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CB650F derestricted

miweber929

2014
CBR650F
650 Alumnus
Staff
Feb 13, 2015
Woodbury, MN
Riding Since
1975
They used to do the 2 year automatic thing, back in my day.

It didn't work, so they added the exam in to help combat the fatalities.

J
D @Drewster123 , you know why they do the "test" again? Because how do they prove in the two years you have the A2 you actually rode? The skills test helps prove I didn't get the A2 and do nothing for two years and am no farther along.

The problem with a new test is how do they make it harder? How do you train a tester to do both? It's not impossible but could be challenging. It at least gives you something to look for as far as skills.

It's not perfect, I know you get that, but the fact your country does it is a great thing.
 

Drewster123

2017
CBR650F ABS
Feb 16, 2018
I get your point of view. ,

I just think if the second test was harder and more intensive and they focused more on controlling a larger machine it would make allot more sense. I could accturaly feel better spending my money to retake the test as I could see a genuine reason for it .
 

Daniel

2014
CB650F ABS
Feb 15, 2015
I agree with D @Drewster123 wholeheartedly, particularly the test element
If I took my A2 test on my own bike with the restricter on , then 2 years later with it full power I won't be able tell any difference in power on the test as you can only stick to the legal limit anyways it feels identical. You can only feel the difference full power when you are riding illegal.

I acquired A2 and rode my CB for 18 months before unrestricting it and using it as the test bike for the A license, I was nowhere near the upper 50% of the throttle, it felt like a joke even doing the lessons again. But I did because I had to take it for what the system is and that having more tuition couldn't be a bad thing regardless. I didn't learn much from those lessons but in total its cost me a small fortune, I spent almost £900 on getting my A license:

x1 CBT
x1 Theory test ----- A1
x1 Mod 1 - FAIL
x1 Mod 1 - PASS
x1 Mod 2 - FAIL
x1 Mod 2 - PASS ----- A2
x1 Mod 1 - PASS
x1 Mod 2 - PASS ----- A
x8 TOTAL

Omitting the failures that's still x6 separate elements for any young rider to go through including the A2, while I agree with the concept of restricted power brackets for YOUNG riders, I do think it needs adjusting to include INEXPERIENCED ones too, of any age. I advocate this 'Progressive Access Upgrade Course' in this article completely. It would save the rider a lot of money, stress and time having to do more tests, it proposes a course like the CBT for an A2 rider to simply 'upgrade' to A instead. EU legislation allows for it but unfortunately it's still not an option in the U.K. over a year on from the consultation on the matter.

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesoci...mber/motorcycle_training_changes_consultation
 
Last edited:

Brammers

2014
CBR650F ABS
Staff
May 30, 2014
Hampshire, England
Bike's and cars are chalk and cheese. You cannot compare them, not even slightly.

The reason for the test at full power is to ensure you have control of that power before being let loose on the roads to kill other people.

J
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
The reason for the test at full power is to ensure you have control of that power before being let loose on the roads to kill other people.
In theory, sure. In practice, the tests for A1, A2 and A are the same. Also, with the way the test is done, having an A or A2 bike under your butt doesn't make any difference at all.

The riding school I went to for my lessons had 4 CB650F's available. Two of them were limited to 35kw and two weren't. My instructor would always try to make sure I'd ride a full power one (because that's what I had to ride on my exam, more on this later), but that wasn't always possible, so sometimes I'd have to ride the restricted 35kw CB650F and it didn't really matter that much, especially not during the vehicle control exercises which are all done at very low speeds (50kph at most for things like evasive maneuvers or emergency brakes).

Here in the Netherlands, there's three parts to your exam, all of which are taken individually at different points in time:
1. A theoretic exam on road rules and laws (and safety issues surrounding the bike like minimum tire profile depth and what you need to check before each ride). Before you're allowed to take lessons on the public road, you either need to have completed your theoretic exam, have a lower class motorcycle license or have a car driving license. Either way, you need to do the theoretical exam before you can do your practical motorcycle exams
2. The vehicle control exam, taken on a parking lot or similar stretch of asphalt. This includes various exercises like the aforementioned emergency brake and evasive maneuver, but also precision braking, slalom (both slow and fast variants), U-turn, figure 8, turning left/right from standstill, riding very slowly (5kmh/3mph) and walking with your bike into and out of a parking spot, etc.
3. The traffic exam, where you ride around in traffic on public roads and you're being judged for your behavior in traffic, if you take the necessary precations for each action you take and most importantly, if you keep looking looking looking at everything to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Like I said, you need to take the practical exams (2 and 3) on a bike suitable for the class of license you're going for. If you're doing an A2 exam, you need to ride an A2 bike. I was going straight for my full A, so I could not ride the restricted A2 bikes. My instructor, however, said he'd make sure an unrestricted bike would be available for my exams, but he also mentioned that, especially with the vehicle control exam (2) nobody would be any the wiser if I showed up on the A2 bike because from the outside of the bike, you cannot see it's restricted or not, and for the exercises, it wouldn't make any difference. He said he had never had anyone double check the bike on being restricted or not.
 

Benzo

2016
CB650F ABS
Nov 4, 2017
This is a few months later than the last post, but here is my 2c. I bought a LAMS bike (AUS), I ride 80% highway (100km/h), I bought an IXIL LX3 system, modified my airbox, fitted a K&N (just for longevity, as performance gains are a debated subject), had the OEM ecu re-mapped, and spent some time eliminating rough transitions in the intake funnels and throttle bodies ( OEM supplied with re-map)
I can say that these mods made my bike a lot safer for me personally due to the roads I ride, overtaking is the main area of concern. Pre de-restrict it was too slow pinning 3rd gear at 90 or so kph. Now it is a beast, these things represent the best value in an upgradable bike hands down. The bike is the same till around 5000 rpm, feels a bit more eager after 7000 all the way to redline. I have ridden 8000km since the upgrade.
I WOULD NOT RECOMEND THIS UPGRADE TO A NEW RIDER! However, to someone who has a bit of experience ( i.e. not a new rider ) and who is looking for a way to truly appreciate the work put in by the people who designed the bike in it's original form, I would say this is a VERY cost effective upgrade. $600ish for ECU, $700ish for exhaust to get a bike that really brings a smile to your face (and sounds amazing)
As for legalities, do you seriously think that an insurance company will dyno your bike after an accident? LOL
Re-sale value I hear you say? You will be so happy you won't want to upgrade, unless power figures are what you need to define your enjoyment, in that case wait and buy a bike that has the associated power and torque figures at unusable RPM.
Just my opinion and experience, feel free to flame away ;-D.
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
Sounds good but don't think I would know how to do it even if I could afford it.
 
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