Hi - general bike Q's

Bonjour & welcome!

I went down the DAS route but I didn't do a week block but staggered it. This meant I was able to ride round on a 125 for a while getting used to being "naked" on the road on my own etc. Really helped with my confidence:

I did my CBT at the end of Feb & bought a Honda Rebel 125 for £500 that night.

I did 1 day of 125 training 5 days after my CBT.

Then about a week after 2 days on a 500cc ER-5, then a day of & finally a day of training including my test.

This helped me prepare & soak up all the knowledge & skills they showed me.

Incidently, I kept on with the 125 for another 3 months before progressing to an SV. Again, this helped with my confidence & road craft. (& I sold my rebel for £750 on Ebay).

Bought my first big bike in June & haven't looked back. As other posters have said, buy crash bungs - they may just save your fairings/indicators/sub frame etc.

As for pillions no-one wants to go on the back of my bike, even though I've figured out how to make my pillions happy ;o)

[timwilky]

Will people stop going on about bungs and dropping etc. Just because somebody is a newbie, it does not follow that they are going to drop their pride & joy.

FFS people, we want to encourge people onto 2 wheels, not put them off. A minority drop their bikes and usually for poor slow speed control or stupid mistakes. Learn the lessons well on your DAS, and you will be fine.

Originally Posted by timwilky

Will people stop going on about bungs and dropping etc. Just because somebody is a newbie, it does not follow that they are going to drop their pride & joy.

FFS people, we want to encourge people onto 2 wheels, not put them off. A minority drop their bikes and usually for poor slow speed control or stupid mistakes. Learn the lessons well on your DAS, and you will be fine.

So you're forgetting about all the white vans, blind car drivers talking on mobile phones, sheep, pigeons, anything else on the road (like the 1ft square piece of plywood that almost took my Ford Galaxy's front window out on the A55 - daren't even think what would of happend on the SV) and wet/winter weather then.

Personally, I'd prefer that people got into 2 wheeled transport with their eyes open. I accept it's not guranteed that everyone drops their first bike, but generally, it's true. Perhaps we should start a poll of who has/hasn't dropped their bike(s)

If people assume the are going to be chewing tarmac at some point, they might also think about investing in decent gear, with at least a minimum of armour.

Incidentally, my first off was my own fault. Riding beyond my skill, and squeezed the front brake a little too hard whilst going into a right hand bend that was tightening up, and had very bad camber. I chose to ditch the bike rather than end up in the lake (no crash barriers to prevent that happening). That was on a cheap bike (CG125-BR) with engine bars fitted. I damaged the headlight a little and got away with a little tear in my trousers. I also know that I'll drop the SV at some point, but I'll be trying to bin it as gently as I can.

[mattSV]

I did my DAS in 2000 and went straight on to a curvy SV650.

I learnt a hell of a lot on that bike, and kept it for four years. Every single time I rode it I came back with a huge grin on my face. I never got bored of riding it, and I even commuted from Southampton to Tower Bridge for a few weeks on it. Contrary to some of the horror stories on here I never dropped it in those four years.

I then went on to an SV1000 and dropped it at 0mph (luckily only damage was a broken indicator). Needless to say, I now have crash bungs fitted on my SV1000 just in case

brilliant thanks for all the info!

how much would all the gear needed be? Is there anything in particular to look for when buying leathers, helmet,boots etc.

how much is the DAS on average?

thanks again been a great help!

cant wait to start!!

Hi, it all depends on the price range you go for.

Technically all you need is a helmet cheapest being £50.

All my gear cost about £600 when I first started but I didn't buy any bargain stuff.

CBT costs £70-100

DAS um cost me er I can't remember, sorry depends on whether you take a 3 or 5 day course.

[Lissa]

I'll answer your questions about pillions, as I am one

I personally find the SV great as a pillion. I must say though, that the seats on the pointy SV aren't as good as the seats on the curvy. We now have custom seats on ours, but before those we regularly racked up 300-400 mile days and I never once felt tired, cramped or uncomfortable. I am only 4 ft 10 though, and I think a tall girl might find the position cramping or restrictive. However, compared to the cream crackers that pass as pillion seats on most sports bikes, the SV's seats are like a sofa

[mattSV]

DAS will cost you around £100-£125 per day - depends how many days you feel you need.

I had been driving for years, and already done my CBT when I did my DAS - I had no real experience of riding a motorbike on the road though.

I did a 4 day course and passed first time.

With the gear, you get what you pay for (usually).

I ride all year round, and have the following:-

1 Lid (arai signet) about £300
2 piece leathers about £350
2 pairs of summer gloves £50 a pair
Sidi Boots £130
Frank Thomas winter trousers (armoured) £8
Buffalo winter jacket £120
Winter gloves £40

My wife also has a set (own helmet, leathers, boots - uses my old gloves)

Originally Posted by Law

Technically all you need is a helmet cheapest being £50.

Indeed, the Takachi TK-30 can be had for £50 if you shop around and is a lot better than the price would suggest. Not the lightest (but not the heaviest either), quietest (remedied by 50p earplugs), most comfortable (again, not the worst either) or trickest looking of lids, but they did better in safety tests than many lids costing twice as much. If budget is an issue I would strongly recommend one.

[Viney]

Originally Posted by ultimate

brilliant thanks for all the info!

how much would all the gear needed be? Is there anything in particular to look for when buying leathers, helmet,boots etc.

how much is the DAS on average?

thanks again been a great help!

cant wait to start!!

I would recomend getting a Textile jacket that has removeable linings, leather trousers, and a pair of waterproof over trousers. This visits all avenues. Gloves are difficult, but aget a pair that fit you, there are many out there, a waterproof set would be best, but they are a bit hot in the summer months. You WILL end up haveing a glove draw

Lids. Fit is the most important fit. It has to be right. Go to somewhere that knows what they are talking about. Cost wise, personaly any more than £250 is a waste of money, as all you are doing is buying features/brand name. You can get good cheap lids, for around £100. They all have to meet a standard. Fit is the main thing. Dont buy one, just because you like the design etc.

DAS, i payed £350 for mine.

Just go out there and have fun. Oh and welcome to the site.