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 Newbie Rider aiming for B-Full, Some Question and guidance needed

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jaycee1
post Nov 15 2023, 12:47 AM

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QUOTE(minizian @ Nov 15 2023, 12:02 AM)
As per title, I am newbie motorcyclist without any prior experience in it aiming for B Full.
I have few questions as below:

0) Should I get proper riding boots, glove, pants, jacket and obviously helmet before starting my lesson? if so, how much would that be cost generally for decent kit. Don't mind spend a little bit more on safety kit since i forsee that jatuh bodoh would happen.

1) Is there any biking gear shop that can be recommended where I can go as newbie and try it out instead being pushed around for the sake of sales.

2) Is it necessary to get an personal bike to train on other than going through the bike at Driving School?

3) Is a 150CC sport bike (R15/GSXR150/CBR150/Etc) considered a good bike to begin with? I am considering this over kapchai since sport bike had different riding requirement which I think its transferable to higher CC bike should I choose to do? Or I should be better off with proper big CC bike like Dominar 400 for a start. I tried on those 250 bikes and I find it to heavy for me (skinny arm) hence looking at those 150cc sportbike.

4) I am skinny build guy but 170CM tall person, should i be worried with the heavier bike that was used in driving school (I think Jaguh and Vulcan are used in the place I enrolled in).

5) Is there any advance riding course outside that I can attend once I got my lesen? I have Keith Code book on the side but I dont think it would be helpful prior unless I got the bike myself. I think I am more like "learn as you go" type of rider.

6) This may sound silly but my research suggest to me that bikes price varies between dealership? and availability is depending if one is paying full cash vs someone taking loan (I am more keen on cash payment). Sorry for such Q since I am coming from car world where prices are more or less fixed as per RRP.

Think that what I can think of now.

Look forward for answer from fellow members.

*Seems like now I can get L lesen straight away without doing undang2 test at JPJ, just need find time to convert my lesen.
*
0)
First of all go to the rider gear thread that discusses this. A lot of your questions have already been asked and answered there.

yes get gear. ATGATT. You will use it anyway. While not necessary for the test itself, by bare minimum get good full height boots and gloves by minimum. A cheap open face helmet (sirim or ECE rated) would suffice for now. I have heard horror stories of broken feet and legs by dropping the bike during B full practice. A 200kg bike falling on your legs is no joke.

As for cost, a full set, jacket, pants, boots and gloves can cost anywhere from 1000 to the sky.

1) look up the rider gear thread.

2/3) it certainly helps to get more riding experience on the side if you haven't had any riding experience. There are various schools of thought on this, but most centres on getting a cheap used beater that you don't need to worry about dropping. Some would say get a light bike like a FZ150i or a z250....some like me went straight to the Dominar. Get a normal naked bike. They tend to be easiest to learn on and lacks expensive fairings to repair when you drop it. I would not recommend a "sports bike" for a first bike.

4) try to find a school that offers newer bikes. Feet forward cruiser type bikes are more difficult to maneuver.

5) don't worry about this at this point. Get seat time first

6) don't worry about this also. Just shop for a used bike. After a year or 2 , not only will you know what bike you like, but you would have also be able to answer your own question.


As for first bike, I went with the Dominar because it's the cheapest new B full bike. I got mine used. The Dominar is not an easy first bike to ride. If you think a 160kg 250 is heavy, a 190kg dominar would be even more difficult. I wanted a heavy bike that can replicate bikes the next class up such as the z650 from the test centre so it's an easy transition for me. I had 1 year riding before taking my B full test due partly because of MCO and the subsequent backlog.
jaycee1
post Nov 15 2023, 11:10 AM

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QUOTE(BlackBananaV6 @ Nov 15 2023, 10:53 AM)
1) No need to get those protection kits before your lesson... Have a look at YouTube for riding test route / obstacles. You won't be riding that fast in the testing track. It will only be inside the testing track unlike car test / practise, where you will be riding outside the testing track. It will be slow rides, thus you are better with less clothing IMHO.

2) Try to find an academy which will utilise the same track and same bike for practise and also for the test. It will greatly assist.

3) Starting with 150cc may ended you up with quickly to find lacking in power. IMHO better to start with 250cc for minimum power. On a plus side, it is easier to sell.

6) From my experience, it is cheaper to buy directly from an authorised dealer that can be found in the distributor's website. One may need to ask between those authorised dealers to get the best price.
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yes, but you dont want to drop the bike on yourself when you misjudge the titi and some low speed tight turns also. So yeah. Boots and gloves.

Even during my practice sessions, i've witnessed 2 "accidents" even by "seasoned" old riders with big bikes, and a few more by novice riders, so yes, crashes and drops are common during practice and test.


Getting a cheap small bike be it a 150 or 250 is fine, as long as it has a "real" clutch. good clutch play is crucial in getting an easier pass. Whether one sticks to the bike or not isn't the issue, we all eventually upgrade. But yes, a bigger 250 will better replicate the weight and handling of the bigger test bike. But then again, the test bike with all that scaffolding installed will weigh in upwards of 200kg.
jaycee1
post Nov 16 2023, 07:12 PM

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QUOTE(minizian @ Nov 15 2023, 11:22 PM)
Seems like Z650 is one of the bike that i can grow with it for next few years but D400 at the going used price is also damn tempting too.

There are two school of thoughts where one start with higher cc outright while another thoughts is start small to learn basic then scale up icon_question.gif

I dont think I would test the bike for real since i have zero experience with L lesen (Do they even allow L rider to try?) laugh.gif
Worry I will jatuh bodo too laugh.gif
Dont mind go see see look look tho icon_rolleyes.gif
I have gotten my main gear except pants, maybe I will visit motoworld to have a look over the weekend since they are the one who importing Komine goods but their webpage plenty of item were out of stockĀ  shakehead.gif
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A z650 is an excellent starter big bike. Used examples cost about the mid 20s...and recent models have ABS so look for one that has it. It has more than enough go for a novice rider. You could also cross shop with the MT07 although they run higher prices and no ABS.

The only thing going for the D400 is the bargain basement price, especially if you can find a very low mileage used unit like I did. The Z650 is actually easier to ride low speed than the Dominar....and as you can imagine, after riding the D400 for a year, the z650 test bike was a cake.

Edit : yes the hard slider on the glove is a good thing to have.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Nov 16 2023, 07:14 PM
jaycee1
post Nov 17 2023, 07:17 PM

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QUOTE(minizian @ Nov 17 2023, 04:28 PM)
Seems like they have my size, need to go shop and try since my build is a little bit unique (short body long leg type)
Planning bring my jacket along just to see if both match along?
Got it approx 700 bucks, the liner was fraying a little bit.
The upper part seems to have decent amount of support i think, although I dont want to test it by crushing a heavy bike on top. cry.gif
Yup, I plan to do cash purchase, but i notice the shop will ask you if you are going buy cash or loan. Some prior reading tells me shop prefer one to take loan cos more profitable.
Also, while browsing certain sales folks try to upsell me (approching 1litre) telling me it is okay for L lesen rider to ride bye.gif
Currently looking in those over the net to see if there anything I would need to watch out when buying used Z650 or D400.
Seem like other bike in class was MT-07 and in particular which i am keen on SV650 since long running production it is still a barebone bike (no electronic aids or fancy stuff) apart from ABS that seems like a bike that I can grow with hmm.gif

If you dont mind sharing how much do your get for your D400? I checked mudah seems like running around 9K to 10K. Feeling like this would be a good starter bike to go around apart from heavy bike.
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I got my late 2019 D400 with 3000km by the first owner for 8500 2.5y ago. It was a buy it or loose it deal so I snapped it up. You should be able to find a v1 for around 5.5 to 6k now. Prices haven't dropped much since...so I lucked out.

I will be writing up my 60k long term review in a week or so, so you can check it out at the Dominar pulsar thread here. I will send you a link when it's up. I personally feel the v1 is better than the V2/UG. The v1 has a more punchy midrange and vibrates less relatively than the newer UG, other upgrades not withstanding. Seems more reliable as well.

The z650 seems pretty trouble free. So used ones are a good buy. There's more of them so used prices are more depressed compared to other bikes in its category.

The sv650 is also a good bike. Easy to ride. however they are quite rare so used prices tend to hold. And as the z650, tend to be pretty reliable but with less parts and accessories compared to the more popular z.

Don't get a too powerful bike first time out no matter what people say. If the bike scares you too much, it will impede your learning experience. If and when you outgrow the bike, you can always upgrade later once you get an idea what you are looking for in a bike. Any 800cc let alone a litre bike naked nowadays has more than enough power than you would need.

As for buying in cash, I buy my cars and bike in cash. I just try to make an offer to the shop. Take it or leave it. Obviously this won't work for a popular bike, but a works very well for a "cold" bike (or a secondhand car). Cash is still king. The stories you hear are usually for smaller bikes, especially popular kapchais where shops maximize profits with the loan commission.

 

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