Some advice needed ?

[new002]

Hi again,

To fill in the blanks done my cbt a little while ago first time on a bike haven't had any experience since am stuck at the crossroads of what to do next final goal is a full license.Do I go down the "very costly" das route 600-700gbp or the buy 125 practice on L plates for a while then go in for restricted im 25 btw ? The problem with the restricted route is that only leaves me 7 months to get a 125 and practice and pass mod,2 otherwise im stuck with a 125 and no way of progressing.Trying to make the most cost effective choice.

Regards

[MattB]

Ahhh that can of worms is getting opened again!

I reckon you will get a 50/50 split of people telling you what to do. Personally, I would just go for DAS.

At th end of the day you need to decide what you want, but I think you already answered your own question. So start phoning for DAS prices...

[Tango]

Personally I'd go the DAS route......the £600 or whatever it is these days could be looked at as an investment..... Even going the 125 route will cost....so the DAS is really only the difference between what going down the 125 route would be (including the cost of restricting a bike at the end of it....which itself could cost you £200).....if you get my drift....

[Guest]

I'm going down restricted route,only mod 2 to pass now,but really enjoying riding baby vara whilst gaining experience,i use bike every day to try and get as many miles under my belt as possible,something you cant do if you go DAS route unless your constantly out with instructor.

I would like to go DAS route but in my opinion the A2 route suits me as i can ride without instructor as and when i wish.

Failed mod 2 on Wednesday(glasgow Sheildhall),i really thought mod 1 would be my problem but passed easily with no formal training,no problem with avoidance at 50kph as many have mentioned on other threads,but thought i had done enough to pass mod 2,but no complaints i listened to advice from examiner and rebooked.Ive got a restricted f650 dakar in garage ready to go so gutted i'll have to wait,but if im deemed by the examiner not to be ready i'll have to wait....

Going off subject,do people agree motorists should also have a cbt and a restriction on power as per motorcyclist,as a late starter (47 yr old)to biking its certainly an eye opener to the poor standard of driving in general,i have used the vara for travelling to work most days for 3 months,up and down Calder St/Allison St in Glasgows southside and i should be given my full licence for still being alive,it certainly makes you a better car driver after you experience motorcycling.

So to conclude i certainly enjoy learning on my 125,and as im getting 80+ mpg would love to keep it even after my test is passed for travelling to work.....

[Throttled]

I would have though buying a 125cc is more expensive that doing the DAS I went the most expensive way and did both, but it meant I was on the road quicker with my 125cc on L Plates as I then did the DAS as well.

[OhJay]

I would have though buying a 125cc is more expensive that doing the DAS

You can't sell the DAS when you've finished with it

If you get a decent second hand 125 for about £1000 now you can sell it for about £1000 when you've finished with it. Lessons are generally cheaper as you're on your own bike and you can take yourself to the tests and do those on your own which will be cheaper as well. You can practice on your own and on the bike you're going to do the test on.

It does depend what you want to do afterwards. If you want to get a big bike then it will be extra for the restriction. If you'd be happy on the 125 for the 2 years then there's no need to do DAS

If you can get it done this year then it will be cheaper to do it on the 125. 7 months should be more than enough.

However if it goes into next year then DAS as you can't do your 125 and wait for the restriction to run out

[cypek]

125 route seems to be cheaper but there are some risks involved. Sure you don't have to pay for lessons but who will tell you then if you do something wrong? Can you afford failing tests for a few times? No problem with MOD1 for £15 but MOD2 is £75... Also after you pass you'll have to restrict your new bike which can be expensive and then all the hassle selling your old 125 which if you are unlucky may take a long time and cost a bit as well. DAS only seems to be expensive

[Remy]

I did the A2, got my CBT then rode for six months on my own till I felt I had enough confidence for the test. I got a couple of lessons before the Mod 1 and 2 so I knew what I was up against and also to iron out any bad habits, passed both first time.

I have never regretted doing it that way, I was very comfortable on the 125 and felt I had way more chance of passing on it. The extra lessons cost me in the region of £250 I think. I now ride a restricted 650 which has all the acceleration and power I want, and don't feel the need to get anything more powerful, I'll probably even stick with it once the restriction period is over.

[new002]

Thx all for the advice so far.

Ok just to verify If i got a secondhand 125 now sold it next year i should get roughly what i payed for it despite the new regulations which i guess can only reduce the number of potential riders under 21 yrs riders ?

So assuming very little depreciation on the 125 and factoring the cost of insurance,tax,petrol etc its still cheaper than just doing das and getting a 250 or 500 as a first bike assuming a first pass for mod1,2 etc ?

[davefly76]

Where did you get the £600-£700 cost from? And 7 months..??

I spent less than £600 and that was including the CBT and it took me less than 6 months to do it all, from having no riding experience to a full licence. Oh, and I had a 3 month break from doing anything after I'd done the CBT.

I don't buy into the whole, get a 125 to gain experience on theory. If all you want is a 125 then fine but if your aim is to get a bigger bike then do that. Once you've got the full licence you can still buy a 125 if you'd rather ride soming smaller and less powerful but you will have the option of getting a bigger bike if/when you feel like it. And the bigger bike will only go as fast as you make it..

[Fast Eddie]

In your case i'd definitly go the DAS route. Unless you have no other transport and NEED a bike then get the 125, but i'd still look at doing DAS in any case.

[new002]

Where did you get the £600-£700 cost from? And 7 months..??

 

Cheapest das course at a Local training school was priced around 600-700gbp where i live and new 2013 regulations come in 2013 which is roughly 7 months away thats where that came from.

[new002]

I would do the das and get it over and done with.Its just Ive heard horror stories from other people who have failed the mod1,2 test several times etc for what ever reason and end up forking out over 1000 quid just for the training to get the pass.

[MattB]

If all you want is a 125 then fine but if your aim is to get a bigger bike then do that.

 

I agree. Why mess about with a 125 if you want a bigger capacity bike, just do the DAS and get the kind of bike you want.

From experience (of being an instructor) DAS is the best route because it's done and dusted in a short time while everything is fresh in your mind. You are also learning to ride a larger machine which will give you more confidence in the long run. Ride a 125 for a number of months and you will pick up bad habbits/forget good ones that need to be corrected before test. You will also get frustrated/bored/ignored riding on L plates.

DAS is there for a reason, and it's because people with a great deal of experience decided it was the best route into riding a large capacity bike.

[Mhocking]

I agree. DAS is the best route. I had never ridden a bike before my cbt but found the DAS on a bigger bike was so much easier to ride.

[new002]

Das is the way to go i guess its the cost though that scares me.If i pay 600gbp up front for a das course and then end up failing a number of times for what ever reason(lack of experience) or needing lots of extra hourly lessons than that 600gbp could easily end up going over 1k and cost a small fortune with nothing much to show for it if you get what i mean.

[Mhocking]

I had no experience. Mod 1 took 2 attempts after I put a foot down stupidly on the figure of 8. Passed second time and the mod 2 with no minors. Took about 5 lessons in total.

My only regret is not doing it years ago!

[Scorpion]

Mate go straight for the DAS.

You have no restrictions, and then you can buy whatever bike you want.

You WILL get bored of a 125 very quickly. Im sure a couple will be along to say no you wont, but most will agree with me.

and why should you fail? i did two days of DAS then test, i passed first time and i was only 19, albeit its changed a fair bit since then.

Theres no reason you should fail, its not that hard mate, go for it!

[new002]

I guess das is the route i will probably end up taking its just the nagging questions about hidden and extra costs that bother me.

How do you know you've found a bad or good motorbike training school, what signs do i need to look out for ?

Do i need to go down the road of buying some gear before starting a das course is it recommended ?

Some local motorbike training schools charge around 120 quid for 3 hours on a 125/500 and 700 quid up front for complete das package which includes 12 hours on road training + test fees does this sound reasonable or ripoff ?

[Weebl]

How do you know you've found a bad or good motorbike training school, what signs do i need to look out for ?

 

I got lucky and I am pretty sure I have got a good school. It was just luck really, we had just moved house, and my son needed to do a CBT so he could use a moped to get around the new area (it is a bit more rural than where we used to live) It was the closest school, so in we went and booked him up. He enjoyed it, and watching him ride I could see he had been taught properly. I then decided I wanted a full licence so I booked up too. If I had not got lucky, and we had a bit more experience in the area then I would have been asking around, other parents asking them where they sent their kids for CBT, what the experiences were like etc.

 

Do i need to go down the road of buying some gear before starting a das course is it recommended ?

 

I bought my own helmet, gloves and jacket. I did not need to, the school would have supplied everything but then when you pass you need to go out and buy it, so I started a bit early and picked up some bargains by being able to shop around with no rush. My advice would be to do the same, you are in no rush, you don't actually need it until you have passed, so you have loads of time to wait for the right deal

 

Some local motorbike training schools charge around 120 quid for 3 hours on a 125/500 and 700 quid up front for complete das package which includes 12 hours on road training + test fees does this sound reasonable or ripoff ?

 

I guess this depends on your school again, I am paying a fair bit compared to what I know others have paid but I am happy with the value for money.

CBT = £130

Conversion lesson to 500cc, 3 hours = £100

Mod 1, full day training, then a 40 mile ride to the test centre and back the next day, fee included = £400

Mod 2, Full day training, again the 2 day split, fee's included = £310

The only other expense on top of that was my theory test fee (not including the new helmet etc)

I know this is not the cheap end, but after my Mod 1, waiting for the guy who came with me to do his, another instructor and some students turned up. They were dressed in whatever they turned up in, hoodies and trainers etc and from what he was saying to them as they were waiting, his training had not been very comprehensive beforehand. I bet I paid more than them, but then I bet I have a greater chance of passing and a much better understanding of riding.

[OhJay]

Best thing you can do to find a school is go speak to them, spend some time with them before booking. See what they're like, ask any questions you have and make sure in your mind you're happy. How patient are the teachers? How friendly? How much time will they spend answering all the questions you have? How much will they teach you the right foundations from the start rather than just tick all the necessary boxes?

Word of mouth and recommendations usually go a long way towards picking a school. You get some on here saying "I went to school x and it was terrible" or "I went to school y and would recommend to anyone"

Whereabouts near Reading are you? I'd recommend the place I went to out Crowthorne/Bracknell way if you're out this side.

I did my CBT in Reading with a school who were fine but then personal recommendation from a friend I did my big bike training down here and so glad I did.

Since I'd done my CBT elsewhere they made me go on a ride with the instructor and they made a recommendation from there what they thought would be best for me. I went to a lesson a week with them on Saturday afternoons. First 5 or 6 lessons were on the 125 to get all the basics down and then it was conversion onto the 500 and then tests.

We got the gear just after getting our CBT, we bought a 125 to share between the two of us and practice on so we got the gear then. Different places will supply different amounts of gear. Everywhere will supply a lid if you need one since you HAVE to wear one but after that different places will lend you gloves and/or jackets. I'd say get your own gear, you know it'll fit and be comfortable and you'll have to have it when you pass and get your own bike anyway

[Guest]

I would have though buying a 125cc is more expensive that doing the DAS I went the most expensive way and did both, but it meant I was on the road quicker with my 125cc on L Plates as I then did the DAS as well.

 

but you get your money back when you sell the 125cc