I'm 25 and have held a car licence since Nov 1999, does that mean I can jump straight onto a bike (low powered, scooter type)? :confused:

I like the look of, though not necessarily the sound of the Aprilia RS125 Honda NSR125 etc, am I able to ride these without spending £££'s out on various tests?

I don't really need to go fast, but looking of ways to make my Honda ITR more of a weekend tool and saving a bit of money with spiraling fuel costs etc...

Thanks in advance,

Chris

you need to do the cbt test,and maybe that theory test,not too sure on the last one,you alsoneed l plates:thumbup:

You can ride a 50cc scooter on your car licence.

If you want to ride a 125cc as said you'll need to do your CBT which is normally a 1 day course in basic bike control. In no way will you be safe on the road after 1 days training.

Personally I never felt safe on the smaller bikes. In a car you can brake to get out of trouble on a bike a lot of the time you can't brake because you'll either drop it or high side so you tend to accelerate out of problems.

You'll probably get the bug anyway so you'll probably be as well to do the full licence if you can afford it then get a cheap 500cc. Something like a CB500 is very easy to ride or even a 600 bandit.

You can ride a 50cc scooter on your car licence.

If you want to ride a 125cc as said you'll need to do your CBT which is normally a 1 day course in basic bike control. In no way will you be safe on the road after 1 days training.

Personally I never felt safe on the smaller bikes. In a car you can brake to get out of trouble on a bike a lot of the time you can't brake because you'll either drop it or high side so you tend to accelerate out of problems.

You'll probably get the bug anyway so you'll probably be as well to do the full licence if you can afford it then get a cheap 500cc. Something like a CB500 is very easy to ride or even a 600 bandit.

Do you think that the 'moped' racing style bikes are any safer than an ordinary scooter with smaller wheels? I can imagine something like the aprilia would stop and handle better, though the ordinary scooter would be easier to ditch and jump off..? :P

To be honest I've never really liked bikes, I can see that the outright speed will hook people, however I can't see me being one of them. Especially as I've got a ITR sitting at home, a 125 isn't going to set the world alight...

What sort of insurance can I expect to pay and what sort of mpg can I expect from a 125cc?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions, it's just that I'm clueless when it comes to bikes.

You don't want a 50cc moped - far too slow for today's traffic. I started off with a 125cc bike,it's a nice size to begin with, had one for 5 years and in that time never had a single accident. MPG? Well you're looking at 50 mpg plus, I remember back in the late 80's then it only cost me a few pounds to fill up. Insurance -shop around like for cars. I was going to swap the 250cc bike I had for a bigger cc but the insurance then was a bit too high

if you start, it's a long slippery slope....

16 years old i got a new 50cc scooter bought for me by my parents for my 16th b'day.

took my bike test when i was 17 and got a honda vt250f to sit out my 33bhp restriction on.

19 i got a new kawasaki er5 as my first proper big bike. learnt loads about riding, and clocked up about 14k in the year i had it.

at 20 i bought a new kawasaki ninja 636.

at 21 i bought a new R1.

had various other bikes since then, i'm 25 now. once the bug bites you can't get rid of it. even after numerous high sides and low sides i still get back on the bike and want more.

IMO a 125 will be boring in no time. just do your direct access and get something like a sports 400 to start with and learn the ropes.

Insurance isn't as cheap as the salesman tells you.

I had a ZXR400 for my first bike. Ins was about £400 (tpft) but was down to £80 when I sold it 3 years later.

A scooter IIRC can do 100mpg but has less power than my lawnmower. A 125 has about 12hp and is ok in town but not good on the open road. Some can do 90mph but it's hard work for them to get there.

A 500cc is a pretty good work horse and most of them are made for that. Not overly pretty or fast, they'll be making about 50hp but that's enough to cruise at 70 easily.

A sports 400, like the ZXR400 I had, make about 65hp and will do 140mph. But they're very peaky and have no torque. Mine would rev to 15k and you didn't get much above 10k but it was fast when moving. Seriously uncomfortable though. I could get 50mpg out of it but on a blast it could drop to 35mpg. Not a town bike but a hoot on a good road.

If you want to use they bike for everyday transport I'd still stick with a 500. Something like the Kwak ER500 or a CB500. Get some crash bars on it and spend as much as you can on leathers and other safety gear.

you need to do the cbt test,and maybe that theory test,not too sure on the last one,you alsoneed l plates:thumbup:

as he passed his car test in 1999 (i.e. before 1 February 2001) he can ride a moped without L-Plates or CBT

Information for moped riders : Directgov - Motoring