What ever happened to ‘building up’?

Originally Posted by Jelster

Is that why it was £1,500 for my boy's insurance on his 1.3 Ford Ka ? Getting an older curvy SV and insuring that would have worked out far cheaper..... A CG125 would have worked out cheaper still. And what's worse, they wanted another £1,200 to put me on it !!! My own F/C policy on a group 17 car isn't that much.

I can now see why there are so many kids riding around without insurance, not that I'm condoning it, but that price is bloody stupid.

Eeep! I stand corrected!

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

the only thing i would say is that spending 6 years in a car before doing the bike test has given me a lot more road sense than i had when i was 17...

That's a real good point. Both me and Quedos are glad that we'd been driving for many years before starting biking. Sometimes you just know that the fiesta in front is going left despite being in the right lane with the indicator going etc.

We're all still learning, just in differing quantities and at different paces. Boy do I wish that I could learn quicker

Garry

Originally Posted by independentphoto

That's a real good point. Both me and Quedos are glad that we'd been driving for many years before starting biking. Sometimes you just know that the fiesta in front is going left despite being in the right lane with the indicator going etc.

We're all still learning, just in differing quantities and at different paces. Boy do I wish that I could learn quicker

Garry

What they said!!!
Spot on, a few years years of average mileage in a car can make all the difference. I know my hazards perception/road positioning/reading roads and drivers/general attitude improved no end over a couple of years.

Isn't it funny how people always think the way they did it was the best way?

Myself included!!

Originally Posted by Philbo

Isn't it funny how people always think the way they did it was the best way?

Myself included!!

Hopefully always (well mostly anyway) open-minded - I wouldn't necessarily say the best way, just better than having gone straight in there. I'm sure that if money and time were no object, there'd be a fantasy bike course for us all.

Garry

Originally Posted by independentphoto

Hopefully always (well mostly anyway) open-minded - I wouldn't necessarily say the best way, just better than having gone straight in there. I'm sure that if money and time were no object, there'd be a fantasy bike course for us all.

Garry

I also disagree ... MY way is the better way

There is no better way to learn the vulnerabilities of motorcycling than a 16yr old on a 50cc bike ... bearing in mind you have never been on the road before, its all very daunting and you feel very vulnerable ... the gravity of cars whizzing about soon sinks in ... at least on a 50cc bike you can't do more than about 50mph (who kept them standard 30mph anyway?!?! ) and you had to work it to get there.

Its this early on inbuilt sense of vulnerability that keeps you alert ... as soon as you start driving a car you become so detached from the road you can never fully get this back ..

Oh and when I passed my Car test (1 week and 2 lessons after my 17th birthday) ... it was a breeze as I knew all about the rules of the road and how to interact with other vehicles already!!

So you see ergo, Blue_is_best

Originally Posted by independentphoto

Hopefully always (well mostly anyway) open-minded - I wouldn't necessarily say the best way, just better than having gone straight in there. I'm sure that if money and time were no object, there'd be a fantasy bike course for us all.

Garry

Words of wisdom as always mate!

P.S. wasn't having a pop at anyone, just an observation when reading through the thread!

I think it seems I learned in the 'optimal' manner then, and depending on what bikes you choose it can work out quite nicely I think.

First bike was a 125 Varadero at 17- I know the big version is ugly but I still think the baby one is cool for a learner machine, gets you used to a proper sized bike. Also, my first semi-brush/encounter with a hedge due to over-confidence was much better to have on that at low speed I think.

Then on to an SV restricted, so that's the next rung there. 2 years to get used to that and then up to full power for another manageable step up.

Also, with the Varadero being a reasonably expensive bike for a 125, when resold it covered most of my SV's cost so that was handy. 5 years riding and now I'm beginning to get tempted by new, shiny bikes. We shall see...

Now I've got a bike at 34 (SV is my first bike), I wish that I had done it YEEEEEEAAAARRRS ago!

That said, despite my off and mistakes I'd made, I really don't think the SV650 is an OTT bike for a starter- as long as the rider has a bit of sense and restraint. In fact, I felt happier on a 650 (BMW 650CS) than I did on the Yamaha SR125.

[Rich]

Does going from a 50cc to a 33bhp SV650s count at all?

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

When I were a lad … you got a 50 at 16, rode that for a year, then a 125 at 17 for another year or so … did your test and got a 250/400, then a 600 … then a tou …

so you got the biggest bike you could, as soon as you could

just like the people who do DAS & buy a thou