won't want to get on a 125 again

I passed my car driving test in 1976 but regardless of what license you have, you only have provisional license for a bike - as Bogof says the CBT enables you to ride a 125 with L plates, you have to pass the full test (Mod 1 & 2) to get rid of them! And yes riding a bike DOES bring it home how much more aware you have to be on the roads - and how many car drivers AREN'T . Makes you a better driver though!

Well congrats on your pass, and you shouldn't be too surprised at the insurance quotes! There are plenty of bikes out there that would put a smile on your face I'm sure, get your experience on one of them and aim for the ZX6R in a few years' time - you'll get your heart's desire eventually

I'm really pleased for you, well done but sorry about the insurance quotes , they do vary drastically but I know insurance has gone up a ridiculous amount recently. Just keep looking around there must be something cheaper! Mine is £250 FC but I'm even older than Sue

i've also got one of these thanks to Sue (incidentally we both have the same jackets too!). Mine is a cat design on orange. GOOD POINTS Flexible fit for many sizes. Extremely reflective and doesn't look naff like some hi-viz. BAD POINTS As Sue says, a lot of excess cord if you are small but you can easily knot it/tuck it away. It's now gone up to £40

I took my test on a 125 and am perfectly happy on my restricted Gladius. But if you're pretty sure you don't want your next bikes restricted, then you've answered your own question really!