Anyone done a direct access?

Simon_M

I have always fancied owning a bike. I’m fortunate to live somewhere with easy access to lots of quiet countryside and my interested has been piqued again.

Has anyone done a direct access? Did you feel it adequately prepared you? Any recommendations on a bike to start on? I quite like the Bandits and they've got a smaller CC model at very affordable prices.

octatonic

My advice is don’t go straight to a big bike, do 3-6 months in a 125 and then do DA.

Snags

As well as the DA, find some tuition that will teach you how to stay alive,  not just how to pass the test. 

thumpingrug

Fully agree with Oct.  Bikes are great and whilst I dont want to put you off they are also deadly.   You need time to build up skills and awareness of the traffic around you.  This takes time and tootling around on a 125 for a few months will give you time to develop some defensive riding skills.

PC_Dave

Depends on your level of self control and ability to read other road users.

I did a DA a couple of years ago, my first bike after passing it was a Suzuki GSR 750, then I got bored after a couple of months and got a Yamaha MT10. Since that I’ve had a BMW S1000XR, a KTM Superduke 1290, a BMW S1000RR, a BMW S1000R, and now I’m on a KTM Superduke 1290 GT - all are 1000cc or over.

The one thing I couldn’t recommend enough is to do a Bikesafe course with your local police. I learned more on that one day course than I did on the entire DA. It’s worth remembering that the DA will teach you to physically ride a bike and how to pass the exam - all without (hopefully!) incident. The real learning starts (and doesn’t stop!!) the minute you pass your test......

Legionreturns

Chuffin' 'ell @PC_Dave ...think of all the GAS money you've chucked at bikes in the last couple of years! Priorities man! 

PC_Dave

Legionreturns said:

Chuffin' 'ell @PC_Dave ...think of all the GAS money you've chucked at bikes in the last couple of years! Priorities man! 

Haha I know!!! Interestingly, I didn’t really lose much money on them, apart from the first Superduke I got that was stolen

Simon_M

PC_Dave said:

Depends on your level of self control and ability to read other road users.

I did a DA a couple of years ago, my first bike after passing it was a Suzuki GSR 750, then I got bored after a couple of months and got a Yamaha MT10. Since that I’ve had a BMW S1000XR, a KTM Superduke 1290, a BMW S1000RR, a BMW S1000R, and now I’m on a KTM Superduke 1290 GT - all are 1000cc or over.

Good heavens! That’s quite a list!

Thank you all for the advice. I’ve done a fair bit or riding on a bicycle so I’ve already got an appreciation for vulnerability but I accept my pushbike doesn’t do 0-100 in a few seconds.

I’ll definitely look at getting some proper tuition As well as passing the test! I’m very much all for ‘all the gear, all the time’ too.

Strangefan

Simon_M said:

PC_Dave said:

Depends on your level of self control and ability to read other road users.

I did a DA a couple of years ago, my first bike after passing it was a Suzuki GSR 750, then I got bored after a couple of months and got a Yamaha MT10. Since that I’ve had a BMW S1000XR, a KTM Superduke 1290, a BMW S1000RR, a BMW S1000R, and now I’m on a KTM Superduke 1290 GT - all are 1000cc or over.

Good heavens! That’s quite a list!

Thank you all for the advice. I’ve done a fair bit or riding on a bicycle so I’ve already got an appreciation for vulnerability but I accept my pushbike doesn’t do 0-100 in a few seconds.

I’ll definitely look at getting some proper tuition As well as passing the test! I’m very much all for ‘all the gear, all the time’ too.

Please don't mistake being on a push bike being like a motorbike in any way shape or form ., nothing is the same, your road presence is totally different, as is peoples perception of you ,, as a full time biker of 20 years, both motor and push I'll echo the above.... , the 125 is such a great learning tool, it makes you think, as you don't have the speed, but they will go fast enough to kill you, I did a DA after 2 years on a 125, and so glad i didn't go straight to a big bike, as small mistakes are deadly, funny thing tho I have damaged myself more on my push bike than I have on my motorbike  

Simon_M

Strangefan said:

Simon_M said:

PC_Dave said:

Depends on your level of self control and ability to read other road users.

I did a DA a couple of years ago, my first bike after passing it was a Suzuki GSR 750, then I got bored after a couple of months and got a Yamaha MT10. Since that I’ve had a BMW S1000XR, a KTM Superduke 1290, a BMW S1000RR, a BMW S1000R, and now I’m on a KTM Superduke 1290 GT - all are 1000cc or over.

Good heavens! That’s quite a list!

Thank you all for the advice. I’ve done a fair bit or riding on a bicycle so I’ve already got an appreciation for vulnerability but I accept my pushbike doesn’t do 0-100 in a few seconds.

I’ll definitely look at getting some proper tuition As well as passing the test! I’m very much all for ‘all the gear, all the time’ too.

Please don't mistake being on a push bike being like a motorbike in any way shape or form ., nothing is the same, your road presence is totally different, as is peoples perception of you ,, as a full time biker of 20 years, both motor and push I'll echo the above.... , the 125 is such a great learning tool, it makes you think, as you don't have the speed, but they will go fast enough to kill you, I did a DA after 2 years on a 125, and so glad i didn't go straight to a big bike, as small mistakes are deadly, funny thing tho I have damaged myself more on my push bike than I have on my motorbike  

Good advice. Cheers.

p90fool

My wife is a Direct Access instructor with a very high first time pass rate for riders who've never ridden before, in fact her record is 38 in a row. 

None of them have died yet.

Unless you have zero self control or are suicidal I really wouldn't waste money messing around on a 125, unless you really just prefer it.

There's nothing wrong with small bikes by the way, I have bikes ranging from 250cc to 1400cc and often have great camping holidays on the tiddler. 

sinbaadi

I agree, if you're smart enough to consider subjecting yourself to a 125 for a year or more because safety, then you don't need to!

And honestly, getting on one with just a cbt behind you isn't exactly the safest approach either.  Whatever you ride first, some intensive training and supervised riding is the best way to make it as safe as possible.

The guys that just want that 1000cc superbike like their cousin Danny - they're probably the guys that should ride a 125 for a while first.

Nomad

I reckon whether or not it's worth riding a 125 for a while depends on how you learn. When I inquired about DAS about 4 years ago, I was expecting it to be a lesson a week thing, but got talked into doing the intensive course. After the first day, I was both knackered and struggled to get to sleep because my mind was processing everything. By the next morning, I was in no state to ride a motorbike, so managed to rearrange things to have the lessons spread out, which also meant the test dates were spread out rather than pre-booked a few days ahead.

The place I was training with is also a large bike dealer and they did bike hire at sensible prices if you were training with them, so I hired a 125 for a day four times (about two weeks between each), while doing DAS lessons. 

I ended up failing Mod 1 (u-turn) and decided to buy a 125 because it was a while before another test date was available. I bought a nearly new bike from the same place because they had a buy-back scheme - if you're training with them and buy a used 125, they give you the full value back in a trade-in for a big bike (provided you don't bin it). Rode that nearly every day for 2.5 months, covering 1500 miles, and passed Mod 1 and Mod 2 on the way. The day I passed Mod 2, I traded it in and did indeed get the full value back again. I had no trouble switching between the 125 and the big bike when turning up for lessons.

Some people need time to mess about on their own as part of how they learn. The day hires certainly helped in that regard, but riding my own bike every day was what made the big difference for me.

TheBigDipper

I ran a training school in East London for several years. If you are tall enough to get your feet on the floor when sitting on the bike, and are properly trained, a larger bike is usually easier to ride than a smaller one. So, if you're already a driver then your existing road sense (plus a decent DAS course) should mean you won't be at any particular risk by picking the bigger bike. You'll get more respect from other road users on a bigger bike, which will help. The real issue is your own attitude to risk.

DAS courses are only as good as the school you attend. Lots of schools focus on getting test passes rather than teaching you to ride properly. It makes for a cheaper course price and most schools sell on price, not quality. Most customers buy on price, too, which sort of reinforces the syndrome. 

The DVSA test is only ever showing the examiner a snapshot of your skills and knowledge. I've had conversations with examiners where they've confessed there were people who were excellent riders who made a mistake on test which meant they were forced to fail them - even though they didn't want to. They knew they were generally safer than the majority of their passes. Equally, they've tested people who were not really good enough, but the situations they encountered on the test appointment itself meant they racked up several different minor faults and got a pass because there wasn't enough evidence to fail them.

So, passing the test is (as they say) just the beginning, not the end. 

When you're the student on a DAS course, I would suggest you listen to the words an instructor uses when getting you to do something. If they tell you to do (or not do) something because "The examiner will fail you if you don't (or do) do that thing" then I think you can see they are coaching you to pass a test, not to be a good rider. If they say "Because it's a bad thing and here's why..." then maybe they're training you to ride properly. 

The problem is you've usually signed up and paid before you find out.  

Oh, just for the record - BikeSafe is a great post-test initiative  that I'd recommend to anyone, but it's definitely not a course. It's an assessment, and an exposure to the idea there is more you can do to enjoy your riding more. You'll get an assessment of your riding from someone with great riding experience and the ability to see things in your riding as they follow you. They don't need instructional skills to do that - although many will also be instructors. They don't have the time to do much decent instruction even if they were qualified to do so. At the end of the session, they'll probably suggest you contact RoSPA or IAM to take things further if you're of a mind to. 

If you've got a full licence and are already wondering if there's more you can do, you might as well skip the BikeSafe stage and get in touch with RoSPA/IAM straight away. Although BikeSafe is a fun way to spend a day (or a morning).

octatonic

sinbaadi said:

I agree, if you're smart enough to consider subjecting yourself to a 125 for a year or more because safety, then you don't need to!

And honestly, getting on one with just a cbt behind you isn't exactly the safest approach either.  Whatever you ride first, some intensive training and supervised riding is the best way to make it as safe as possible.

The guys that just want that 1000cc superbike like their cousin Danny - they're probably the guys that should ride a 125 for a while first.

I think it depends on the person but I don't necessarily agree that it is just reckless riders that need a bit more time on a smaller bike.
Some people learn things in different ways.

Under pressure some folks tense up and their mind goes blank.
A friend of mine was like this when she did DA.
(FWIW I also see this with some folks during guitar lessons- if you give them a more relaxed and informal environment , or just some time to go away and think about things they are fine.)

It didn't work for her- she was much better when the pressure was removed and she could just ride within her limits, on a smaller bike with no expectations that she absolutely had to pass by the end of the week.

With DAS you have a time based pressure which makes it more difficult for some people to actually learn the skills.
Once she decided not to go and do the testing as part of her DA course she relaxed and managed to get all the skills she needed to.

She isn't an over-eager or reckless type- she's careful and considered and likes to think everything through.
DA didn't work for her in this instance because of pressure and not getting enough repetition.

I'd also put myself in the same category, although to a lesser degree.
Doing 3 months on a 125 was all I needed and I passed DA the first time.
I am not sure I'd have absorbed as much if I had only a week to get it all done.

zepp76

I did the direct access course over twenty years ago, it was a five day course. I passed on my second try and bought a 500cc bike that was safer than a 125 and not so big that it was dangerous. I say go for it and never look back, there are so many choices in bikes and cc size now that you can buy a bigger bike but still be safe riding it. Good luck and safe riding!

TheBigDipper

Just an add-on for those whose own experience is they're pleased they had a small bike for a while before getting a big one. Your experience is what it is and true for you. I'm not dissing it in any way.

I'd generally say that people who do not drive are better off getting a 125cc, taking a proper course (not just a CBT) and maybe even a test on the small bike. Then riding it, to get experience of being on the road and part of traffic. However, that's what you're getting - experience of being on the road. Your training should have taught you to see what is risky and not to do it. Safety over taking opportunities that you might not yet have the skill and judgement for until you develop that judgement. 

If you're already driving a car, then I don't think there's much point - as long as...

1: You're big enough to sit on the big bike comfortably and get both feet down on the floor.
2: You were taught (and have on demand) decent slow speed control skills so you can ride the bike at 2-3 mph with your feet up, using the controls to steer and stop/go. 

The reason some people (not all) like getting started on a smaller bike even when they're already a car driver is this. Their school never taught them how to control a big bike at slow speed. So they can't approach a junction with their feet up - they either charge into it because they cannot stop safely or they always stop because they cannot approach it slowly. I'm afraid I've taken on too many students who've already spent money elsewhere (without success) and many of them shouldn't even have a CBT certificate because their slow speed control is so poor.

You can control a smaller, lighter bike with you body weight and strength. Not so for a big one.

If you're predisposed to take risks then you'll do it on a 125cc as well as 1000cc. 

p90fool

@TheBigDipper I totally agree with all that. 

Mod One threw a bit of a spanner in the works when it was introduced. It seems logical that when you make a test more difficult then the people who pass it are going to be better riders, but that only works up to a certain point. 

We found that a lot of middle aged women for example who had always fancied a bike and were now in a position to afford it really struggled, even though they were the sort of characters who would never be a big risk to themselves or others. 

On the other hand, cocky young guys who can throw a bike around with gusto don't have a problem with it, even if they're the sort who will stuff it through a hedge in no time. 

We're not asking people to jump through hoops of fire, but I think we're just on the tipping point of making it pointlessly difficult, with counterproductive results. 

boogieman

Lots of good advice above. I’d just add that a 125 isn’t necessarily a safer option than a bigger bike, in fact I’d say that if you’re already a car driver and have decent road craft then a medium capacity bike is a better option. It will feel more planted on the road, it will usually have better suspension, handling and brakes, plus it has that extra grunt that can sometimes get you out of trouble. It will feel heavier at a standstill, but that disappears as soon as you move off under power. 

I rode as a teenager in the 70s, had a bad crash that put me off biking for a long time and then started again in my mid 50’s. I decided to do some retraining, as although I’d still got a full bike licence I would’ve been a liability to myself and other road users if I’d just got straight back on a bike. Bikes had increased in power massively and become a lot more sophisticated since I last rode too. I started on the bike school’s 125 and hated it, but as soon as they let me switch to a 600 it immediately felt better. I had more control, the extra weight actually helps with low speed control and it was just an all round happier experience.  So don’t assume that because a125 is lighter, easier to thread through gaps and maybe simpler to get onto the stand that it’ll necessarily work better for you. 

jaytmon

@Simon_M have you ever ridden a motorbike? In my experience it can take a bit of time to translate car driving skills to bike controls, so in this case having a bike (125) to ride on for a while helps.

I’d suggest doing your CBT anyway and you’ll get a feel of how quickly you pick it up and how comfortable you feel. 

Big bikes can feel safer because of increased physical presence, better stability, the power increase I think can be safer too, depending on your mindset of course! On the downside they are considerably bigger and whereas with a 125 if you overbalanced doing a u-turn for example you’d be able to hold the bike up with leg muscles, this is less likely on a bigger bike. All points made here previously are valid. I have two mates who did DA with no small bike riding and passed fine, I did coach one in a a car park on my somewhat wobbly GPZ500 though! I rode a 2 stroke 100cc myself for a while after passing CBT then went the DA route. 

Nunogilberto

I did the CBT last year, got myself a 125cc and practiced through the summer, before doing my Mod 1 and Mod 2 by Christmas.

I felt comfortable by the time I came to do my big bike training and took to it easily enough.