daft innit?

[Davel]

You can pass your CBT and drive round all day (for a while) on a 125, which can go to say 60 on L plates - yet I can only ride my 650 when accompanied by an instructor.

You can do the legal limits, near enough, on either bike and the 650 is far better to drive, more stable and (in my mind) more controlable.

Why has someone decided that 125 cc should be the deciding factor?

[s2ooz]

to be boring and factual; its 33Kw power output limit, not CC.
If you get a restrictor kit for the 650, you can ride it on L plates too. Ive seen a ducati 996 with L plates and restrictor!

having slow acceleration and slow difficult control on a 125 teaches you useful road skills for later in life.
riding fast is easy, not safe, but technically easy, balance is the key to masterering.

[t-c]

s2ooz said:

to be boring and factual; its 33Kw power output limit, not CC. If you get a restrictor kit for the 650, you can ride it on L plates too. Ive seen a ducati 996 with L plates and restrictor! having slow acceleration and slow difficult control on a 125 teaches you useful road skills for later in life. riding fast is easy, not safe, but technically easy, balance is the key to masterering.

Not strictly true.

A learner rider can ride a 125 cc machine after completing CBT provided it does not exceed 14 BHP, and if they pass their test on a 125 then they are restricted to 33 BHP for two years after which time they can upgrade to an unrestricted licence.

If the learner is 21 or over, they can learn on any size machine provided it puts out more than 47 bhp and they are under constant supervision whilst learning, and there must be a radio link between the student and the instructor. Once they pass on the 47 + BHP machine then any bike can be ridden.

So 33 BHP only applies to the restricted licence holder who has passed the test on a 125.