Typical!!!! What do you know about this? Any good links?
I've just read about age limits and the 2 year restriction being taken away which is stupid, more money gone on lessons and tests! I'm going to try and have my full (restricted) license this summer. I don't fancy CBT in this weather, and I'm not in the financial position at the moment. No job because my employer was terrible, however I'm just letting my JSA build up and up.. In a few weeks I should JUST have enough for a second hand YBR.
So lets confirm this; I must complete the full test before the new licensing comes in for a 400cc restriction, otherwise I'll have to wait until I'm 24 for DAS?
I want a GSX1300/Busa....
Upon passing the A1 you will get a full licence to ride on motorways
you'd have to be nuts to ride a 125 on a motorway.
I did the CBT, then I bought the 125 as said above.
I did the A2 test a couple of years later I did the A2 test.
that limited me to 250's for a year.
so what if it's limited me to 250s for three years?
when I was restricted to the 250 range I got a Kawasaki ninja 250 (ZZR) (the original CV carb one, not the new electronic injection one).
(ex150-H)
it's got better power to weight ratio than a new suburu imprezza
(28BHP at a weight of 164KG = 170BHP per ton vs 150BHP with a weight of 1,320KG = 113BHP per ton, or the 2008 2.5 litre turbo WRX imprezza for that matter 224HP 1394KG = 160BHP per ton)
goes 0 - 60 in 5.7 seconds (faster than BMZ z3(5.9s) or a Porsche boxster (6.2))
it's top speed is 105MPH (half the limit over the max limit in this country!)
And it's cheap to insure, (my insurance for both bikes was less than £150) easy to find parts for...
Oh, yes, and you can pick up a good example for around 1 grand. (early 90's like the one I have) whilst a bussa will:
give you 12 times the power (at only twice the weight)
deliver only another 90MPH, the wrong side of the speed limit anyway
it'll take you to sixty in just less than half the time, but will also set you back thirteen grand to buy, then you have to insure the beast (which per year will be in the order of the complete cost of the baby ninja...
Thing is, busas are cool and all that... but just like veyrons they are really engineering showcases rather than practical vehicles.
if you really want a decent bike, look at the Suzuki 250 GT comet (or the equally good but slightly cheaper Hyosung version) -they aren't Chinese rip off the Hyosungs are built under license in a different far eastern place.
And you'll be able to ride these on the restricted license.
anyway... regards the test, there will be a load of people who rush to take the test this year before it's brought in next year.
just like how 4 years ago there was a massive rush of people taking the test before the 2 part test came in.
just the same as there was a rush of people taking their theory test before hazzard perception test was required.
and at the end of the day it amounts to a whole load of not a lot extra hassle.
put it this way, if I were limited to only a 400cc bike, would I care?
no, simply because there are a lot of good 400cc bikes (400cc bandit for example), and when this law comes in, manufacturers will want a slice of the action, so the range at this level will only increase. these bikes are cheap enough to insure. easy to run. and a little more difficult to die on.
And if I decide that I want to upgrade my bike, I go do a new test.
there are no extra lessons required.
you can do your CBT and ride for 2 years and then take your test with no lessons if you want, lessons are not mandatory, (just advisable).
If you've got your A1, or A2 then you go for the test for A and you fail, so what? you'll have lost a £50 test fee and a day of your time, your existing license won't be revoked. -no need to spend hundreds on extra lessons. -and driving schools will be aware of this, so the lessons will be cheap, just like advanced biker training is cheap now.
don't get me wrong, it sucks that there is this extra hassle, the same as it sucks that there is a two part test, the same as it sucks that there is hazard perception, the same as it sucks that the bike test isn't the examiner just standing on a street corner any more, telling you go round the block. watching you disappear out of sight, then waiting till you were back in sight and stepping in the road so you did an emergency stop. (as my instructor described it, "back in the day")
Tests are getting harder, but then machines are getting bigger, more powerful, and faster. new testing requirements are going to stop some of the idiots that would have gone and bought the gsx1300 and wrapped themselves around a tree from doing so.
if you rush to take the test before you're really ready then you'll be wasting time and money on nothing, because there is a good chance you'll fail.
Also I did my CBT in February, and took my full bike test in January (2 years ago in between bouts of snow). "man up" the CBT is easy. and if you're afraid of getting cold, or soaked through riding a bike isn't for you!
Cheap to insure too! Also thinking of one of them scramblers (YZ125) if I can get a road legal one!
