[Zk1]

Im thinking of getting a sporty bike for summer, got my eye set on a learner bike such as an aprilia RS125 or a Duccati equiv.. full race replicas look cool.
I have no license for a bike but I'm thinking of getting one soonish, Are these good bikes to start with ?, anyone rate the bmw ones for me to learn on ?

Im no an evil knievel type of person, just want to have fastish acceleration and safety - sny ideas ?

[Zk1]

dont laugh, i actually wanted a moped, but thought this looks more fun

[dxb335d]

I dont think a 125 will have any acceleration. Do the Direct access and you can be straight on a Hayabusa if you were a nutter with no need to restrict it either.

But id reccomend a 600 for a first bike.

But i too have never had one. I just know I want a Busa.

[Zk1]

Mate your crazy, I want to live after an accident not be like cheese through a grater. lol what scares me carl is hitting potholes at speed and flying over the bike

[jjbirch]

Originally Posted by Zk1

Mate your crazy, I want to live after an accident not be like cheese through a grater. lol what scares me carl is hitting potholes at speed and flying over the bike

just wear leathers

[Zk1]

leiderhosen ?, nah im deffo not wearing leather trousers lol

[RagingKileak]

Thought about a Vauxhall VX220 - the VXR does 0-60 in 4.4 seconds plus it can really handle!!

Just thought I would throw it in... I am considering it as a weekend toy for summer, or possibly an S2000 as you can get them for about 9k for a 2002 (which includes the revised suspension which wont kill ya)

Matt

[Zk1]

italian or germs only, but its not the same as riding a bike.
See a bike will cost like <2k for a really really good example

[RagingKileak]

Yeah I know they are cheap, but I find them hateful....

Seriously - I realise its a case of dont knock it until you try it - but I dont want to try it

I just dont like em lol!!

Matt

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by Zk1

Mate your crazy, I want to live after an accident not be like cheese through a grater. lol what scares me carl is hitting potholes at speed and flying over the bike

Mate you crash a bike its ''Game over'' anyhow.

Ive also wondered how they have managed since the roads have progressively got worse over the past two years.

Buckles our wheels, must write off there bikes.

[Zk1]

HD's are cheap too, but dont fancy looking like a wannabe hells angel

[E902717]

I really want a motorbike! But the miswah would kill me!

If i was you i would do what Carlos said, do the direct access course then you could ride whatever you want i would go for a 600cc first like this one.


The bottom one is what you need to get on to this is my dream bike!

[biscuits]

if your 17/18 and it's your first real mode of transport (it was mine) then a 125cc then 250cc 2-stroker is fine, but if you have a full driving licence, have been driving for years... then get a direct access licence done.

A 600cc bike is plenty for a learner to be dealing with, but not too slow you'll hate it after a couple of months (125cc-400cc are very gutless).

Carl, I had a 98-plate GSX1300R (Hayabusa) for a year, took it to the 'Ring (got a speeding fine in Belgium!) and did an indicated 195mph... it was still pulling... but I bottled it as the tarmac looks like a human eating belt sander at that speed!!!!

I learnt on a 125 (TZR125), past my test and got a 250 (TZR250), then sold it and got into cars for a while, then had a 600 (CBR600F), then got company cars and lazy... got back into bikes and bought a 1000 (TL1000S, fecking awsome bike!!!)... then went silly with the Busa. Sold it 7yrs ago to help finance a business venture.

What ever you do, get some good training... bikes are awsome fun, whether you ride fast or slow, they are amazing... but there's so many numpties on the roads these days, I only ride on-track now.

[beemerbird]

Wise words Paul.

Zk1 - Please be sensible whatever ok. If you don't 'respect' weather and road conditions at the mo, then believe me, once riding a motorbike you will. Not trying to put you off, bikes for me are still the ultimate thrill and the best sense of freedom money can buy, just sometimes we all learn the hard way about 'respect' for things ahem.

[CD]

i think the 'sensible' choice to get the same kinda thrills/acceleration would have to be an ariel atom

i have a Ducati 749 for the summer monthes and love that ! But if you want a slightly more sensible one that can do some 'hooning around' as well as a regular comfy comute i recomend the Suzuki SV650S , its a smallish V Twin with quite a lot of 'fun power' I had one and its been my favourite bike yet !

like everyone else has said , above all be careful ! As one of my favourite quotes goes "its all fun and games until someone loses an eye '' (dont ask )

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by Zk1

Im thinking of getting a sporty bike for summer, got my eye set on a learner bike such as an aprilia RS125 or a Duccati equiv.. full race replicas look cool.
I have no license for a bike but I'm thinking of getting one soonish, Are these good bikes to start with ?, anyone rate the bmw ones for me to learn on ?

Im no an evil knievel type of person, just want to have fastish acceleration and safety - sny ideas ?

I wouldnt advise a 125 if you can get anything else, their only really fun when you're young (I loved the old bangers I had like a CG125) but as others have said DAS and a sensiblish starter bike are the way to go.

Once licensed either a 500 commuter (ER5 etc) if you can't be trusted to be _very_ careful or a 600 midrange (Fazer, Hornet or the like) which is probably the most sensible place to be aiming or if you're mature and feel lucky straight onto a 600 sports bike.

After a long gap from riding all sorts of junk in my early years but no license I did DAS around 10 years ago and jumped out and picked up a CBR600 and currently have a ZX-9R thats starting to get on a bit. A modern 600 has enough grunt to set your ringpiece quivering like a tuning fork and more than enough to get you into trouble too. Dont be tempted to go bigger until you've clocked up some miles on it, you wont have the skills to get any real fun out of a bigger bike.

[AlanQS]

The Aprilia 125 is a very nice starter bike. Your full car license should (used to) qualify as a provisional for a bike.

I hadn't heard of the direct access route before but it's the best and quickest way to kill yourself that I can think of.

I learned on a single cylinder 250cc BSA and ended my bike career on a BMW R100 RS. This had a huge fairing, the bike was silver with a top quality car type headlight and looked so big in their rear view mirrors that car drivers always noticed me (headlight always on) - the twin air horns also helped! Huge though it was, it weighed less than a Honda 600 4-pot and was also comfortable for touring through Europe... sigh... those were the days.

[E902717]

Originally Posted by AlanQS

I hadn't heard of the direct access route before but it's the best and quickest way to kill yourself that I can think of.

Thats the best way i've heard of putting it!

[CD]

Originally Posted by AlanQS

I hadn't heard of the direct access route before but it's the best and quickest way to kill yourself that I can think of.

+1 ... ive whitnessed this, a friend of the family with no previous bike experience was watching brittish superbikes then went and took a direct access course, then jumped straight onto a GSXR750 and went round a corner too fast into a wall

the best way to get into biking is through experience, start small and progress upwards from there. I have been riding motorbikes since i was about 8 so have quite a lot of experience on 2 wheels. I got all my falling off and stupidness out of my system when i was 16 on a moped

take care

[Porscha!]

Im getting my NSR 125 on the road for summer, when I can afford it as I am saving hard for a Caterham (what about this route OP or a bike engined STC ) I will do my direct access and buy one of these -



or



Can't see it being for a few years yet but will take the test and buy one of these bikes one day

[Zk1]

hmm triumphs are nice too, i like it porscha

[Porscha!]

Thanks! Nice to see someone likes my taste in motor vehicles for a change

At the moment I'm really liking the speed triple, whether or not I could physically handle a big bike remains to be seen and is something I'd have to investigate into before I even went for the test, thats the main reason my priorities lie in buying a Caterham at the moment.

I know the safety word was mentioned in the opening post, well you can kit up with leathers, boots, helmets, gloves but to be quite honest biking is not a "safe" type of hobby, not if you get too much into the thrill of speed, I know a number of people who know my dad (he's big into bikes, just bought a Triumph Legend) who have either been killed over the years or have had very serious injuries.

So I'm wondering if a Seven Type Car (Caterham, Westfield, Tiger, Locust etc.) may be better for you? You can also get ones with bike engines, or V8s, or anything you want, if you like a project and have enough money / time you can build one yourself, I'd love to do this but it's generally cheaper to buy an already built Caterham from what I've seen.