Bit of a two fold this one but after spending 2 traffic free weeks in france enjoying the lovely Bretton roads in the octy we returned to traffic jams and congestion on the m5 and m6.:mad: Why are GB roads so cack?

I know this is general CAR chat but have seen a few posts on bikes and quite a few Briskodians appear to be bikers.

I have been thinking of getting a moto for a while-seeing the bikers filtering through the traffic today confirmed some of the advantages of 2 wheeled transport. Plus i have been watching French bikers blatting around the countyside and it looks too much fun to miss out on.

In short.....i want one! I have ridden bikes a few times before....only off road though and i dont pretend im any good.

Any advice about cost of passing test/a half deccent bike (nowt daft fast) and general do's and dont's

Cheers

Dan

I'm not 100% on the bike test rules but i think you must do a CBT, compulsory basic training. About a day with a training school. Then I cant remember what the rules are after that, did mine 25 years ago so it's all changed since then.

As for advice, get some decent gear and ALWAYS wear it, whatever the weather.

Ride to within your abilities.

Stay away from white lines, drain covers, studs, overbanding in the wet.

NEVER overtake when there is a junction on your right, the thing you are overtaking may turn off, or something could pull out into your path.

It is a lot of fun, but it is also very dangerous. I stopped 2 years ago when my son arrived, and at the same time a guy who was riding behind me crashed and died, leaving a pregnant wife and 2 kids. That was a night i never want to repeat again and wifey was desperate for me to give it up. If I was a single guy I would still be on 2 wheels, but family comes first now.

[quote name=homedad;

It is a lot of fun' date=' but it is also very dangerous. I stopped 2 years ago when my son arrived, and at the same time a guy who was riding behind me crashed and died, leaving a pregnant wife and 2 kids. That was a night i never want to repeat again and wifey was desperate for me to give it up. If I was a single guy I would still be on 2 wheels, but family comes first now.[/quote]

cheers home dad

sobering advice-im a dad too so safety important to me as well....the misuss had a brother who was killed on his bike by a drunk driver.... RIP. But i know others who have never come off badly...my old man for one. The missus sugested i just do off road but not sure of costs etc.

Thanks for the advice

Motorcycling and the law

It's a bit of a read but I think everything is there...

If you're over 21 then you can do Direct Access to 'big' bikes - Cost me roughly £500 back in 2001 for the CBT on a 125cc then 3 days training on a 500cc. Was done on consecutive weekends with my test on the Monday. £500 quid for my leathers, gloves and boots... about £80 or so for my first helmet... I'm glad I was 24 before I started riding!

Bit of a two fold this one but after spending 2 traffic free weeks in france enjoying the lovely Bretton roads in the octy we returned to traffic jams and congestion on the m5 and m6.:mad: Why are GB roads so cack?

I know this is general CAR chat but have seen a few posts on bikes and quite a few Briskodians appear to be bikers.

I have been thinking of getting a moto for a while-seeing the bikers filtering through the traffic today confirmed some of the advantages of 2 wheeled transport. Plus i have been watching French bikers blatting around the countyside and it looks too much fun to miss out on.

In short.....i want one! I have ridden bikes a few times before....only off road though and i dont pretend im any good.

Any advice about cost of passing test/a half deccent bike (nowt daft fast) and general do's and dont's

Cheers

Dan

Hi Dan

I think has all been said, but I have been riding 30 odd years on and off, and my best advice is KEEP VERY SAFE Don't take any chances (at all) and as for "bikers blatting around the countyside" don't do it as that will be your demise.

As far as the test goes, its a bit diffrent now, than when I took mine, so cannot give advice on the test etc

Good luck if you go for it

Radiotwo

Do direct access so you have access to the full range of bikes. CBT will let you ride a 125cc but tbh I never felt safe on those little bikes.

Remember your lifesavers, remember everyone is out to kill you.

As mentioned if it's shiny it's slippy stay the f**k away from it.

In winter you'll wish you were in a car.

Any mistakes will hurt, a lot.

They're not as as cheap to run as it's made out.

It's very addictive.

The current test process I know nothing about and the dangers to motorcycling are obvious and stories of tragics crashes are all to frequent. I think homedad, says it all really.

Biking really demands defensive riding at all time, seeing everyone else on the road as a threat.

I too have been biking for 30 years now, and am a biker at heart. To me a bike is something to enjoy and you can ride just for the sake of it. Cars, to me, are functional, that's it.

Nothing beats a good day/weekend out on the bike. Trips abroad on a bike are superb, with those on the continent being far far more bike friendly than the UK and far more bike aware. I've recently returned from a Slovenia/Austria/Italy bike trip where the roads are excellent as are the views.

IMO, it's not remotely the same doing it in a tin box.

Go take your test and take your time to learn, over many many years.

Good luck!

i used to teach cbt, a while back so its all changed now.

tried giving biking up sold my bike and now looking about for 1.

seriously , always wear protective gear , assume nobody knows your there and think twice before doing anything., if you have to think if you can make the move dont.

love biking , it really is so different from driving , but we all "know someone" dont we, or lots of someones.

buy a decent 600, and thats gonna scare you for a while , sensible option cbr 600 or maybe vfr 800

best helmet you can afford and try it for fit , it has to be snug , look for kit in a neutral colour or you will be forever chasing the colour matching train lol.

decent boots as well , again read a few reviews and try em , obviously gloves as you will ALWAYS hit the floor with them .

then go out for a few good runs with somebody who you know , knows what there doing and not just gonna show you how fast they can go, watch them and work out the lines their using , and read riding tips books , exellent read is keith code's book , twist of the wrist, its in americanese but its readable.

keep safe , if your near me feel free to pm or ring , will help with anything i can , or indeed anybody close , lance, len etc. always happy to help fellow bikers.

Depends on what you want out of it. If your looking at doing it simply because you want an easier commute then i'd recommend doing your CBT and just get an motorcross style 125 - cheap to get, cheap to maintain, cheap to run plus you won't have to shell out doing your full test as the CBT will cover you for 2 years of riding.

If on the other hand you want to go down the road of having a bit of fun etc then i'd say go with the direct access. I did mine at the beginning of last year and bought a new Kawasaki Z750. I love it but then I live in South Wales with loads of nice roads to ride on!!

keep safe , if your near me feel free to pm or ring , will help with anything i can , or indeed anybody close , lance, len etc. always happy to help fellow bikers.

:thumbup: