Hi folks, I have a friend who having got to mid life has decided to have a crisis, he wants to get a bike, he started by looking at BMW1200s Ducati etc. my advice to start with something smaller was being ignored, until he discovered that he would be restricted to 33 bhp, oh! I didn't say did I, he hasn't got a bike licence yet. (amazing how a mid life can turn you into a plonker)
So to the point, have you any recommendations for a bike that will allow some 2 up use before and after being restricted to 33 bhp? needs to be pillion friendly as his lady wants to play too.

Why doesn't he just do his Direct access?

Then he could get something like a 600 Bandit, Fazer or the like .... not too scary but will cope with 2 up no problem.                                                                                                                                                                             

I agree ... I am 42 (eek mid life) & did my DAS in Feb, means I can ride my SV650 without restrictions   AND   As you learn on a big bike its not a shock to have its full power going                                                                                                                                                                              

can buy my cbf500 if he likes, got a restrictor kit and all docs to go with it done 15000 miles in fairly good nick,very comfy 2 up if interested will think about a price. and if he does das can leave the restrictor off.                                                                                                                                                                             

and if he is not interested in your cbf julie - i may be. am hoping to do my das in the next month or so                                                                                                                                                                               

well any questions send me a message and good luck with the test!                                                                                                                                                                             

thanks julie, will do :o)                                                                                                                                                                              

Suzuki 650 Savage is naturally within the restriction of 33bhp without restrictors. If you find one let me know lol                                                                                                                                                                              

Thanks for the comments, seems that he has   realised that he will not be limited to 33bhp so the hunt is on for a super sports tourer, I fear for him and pray he doesn't become another statistic.                                                                                                                                                                               

Hmmmm I hope so too ... Even when doing a DAS you will learn on a 650 at most (I was on a gladius) but most only have 500's and even tho I was deemed 'competent enough to pass' I still now after 4000 miles since Feb consider I am learning about the bike I actually ride, and it's the same engine as the one I had lessons on!

That's a big jump to super sports tourer I pray whilst learning his instructor can talk some sence into him to take it easy at the start.

Very interesting thread.  Especially interesting to hear someone who is obviously a fan of DAS accepting that it does offer very inexperienced riders the opportunity to jump onto very powerful motorcycles.  And indeed, this is exactly what half of those passing on DAS do!

For me, DAS isn't even about offering a rider the chance to get used to a larger, heavier bike.  Quite often a four or five day DAS course only offers a rider a day or two on a bigger bike.  And many modern sports bikes are not heavy anyway; GSXR1000 - 205kg wet/170bhp or the CBR600rr - 184kg wet/120bhp.  A 125 Varadero weighs over 150kg!

In my opinion, DAS is still heavily flawed and should be scrapped and indeed I have read recently in professional journals that some of my colleagues are suggesting this openly.

My opinion is that all riders should be restricted for a period of two years but that restriction should be higher than the current 33bhp, perhaps 45-50.

But hey, what do I know lol!                                                                                                                                                                             

I agree about the DAS being dangerous to new riders. But I feel a bit of a fraud - I passed on a 125 in ྎ and could ride whatever I liked thereafter. I bought a Moto Guzzi V50 II (500cc). If I'd been taller and could afford the insurance, I could have purchased any sports bike.   I did an RAC training course for 6 weeks which helped me become a much safer rider from the start but now, all you need to do is pass the CBT & it's not cheap if you want to do extra training.   We were more likely to have ridden a smaller bike for a lot longer, fell off several times, got back on & learned from our mistakes (& it hurts!).   The roads are more congested now and modern bikes are so much more powerful.   Like Geoff (hiya!), I would like to see people being restricted to smaller bikes for a lot longer & I would raise the age limit for being able to ride anything. Anything below 125cc is dangerous in my opinion. I would personally prefer 50cc scooters taken off the road. I believe it's car drivers and kids on scooters which obscure the accident stats.   My daughter is currently in NZ - the test there restricts someone to a 250cc for 18 months (shortened with advanced training). Taken in 3 stages, it seems restrictive and expensive, but perhaps this is a better way..... JMHO                                                                                                                                                                               

I'd agree, building up to bigger bikes is a good thing, but I've recently seen just how many stages there are to getting a full license. (passed my test eons ago)   Ever more complicated legislation certainly isn't the answer. Who knows how many are put off bikes completely, by all the hassle ?   Kids on scooters may slant the stats, but that's because young kids will always be more liable, not a reason to ban a particular class. And I'm afraid that while car drivers may be severly lacking in basic skills, blaming them is no answer. An increasing number of bike stats are single vehicle accidents, for eg, failure to negotiate a bend etc.   Tho we do seem to have strayed off the subject of 33bhp bikes                                                                                                                                                                             

We were more likely to have ridden a smaller bike for a lot longer, fell off several times, got back on & learned from our mistakes (& it hurts!).

I wonder why this has changed? When I first passed my test I was quite happy on a 250. People who pass their test now seem to want to jump straight on a big bike, with a 600 regarded as a "small" bike.

I'm all in favour of some kind of restriction when you first pass. The biggest thing I've ever crashed is a 250 (an X7), if that had been a 1000 I'd probably have been much worse off, so I really do think it benefited me from starting out on something smaller.                                                                                                                                                                              

In reply to some comments I completely agree with the DAS learning on a big bike is a bonus but to say riders should be restricted defeats things ....
Personally I think all 5 day courses should be banned, I did my DAS over several months, on a bike that was heavier than the one I would be riding once I had passed. So allowing me to gain the experience and confidence of riding a heavy powerful bike.
Doings DAS and getting a 1000cc bike to me is just as dangerous as passing on a 125 and then getting say an Sv650 and restricting it to 33bhp as your not used to the weight of it, or the power shift from 10bhp to 33 and as has been said leads to drops and crashes and if you know how to handle your bike it's all the better

How about getting an old brit bike. There good to learn on light lower bhp but will pull well 2 up, loads of character,no depreciation and parts are reasonable and plentiful. Try a BSA B31.                                                                                                                                                                              

Weight is only a factor at very low speeds and is something that can affect anyone but especially those with a shorter leg length.  My RoSPA tutor appeared a little surprised when he learnt that even with my experience, I don't do U turns in the road.  But then he's well over six foot tall!

However, issues with balancing the bike at low speeds very rarely result in accidents that are even reported, let alone serious or fatal injuries.

The truth is that the majority of single vehicle motorcycle accidents that result in heavy injuries are caused by inexperience and speed over and above the rider's comfort zone.  It could well be argued that a 500cc bike has easily the capability to land an inexperienced rider in a position where they are out of their depth, but it certainly can't be argued that a modern hyper tourer or one litre supersports machine can do it far, far easier.

Restricting a rider for a year or two will at least encourage them to stick to a middleweight machine for that period and that has to be a positive.                                                                                                                                                                             

Weight is only a factor at very low speeds and is something that can affect anyone but especially those with a shorter leg length   Guess we will have to agree to disagree on that one then ... my slow speed handleing was commented on as being fantastic by both instructor, examiner and people since who have ridden with me, & I can & do do U turns ... I am only 5ft 4 !   Even the most experienced of riders can get out of thier comfort zone and have the capability to be out of thier depth, its not only new riders who drop their bikes or crash!                                                                                                                                                                              

I think its a good thing to stick on a smaller bike untill you've out grown it. By that time you should have gained skills in control and awareness so riding is second nature. Then a high performance machine isn't going to be such a big step.
I grew up on 250's and when I passed my test rode 400's which were the same bikes but with bigger engines. These gave good performance but in a familiar package a good learning route I think.

Hence why I said 5 day courses should be banned Yammy, I did 6 months riding on my 125 alongside 6 months (would have been shorter but for the bloomin snow!) on a Gladius 650 & did a total of over 3000 miles in that time ... not 5 days pootleing round a town for a few hours a day which I dont think I would have been good to ride a big bike after passing after that short a time