Whilst taking a test on a 125 is definitely not an option that should be ignored, it's easy to lose sight of the big advantage of doing your training on a DAS bike - typically something like a Kawasaki or Suzuki 500 twin. The DAS bike is much closer to what the average rider WILL move on to, whether in full power or 33hp restricted form.
The 500 is a full-size motorcycle with 'full-size' responses to the control.
Unlike a lightweight and physically small 125 like the CG125 Honda, both the 500s mentioned about weigh in at around 190kgs - that's very much the same as a typical 600cc machine. It's the same kind of height off the ground and has the same kind of wheelbase too. The motors are powerful enough to pull wheelies in the dry and wheelspin in the wet, and the brakes strong enough to pull stoppies when there's enough grip or lock the front when there isn't.
The upshot of this is the 500 needs the right techniques to ride it well enough to pass the test, particularly when it comes to the U turn, where the rider will need good throttle and brake use, good balance and good slow steering technique.
By contrast, most people over about 5'6" can simply 'muscle' a CG125 around, and it can be ridden without particularly good machine control; clutch and throttle control in a junction is a classic example. I often find that riders with 125 experience tend to let the clutch out as soon as the bike is rolling, and then try to control their speed entirely on the throttle. Whilst they can get away with that on a bike with only 11 or 12hp at the backwheel, that's not going to work on a 50hp 500, let alone a 100hp 600 supersport; if the bigger bike doesn't stall at walking pace, it'll run wide out of tight turns as the rider tries to twist the throttle too early.
Likewise, the short wheelbase means U turns on a 125 are relatively easy. The longer wheelbase 500s require better slow control with a good balance of clutch/throttle and rear brake use, and counterweighting as a technique also helps enormously. Put a 125 rider on a bigger bike and they'll struggle to make tight turns because they haven't needed to learn these skills.
The 125 route is the only way if you are under 21. It may be the cheapest route too if you are over 21. You may only ever want to ride a small capacity bike. But the danger is that if you learn on a 125 because "the DAS bike is too big", how are you going to cope with a bike that size when you pass your test?
Posted: 02/09/2007 at 15:10
