New guy

[Nico Rossi]

Hey guys, just been lurking about on your setup checking out what it's all about and am making my first post now, so go easy.

Basically I'm an 18 year old University student wanting to get into motorcycling and the RS125 seems to be where it's at for people my age. My Dad's into bikes and has a couple himself and so I fancy joining the club.

Anyway, just a few queries really. I understand I've gotta do the CBT, Theory and Practical tests before I can get a 33hp RS.... Has anyone ever done the CBT then immediately passed their test - as in going straight from the CBT to the test without having a run about on a restricted bike of their own for a few months before stepping up to do the test? If possible I'd like to do this as I've already got my car license so I understand the fundamentals of the road etc. and wanna ride unrestricted ASAP. ? If this isn't possible, is it easy enough to practice on someone elses bike prior to taking the test myself? Sort of like rent a bike to learn on like one rents a car when learning to drive a car?

Other question is with regards to insurance - what sort of price will I be looking at for 3rd party fire & theft? I'll probably be 19 by the time I buy the bike and I guess I'd be looking at a c.2000 model as I'll have about £1,500 to spend on the bike. Will the insurance be around £800?

Hope someone can be of help, cheers.

[Key Walshe]

Once you have your theory and CBT there's nothing stopping you from doing your restricted A license. It's probbaly better to do that as the CBT will be fresher in your head.

To do your test you can do it on an Rs125, but most are de-restricted nowadays (especially 2nd hand ones) and many test centre's ask for proof of it's power - 14.6bhp or less - and if you don't have any then they may refuse to take you out on it. Best thing to do would be to get your Theory done asap, very similar to the car one so that should be easy enough, then book a lesson or 2 with at an Motorcycle School (lots in Yellow Pages) and after them/that lesson ask about how many they think you'll need and then put in for your practical depending on how it all went. You'll be able to use one of their bikes to practice and do the test on (usually Honda CG125's or Yamaha SR's) meaning your bike is less likely to get damaged whilst learning on and many people struggle with the U-turn on an Rs125 (though I coped fine with mine!).

As for insurance, there isn't really a set-rate across the country - some will pay upto £1000 with those details, yet some as low as around £250 for tpft cover. So the only suggestion I can make is to ring as many insurance companies as possible in a day, then try to haggle the best ones down - I'd expect less than £500 though for tpft

[smurfit]

Well my Insurance is only £831 and thats third party fire n theft which isn't too bad and I'm 18.....But it better go down in January when I have to renew it otherwise I'll be a raging ronnie.

[Ignite Aprilia]

Originally posted by smurfit
Well my Insurance is only £831 and thats third party fire n theft which isn't too bad and I'm 18.....But it better go down in January when I have to renew it otherwise I'll be a raging ronnie.

wtf....try CIA Insurance, 500-600 pound for third party fire n theft.

[JakeRS125]

yeah... mines 499 and im 17 lol u were ripped by the look of it

edit: got mine from rampdale not CIA though

[d@Rkn3$$]

Originally posted by smurfit
Well my Insurance is only £831 and thats third party fire n theft which isn't too bad and I'm 18.....But it better go down in January when I have to renew it otherwise I'll be a raging ronnie.

lol not to bad...u students must be loaded

[jp crossley]

Originally posted by smurfit
Well my Insurance is only £831 and thats third party fire n theft which isn't too bad and I'm 18.....But it better go down in January when I have to renew it otherwise I'll be a raging ronnie.

The robbing bastards.My insurance for my gsxr600 is£588 full comp

[stant0s]

mines £580 fully comp.

[Nico Rossi]

Cheers for the prompt replies guys, interesting figures on insurance too.

What I'll probably do is do my CBT and then have a couple of lessons then do the test right after, hopefully passing in the process. After that I'll pick up a 2nd hand RS125 and have some fun in the next year.

Key Walshe, don't suppose you've ever taken your bike round Three Sisters before? I see you're from Wigan and I used to race my 2 stroke kart there for a number of years when I was a bit younger; fast track!

[Key Walshe]

I've had a lap or 2 around there on the RGV - none of the others though, I think it's too greasy to be used for road bikes!

What kind of kart did you race - I have a Senior TKM100 sat in the garage gathering dust (not enough £ to be used as it should be yet) which I've taken round there a few times - great track for karting, said to be the best in the UK for them! And I'm often there using and abusing the twin-Honda-engined ones they use there in the endurance and grand prix races - great fun and can readily lap in the 47's in those which ain't bad I'm led to believe!

Regards insurance, don't take what others say with too much truth - not saying they're lying, but there situation has no effect on yours whatsoever as everyone is different! I paid £350tpft at 18 on a 2001 Mito Evo2 worth £2600, yet a friend paid £400 also at 18 for a 1993 Mk2 Mito, and there's plenty of others - all you can do is ring around to guarantee you've got the best price possible as every company differs for different people!

[kaillum]

most decent training schools will offer you either 3 4 or 5 days courses, normally you'll take your CBT on the first day, and your test on the last... you'll need to take your theory before you start your training though,

I did Direct Access 2 weeks ago (i'm a little over the age of 21!)... I did my theory a couple of weeks before my training, was a 4 week wait from booking the theory to the first available slot... then did my CBT on the schools CG125 which is just basic stuff... how to start, stop, slow speed manouvers and a bit about bike maintenance.... the next day i was out on the schools CB500... had 2 days training on that then took my test on the Friday morning... so I actually only had 2 full days training... I passed, and on the Saturday morning i went and test rode 4 different bikes... GSXR600, CBR600FX, VFR750 and 600 Bandit... and BOY was it fun!!!

go on.. get your theory booked and ring around a few of your local training places... total cost for mine was £380... including my CBT and Test fees...

[Nico Rossi]

I also used to race TKMs.... I was in the Junior class when I started at the age of 12 (seems a life time ago now) then moved up to the seniors a few years later. I've not raced at all for a couple of years now sadly, the kart's still knocking about in the garage. Apparently they've bored the engine out to 110cc now to probably try and keep interest in the class up against the new fashionable rotax max class. I do miss it though, I might pop over to watch a race sometime next season - in the summer though, not in winter.

The insurance sounds interesting, fortunately my postcode for where the bike would be housed is quite good so hopefully that would lower things a bit, however I think the main factor would be my lack of experience (and years of no claims) so that might push the price up a bit. I'm willing to pay for it though.

Kaillum, that sounds a really good plan actually and very logical. I just checked now on the DSA website to see when the earliest theory test is I could take - they've got ones available in the next few days! I'll wait for my theory test advice book to come through from eBay first though, don't wanna jump in head first and fail and waste £20 in the process. Going straight to a quick 600 must've been a bit daunting yet a load of fun? I plan to get a RS125 for the summer and practice on that for a couple of years then pick up a 600 when I'm 21 and done with University.....let's get a license first though.

All the best.

[swifty_mcvay]

welcome to the forum

and good luck with the bike thing man...

im sure if you pass your test insurance gets cheaper??

but im not sure...

later,
kyle

[stroker]

Originally posted by swifty_mcvay
welcome to the forum

and good luck with the bike thing man...

im sure if you pass your test insurance gets cheaper??

but im not sure...

later,
kyle

In Australia it use to be if you pass your riding test (which never use to be compulsary) you would get a discount on your insurence.. but now that you have to do it, they don't, which sucks... I pay $1,500 for full comprehensive, one company quoted me nearly 3k, I told them to get fucked, espescially since they are for bikes only

[kaillum]

Originally posted by Nico Rossi

Going straight to a quick 600 must've been a bit daunting yet a load of fun? I plan to get a RS125 for the summer and practice on that for a couple of years then pick up a 600 when I'm 21 and done with University.....let's get a license first though.

scary as anything!!! but a whole load of fun!! ended up trading the RS125 for a CBR600FX.... It just made me smile!!

my original plan was to run my RS125 over winter and then move up to something bigger... but after test riding them, the wife saw the smile on my face... and couldnt say no

Good luck m8...

the Theory is easier than you think... i'd never done a theory test before this one, and was told that it was similar to the Car test...