Motorcycle Licenses

[ck1]

Why do you need to get a different category license to determine the size of bike you are allowed to ride? If you can manage a 125cc isn't that essentially the same as a 1000cc? Isn't it just the same as passing your driving test in a corsa and then buying an M3?

[woofgang]

no a 125 is NOT the same as a 1000!

[Gizmonster]

I don't have a bike licence, but I can remember when I was 18 ish (quite a while ago !!) and sitting on a 125cc bike and then sitting on a larger bike (I think it was a 750cc). I rode the 125cc bike, but there was no way I was going to even attempt the bigger bike .... I could only just manage to keep it upright.
A 125cc bike is def NOT the same as a much larger bike.

[IJKLM]

As stated, a 1000cc Blackbird is a completely different beast from a 125cc trainer.

A 1000cc sport bike like a Blackbird or Hayabusa or similar has the same or better performance as a F1 car. Very high power and low weight gives acceleration and handling that requires a lot of experience to ride safely.

There is a saying...

There are bold riders and there are old riders, but there are no old, bold riders.

I was a bold rider. I very nearly killed myself on a 250cc bike.

To address your question, an M3 is quite expensive. You can get a new sportbike for GBP10k or so. A second-hand one is much less.

An M3 has a lot of safety features, such as airbags; safety cage, crumple zones; ECS and so on.

A bike has few of these. There is only the helmet, leathers and pads to protect the rider from his/her mistakes – and more importantly, the mistakes and unpredictability of other drivers.

My advice: spend more than you can afford on boots, leathers and helmet. Spend more on your own safety and protection than on the bike. My helmet and leathers saved my life. Literally.

I would never get on a high-end sportbike, because it is almost certain I'd kill myself.

You need to find out more about your style of riding before you get on a sportbike.

[ToraToraTora]

"If you can manage a 125cc isn't that essentially the same as a 1000cc?" - even a 125 will out accelerate most cars you are likely to encounter, a 1000cc sports bike is another dimension entirely. "Isn't it just the same as passing your driving test in a corsa and then buying an M3?" - that is a related, if distant analogy and yes, you can do that though you'll struggle to get insured. Instead of corsa to M3 think, 2CV to Pagani Zonda. Much more training is needed to ride a high powered sports bike hence the path needed to get a licence.

[ck1]

I get the power thing, but other than that isn't a big bike the same - throttle, clutch, gears? You mention a zonda, but you don't need a separate license for a supercar which, considering you can do a lot more damage to other people and property in a car wouldn't it make more sense to have an advanced driving test before getting behind the wheel of that? On a bike, you get it wrong and you will only damage yourself but coming off any bike at 70 is going to hurt anyway?

[retrocop]

I would invest in a copy of Motorcycle Roadcraft. The Black Rat's bible (along with Roadcraft for car drivers).
It will give crucial info on braking and when not to on a motorcycle,life saver (last look on turning) cornering and many more aspects that may prevent a bumpy meeting with the asphalt. :-(

[kvalidir]

I've got two bikes of my own, an little bastardised custom 125cc Cruiser and a Yamaha XV535 Cruiser which has to be restricted because I've only got an A2 licence not a full A as I'm not old enough for that yet. Even these two are very different bikes and I ride my boyfriend's Triumph Tiger 800XCA over here and that's a total beast of a thing and doesn't resemble my little 125 whatsoever, whole different thing, so yeah whilst you have to be able to change gear and manage your clutch and brakes, there the similarity ends tbh, and in the big scheme of things that's not a super bike by any means. If you stuck a 17 year old who had never ridden on a proper superbike they'd kill themselves and someone else possibly.

[retrocop]

Although extremely bad practice you could get away with changing down a gear whilst cranked over at high speed on a chain driven bike but try it on a shaft drive and you will kiss the asphalt. Load of tricks and techniques have to be learnt and mastered between some different bikes.