33bhp, do you agree with it?

Originally Posted by Sean_C

Oh, thought it was 50 odd quid for a test.

It was... many years ago.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Sosha

It's not so much removed, you can still CBT it and run around on a 125 for a couple (?) of years, then take an unecessarily complicated 125 test.

Plenty of cheap transport in the 33hp range.

What bleedin good would some POS 125 have been for me these last couple of years poddling to Wales and back plus 40 miles a day! On one fast enough to not get killed on the motorway I'd have bankrupted myself buying pistons!

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

Alright lets say £700 with DAS using a hired bike,where does the fig £2K come in quoted by YC
These figs quoted are with hire bikes,what if you use your own,after all its the one your going to ride.
No more than getting a car license with lessons and considering that the younger among you will at some stage require a car license does that make a motorbike license an extravagance,is it compulsory,or just an expensive hobby,perhaps you need it for work[Not commuting]
Apart from anybody who needs it for work[courier or such] I cant see justification for all the moans,its a choice and a preference,and an expensive one at that.
Before anybody jumps in with car costs,there are plenty of decent small cars that do the same mpg as a bike for the same cost as new/s/h bike and looking at what you pay for insurance on bikes probably cheaper to insure as well

To be honest it was your choice to go the motorbike route,knowing what was required before you started so why is everybody moaning about restrictions and costs.

Bollox. You tried insuring a 'cheap' car under 25 years of age? MPG is the LEAST of the costs incurred.

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

Perhaps you should know how I stand regarding the whole matter. I do think it is expensive and unjust but even if the system saves a few lives worthwhile.
Just replying and taking part in the debate hopefully not upsetting anybody.


Apart from that I'm bored

I disagree. With your attitude then ban* biking altogether, hey, it saves a few lives, ban it all! Ban smoking, ban drinking, bungie jumping, parachuting, air travel, ban cars! Sod it ban being born in the first place!!

For fooks sake, sh*t happens, people DIE! It is an unpleasant fact of life. Never mind getting bored, if you want people to take you seriously then back up your point of view.


*Or as you seem to support, making it so unjust and expensive that noone bothers. Same thing.

[hindle8907]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

A mere £600?

It wasn't meant to say mere before you go off on one lmao....

I took out a 5 grand loan over 5 years to get my bike,insurance,kit,locks ect ect ... so you dont have to tell me about asking 17 year olds because i know its not cheap !!

I use a phone to post most of the time and it has predictive text /auto spell checker and from time to time i do typo's and on this occasion i mean to put near and i must of hit M instead of N and its gone ..MEAR and changed it to MERE ....

so thanks for you little lesson but i know what mere means

[yorkie_chris]

I thought you were being sarcastic with it actually!

[dizzyblonde]

Chris, read the convo between me and DT a few pages back, he had a look into how much it costs, and found to his shock thats cars are really expensive for young peeps. I think he turned round and said one his trucks was cheaper to insure!

Originally Posted by Sean_C

I'm certainly not I think apprentice minimum wage is £4.83 an hour now, so a test would be 25% or more of a weeks wages.

The minimum wage for an apprentice isnt even close to that its £100 a week

Originally Posted by BanditPat

The minimum wage for an apprentice isnt even close to that its £100 a week

4.83 is the National Minimum wage for 18 or over (3.57 if under 1. If they are grossing £100 then they need to report their employer

YC,You obviously didn't read all of my posts as I have unreservedly apologised for under estimating the costs of insuring young drivers in cars . Where does the figure of £2k come from you stated,due you know something we don't or is it supposition? I presume you are taking about the costs of obtaining a license.

The general consensus is that licensing cost are expensive and the routes to obtain the license are not the best but this is not just for motorbikes ,it applies to other vehicles.
Do you pay for a medical every 5 years?-------about £120 as it is private
Do you pay for a 35 hour refresher course to keep your license? Cost of a weeks wages and tuition fees
This in addition to the cost of obtaining the license in the first place which can be £2500 for tuition

You do a lot of complaining but I haven't heard anything constructive as an alternative.You are opinionated and arrogant in your responses and DILLIGAF if you think I talk bollox.
When you have finished being a student and gone into the real world and earn a living with responsibilities your outlook may change but till then just learn some manners as your attitude, not just to me, but to other people in the way you address them leaves a lot to be desired.

[yorkie_chris]

My apologies for missing your apology.
My figure of £2k came from someone elses suggestion to make the license requirements twice as complicated again. Currently it's rather less than that.


I thought I had made a constructive suggestion:

Mine is that the limit be raised to 55bhp or so (to include sensible learner bikes like GS500s and stuff)*
Apply the limit universally. No DAS test.
Allow early access to the full test on completing an advanced course/test demonstrating you know how to ride properly.

I think that addresses the shortcomings of the current method and makes it fairer for all and more usefully will encourage more people to study advanced techniques which can only make them safer.


*Maybe even a simple 500cc limit. Or 500 original cc, so no possible fuss if you've blown up a GPZ and rebored it to 500.1cc. KISS to keep complexity, cost and cost of policing down.

Originally Posted by simesb

4.83 is the National Minimum wage for 18 or over (3.57 if under 1. If they are grossing £100 then they need to report their employer

off on a tangent, but i'm almost certain that apprenticeships don't fall under the min wage laws.