Late start bikers

Keep looking at doing a bike license .

I'm 33 and never had a bike before , anyone else done similar?

Think you will find statistics show that its mainly people that start late in their life are the most killed on the roads riding motorbikes!

I think you have to do a cbt, then after 2 years take another bike test and then 2 years later take another test.
For 2 years I'm sure you are restricted to 32bhp
I'm sure the bike laws have just been changed to try and stop people from just jumping straight on a big bike without experience...

I done mine 4 years ago (I was 28 then) and it's definitely a buzz. But best kept to the track for the fast stuff as it's all too easy to get lost in the moment on the road and end up getting seriously hurt.

I think the new rules are that you do your CBT, then a bike test and then you are restricted to a certain size bike/power for 2 years before you can ride anything.

The old rules about either doing a direct access to ride a big bike or doing a normal test, and being able to have a big bike that was restricted to 33bhp have been ditched as too many people were declaring they had a restricted bike when they hadn't.

I'd totally recommend getting your licence and at the end of the day it's not the bikes that are the killers, it's the riders, so just be safe.

Cheers, Ben.

yep I passed my test when I was 34 and wrote off nearly all the fastest bikes (which I had to have lol) first was a Honda blackbird, Suzuki hayabusa, kwaka zx12r all mangled messes on the road as I never had the experience to handle the power, but I thought I did at the time, luckily for me im still alive and kicking.

then turned to the track as it was much safer to do serious speed without ending up in a box.

if you want me to be honest.....think carefully before racing a bike otr.
most don't wanna admit it but the older you get the slower your reactions are and with a bike you need to be 100% alert at all times, one slight error or lack in concentration can be very costly. that's why I packed it up and turned to cars as you can get away with things you wont on a bike.

you've also got to look at it from an unselfish point of view too tim......being the fact you've got young kids and a family.
as said born again bikers are the ones with the highest death toll on roads and I can understand why, once you get your leathers and lid on you'll think you are invincible so unless you want it for track use I would stick to a car if I were you
sorry if I sound like a nagging wench but that's just my honest opinion

I miss my 600, I will have another one day... I was definitely not a fast biker but it was so easy to all of a sudden be doing a fair bit of speed. It doesn't surprise me the amount of accidents with bikers as so many think they are experts just because they have a license Still cant believe how silly some of these people are, quite often see people in shorts and t shirt on these big sportbikes
I'd say go for it as riding a bike to me was superb without the need to overtake everything on the road but as Bob has said you have a family to consider.

Well I'm 36 and have been riding since I was 6, I had cr500 Honda motor cross bikes from 13 (think my parents wanted rid of me) and been road riding since I was 15 (I know to young for a license) I can honestly say tim get a off road bike and learn from there before you even contemplate a road bike as there is so much to learn about bike control, let alone riding defensively on the road, a good modern 600 is making 120bhp these days and will knock on the door of 170mph and they brake and excellerate at silly rates too....learn from the beginning mate and don't become another statistic.

I have lost a few friends on the way from very skilled racers and normal road riders and most are from getting over exited and it going wrong (one was decapitated )

My bike list I can remember there is more ,at one point between me and my brother and dad we had 16 bikes for road and track.

Dt175,cr125,cr250,kx250,rm250,cr480,cr500. X3,xr600r,gsxr400,zx6r,gsxr600, Harris mag1260,r1 David jefferies TT rep,zx10r gsxr1000 running nitrous etc,

And have also ridden zzr1100,gsxr750 srad (used to take my dads when I was 16),zx12r,hayabusa turbo,hayabusa,kwak original z1(I now own it),rg500,rd500,goldwing,

Exactly why i dont have a bike anymore lost some good close friends over the years due to bike accidents especially if you like to push the limits it only takes one mistake and your a gonna i agree with dan get a off roader one of the best ways to learn how to handle a bike .

No the deal is on the licences at 16 you can ride a 50cc moped on a cbt then at 17 you can go to a 125cc restricted to 12bhp you can then opt at 19 for a restricted access full licence which allows you up to 33bhp for 2 years at which point you take another test when your 21 which then allows you on anything.

Or at 24 you can go in for your direct access which allows you to ride what you like ones you have passed which is what I did, though I have been riding bikes since I was 17.