waltermitty

Hey folks. Thank you so much for your replies! I'm happy to report I passed the Mod 1 last week, the Mod 2 last Tuesday and I got my licence yesterday. What a crazy journey it's been since I started this thread. I failed the Mod 1 FOUR times before finally passing on the 5th attempt. I'd been under an unbelievable amount of stress as I'm moving to the EU in two weeks, and the pressure to pass these tests on time didn't help at all. I would do really stupid things in the tests. The first time I failed the hazard avoidance because I didn't pick up enough speed, even after being given another chance. The second time I failed the avoidance again, but on the first attempt I was too slow and on the second attempt I was too fast (63km/h) and hit a cone (I'd never, ever hit a cone! not even whilst training). The third time I put the foot down in a U turn because I was riding too slowly. Fourth time I went over the line in the U turn (after the test, the examiner said I did absolutely everything right except for that U turn, including subsequent U turns). This made it really difficult for my instructors to help me because I wasn't making the same mistakes over and over again. I'd be absolutely fine on the way to the test centre but entered a state of panic right before the test. I managed to overcome this fear after the 4th Mod 1 test by digging into what I'd need to do if I were to start everything from scratch in Portugal, so I approached the 5th attempt with a genuine "f*ck it, this is the last test and I don't care what happens" kind of attitude, and it worked! Same thing in the Mod 2, which helped me pass the first time round (with only one minor fault even though I felt like it was one of my worst rides!). I literally think I got to meet all the bike instructors and examiners in the test centre. And I must emphasise that the times I failed was entirely down to me: I have nothing but positive things to say about all the instructors and examiners. Plus, my last school even bought my 125 bike after my mod 2 so I had one fewer thing to worry about before my trip! Now on to my next licence-related adventure: Exchanging it for a Portuguese licence, which I'm told is going to be just as "fun" due to the bureaucracy.

Thank you all!

Thanks! I see -- I thought I had to wait for the new, physical licence to be able to buy a big bike. But you still get a new plastic that replaces the provisional licence, right? I'm also interested in that because I may need to exchange it for a EU licence.

Thanks! I already have a booking for the Mod 2 test... so I should probably call my school tomorrow and ask them about the processing times these days.

I've read that DVLA has a massive backlog of driving licence applications, so I'm wondering if that applies to us bikers? I was hoping to buy the bigger bike in January and start a tour shortly afterwards... Assuming I pass the Mod 2 test in two weeks and get the licence on time. Thanks.

Hi everyone. Sorry, the socks are already taken!

Hi all, I accidentally bought a pair of motocross socks but didn't realise until after I removed all the packaging, so now I can't return them. I'm into touring so I'm not planning to wear them, so if anyone wants them, please let me know and I'll post them to you for free (UK addresses only). DM me if interested. Cheers.

Hi everybody, Thank you so much for your comments! Indeed, Darlington is the only stop that concerns me because it's a large town -- though I know bike theft there won't be remotely as bad as in London! I think I'm just going to bring the disc lock and spend the night in a smaller town/village on the way back to London, for peace of mind. Cheers!

Hi all, I'll be riding my Honda CB125F around the Shetland Islands next month, and I'm not sure what to do about security devices: More specifically, I'm considering leaving my 6kg Oxford Monster chain and cover at home in London, and only bring my Oxford Boss alarmed disc lock. Does this sound like a bad idea to you? I'll be spending the night in Keswick on my way to Aberdeen (where I'll get the ferry), then spend a week in Shetland, and finally on the way back I'll be spending the night in Darlington. I have a 39-litre topbox (3kg max) and a pair of throw-over panniers (30 litre + 5kg max each). The bike manual says that the total luggage weight must not exceed 13kg under any circumstances. So weight-wise, my chain alone would take up almost half of the capacity -- moreover, it'd exceed the load capacity for the topbox and panniers. The bike cover is lightweight but relatively bulky. This is all particularly problematic because I'm bringing my camping and cooking equipment too. I'm not worried about my bike getting stolen in Shetland, but I'm worried about the risks of carrying too much weight (I passed the CBT a few weeks ago so I'm a new rider), damaging the bike/luggage and invalidating the insurance policy if it turns out I need to claim. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks for your comments everyone! I hadn't given much thought to getting the bike second hand because I don't know enough about motorbikes to assess what I'd be buying, but I'll do some research to understand what I need to look out for and if I feel comfortable I'll probably go down that route. If anyone has any pointers on this I'd really appreciate it, otherwise I'll just start by googling. As for the insurance, I gave Bikesure a call yesterday and they reduced the comprehensive policy premium to £2k being as I'm a member of this forum. I hadn't considered TPFT insurance but it does make sense. I'm not sure I'll feel comfortable with TP only though. Either way, unfortunately the savings are not exactly what I would've liked to see: The quotes I got from Bikesure were £1,700 and £1,400 for TPTF and TP respectively, so two years of TPTF premiums would still cost more than the bike itself. (These quotes assumed a new bike. I'll check with a second hand bike) Being an introvert and this being a big city means I don't really know my neighbours So there's no-one I can ask to use their garage or chain my bike to their bike or car wheels.

Hi everyone, I passed the CBT last week and I want to buy a bike soon, but I've never bought a bike and I'm a little overwhelmed and confused by some of the stuff I need to do, so I'd like to post my current plan to some feedback on it. I'm planning to get a 125cc bike now so that I can start the clock on the no-claims discount (if things go well!) and then sell it to get the sports tourer I actually want in 12-24 months. I'm also hoping not to be in London by then to get a better insurance premium. I'll be doing the theory test in November and then hopefully the practical test early next year. I want to get a Honda CB125F, which seem to be perfect for newbies like myself, and it's also the bike I used in the CBT and I liked it. The bike costs £2,900 new and I've seen it second-hand on AutoTrader from £2,200 (2018+ registration, within 20 mi of my address). Given the £700 difference, I'm planning to get it new for convenience and piece of mind. I'll probably use the bike once a week: I want to use this bike to go on day trips in the country side and also longer tours from time to time. I'd love to camp when on tour so I'll need a top case and panniers to carry the stuff I need. I've done similar tours on a bicycle and, depending on the location/season, I'll be carrying 15-20kg (50-65 litre) in luggage. I've seen the CB125F with a top case and panniers, so I guess the bike can handle it as long as I get the right luggage. I'm planning to go to the dealership in a few days and buy it then, and I'm planning to have it delivered to my home. But I must have the insurance sorted out before the bike arrives, and before sorting out the insurance I need to know which security devices I'll use. And I'm finding both things more overwhelming than deciding which bike to get. I need to invest in proper security devices: I live in South East London and the bike will be parked on the road (cul de sac) with no lamppost/etc I could chain it to. So I'm considering getting a Xena XX10 disc lock, an Almax Immobiliser Series III chain+lock and a bike cover. Would these be adequate? Is there anything else I should consider buying? As for the insurance, I'm currently debating between Bikesure, Carole Nash and Bennetts based on the reviews I've seen (with a focus on those who've actually made claims). Their premiums are in the range £2,200 to £2,400. There are cheaper premiums but those insurers have awful reviews. Once I've made up my mind about the security devices, I'll buy them, and then I'll look at buying the bike and taking up the insurance. What do you think about the above? Am I being too naive about anything? Is there something else I should consider? Thanks!

Thanks everybody! I was seriously considering moving out London before I came across the insurance premium for the bike, so this is another reason to leave. If I do stay a bit longer, I think I'll end up getting a cheaper, second-hand bike I could sell when I leave London and then buy the one I actually want.

Hey folks, I am planning to buy a bike for the first time later this year and before investing too much time/money in training, I wanted to make a budget for the initial and ongoing costs, including insurance. However, I'm shocked by the insurance premiums here in South East London for a new BMW F 750 GS (£9k): The cheapest TPTF policy (from MCE) costs more than £2,000/year, and the second cheapest policy (from RCIB) literally costs more than the bike itself. I get similar results across comparison sites. I've also changed the quote to use my old Oxford address, and prices dropped to about £500 and I get a lot more choices, so it's definitely my SE postcode. Note I'm entering the best locks I could find (Pragmasis Protector). Are these quotes normal by London standards? I'd like to think I'm doing something wrong. Is there anything else I should consider to reduce the insurance premium, without moving to another place? I considered renting a garage but it'd be more expensive and really inconvenient. Getting a less expensive bike is an option, even though I really liked the BMW F 750 GS. Cheers.