CBT or DAS course?

[R08zy]

Hi

I've already done my theory, CBT booked and as I said above hopefully Mod1 and Mod2 passes will follow shortly after.

What I was asking was for the guys who recommended going straight for a 'big' bike to explain some of the reasoning behind it.

Half the people I have spoken to have said don't go any bigger than a 250 for a couple of years and I will be a better rider when I do get a bigger bike... yet the other half have said to go to a 650 or similar bike because it will have power to get me out of trouble.

I'm struggling to make a decision on which train of though to listen to, maybe after doing my DAS course on a 650 it might make up my mind for me.

[Lucifah]

I'm struggling to make a decision on which train of though to listen to, maybe after doing my DAS course on a 650 it might make up my mind for me.

 

I bet it will. I don't think that a smaller bike makes you a better rider per se, because the moment you hop on it you are still a newbie, exposed to the same hazards and risks on the roads. Maybe the bigger bike reduces your exposure to some of them actually (wider tyres, higher weight): a little bit better traction, feels more planted and stable around corners or on dodgy road surfaces and even wind etc

(Now, if it was a car, my advice would be the opposite, because a powerful car is a weapon, and unlike on a motorbike where the majority of accidents won't really harm others, accidents in cars are much more likely to claim third party victims.)

My first bike was a 600cc (600 Bandit), and if I could turn back time to the 20th century, I'd buy exactly the same bike again. But that's just me. Any advice you get on this subject will be biased anyway

[Joeman]

I'm struggling to make a decision on which train of though to listen to, maybe after doing my DAS course on a 650 it might make up my mind for me.

 

Bikes only go as fast as you tell them to.

A 600 is easier to ride than a 250, and will be more practical and less stressed than a 250.

Also, within a couple of months you'll find a 250 a bit boring, and you'll be wanting a bigger bike, so you'll either be stuck with a 250 or lose money trading it in for a 600, not to mention the cost of re-insuring...

Buy what you see yourself riding in 1 or 2 years time (you will grow into it) not what you think you should be riding now ( you will grow out of it!)

[R08zy]

(Now, if it was a car, my advice would be the opposite, because a powerful car is a weapon, and unlike on a motorbike where the majority of accidents won't really harm others, accidents in cars are much more likely to claim third party victims.)

 

haha but it's fine to get a quick bike because I'm more likely to only hurt myself if it goes wrong... can't see that line of argument working with my mrs lol.

When it came to buying my first car I did the complete opposite, I had some money burning a hole in my pocket and could afford to get ripped off on insurance so I bought a mk4 astra 2.0T convertible... the wind in my hair convertible wasn't enough for me so I now I want a bike

I have seen some people making the argument that they started on a quick car so they will be fine on a quick bike... I'm not that stupid however, the idea of getting on a 80+ horsepower bike worries me a lot more than driving my 200 horsepower astra away from the dealership did. Mainly because if I did something wrong in the car I was likely to still have all four wheels on the ground and still be sitting (fairly) comfortably in my seat.

[Lucifah]

(Now, if it was a car, my advice would be the opposite, because a powerful car is a weapon, and unlike on a motorbike where the majority of accidents won't really harm others, accidents in cars are much more likely to claim third party victims.)

 

haha but it's fine to get a quick bike because I'm more likely to only hurt myself if it goes wrong... can't see that line of argument working with my mrs lol.

 

Lol, no that was not what I meant to imply

I don't think you are more likely to get yourself into trouble on a 600-ish cc, unless you are intending to ride full throttle all the time.

Anyway, listen to what Joeman just said. That bloke apparently grew up on two wheels.

[R08zy]

Also, within a couple of months you'll find a 250 a bit boring, and you'll be wanting a bigger bike, so you'll either be stuck with a 250 or lose money trading it in for a 600, not to mention the cost of re-insuring...

 

Yeah you're right, If I were to buy a 250 I do some money for a deposit and the rest would probably be 2+ year finance. I can see me late next year looking at my 250 with resentment wanting to upgrade but unable to due to the finance.

The CBR500R is stealing my heart and possibly wallet at the moment, I would probably have to buy new though

[Joeman]

Also, within a couple of months you'll find a 250 a bit boring, and you'll be wanting a bigger bike, so you'll either be stuck with a 250 or lose money trading it in for a 600, not to mention the cost of re-insuring...

 

Yeah you're right, If I were to buy a 250 I do some money for a deposit and the rest would probably be 2+ year finance. I can see me late next year looking at my 250 with resentment wanting to upgrade but unable to due to the finance.

The CBR500R is stealing my heart and possibly wallet at the moment, I would probably have to buy new though

 

yep - nothing worse than being stuck with a bike you dont enjoy!

In my view, part of the biking experiance is learning about bikes, how they work, and how to look after them. you dont get that from a new bike.

I think you would get much more satisfaction from buying a cheaper old bike, learning to ride and learning some basic maintenance... much more enjoable than buying an expensive new bike and having to keep taking to to the dealer and paying them money just to keep the service history. Also you wont cry so much when you drop an older bike, so you wont be so scared to try new stuff... With a new bike you'll be paranoid about dropping it....

[R08zy]

Yeah good point, What's considered high mileage for a bike? When I bought my car I was looking for up to 60,000 miles (petrol engine).

Some of the 500/600cc bikes I've seen that are more than a few years old seem to have 20-30,000 miles on them, is that considered close to end of life?

I know you can't give me a concrete answer as it depends on servicing intervals, riding style etc but what kind of mileage would you walk away from knowing that you wouldn't have much re-sale value when you were done with it.

[R08zy]

Yeah good point, What's considered high mileage for a bike? When I bought my car I was looking for up to 60,000 miles (petrol engine).

Some of the 500/600cc bikes I've seen that are more than a few years old seem to have 20-30,000 miles on them, is that considered close to end of life?

I know you can't give me a concrete answer as it depends on servicing intervals, riding style etc but what kind of mileage would you walk away from knowing that you wouldn't have much re-sale value when you were done with it.

[Tango]

20-30,000 miles near the end of their life?......check this thread and vid out..... viewtopic.php?f=3&t=51767

[R08zy]

Didn't expect that... That's amazing. Just proves what tlc and a reliable honda engineer are capable of

Would you buy a used bike with that many miles on it though? At what point what you think it had seen its day and wasn't worth buying?

[KnightRyder]

I know this is an old post but just read it and was wondering what ever happened? As I’m having the same predicament, can’t decide if I should buy and old YBR125 and learn the basics, after CBT or go straight into DAS?

[geofferz]

I know this is an old post but just read it and was wondering what ever happened? As I’m having the same predicament, can’t decide if I should buy and old YBR125 and learn the basics, after CBT or go straight into DAS?

 

I haven't read the thread but it's totally up to you - I see no harm in doing a das straight off (unless you aren't sure that you'll like biking at all and don't wanna risk wasting the cash).

[Scholesfan]

I know this is an old post but just read it and was wondering what ever happened? As I’m having the same predicament, can’t decide if I should buy and old YBR125 and learn the basics, after CBT or go straight into DAS?

 

Do your CBT and see what you think, you may decide biking isn't for you.

I personally wouldn't put myself through the pain of having a 125, if your able to go straight to a big bike through DAS.