'Practice makes perfect'. Well, actually, 'practice makes permanent' ie you can perfect the wrong way of doing things through practice as well as the right way, so practice and make permanent the right ways.

Exactly what the instructor said yesterday.

I have to say, before I got there yesterday ...

I'm getting ready to take my mod 1 and 2 tests in the coming weeks, while I didn't buy a 125 I did want to take further training as my gear changes are a bit sloppy and I wanted to build some confidence especially with low speed maneuvers like U-Turns

The place I went to took you out on slightly ...

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2026 7:36 pm This one won 2nd place at CMC's Monkey bike Sunday event, I think it looks great!

That looks great, my dad had a CB250 Superdream in similar colours, that looks great fun

update: Paid my deposit and all booked up for July

Found another school locally who do 3 hour 125 confidence lessons. May do that in between now and the DAS, just to keep my hand in and get used to the gears and riding in general as the 125 purchase is out the window. Just too husky I think.

Had ...

Thank you, all the responses have been very helpful.

I spoke to my mate, he's not a biker but he made some good points regarding the 125. Something I might not have mentioned is I'm a fairly big guy, the wee CBF might have been struggling due to me weighing about the same as a dying star.

The ...

Seem quite close in looks to Vans and no wonky colours, the perfect pair

It's certainly not helping at the moment. We have been told by the training place it's a no on steel toe caps. I'll look at the Richa boots and maybe something like this too

https://cdn-iutgbvdd.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/image/upload/c_fill,h_1200,w_1200/q_auto:good/product/2540361.jpg

I'm not too ...

Oh - I'd also say that whatever "style" of bike you buy first doesn't have to have any bearing on what style of bike you eventually want to have permanently. So, unless you are absolutely 110% sure that you're going to be doing mainly off-road / trail type riding, you don't need to buy big clumpy ...

From the description of the errors above (eg gears up/down, clutch control) I'd suggest you need to get some miles in, outside of the training environment, to make some of it second nature and not occupying brain bandwidth. As long as you have the road sense.

Where does this idea come from that ...

What are you wanting to achieve?
Why are you trying to achieve it?
When would you like to achieve it by?


Full license to be able to go on little adventures to get away from things when I need to or chippy runs on a Sunday
I was brought up around bikes but was never allowed to ride, father died ...

I'm sure this has been asked more than once, but as someone who deals with ADHD and is at the ripe old age of 50, making decisions has never been my strong point.

Fiiiiinnnnallly I am getting round to completing the bike tests, years of an overbearing mother, never having the money, a new child ...

Breathalyzer

Valid license/insurance reader

mobile phone jammer unless connected to hands free

I'm constantly in the midst of mental health struggles, won't bore anyone with the details.

What I can add is that when I did my CBT about 3 years ago, having never ridden anything other than a scooter round a car park and a mountain bike, I never had a negative thought during the training or for ...

Are they still a thing? I seem to remember them being available on a police website a few years back. Saw a car today with one and thought "fancy one for my motor"

Grosse Pointe Blank
The Grifters
Fight Club
Last NIght (lesser known Sandra Oh film, a different take on the end of the world)
The Game
Seven
Event Horizon
Shawshank Redemption
Leon

Just some of my favourites, probably missing a ton more

A few mags have gone under in the last few years, just wondering who reads what?

I buy Ride and some times Bike/Classic Bike. Once in a blue moon i'll get a copy of Adventure Bike Rider. Get free trials of Readly every once in a while and flick through some bike/car/music mags.

Saw one through ...

Yes please, now do this with a 650

seem the most common is A with 79(3) in the right hand column, It means you can ride a trike, which I think also covers bike and sidecar or if you can find one, a sidewinder

My Dad - a fondness for motorbikes and a fairly laid back attitude

My Mum - the ability to spot a narcissist from 200 yards. The only woman i've ever know that could make everything about her in some way

in a "holy crap, i've wasted 17 years and it's now (this year) or never" kind of way