What are you riding?

[bald_pig]

With L plates. CBT is not a license test, just a competency thing. If you have a car license, it doesn't expire, if you do, it lasts 2 years.

[Andrew_C]

always buy the best gear you can.

This. It doesn't have to be leather, but get some good, waterproof, outer clothing. With armour. ALWAYS wear it.

 

I was told that Mod1 testers were being instructed to turn anyone away who turns up in trainers.

[Tesla]

With L plates. CBT is not a license test, just a competency thing. If you have a car license, it doesn't expire, if you don't, it lasts 2 years.

 

FTFY

[bald_pig]

FTFY

It's monday and I haven't had a coffee yet -.-

[arwen]

With L plates. CBT is not a license test, just a competency thing. If you have a car license, it doesn't expire, if you do, it lasts 2 years.

 

Wrong info. CBT must be retaken every 2 years unless you complete the full bike test (theory, MOD 1 and MOD 2) The exception to this is if you have a licence issues before 2001, then there are various laws regarding what you can and cannot ride and what you must display. (check https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/learning-to-drive for more info)

 

I currently ride around on my 125cc with L plates and have done for a year now. Will eventually get round to doing MOD 2 over the next few weeks. Here is a rough break down of costs for you Joanne,

CBT= £90-140

Theory = £23

Mod 1= £15.50

Mod 2 = £75-£88.50 (depends on days/times)

School training and bike hire = Mine is £50 for 90 min.

 

Kit

Helmet = Only think that I would say has to be bought new. Prices from £30-£700+. Mine was £110 and it's pretty fine. The main think is to make sure it fits properly. More expensive helmets will generally be quieter, lighter and have a few more gizmos.

Jacket/trousers/boots = As has been said. Buy the best you can. A lot can be found on ebay for very little money however, as bikers appear to love to horde stuff that they never wear, then grow out of it! I would guess you could get decent kit 2nd hand for around £150 no bother.

Gloves = Sometimes best to try on in shop rather than buying online. You want something that will keep your hands warm and protects (carbon fiber knuckle guards are good) but can still feel enough for good control.

Ear plugs = I use these disposable ones I hate riding without them. My bike isn't loud, but the wind noise at 30-40mph is enough to damage your hearing.

 

The bike - Completely depends on what you want. all the reviews will tell you to stay clear of Chinese bikes however, and I am inclined to agree with them. They fall to bits and the after sales support is pretty non existent. You could pick up a good conditioned Japanese 125cc for £800-£1800 depending on how new you want it to be.

 

But as others have said, book your cbt first, or even a free "get on" taster session = Free Motorbike, Motorcycle or Scooter Experience Near You

Edited March 7, 2016 by arwen

[Andrew_C]

The Chinese* are currently where Japan was in the 60s. They copy; and not well either. SO the Chinese 125 looks JUST like a Suzuki/Honda/Kawasaki 125, but will be a pile of unsaleable bits inside 2 years.

 

 

*and Korea

[crc-ict]

Ear plugs = I use these disposable ones I hate riding without them. My bike isn't loud, but the wind noise at 30-40mph is enough to damage your hearing.

 

+1 for ear plugs. Definitely needed. You might get away without in town, but anything over 30mph, the wind noise means you are going to want them. I use the 'spark plugs' linked by @arwen too and find them very good - comfortable and a good level of noise isolation. YMMV, though as ear plugs are subjective. Try a few until you find the ones that fit you best - I bought some Howard Leight Matrix plugs on the strength of an excellent review in Ride magazine, but they don't fit me at all - I can't get them in far enough to clear my helmet. Buy small quantities through eBay or Amazon and then stock up once you find the right ones.

[Joanne]

Thanks for the info guys. Definitely a lot to consider!

[bald_pig]

Wrong info. CBT must be retaken every 2 years unless you complete the full bike test (theory, MOD 1 and MOD 2) The exception to this is if you have a licence issues before 2001, then there are various laws regarding what you can and cannot ride and what you must display. (check https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/learning-to-drive for more info)

 

I currently ride around on my 125cc with L plates and have done for a year now. Will eventually get round to doing MOD 2 over the next few weeks. Here is a rough break down of costs for you Joanne,

CBT= £90-140

Theory = £23

Mod 1= £15.50

Mod 2 = £75-£88.50 (depends on days/times)

School training and bike hire = Mine is £50 for 90 min.

 

Kit

Helmet = Only think that I would say has to be bought new. Prices from £30-£700+. Mine was £110 and it's pretty fine. The main think is to make sure it fits properly. More expensive helmets will generally be quieter, lighter and have a few more gizmos.

Jacket/trousers/boots = As has been said. Buy the best you can. A lot can be found on ebay for very little money however, as bikers appear to love to horde stuff that they never wear, then grow out of it! I would guess you could get decent kit 2nd hand for around £150 no bother.

Gloves = Sometimes best to try on in shop rather than buying online. You want something that will keep your hands warm and protects (carbon fiber knuckle guards are good) but can still feel enough for good control.

Ear plugs = I use these disposable ones I hate riding without them. My bike isn't loud, but the wind noise at 30-40mph is enough to damage your hearing.

 

The bike - Completely depends on what you want. all the reviews will tell you to stay clear of Chinese bikes however, and I am inclined to agree with them. They fall to bits and the after sales support is pretty non existent. You could pick up a good conditioned Japanese 125cc for £800-£1800 depending on how new you want it to be.

 

But as others have said, book your cbt first, or even a free "get on" taster session = Free Motorbike, Motorcycle or Scooter Experience Near You

 

No, if you passed your test before 2001 then you don't need a CBT at all, after that, it doesn't expire so long as you have a full car licence

 

[h=1]CBT if you have a car driving licence[/h]You can ride a moped without L plates and without taking the full motorcycle test if either:

 

• you have a car driving licence and a compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate
  
• you passed your driving test before 1 February 2001
  

You must complete a CBT course to confirm your full moped licence if you passed your car driving test on or after 1 February 2001.

Your CBT certificate for riding mopeds is then valid for as long as your car driving licence.

 

[*=left]

https://www.gov.uk/cbt-compulsory-basic-training/cbt-if-you-have-a-car-driving-licence

 

Apparently you don't need L plates for it either!

[arwen]

It is fantastic fun. Makes going to work so much more enjoyable

 

To try out ear plugs, I bought this pack Ear Plug Variety Trial Pack - 11 Pairs: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care For £3 it was well worth the money as it has all the "big brands" in it. I found I much preferred the moldex ones as they don't heat up inside your ears like the others.

[arwen]

No, if you passed your test before 2001 then you don't need a CBT at all, after that, it doesn't expire so long as you have a full car licence

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/cbt-compulsory-basic-training/cbt-if-you-have-a-car-driving-licence

 

Apparently you don't need L plates for it either!

 

That is for mopeds, which are generally 50cc. Not motorcycles. They are different classes according to the DVLA.

 

Mopeds

Category AM

 

You can drive 2-wheeled or 3-wheeled vehicles with a maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph).

 

This category also includes light quad bikes with:

 

unladen mass of not more than 350kg (not including batteries if it’s an electric vehicle)

maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph)

Source: https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

[bald_pig]

That is for mopeds, which are generally 50cc. Not motorcycles. They are different classes according to the DVLA.

 

 

Source: https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

 

Yes, because Joanne was asking about the CBT!

[Andrew_C]

I find the Alpine re-usables much more convenient than foam ones. Amazon link

[arwen]

Yes, because Joanne was asking about the CBT!

 

Joanne was asking about 125cc's, not 50cc. (and rightly so, mopeds are dangerously slow in my eyes, you would be better just cycling)

[Joanne]

Yeah I don't want no street cred ruining MOPED!

 

Hahahah!

[jambocb]

Some really helpful information on here regarding CBT. I've been considering it for sometime, i really want to go through the CBT and after a year or so progress to a full bike licence. I'm just finding it hard to justify the "need", wouldn't use it for commuting so it would purely be for leisure. Might pop into the riding school\dealership at the weekend...

[headoned]

bikes are cool that's a fact. it depends how much use your going to get out of it really. I sold my bike (Yamaha thundercat) last year to pay for a holiday as money was tight and I couldn't afford to get a new tire and an MOT . I do plan to buy a new bike at some point but at the moment im enjoying my new mtb (calibre bossnut)

[timlineuk]

I did my cat A two years ago now and i didn't think the cost was too horrendous.

Find yourself a good small local company who will help and guide you.

 

I did my CBT initially to ride a little GS125 i then did my theory, mod 1 and then 2 in quick succession the following year.

Now riding a Yamaha Fazer FZ6

[Joanne]

Well I think I'll mainly use it to commute. If we move soon we might end up just having 1 car. I figure the running costs of a small bike would be much less than a small car. Also I sat on my FiL's new toy (some old triumph I think) and I just thought... hells yeah. #YOLO and whatnot. I've never been a massive fan of motorbikes and neither have my family, but husbands family are into them.... I understand the risks, but I'm not planning on going on motorways or anything, so should be dandy.

[foofighterjim]

Now riding a Yamaha Fazer FZ6

 

Cracking bike that.

 

I really can't remember much about the process when I passed (It was 11 years ago now ). I remember doing my CBT on my Aprillia RS125 at 19 and riding it restricted (it only reved to 5,000rpm restricted (45 - 50mph max)) and L plates on a provisional license. I then took my theory the following year followed by a two day "crash" course with my test at the end. I got told on the morning of my test that I couldn't use my bike (the only geared bike I had ever used at that point) for my test as I didn't have a certificate of the restriction . Luckily I managed to jump on a spare Honda the training providers had and just about got used to it for my test. Once I had passed I got the RS125 derestricted, what fun that bike was once you could rev it! After two years I could ride without restrictions that's when I got the SV, promptly got into my first accident and then joined RoSPA.

[timlineuk]

Just remember speed isn't always the thing that'll make you come unstuck.

 

I think it's important with a motorbike to always a) assume everyone wants to kill you / everything is a threat (i'm not saying ride like a terrified badger as that certainly wouldn't be safe either but you are always at greater risk and awareness needs to be heightened) & b) always learn more about riding (saferider, IAM, ect.)

[arwen]

I'll echo what Tim says above. Speed isn't everything, go for a bike you enjoy.

My little MSX is not a fast bike, even by 125cc standards. It has a whole 9.5HP when the 125cc limit for CBT riding is 15HP! But it is so much fun to ride around towns and on small back roads because it is so nimble.

It also has the added effect of making everyone who sees it smile/grin with amusement because it is rather small. Especially when parking next to a bigger bike :-

We stood and chatted to an older couple for about 15min who were inspecting them when we got back after this photo. Which is another thing to get used to if you get a bike. All the "would be bikers" and people who already have bikes end up talking to you about them

[mikkydoos]

You need to do a CBT, theory test, Mod 1 and Mod 2, my advice would be go to a proper riding school because then if you drop the bike it wont be the end of the world, i paid about £4-500 for mine and that was all my lessons and my test.

 

£4 - 500 ?? Mine cost me a grand for 5 days inc tests. I already had a theory and CBT too !!

[pcstru]

Well I think I'll mainly use it to commute. If we move soon we might end up just having 1 car. I figure the running costs of a small bike would be much less than a small car.

Most bikes on average probably cost a significant amount more than a cheap-o car to maintain per mile, in part because they, on average, do relatively few miles. Another factor to think about is while you might skimp on maintenance on a car, doing so on a bike is madness.

Also I sat on my FiL's new toy (some old triumph I think) and I just thought... hells yeah. #YOLO and whatnot. I've never been a massive fan of motorbikes and neither have my family, but husbands family are into them.... I understand the risks, but I'm not planning on going on motorways or anything, so should be dandy.

Motorways are safer than A or B roads (one of the big problems with A/B roads is having an accident and not being found/attended by an ambulance quickly). That's somewhat worse on a bike because a common accident is people failing to make a corner (no one else involved). The most common accident (45% in 2014) is someone not seeing you and pulling out in front of you. In terms of risk vs driving a car, 19% of all road fatalities in GB involved motorcycle users, yet they account for only 1% of all traffic. You can of course manage the risk with good roadcraft and training (you can never entirely eliminate it but advanced training has significant impact in risk reduction as evidenced by insurance discounts they can unlock). Good luck, enjoy it and stay safe.

[Joanne]

I'll echo what Tim says above. Speed isn't everything, go for a bike you enjoy.

My little MSX is not a fast bike, even by 125cc standards. It has a whole 9.5HP when the 125cc limit for CBT riding is 15HP! But it is so much fun to ride around towns and on small back roads because it is so nimble.

It also has the added effect of making everyone who sees it smile/grin with amusement because it is rather small. Especially when parking next to a bigger bike :-

[ATTACH=CONFIG]35464[/ATTACH]

We stood and chatted to an older couple for about 15min who were inspecting them when we got back after this photo. Which is another thing to get used to if you get a bike. All the "would be bikers" and people who already have bikes end up talking to you about them

 

That looks about my size!! Think I'd struggle with anything bigger on account of only being 5'2"!