I’m in the last year of uni (York) at the moment and will be moving to live near Liverpool Street in London once I graduate. I am thinking of getting a bike so that I can get around. I have a full car license, but haven’t driven since I passed my test two years ago. I have never ridden a bike and don’t really know what to expect.
My local training school said they can do the CBT for £115. Is that a good price?
What I wanted to ask is how easy/safe is it to drive a 125cc bike in central London? Would you recommend it to someone with as little experience as I have?
Second, my Dad works for Honda and can get me a discount on new bikes. What bike would you recommend for me? Looking for something that looks more like a bike than a scooter.
Dunno about the cost of the CBT, took mine years ago
But in terms of riding in London, well it is a lot more busy in central, but nothing too crazy if you are patient and dont let everything else get to you too much (every now and again its unavoidable!!!) It will be hairy at the start, probably because of the road layout and worrying about getting lost, etc, and most road users are quite agressive, but in time you should learn to cope with things, and preempt most things.
As for a Honda 125cc, then the CBR125 is the sporty option but it depends on how big you are, cos they are a bit small for anyone over 6ft. If you are of a bigger frame and , then maybe the the XV Verado or the XR are better, they are also taller - so better for london traffic.
But best thing is probably to take your CBT on a geared bike, and see what you think, if you take to it well, then welcome aboard!!
I am quite well built (6ft, 14st) so from what you say, would need a bigger bike. Also, does this pose a problem when controlling a bike? Quite like the looks of the Varadero, would you say that this is a good bike for an absolute beginner? Do Hondas offer good value for money?
Could you explain what you mean by geared bike? Are not all bikes geared then?
Hi garthunkle,
I did my CBT in November and started riding (my first motorised transport) in December of last year. I haven’t felt as happy as I was after coming back from having ‘passed’ the CBT for a long time, it was great, but I now regret not having done it, and the received training, on a geared bike.
If you drive a car, the idea of using gears should be familiar to you. Geared (aka. Manual) bikes work in basically the same way - with a clutch which engages/ disengages the gear wheels etc (I’m still a bit shaky on this one!).
I intend to get enough experience (on a manual) under my belt by summer so that I can comfortably take the Direct Access training & test before October (when the test will be revised).
Good luck, you won’t regret choosing biking!
PS. riding in London can be a bit nervewracking at times but just keep cool, focussed and ride defensively and you should be okay. You’re in the right place to learn from some good people with lots of experience on LB.com.
£115 sounds a decent price BTW.
Can your dad get me a discount as well?
Yeah I would say that of the honda 125’s the varadero would suit you best, have seen them in london and are a nice big (for a 125) bike. It will be underpowered, but just have to be paitent with that, and ride more defensively as you cant use the power to get yourself out of trouble. A very good beginners bike thought (you dont want an overpowered one!), good turning circle, stable and height.
Dunno about the price (but that also depends on your discount!), but hondas have good engines and build quality so it should suit the rigours of london riding.
Geared bike is ooposed to the automatic ‘twist-and-go’ scooters -which have their benefits, many people here have them and love them, but I would say get a geared bike.
iv got a cb125 lovely bike. they hold there price ok. easy to handle .
i did my cbt last year and it cost £98 . (went round epping forest it was lovely) …mind that was last year and i know hes put his prices up so £115 seems ok but look around you may be able to save a £ or 2
my bike cost me £150 …ebay iv been offerd £400 for her but iv done a lot of work painting her up .
Geared bike is ooposed to the automatic ‘twist-and-go’ scooters -which have their benefits, many people here have them and love them, but I would say get a geared bike.
I’m a dedicated T&G-er but heartily agree with the above; do the CBT and Test on a geared bike so you have the choice of scooter or bike in the future.
I would recommend the Varadero 125, my brother has had one for the past 2 years now, he bought it new and has never had any problems with it really. He is probably the about the same hight and build as you as well so could be the perfect choice for you and yes its a bigger bike and a taller riding position s much better for being seen in and around london which is very important.
I work in Paddington, haven’t been brave enough to try the ride in along the A40 (a lot of filtering in parts) yet but I will do soon, only passed my test a couple of months ago so I need to get a bit more confident before I try the commute, you do have to keep your wits about you when driving/riding in london.
As for the CBT price, sounds like and ok deal provided covers hire of one of their bikes and you petrol for the day, mine was £100 all in.
Cracking little bike. Comfy and no more underpowered than any 125 really. it’s heavier tha CbR125 but I wouldn’t say it was a lot slower.
it’s upright riding position and size give you great view for riding in town and make you visible. Only downside I think is the price of a new one, they’re a bit more expensive than CBR.
You can also fit a top box to the luggage rack real easy so they’re more practical too.
You should not be frightened of riding in London because although there is a lot of traffic none of it is going very fast. The biggest shock to you will be other bikes and scooters who will wizz around you on the assumption that you are as proficient and sometimes as foolhardy as they are.
As others have said you should be fine if you ride defensively and within your own capabilities.
With you Dad working for Honda you will get a Honda Coonections price - this is just below the price that dealers pay. It is a great deal and makes a new bike relatively very attractive
Cheers for the advice. I’ve been talking to a few people and think what I’m going to do is this:
Do my CBT ASAP.
If I enjoy it, I will buy a 2nd or 3rd hand Varadero. (So if you know one thats for sale give me a bell)
So that I gain enough experience, I will aim to get my full license (Will be 21 end of March)
Before I move to London sell the Varadero and buy a new bigger Honda with the discount.
Could you guys tell me what the best way would be to get a full license and how much it will cost? How long will it take to get the license? Do you think my plan is a good idea?
Go for it and good luck with your CBT - I have only been riding 2 years including taking my DAS - I paid £450 all in for 3 days inclusive of all cost and fees, with the added bonus that if I failed, then free training until you do (they wont put you forward if you they think you are not ready)!
Certainly look around on cost for DAS prices and you probably with be very nervous going from a 125 (11-13hp) bike onto a 50-70hp bike but that will last about 2 minutes once you are on the bike…a buzz
I rode a CBR125 for about a year, a great bike but as others have said, your frame might be too much for it so the bigger bike will be better, more visible.
I paid the same for my CBT nearly three years ago. I also had a Varadero 125. Absolutely cracking bike, it will sit comfortably at 60/65 but will lose a little puff going up hills in national speed limits. Inside London it will be fine. I took mine on a 390 mile ride out one weekend. Great fun.
As for filtering best thing is for the first couple of runs, just follow the traffic, and filter in large gaps when the traffic is stationary. Mainly to get feel of the flow of traffic, get use to the route, and slowly build up your confidence.
Budget on paying about £1800 for a good one (FSH less than 10K on the clock). You probably find one for £1400 if your not to fussy on the mileage. Have heard of the engines doing 50K, so shouldn’t be a problem getting one with 10-20K on the clock). Try finding one with a top box or a givi rack.
I had a 125 Varadero for about 2 months, until I passed my DAS. I highly recommend them. Nice big bike (I’m 6’3" and 20 stone).
As for riding in London, much like driving in London, everyone told me how nasty it was, but I don’t really see whats so bad. As has been mentioned, most times traffic is moving slower than 20mph, which makes it nice and easy for you. The only thing that occasionally makes me nervous are other bikes who have little respect for me, whizzing past at inappropriate moments.
The plan sounds pretty solid to me (I did 1 year of 125 riding before i passed my test), As metioned here, you can get the ‘intensive’ courses that are 3 to 5 days long and cost a few hundred (not sure exactly), which will enable you to pass you test no problem. The big benefit for you is that you plan to have some road experience first, i.e. the 5 days is for someone that has never ridden a bike before, so you probably after 5/6 months you will only need 3 days probably.
The jump to a bigger bike is worthwhile, a few more horses makes riding a lot more fun, and IMO safer.
Cheers for the tip guys, but I’m actually in York till July. Can anyone give me some advice on what type of gear to get. How much should I spend on helmets, jackets etc? For the helmet, is there a big difference in the impact protection of an £80 helmet in comparison to a £180 one?
