View Full Version : newbie, won the battle but not the war...
:D
hello....
umm...
After 6 months of persuasion I?ve finally convinced my parents to let me get a motorcycle licence, the one thing they?ve been dreading? :rolleyes:
I?ll be booking my theory either today or tomorrow and booking my c.b.t. sometime this week. The place I?ll be doing all my lessons is ?quick start? in maidenhead, if anyone knows what it?s like them some extra info would be great.
A few questions I?d like to ask are:
Is the bike theory similar to the car theory?
Having a full car licence, does that help in anyway what so ever?
How long did it take you to pass your test?
Did you buy a bike as a learner or did you get once you had passed?
Any extra tips or hints would be great.
Thanks in advance. :)
Welcome to the .org! Well done for going ahead with something you wanted to do, despite other's objections. You won't regret it :D
To answer some of your questions:
Bike theory is similar, still worth doing a couple of mock tests first to make sure your up to speed.
Having a car license can help. It means you already understand the road signs, and what to expect at junctions and general road use. At least I found it helped me. I could just concentrate on riding the bike. How long have you been driving?
Took me 1 week to pass my test from CBT to full license
I had already bought my SV when I was doing my DAS, but couldn't use it until I passed. If in doubt use the school's bikes :)
HTH and welcome again :D
ThEGr33k
02-06-08, 12:29 PM
Is the bike theory similar to the car theory?
Having a full car licence, does that help in anyway what so ever?
How long did it take you to pass your test?
Did you buy a bike as a learner or did you get once you had passed?
1) Similar in the way you take it but there are extra bike related Questions...
2) Only in that you have road knowledge.
3) A few months... Getting a test booked was what took the time. Sigh
4) I bought a bike a few months after passing. Couldnt afford one before. :(
MiniMatt
02-06-08, 12:35 PM
Is the bike theory similar to the car theory?
Um, all before my time I'm afraid :D My guess would be that they're similar barring a few bike specific bits but await someone younger than I to answer that one :D
Having a full car licence, does that help in anyway what so ever?
Yes, definitely. Maybe not so much on the test but in general riding, miles on the road, if even in a car, give you experience of situations that raw teenagers don't have. That feeling that the car in that side road is going to pull out, that nagging voice that says that guy on the roundabout doesn't know where he's going - that sort of thing is valuable. Suppose it also means you've figured out clutch control, might use your hands instead of your feet but the principle is the same.
How long did it take you to pass your test?
Personally I did it long before a lot of the new regs, pootled about on a 125 for about a year then did a three day "crash" course to tidy up bad habits and then did the test.
Did you buy a bike as a learner or did you get once you had passed?
Depends on your economic situation and whether you're looking to go for a restricted licence for two years or go straight through to full power. Again, I'm too wrinkly to have been subjected to the DAS/33bhp thing so whilst I was technically allowed full power straight away, economics prevented much excitement :D
This largely depends on the route you want to take, my personal hunch would be to buy something that's good for the test and could be decent either restricted or unrestricted - hmmm, an SV650 might fit that bill :D
missyburd
02-06-08, 12:59 PM
Hi Kat
Bike theory's very similar to the car one but a lot of bike maintenance questions so make sure you know about chokes, tyres etc etc. I took my theory last week, thankfully passed it first time (didn't fancy forking out the ?30 again lol!) If you can get hold of the any DVDs they'll help a LOT, especially with the Hazard Perception bit but then if you've alreay done the car test then you shouldn't have a problem :cool:
Best of luck with CBT etc :D:D:D
Oh and welcome to the forum btw!
P.S. I very much like the helmet in your avatar lol, purple oooooh :p
""How long have you been driving?""
started lessons last august n passed in dec... so not that long but iv had my car since march and drive nearly every day.
""P.S. I very much like the helmet in your avatar lol, purple oooooh :razz:""
iv always been pillion to my dad wen he gets the urge to hire a bike and i needed a proper lid. shame it didnt come in bright pink :rolleyes:.
Alpinestarhero
02-06-08, 01:31 PM
One (obvious) tip is to budget a decent amount of money for decent kit; textiles or leathers, as long as it will protect you more than normal jeans and bomber jacket like scooter chavs wear.
Dont forget that motorcycles dont have self-cancelling indicators (with the exception of some big tourers, i think BMW does a system on some of its bike) - you will have to cancel them yourself. You might (from driving cars) forget about this, so get in the habit of doing it yourself in your car now. It would be a shame for you to fail your CBT / test because you kept leaving indies on :(
Matt
Kate Moss
02-06-08, 01:46 PM
Hello and Welcome to the madness, you will love it!
I passed my cbt on sat, 2nd time round. It was confidece that let me down the 1st time. Now I am really excited about getting out there and getting some riding practice in before I do the full test.
Think I am doing the A1? course so I can ride my sv650 restricted. You can ride on your cbt on a 125 for up to 2 years before having to do your full test so i am going to get lots and lots of practice in and then hopefully when I go for the test it wont take too many attempts to pass.
I need to swat up on the theory and learn all about the mechanics of the bike!
Best of luck to you and enjoy!
Kate x
You can ride on your cbt on a 125 for up to 2 years before having to do your full test so i am going to get lots and lots of practice in and then hopefully when I go for the test it wont take too many attempts to pass.
Are you sure? Just keep a wary eye on all the new regs from October.
Welcome Kat good luck with the test
Kate Moss
02-06-08, 02:04 PM
Are you sure? Just keep a wary eye on all the new regs from October.
Welcome Kat good luck with the test
Oh is that all going to change then aswel...eeek! does that mean I should try and do my test before Oct?!
Oh is that all going to change then aswel...eeek! does that mean I should try and do my test before Oct?!
I'm no expert on what's changing, and I'm sure if what you're doing is legal now they can't change that e.g. 2 yrs on a CBT.
But if you're considering a test on a 125 to get a restricted licence, you may as well do it asap so that the 2 yrs of being restricted start counting down asap.
After Oct, I'm sure the 125 test can only be harder.
Welcome to the .org and good luck with the training and test..
iv always been pillion to my dad wen he gets the urge to hire a bike and i needed a proper lid. shame it didnt come in bright pink :rolleyes:.
It did!
Yours is a Nitro N1200, Nitro also did an N1200 Steve Plater replica which came in very bright pink. I should know, I used to work for Nitro as a sales rep and sold thousands of the things :cool:
Ello Kat, welcome aboard, good luck with it all :D
hiya kat
good luck with it all
Wideboy
02-06-08, 05:02 PM
OWLA!! :smt039:smt039
yes car and bike theory are the same, give or take a few different questions, but the thing were you have to watch the vid and click the mouse is exactly the same, some of the scenes i had where the same on both tests
car license helps because you know stuff about the road already, always a bonus.
oh and welcome :p
Gene genie
02-06-08, 05:31 PM
reeto kat, alot of good advice been given already so i wont go on anymore, except do it all at your own pace and dont feel you have to rush into things just cos other guys did it alot quicker. but most importantly, ENJOY IT. i had lessons after my cbt and thoroughly enjoyed it, a great sense of camaradary.
good luck.:D
thanks peeps for the warm welcome. n all the hints n tips...
One (obvious) tip is to budget a decent amount of money for decent kit; textiles or leathers, as long as it will protect you more than normal jeans and bomber jacket like scooter chavs wear.
iv all ready got a half decent kit - the boots... but untill i actually pass and buy a bike i wont nag my parents for a full kit...
Again, I'm too wrinkly to have been subjected to the DAS/33bhp thing so whilst I was technically allowed full power straight away, economics prevented much excitement
the same thing for my dad, he passed sometime in the stone age and doesnt kno about new catagories.
It did!
Yours is a Nitro N1200, Nitro also did an N1200 Steve Plater replica which came in very bright pink. I should know, I used to work for Nitro as a sales rep and sold thousands of the things :cool:
the last nec show me n my old man went looking all over for a pink one but found purple instead.. shame really
dont feel you have to rush into things
dont plan 2, but if i cud pass before dec then il be really happy coz id hav done both my car n bike lisence within a yr...
but if not, doesnt matter coz im quiet patient. :takeabow:
and thank u all again!
Nostrils
02-06-08, 05:45 PM
Welcome to the forum. I used Passmasters who are at either High Wycombe or Northolt the ones I used - cannot comment on your school preferences! I had never been on a bike before my CBT and was so pleased to have passed as the instructors were very encouraging. I rode a CBR125 for a year to learn as much as I could (perhaps picked up some bad habits along the way) and took my DAS last July. I had purchased the CBR before passing the CBT but didnt buy my SV until after I had passed my DAS.
Good Luck and the best piece of advise I can give you is SMILE, ENJOY IT and DONT TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY... including mistakes cos you learn from them.
This link (http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=405) is probably useful for both of you, which describes whats changing in the new bike test - its essentially the same as the current test, but taking the manoeuvres section off-road (emergency stop, turn in road).
Nostrils' last point is also very handy - you'll smile once you've got it out of the way, but why wait until then?
Welcome!
I don't now you're age but I'm guesing that I took my test long before you were born! All you had to do day was stay verticalish so I'm afraid I can't help with all this CBT stuff. ;)
Car licence will help as others have said because you should by now have an awareness of the road and rules and positioning etc. In my experience I find it takes much more concentration than driving a car and you need to be more 'mobile' so it's important to stay calm and relax and watch the road and traffic ahead. Good luck:D
Tho'reet and welcome to the madhouse!
Can't really add to whats been said!
Oh and i had my 650 a year before i passed :(
Rhiwbina_Squirrel
02-06-08, 07:35 PM
Is the bike theory similar to the car theory?
Having a full car licence, does that help in anyway what so ever?
How long did it take you to pass your test?
Did you buy a bike as a learner or did you get once you had passed?
Any extra tips or hints would be great.
Thanks in advance. :)
Yes, the bike theory is very similar to the car theory. I've done both of mine in the last month and there wasn't a huge difference. The bike test has some more questions about bike maintainence and protective clothing. If I were you I'd practice some hazard perception tests. Because it's designed for people who've not been on the road before, it's a bit 'weird'. You've just got to learn how they want you to answer. Another thing to do is make the most of the 10 seconds at the beginning of the clip to almost guess what the 'developing hazard' is.
I don't have a full car licence but I'm driving on a provisional licence. The only thing I can see that helping with is road sense. But hey, that's a start.
Took me two attempts. First I failed for drifting over the speed limit a bit. Then, whilst I was in the test centre car park I booked the second and it went fine. Took me exactly a month from my birthday to pass.
I bought a bike the straight after the second test but I had been riding a moped for a year before.
Tips: Practical test - At the start of the test you get asked a couple of questions. This link has all the questions you might get asked - http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Form.asp?id=2621 - at the end of the test they ask you a question about carrying a pillion such as "What adjustments would you make to the bike to carry a pillion?", "What effect would carrying a pillion have on the handling of the bike?" or "What would you tell a pillion to do whilst on the bike?" . Use target fixation on the U-turn, remember to cancel the indicators, nod at the mirrors when looking at them so the examiner can see you're looking and relax. Oh, and watch your speed! Any other questions just pm me, the test is pretty fresh in my mind!
Welcome to the .org by the way :)
Alex
get a job then you can get your own things without scrounging off your parents.
just think sidi boots in pink...
metalmonkey
03-06-08, 08:43 AM
The bestplace for the hazarrd precption dvd and dsa cd-rom off ebay, make sure they are current ones in use, yuo will save a load of cash buying them that way as others have said make sure you leave money in the budget for some god kit. Good luck and welcome.
Welcome, not sure if its been mentioned but there is a fair few more questions now on the theory than there was before.
I know that just after I passed my test the rules changed.
:D
hello....
Any extra tips or hints would be great.
Thanks in advance. :)
Lots of good advice on here already. My tip is remember to cancel the indies, it's v v easy to forget.
And don't fall off. Parents generally don't like hospital visits.
Hi there
Well done for taking the plunge, it is brilliant and scary and exciting! As you are of the 'lady' persuasion, pop over to the forums at www.bikegirl.co.uk too. Whilst the folks on here are absolutely smashing and wonderfully helpful, there are a few more ladies on there for girly specific advice and support if you need it.
Good luck
Trace :)
GSXR Carlos
03-06-08, 11:37 AM
use their bikes incase you wreck it :LOL
get a job then you can get your own things without scrounging off your parents.
just think sidi boots in pink...
hey i actually have a job. i work a full 13.5 hrs a week. :takeabow:
sidi boots in pink..:rolleyes:
Good Luck with the learning to ride and the tests. I've nothing new to add to the advice on riding. Your Mum will be the one worrying, get advanced instruction after passing the test and tell her thats your intention. The test is not the end of the learning process, its very much the start.
Good Luck with the learning to ride and the tests. I've nothing new to add to the advice on riding. Your Mum will be the one worrying, get advanced instruction after passing the test and tell her thats your intention. The test is not the end of the learning process, its very much the start.
funny enough my mum is not that bothered, as shes knows im not changing my mind. its was my dad that i had to pursuade.
yorkie_chris
03-06-08, 02:37 PM
Ello.
Got a set of DVD's for the bike theory, official DSA ones. Your's for ermmm a tenner cheaper than whatever I paid?
I know they do the trick, missY_C passed her theory first time with these.
Also I'll have an early naked 650 for sale soon ;-)
SuzukiNess
03-06-08, 03:35 PM
Hi, from one newbie to another :smt042
I passed my test last Thursday (29/05) - it was a breeze.. Much better than expected. If I could do it ... anyone can. I'm tempted to write a novel here cos i just passed me test, but really if you ready you'll get thru it :) keep your wits about you, stay calm and enjoy the ride .. I bought a Honda XL125 to use for lessons and get a bit of extra practice on... :smt026 some would say it was silly as I could use the instructors bike, but it really helped getting out on the roads on my own. There has been great response and advice to your post, wont finish the novel ;) :lol:... so good luck, get the DVD's for the theory (they helped me a hellavu lot!) and enjoy!!
ps: traded the honda in and bought a real bike... SV650S - and loving it:smt055
pss - if i went slightly off topic here... so excited bout my new bike and first post.... wooohooo :smt041
Wideboy
03-06-08, 05:01 PM
stuff....
also welcome.........
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v387/jonathanwong/thumb_thisthreadisworthlesswithoutp.gif
8-[:rabbit:
chris8886
03-06-08, 06:01 PM
welcome to the madhouse!! no-one has mentioned it yet, but be careful of bear and grinch. they're the local forum deviants ;) lol. good to see another person not too far from me getting out on a bike! if you can try and get your test done before oct as has been said. it'll save you some hassle as the new one seems pretty stringent, although this should make for better riders.
funny enough my mum is not that bothered, as shes knows im not changing my mind. its was my dad that i had to pursuade.
hehe, i don't think my mum was too impressed when i got back from the france day trip out and told her some of the speeds i was doing :rolleyes: (not that i'm condoning that kind of thing on beautiful french roads!!)
also welcome.........
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v387/jonathanwong/thumb_thisthreadisworthlesswithoutp.gif
8-[:rabbit:
+1
Ello.
Got a set of DVD's for the bike theory, official DSA ones. Your's for ermmm a tenner cheaper than whatever I paid?
I know they do the trick, missY_C passed her theory first time with these.
Also I'll have an early naked 650 for sale soon ;-)
thanks for the offer but iv got a book for the motorcycle
n im "borrowing" :-dd my cousins dsa for the car n hazard perception, so i should be ok for that..
btw theory is booked for 16th june. :smt026
Lots of good advice on here already. My tip is remember to cancel the indies, it's v v easy to forget.
And don't fall off. Parents generally don't like hospital visits.
very good advice..............:smt106
:smt117
vBulletin® , Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.