) and there is no greater feeling than approaching the back of a traffic jam knowing that you can filter through and be out of it in minutes, rather than hours that the car drivers get stuck for.Well you can still do the fast track 5 day course i think, and that will let you go above 125, and that has to be recommended - i shudder to think back to a time when my little RG125 couldn't get me out of an idiots way with a twist of the throttle; a 500/600 will let you do that.
As above, Hornet, Bandit, or Fazer will serve you well.
On a motorcycle tip, i have a great YZF1000R for sale..
It didn't break down mate, it was reversed into by a bloody coach! Bollock only knows what it was doing reversing in the first place. Luckilly the stewards were on hand, saw it all and their insurance coughed up to get it fixed so all good.
As for your foray into motorcycling, welcome to the gang mate. You will never look back once you get onto two wheels. I commute from Portsmouth all over the place on mine (Chiswick, Oxford, Central London, The Amex
I would definitely NOT recommend going for a 125 and working your way up. As soon as you pass and ride a 125 you will want something quicker and a bit more stable straight away. If you take a direct access course, you can jump straight onto any bike. A few years ago I did a 3 day direct access course. 2 days of lessons and then the test on your final day. You can do longer courses if you like, but I already knew how to ride a bike just needed to pass my test so 3 days was plenty. If you can drive a car then you already have the road sense, so just need to get comfortable on the bike. 3-4 days direct access should be fine. You will need to do a Motorcycle theory test before this, so make sure to get that booked and passed ASAP.
Find a decent riding school, and then get the direct access booked. Some of them offer guaranteed pass schemes, so if you are not to confident go for one of those. Once you have passed then it is time to choose your bike.
For short commutes you probably want a 600 I would say. Plenty of power, but not too much that you can get into trouble. Assuming you don't have much motorway in your commute then you would be OK with a naked bike (no fairing) or a half faired job (like a Fazer or SV650 as I have mentioned). If I were you I would go with a naked bike for my first one though. Much less to get scratched if you come off (which you may well do in your first year or so) and they are fun to ride too. A cheap and decent option would be a Bandit, or maybe a Ducati Monster if you want something a bit less common.
Best advice I can give is to go for something not too costly for your first bike. You will probably drop it a couple of times at slow speed, as lots of people who first pass do this. Definitely get some crash bungs fitted at this will save the frame from getting damaged (it saved my bike when it got reversed into by the coach). Again the Bandit is a good option as there are tonnes of them knocking about, spares are dirt cheap, you can get some wicked sounding exhausts for them (if that is your sort of thing) and they are easy to ride.
Last thing to consider is safety gear. Make sure to buy a decent helmet (you cant go wrong with an Arai or a Shoei) and good trousers, jacket, boots and gloves. You can go for textile or leather, just make sure they are comfortable for your commute. If you are going to ride all year round go for some waterproof textile gear with removable thermal lining, as you can use this in the summer too. This summer I have been using my winter gear right through due to the rubbish weather. The safety gear will save your life if you crash, so spend as much money as you can afford. There are countless stories of people coming off without the proper gear and getting hurt. There are also countless of people having massive crashes with the proper gear and walking away unharmed.
To give you an idea of cost when I first got started, I have listed out what I spent below.
Theory Test - £40 (I think)
Direct Access course including test - £380
Suzuki Bandit 600 (T reg - unfaired model) - £1000
Helmet - £300
Leathers and boots - £300
Gloves - £100
Also don't be put of buy all the talk of crashing. I have ridden for years and never had a crash. Its all about riding within your limits, having good "bike eyes" so you can predict what the other road using idiots are going to do, and remembering that as soon as you get on your motorbike you become invisible to all other road uses, so to ride defensively!
Sorry if this is a monster reply, but I am excited to welcome another brother onto 2 wheels. You will never look back. Motorbiking is amazing, and most importantly you look cool and girls love it!
Any questions just shout.
James
Some sound advice from Snooky & the YZF Kid there, Trojan. I'd personally go with a Bandit - as they're easy to work on; bullet-proof; & there's loads of used ones to choose from to suit a variety of budgets.
Btw, is there actually any advantage to you buying a 500 rather than having an extra hundred cubes?
