gunnysonics Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 This poll applies to 600cc & over Supersports bikes such as Fireblades, R1's, R6's GSXR's etc. When I was at RAF Kinloss in 2006 I did a BIKESAFE course with the Grampian Police, and I had been riding 11 years at the time but I learnt alot about riding at speed but much safer, and the police bikers were a good bunch of lads, I recommend this course to any biker of any age. http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnysonics Posted February 7, 2008 Author Share Posted February 7, 2008 So far ive worked out that only 1 in 10 people have an opinion on this matter, its just a poll to see what the general consensus is, nothing political behind it. , if i posted this on a honda website i would expect no votes as none of them can read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FZ6 GEOFF S2 Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I passed my test at 17 and got Bandit 600. And decided to do the IAM before I killed myself. I now have a FZ6 FAZER S2 and that is really quick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Error Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I passed my test at 17 and got Bandit 600. And decided to do the IAM before I killed myself. I now have a FZ6 FAZER S2 and that is really quick i pasted my test on went strait on a 06 r6 . had it 2 months then come of it . wnet on a bike safe corse but didnt get much out of that tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy2Wheeler Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 honda riders can read!! i went from 50 to 600cc at 17, nor problems, fell off my old one riding in the ice. o well. ridden in snow ice rain, wind fog and im still here!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R1evad Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Passed my test at 17, when all you had to do was not fall off for 20 minuites. Had one "OFF" on the way to a race meet at Snetterton in 1975 (fellow rider clipped the front wheel of my commando on a roundabout) my next one was last April when a chav in a blacked out peugeot diddnt give way on a roudabout. 1 non fault accident every 32 years I could live with, but the bas74&ds got me again this february. Just goes to show, yopu can have all the experience in the world, from all round the world, but you cannot get awawy with it for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TamzSR125 Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 ok heres my opinion on it. im about to rant so please bare with me I do not think at 17 u shud be able to have access to bigger bikes even tho they are restricted here are my reasons 1) at 17 u cannot go to test on anything bigger than a 125, nor can u train on anything other than a 125 untill ur 21 so to do test at 17 on a 125, then go get say a 600cc bike is silly. even tho its restricted u have never ridden a bike of this power so tbh i think its bloody silly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyboy Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 After returning to biking after years off the road due to children & such things im now in my 40s (guess Im living my youth again lol) when I rode at 17 in the 80s I had no experience & little muchg else in the way of legality & think now that restrictions are a good thing & I am in noway in a hurry to get a big bike I know I will have my 125 for atlease 1yr more so restrictions are good but I also think it should apply to cars also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhendryx Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 My thing is this - i say that no, they probably shouldnt be able to just jump on an R1 and wheelie off into the sunset. However, i dont think its an accurate idea that a smaller bike is safer. sure, it might not be able to go as fast, but you can get hurt or killed on a small bike just as easily as a large one. there are no restrictions here in the states (at least not that i know of) other than having to pass the test at the DMV, or to take a 2 day course through the DMV if you are under 21 or want to get better rates on your insurance. I like the idea of having to learn to ride on a slightly smaller bike.... you have to focus more on your handling and awareness, rather than just jamming the throttle and running like hell. I saw some moron get on his brand new R1 at a local bike shop where i was getting a new visor for my helmet. He killed it twice, wheelied, and then almost crashed, all inside the parking lot. he finally rode away, but i bet he put it to the ground on his way home considering all of the gravel lying around. i dont think being stuck on a 125 for a long time is necessary the best route either....maybe if there was some way to hit a mid-step between 125 and 500 or 600? maybe if they could get something in the middle. i dunno, but smaller bikes do tend to be a bit more forgiving of the stupid mistakes we all make at the beginning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galilee Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Same question could also be asked about cars. Should a fresh driver be allowed to drive a Porshe or a Dodge viper? If you're old enough to drive, you're old enough to decide WHAT you want to drive. That said, i also think the driving training could be better so new drivers know their (and their bikes') limitatio, and there should be MUCH more emphasis on driving technique, and not only traffic regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2008 R6 scared!! Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Same question could also be asked about cars. Should a fresh driver be allowed to drive a Porshe or a Dodge viper? If you're old enough to drive, you're old enough to decide WHAT you want to drive. That said, i also think the driving training could be better so new drivers know their (and their bikes') limitatio, and there should be MUCH more emphasis on driving technique, and not only traffic regulations. TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT...if the young un has been payin attention during his/her year on the 125 you would hope that they have realised a little of what biking is all about.....apply that with an easy right wrist and any 17 year old should be capable of the transition.....but there will always be 1 or 2 in a 100 who will learn the hard and painfull way that bigger bikes can mean bigger off's .....c'est la vie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffCyclist Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Being 22 and new to bikes, I feel that even I don't have enough experience. I just took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course in October, but scored at the top of my class, only missing 1 point on the final test because they intentionally let my bike run out of gas to see what I'd do. However, I have been racing road bikes (bicycles) for 8 years, 4 in high school, and 4 on a nationally ranked collegiate team. And living in the mountains, I do most of my training at altitude, and as we all know, what goes up must come down. I regularly descend the mountains upwards of 50mph safely. As a result, I in theory have 4 years of motorcycle riding since the skills are exactly the same at those higher speeds. That being said though, I have been noticing that I can't turn sharply right (used to dragging my drivetrain on my road bike if I do). Although in the past couple of weeks, I have been finding myself leaning more into the turns, and becoming more proficient at finding the hard limit of the bike. But I answered on the poll they need experience. This is mainly because I've seen many teens riding at super high speeds on the highways (upwards of 100mph) and look like they are just barely holding on for the ride. I also had a friends brother die in a motorcycle accident back in high school. Then again, if they want to fork out over $1500 per year for insurance and are gonna ride it like they want to die, they can all they want...as long as they only injure themselves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gav2k Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 well im a freedom of speech kinda person. this government of ours has taken away alot of our rights and we live in a so called free country. i personally feel that someone should at any age be able to ride what they want or drive what they want for that matter. if you hold a golden ticket that says at 17 you can ride a 600cc restricted to 33bhp then so be it. how many laws are passed in this country that you actually agree with? classic example that gets me every time woud be the dangerous dogs act. one word for you pit-bull..... yeah scary dog eh? no it depends how it was raised. i could train a nice lab or dalmation to kill someone dosnt mean the breed is bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bovril Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I've just got back into biking after a 20 year break, I did a lot of reading and listening to good advice and bought a 600 Diversion, yes I know a lot of you will say it's a Grandads bike, but I am a Grandad But back to the point, I've now done a few hundred miles on my Divvy and I'm loving it, but as a born again biker the Divvy's power is awsome and it's had my heart rate sky high several times. For the time being I don't think I could handle anything with more power and I think the same applies to newly qualified riders. Gently does it I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7omly Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Hello to everyone In the olden days (this is what my two twenty-something kids call anytime before the early nineties) the insurance companies done a bloody good job of making sure you had a tiered riding experience. When I was 17 me and most of my mates went 250, 400, 650 and then a 1000 over a period of three or four years because you just couldn't afford the premiums (in some cases they would even quote you). Upon reflection I think this is a good thing because if I had jumped from my CZ250 to my Suzuki GS1000E I know I would have killed myself. Youngsters today have a lot of disposable income and if allowed to jump straight to something like a Fireblade would in the majority of cases spell tragedy. I think this should also apply to cars. Where I live the supermarket car parks are full of souped-up Saxos and 205s screeching about. I would limit new drivers in cars to under 1000cc until they were 21 and the bike situation is about right as it is. 125 bhp and an abundance of testosterone is not a good combination (mind you there are a lot of loony young female car drivers these days too). As the old tyre advert (Pirelli I think) used to say 'Speed is nothing without control'. That applies to the rider/driver too. I might do as Gunnysonics did and have a look at the bikesafe crack. You are never too old to learn and certainly never too old to learn more. Safe riding 7omly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinky Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 People have a lot of training before they can go on a big bike (or they should have if their training school has anything about them), personally I think the age/power restriction is a good thing. I passed my test at 19 having done 3 years on L plates, I'm now 24 and have no points and 1 accident (a driving instructor pulled out on me and i threw the bike) I worked my way up through many bikes to the 5 I have now the largest being an FZR1000. Each bike taught me a lot about riding and respect for each machine I get on. I have taught lots of people to ride (I'm an instructor) and there are some of varying age that I have seen pass their test and thought you are not going to stay in one piece very long, so I dont think it can all go on age and experiance either a lot has to do with a persons temprament and do they respect their bike and know their own limitations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aced Up Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Totally they need the experience. If not the experience to handle the power, more to develop the correct attitude. I have been riding bikes since I was 7yrs old, rode a 125cc from the age of 16 until 25 I am now 28 and have progressed from a 125 > 750 > 1000. Now, I know if I had passed my test when I was 18/19 or even 21... I would have killed myself riding a 600. I only really gained sense until I was 24 and realised I dont actually have anything to prove... and rode sensibly ever since. OK I have the adrenalin fueled burn up the mountain and rear wheel sliding around roads I know. But I stick strictly to speed limits and am basically not a d-head anymore. It does come with age I think. On the island here it is a 50mph restriction for one year after they pass their test.... which means when the coppers are not looking they WILL hit over 100 with a 150BHP bike if they so wish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexYZFThundercat Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 why does it matter if were 17?? i mean people do their direct access when their having their mid life crisis and jump straight on de restricted bikes and come off all the time. plus starting at 17 means that you can start gaining experience early. went from 50cc scooter to 125cc cbr then to a 1.6 ford and then 600cc thundercat and i'm still seventeen. i dont think expereince is the issue, more attitude towards the riding and yes i suppose younger riders have different attitude but not all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_arrowsmith Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Ok just to chuck my opinion into this, I actually do think that riders under 21 should be restricted, Round where I live there are a lot of young lads on 125 moto cross style bikes and all of them ride around as if they're asses were on fire, now would they change their habits on a bigger bike? I think not. its all about self control and the older you get the more you tend to use that self control. Im only 25 and did my cbt last october and my DAS last month, I have now just purchased a 1995 XJ600N as my first bike big and to be honest having come from a 125cc to this i feel anything with moe power would probably kill me. I do find myself exceeding the speed limits at times (i.e when roads are totally clear and weather and visibilty are good) but so often I see young riders on bigger sports bikes fly past and more often than not here squeals of brakes as they havent got the self control or awareness about them that they need. Anyway rant over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe312 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Ok just to chuck my opinion into this, I actually do think that riders under 21 should be restricted, Round where I live there are a lot of young lads on 125 moto cross style bikes and all of them ride around as if they're asses were on fire, now would they change their habits on a bigger bike? I think not. its all about self control and the older you get the more you tend to use that self control. Im only 25 and did my cbt last october and my DAS last month, I have now just purchased a 1995 XJ600N as my first bike big and to be honest having come from a 125cc to this i feel anything with moe power would probably kill me. I do find myself exceeding the speed limits at times (i.e when roads are totally clear and weather and visibilty are good) but so often I see young riders on bigger sports bikes fly past and more often than not here squeals of brakes as they havent got the self control or awareness about them that they need. Anyway rant over just done a simalar thing at 27 i got my fz6s and its more than enough............ rather be a little late in this world tan early in the next. i must say i did try a few of my freind bikes gsxr750 and 600, cbr 600rr and a r6.... and yes i liked them. but i think the fazer will be a better tool to get my experance on.... and theres no shame in that. i'm not saying if you was to jump on something crazy don't do it. You make your own choise in life. what i'm say FOR ME jumping on something bigger or more sports focused was not what i wanted. want to be a good biker not a dead biker!!!1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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