[Fisher]

First of all, I would like to remind you that the changes being made to the bike tests are not finalised. We still don't know EXACTLY what the implications are going to be, and how it will affect us.

However, I think I have the answer as to why this is happening.

Currently, something like 11,000 people pass their restricted license test per year, yet only something like 3,000 of those then go on to get a bigger bike!

What the DSA are trying to do, is persuade people to get bigger bikes, sooner!
And this is why.

This holds true, even on here, as I see a fair few of you discussing this, and this is what happens a lot (not saying you guys in particular..):

-You have your 125.
-You pass your test.
-You get your restricted license...
-You don't see the point of spending lots of money on a bigger bike which is more expensive to run, and only gives you a relatively small increase in power / speed, and often could be deemed a downgrade in everything but the power.
-You KEEP the 125, because you have it, you are happy on it, and you are comfortable.
- 2 years soon pass by, you are still on a 125, and now you think right. I can now better justify a bigger bike.
- You go out and buy a 600 supersport.
- You are going from 15bhp ,to 115bhp overnight.
- You seriously hurt yourself.

True story.

EVEN WORSE, you are at 21, and you pass the DAS with 0 experience. And go and buy yourself a full power Busa.
Again, true story. (Ace Cafe last summer).

What the DSA appear to be trying to do, is get you to gradually get used to more and more power.
125 -> 33 (250 or 400) -> 50bhp (400 or 500 restricted) -> full power.
This way you are getting used to the extra power, extra weight, and different characteristics that come with a bigger bike.

 

[Killachipmunk]

I absolutely, 100% agree with what the DSA is trying to do.
But even if they were to go by that system, I would end up doing the exact same thing.
Personally, I think they've overlooked the cost and hassle of constantly replacing bikes.
I was already pissed off that I had to ride a 50cc for 1 year, then restricted to a 125, then 3 months later to a 33bhp machine.

It's too much money, and too much hassle to keep changing bikes all the time. It really is.

 

[Scott Murphy]

First of all, I would like to remind you that the changes being made to the bike tests are not finalised. We still don't know EXACTLY what the implications are going to be, and how it will affect us.

However, I think I have the answer as to why this is happening.

Currently, something like 11,000 people pass their restricted license test per year, yet only something like 3,000 of those then go on to get a bigger bike!

What the DSA are trying to do, is persuade people to get bigger bikes, sooner!
And this is why.

This holds true, even on here, as I see a fair few of you discussing this, and this is what happens a lot (not saying you guys in particular..):

-You have your 125.
-You pass your test.
-You get your restricted license...
-You don't see the point of spending lots of money on a bigger bike which is more expensive to run, and only gives you a relatively small increase in power / speed, and often could be deemed a downgrade in everything but the power.
-You KEEP the 125, because you have it, you are happy on it, and you are comfortable.
- 2 years soon pass by, you are still on a 125, and now you think right. I can now better justify a bigger bike.
- You go out and buy a 600 supersport.
- You are going from 15bhp ,to 115bhp overnight.
- You seriously hurt yourself.

True story.

EVEN WORSE, you are at 21, and you pass the DAS with 0 experience. And go and buy yourself a full power Busa.
Again, true story. (Ace Cafe last summer).

What the DSA appear to be trying to do, is get you to gradually get used to more and more power.
125 -> 33 (250 or 400) -> 50bhp (400 or 500 restricted) -> full power.
This way you are getting used to the extra power, extra weight, and different characteristics that come with a bigger bike.

Could you buy a 600 and restrict it to half and then once you are used to that then go full power?

 

[Fisher]

What would be ideal...

14 (125cc) > 33 (250cc or 400) > 50 (restricted 600) > 80 (full power 600) > 120 (full power supersport 600).

Obvbiously nobody wants to do this, but you CAN quite easily get a bike restricted to whatever power you want!
My instructor has done this for all his children. They get their 600s restricted to about 50bhp for a while before going up another bit...

I mean, I had another crazy idea... with a 33 restricted bike using the throttle stop method.. There is NOTHING stopping you from modifying the restrictor so it actually gives you say.... 40 or 50bhp. And upon inspection, the bike is still RESTRICTED...

 

[MrWhite]

if you've modified it and the bike is putting out more than 33bhp, it doesn't matter if it's doing 35 it's still contravening the terms of your license. i think the step up the ladder rather than leaping up the ledge is the way to go. if i don't get a car, it's probably the way i'm going to go (r125, r182, 400, XXX(X)cc).

 

[D-Drz]

if you've modified it and the bike is putting out more than 33bhp, it doesn't matter if it's doing 35 it's still contravening the terms of your license. i think the step up the ladder rather than leaping up the ledge is the way to go. if i don't get a car, it's probably the way i'm going to go (r125, r182, 400, XXX(X)cc).

I will be on a bike for a few years tbh, until my car insurance falls, I've had my drivers licence for a year now and still getting quoted for a corsa 1.0/1.2 @ 4k.. lowest 3.4k (still heck of a lot) SO my plan is to use a bike for the time being, until I can get a 1.4 at reasonable insurance cover. However I think I would like to pass my full bike test too, for the future etc and just to say I have a full bikers licence However! Once I pass I don't know what bike I will be getting!! But not in a rush to get rid of this sexy R125

 

[MrAndy979]

i sort of agree with this new way od doin it becuase i see what they mean it is a big jump from a 125 to a 600....but it still wont stop people who can take the DAS a 24...they will still jump on 1000 and that!

also its gunna be even more expensive then it is now if u have to take 4 test to get you full licence!!

another thing to consider is insurance!...will it bring down insurance? or put insurace up?

 

[Fisher]

Hmmm....

The way the info is worded (which isn't even guaranteed to be accurate).
You can do training (like a CBT I assume) as opposed to an entire test!

But until I hear it from the DSA, I wont believe any of what I read

 

[Codemonkey]

another thing to consider is insurance!...will it bring down insurance? or put insurace up?

The only way insurance will ever go down is if people stop making claims. The changes they are proposing to stop insurance companies passing on your details to the ambulance chasing lawyers might go some way towards that, but if claims DO go down, the insurers will almost certainly just pocket the extra cash not paid out and get used to a higher profit margin than they've been used to.

 

[Fisher]

The only way insurance will ever go down is if people stop making claims. The changes they are proposing to stop insurance companies passing on your details to the ambulance chasing lawyers might go some way towards that, but if claims DO go down, the insurers will almost certainly just pocket the extra cash not paid out and get used to a higher profit margin than they've been used to.

They do what?

 

[Codemonkey]

They do what?

If you're refering to the bit about them passing on your details to the ambulance chasers, yes, thats right, they do cos they get a referral fee from them for doing so. This was recently discussed in government and they're supposed to be taking action to stop practices like this that drive up the cost of motoring insurance.

 

[MrAndy979]

Hmmm....

The way the info is worded (which isn't even guaranteed to be accurate).
You can do training (like a CBT I assume) as opposed to an entire test!

But until I hear it from the DSA, I wont believe any of what I read

yea i think u can but if u wanna get a big bike in the end u gunna gave to take 5 diffrent tests!!
which i bet wont be cheap!

 

[Fisher]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH

I googled it.
Makes sense now


1. A lawyer specialising in personal injury claims usually representing people against local authorities or large companies.

2. Derogative description for a personal injury lawyer who specifically seeks out clients for tripping and slipping cases against big companies. Certainly in the US, this is because the lawyer's fee will be a percentage of the client's damages award - therefore making it profitable to find injured former employees of big companies.

 

[MrWhite]

compensation culture.

it's weird you've had quotes of £4k+ for a 1L Corsa. i've found a quote for £1,600 for a 16v 1.6i Saxo VTS. that's doing details as 2 years NCB, which i'm (probably somewhat optimistically) hoping to be able to argue to an insurer on the phone - 'on the road for 2 years, no claims in 2 years, is that not 2 years no claims?' i'll let you know if that actually works...

 

[Killachipmunk]

I'd love to know if it does, I'll be trying to argue the same.
Over here I've got quotes of £1000 Fully Comp for a Rover Mini Cooper, 1.3i, Turbo and Exhaust declared.
No I don't live in a posh area, no it's not in a garage.
I genuinely think that the insurers see them as a piece of junk or something.

 

[MrWhite]

wow, i want. got any links to one of those? i'd happily pay a grand for that, i pay a grand now. wouldn't like to crash in one of them, though. i'll take my chances on my bike.

 

[Killachipmunk]

I'll have to do my quote again, it was a few months back so no.
I'll see if it's changed

 

[Codemonkey]

I genuinely think that the insurers see them as a piece of junk or something.

Its all just statistics to them. Basically, there aren't as many young males driving round in them and crashing them as there are young males in saxo's, corsas, fiesta's etc. You could probably get a decent quote on an old Jag cos there won't be many in your age group driving them. You being able to afford to put petrol in it, service it and tax it is a different matter!

 

[Killachipmunk]

Huh, yeah. It's changed.
Now I can't even get a quote for a Mini Mayfair... What the hell?

 

[D-Drz]

I live in EAST LONDON (HACKNEY) Insurance is sky high! No matter what I do it will not get cheaper, Insurance on my bike is 900, Motorbike NO CLAIMS are not the same as driving. I think their isn't any insurance company that accepts it, however someone did say Co-op did but still haven't seen anything about it.