Direct Access glad I failed mine.

[pennpeel]

Hi all,

I was thinking over the weekend how things work out generally for the best, although it didn't seem it at the time, I took my mod1 failed it last year, and nearly called it a day after a few false starts.

I now have a 125 which all things concidered i'm very happy with I know it's slow ect (but great on the country lanes i find myself on) and worse still on "L plates", and i'm sure in the long run I will have lost money buying a 125 instead of carrying on DAS, but i don't think i would have carried on I have a car my bike was a bit of fun on nice days ect.

I may be the exception to the rule, but my choice of bike when I pass has varied alot I originally wanted a Royal Enfield Trails one of the newer ones, then after a few people's warnings looked at the Truimph Scrambler and Boneville.  Came very close to buying the Honda Transalp as they were doing a very good deal on them with finance and i nearly bought one in rediness when I passed my test.  I have since changed my thinking to the Truimph Tiger or BMW.  Who knows what I will end up with.

But the one thing I'm particularly glad of is by the time i pass my test this year is a must (as i've taken my Theory and it runs out May next year)  I will be hopefully alot more expierenced and have a better feel for what sort of bike I want.  I must admit after a short amount of time on bikes on direct access course I wouldn't have had a clue whether the bike I was test riding would suit me. Especailly as I've been looking at a few different styles. 

I may have ridden an Enfield and thought yes it's slow but I can live with that to find once i was used to it I had made a big mistake.  I want to test ride a bike knowing that I concentrating on the bike itself and how it suits me rather than riding it generally.  If that makes sense, plus I'll have a bit of no claims fingers crossed to use for my bigger bike.

Just thought I'd post this to anyone looking at their route into getting started . Not saying I wouldn't have loved to have passed but it worked out ok for me.  But it's something to think about. Sometimes a 125 is a good option.

[HappyHippy]

The key thing is to buy something cheap and cheerful to start with - then 2 or 3 months of riding later you'll have a much better feel for whether *that* type of bike suits you and you can probably sell the bike on for what you paid for it and try something else. Spend 6k on something shiny and you'll lose a lot in depreciation.

[Skunkmonk]

he he I agree entirely  at  the  end  of  the  day  its  all  about  enjoying  your  expierence on  2  wheeels, unfortunatly  it  seems  that  so  many  people think  they  should pass 1st or  2nd  time it  doesnt  matter  when  you  pass  we  all  learn  at  different  rates and  all  expierence  is  good  no  matter  what  and  if  your enjoying  the  125 then  great .
A  mate  of  mine  has  been  riding  for  years  and has a pan  european does lots  of  european  traveling  on  it well he  has  just  bought  himself a brand  new  trailie  125 dont  know  the  make  its  a red  one  lol ok he  doesnt  have  l  plates  on  it  but  for  whizzing  round the  city  its  great  and  he  was  telling  me  the other night  he  has  more  fun  on  his  125 than  his pan.
its  lighter and more  flickable  and  can  filter so much  easier.
and  as  you  say the  more  you  ride you  will  get a better  idea  of  the big  bike  that  will  suit  you when  you do  pass.

[motobiker]

Sometimes a 125 is a good option.

Stephan will love this and I'm sure when he spots this thread will wax lyrical on the superiority of the 125 compared to every other engine size currently available.

[NickH]

I completely agree - learning to ride is not a "one size fits all" thing, and it's best to do what you're comfortable with.

I for one had a bumpy ride through DAS, it ended up costing a fortune, and I'm only now getting back up to the speed and confidence I had before failing Mod 1. But now I'm glad I passed, it takes the pressure off, and I had a lot of instruction that I can draw on (if I can remember it).

[jankers]

There are plenty of places where a 125 is more than adequate, inner cities and the Border counties of England/Scotland for example, where the roads are narrow with few straights, ideal 125 country as you can keep the speed up and stay safe without much effort. I imagine the land around Shrewsbury is similar.

As for your next bike, i doubt it will be the last one as we all seem to hanker for something else over time, unless you are named Stephan or Snapdragon who appear to have found their ideal soul-mate.

J.

[PamPen25]

I'm glad that I didn't know how I wanted to do mine, but I have found that riding around on a 125 with L plates is probably a lot better than jumping straight on a 500 and cocking up, it has giving me time to think about things aswell as asking around for advice before splurging out on a bike that is all wrong for me.

I definately reccommend the 125 experience route and I'm glad you have too 

[james.t]

ok so passed test last month and tryed a few bikes but my 125 marauder is so far the best

[pennpeel]

Glad it isn't just me then.

I tend to buy things once and keep them for years, so my bike hopefully will be life not just for Christmas as they say, not doing much mileage at all my bike doesn't need to be the most practical to ride over distance or the fastest (so no sports bike), just something with a bit of character quite reliable cheapish to run (I don't want to be spending a small fortune on tyres), and something that makes me smile when I look at it, oh and fun to ride even if it's all within the speed limits.

Thats where my renewed interest started seeing an Enfield Trials at a garden ctr of all places on display, cheap to insure, character, easy to work on.I know alot of people have tried to put me off and i'm sure there right! Hence looking at Truimphs & BMW's  I think beauty in the eye of the beholder comes to mind, but were all different.

At least with a bit of expierence i'll be able to know if it's right for me, so when the time comes i'll look  at all options.  I find it easy getting sucked into top speed engine size ect hopefully this forum will help me keep my feet on the ground, great advice so far!

 

[Skunkmonk]

i was  re reading  some  old  ride  magazines  i  had cant  remember  which  issue it  was  in  now  but  a  comment  struck  me and  made  me  think
Which  was
ANY  BIKE  IS  BETTER  THAN  NO  BIKE
personally  its  not  how  big  fast  expensive  or  shiny  the  machine  is  its  the  enjoyment  and  freedom  and  just  plain  fun  of  riding  a  bike even  in  these  cold  times this morning  it  was  -5 went  i  got  to work  and  had  warmed  up Had a big  grin  on  my  face  because whilst  other  bikes are  in  their  respective  garages all  snug  and  warm  and  shut  away for  the  winter  mines  out  there being  ridden also something  else  i  have  noticed its  kind of  like  a  sub  culture all  bikers  Nod  and  smile  when  they  see another  biker but  the  ones  that  ride  in  these cold  climates seem  to  have  more of an  afffinity  agreed  we  talk  about  how  CCCCCCC cold  it  is  least  when  our teeth stop  chattering but  today at  work the  few  bikers  and  scooterists that  are  still riding were  all  comparing  routes over  which  roads  had  the  least  ground  frost  on  them

[martin79]

ANY  BIKE  IS  BETTER  THAN  NO  BIKE

Very true, I love riding my little 125, I think I ride that harder than i do the VFR in some cases.

[SnapDragon]

-/-As for your next bike, i doubt it will be the last one as we all seem to hanker for something else over time, unless you are named Stephan or Snapdragon who appear to have found their ideal soul-mate.    J.

this is true - but I did have others before (and 4 others in the stable)
it is coming up ten years though 

[SOUP]

I think you have found the way to bike riding that has suited you best PennPeel and I am very happy for you.     The more experience you have the better.

It took me a few years, but I seem to be content with Mr Yukky  so I hope you find your ideal bike too. 

[PamPen25]

i was  re reading  some  old  ride  magazines  i  had cant  remember  which  issue it  was  in  now  but  a  comment  struck  me and  made  me  think
Which  was
ANY  BIKE  IS  BETTER  THAN  NO  BIKE
personally  its  not  how  big  fast  expensive  or  shiny  the  machine  is  its  the  enjoyment  and  freedom  and  just  plain  fun  of  riding  a  bike even  in  these  cold  times this morning  it  was  -5 went  i  got  to work  and  had  warmed  up Had a big  grin  on  my  face  because whilst  other  bikes are  in  their  respective  garages all  snug  and  warm  and  shut  away for  the  winter  mines  out  there being  ridden also something  else  i  have  noticed its  kind of  like  a  sub  culture all  bikers  Nod  and  smile  when  they  see another  biker but  the  ones  that  ride  in  these cold  climates seem  to  have  more of an  afffinity  agreed  we  talk  about  how  CCCCCCC cold  it  is  least  when  our teeth stop  chattering but  today at  work the  few  bikers  and  scooterists that  are  still riding were  all  comparing  routes over  which  roads  had  the  least  ground  frost  on  them

Yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh 

Down with fair-weather riders!!!!! 

There's nothing like a bit of minus 3 to wake you up in the morning. I hate the winter, but I'm still not put off 

[GaryJM]

Down with fair-weather riders!!!!! 

Prehaps we should light a fire under them to warm them  up
Seriously at least they are riders as well as people.
I have to admit I'm happier know my other half is driving the car in this weather we've been having.
Once it improves a bit she'll be back on the GN before you know it.

Glad you are happy with the 125 PamPen.
Personally I couldn't go back to a 125 now. too slow

[PamPen25]

Prehaps we should light a fire under them to warm them  up
Seriously at least they are riders as well as people.
I have to admit I'm happier know my other half is driving the car in this weather we've been having.
Once it improves a bit she'll be back on the GN before you know it.

Glad you are happy with the 125 PamPen.
Personally I couldn't go back to a 125 now. too slow

Tell me about it  

Can wait to get a bigger bike.......Roll on my test (booking it might help)  

[marc]

Stephan will love this and I'm sure when he spots this thread will wax lyrical on the superiority of the 125 compared to every other engine size currently available.