Hey all,

I wanted to ask the advice of some experts... I've been driving for a couple of years (in a car) but still long for a little excitement... I decided a couple of months ago to start on the long road to getting a bike!

However, i've decided to do a little bit of a risky strategy and although a lot of thought has gone into this i decided i better ask a few more experienced riders...

Here's my plan,

I'm 23 with a nice car and a full car license, a couple of months ago i managed to get my CBT and ever since i've been wondering what to do with it. Recently i decided that it's now or never and got a loan for 4grand off the bank....

I've been looking at autotrader.co.uk quite a bit and i've fell in love with the 'sport' sytle bike... namely a lot of the 600's! and more accuraly the suzuki GSXR

The problem is that i do actually have some sense and i'm wondering if getting a 600cc bike is the right thing to do straight away.... i know for a fact that your all going to slate me and say i'm moving to fast... but if i did, would this be a completly unhandlable beast, or an optional bit of acceleration that i could get used to over time?

Also, i keep seeing this model of Suzuki which is completly in my budget on Autotrader:

SUZUKI GS 500F K5 500CC
0 miles. Brand New, Buy this bike for only £99 deposit, choice of colours, UK Bike, UK Delivery, THE COUNTRYS BEST PRICE. £3,449.

I'm wondering if this would be a better option for me... being a bit slower, but at the same time, wondering what the catch is, selling a bike like this from new??

I'm definatly not going to start on a 125cc, because i do want SOME excitement, but at the same time, i'm in no hurry to kill myself and i'm clever enough to ask the advice of you guys.... so what do you think?

All one sentance slating's aside... what are the REASONs for doing this/ not doing this?

Your help will be much appreciated and i'm sure help a lot of the other newbies out their with their decisions...

Also, just to backup your theories that i am a little crazy and out to die an early death.... looking at the prices for insurance, i'm probably going to start with 3rd Party insurance only... The way i see it, if the accident is so bad that i can't afford to repair the bike... i'll probably be to scared to ever repair and get back on mine anyway!

You say you passed your CBT but you need a full motorcycle license to ride anything over a 125.


Moggy.

Sorry mate Crystal ball is awaiting workshop attention

If you read through the forum you've probably seen this before but ----
CBT is not the test - book some training so you get a feel of the (probably) 500cc bikes that are often used for training,
go sit on some bikes (dealer will hold the bike so you can put your feet on the pegs and really know how it feels)
liking the look of things is one thing - feeling comfortable, confident, and competant on them can be quite another.
the GS500 and the ER500 are not expensive, good starter bikes, and you can do your training and test on them. the GS has a more sporty seating position. they are reasonably bomb proof as long as you look after the basics. and as they will out accellerate virtually any car on the road, you can even scare yourself on them if you choose to


HTH and good luck

You will need to go and do a DAS to ride a bike like that ... sorry to point it out if you knew, only you didn't mention it! Check out the thing on the front page of this site which explains it.

I did the CBT on a 125 and toyed with the idea of getting one for that route, it only took a little bit of getting the hang of a bigger bike (ER5 ) to know I wouldn't find a 125 any good at all for me.

Sounds like your more of a thrill seeker than me, I'm not an experienced biker by any stretch at all, 4 days into my first bike. It is a 600, but the Bandit 600 is a rather different proposition to your Gixxers!

If that's what you really want then it doesn't matter what anyone says, just do it. If you want to go really fast then a GSX is good for that. If you want to look good, I think there are ways to do it with something that won't kick a newbie so hard for a minor error.

Whatever you choose to do, don't be afraid to ask questions. It's much better to look a fool while someone explains something obvious to you, than to look a fool being picked off the road for an obvious mistake. At least I reckon so.

Moggy's right M8, you need a full license to ride anything larger than a 125.

I enjoyed your post...you look very sensible and are fully aware of things.
I was expecting to read somewhere that you bought a R6..

I´m also a new rider, and i´ve been learning a lot with all this guys, and even if the bike only goes as fast as you want, you will be tempted to push it a bit....

if you are a car driver, i think that´s an advantage, you are aware of what the road involves, cars cutting your way, pulling in front of....where to expect them to change lanes...etc....

You could start with a 600cc....but a sensible one....like a CBR 600F, a Fazer....a Cat....there´s a lot...

Have you tought of buying a old 600cc to get used to it and then buy a more shiny one?

but first you´ll have to do your DAS....CBT it´s good only for bikes up to 125cc....

I managed to wheelie the test centre ER5 at a line of traffic by letting go of the clutch to fiddle with the indicator.

Not sure I was scared until I was sat in the cross-hatching with the throttle on redline, in gear, clutch in, both brakes on, instructor screaming in my ear and trying to decide which hand to move to avert certain death.

Welcome Gone2mars,

To be honest, there's two comments that bother me.

The 1st problem is the excitement part. 125's can be more exciting than some bigger bikes. The way you ride them, you always feel as if you're are pushing it to the edge. Going down the twisties on a small bike can give you a big advantage over a larger bike as well. Excitement is not gained from the look of the bike. The looks will only give you posing points, when you can ride it.

The GSXR is a race bike with lights. Even though you've driven for a couple of years, it won't prepare you for life on a bike. Corners that you take without even thinking about in a car will become a potential accident for a newbie on a bike.



I wouldn't worry about be able to repair it, you might be dead.. I don't think anybody should be going into biking thinking that way about an accident. We need to know there is a risk involved but we should use that risk to spur us on to be better riders. That means reading tips on biking and taking rider training if we can afford it or maybe get involved in one of the biking organizations, were more experienced rider will give up some of their time to pass on tips to newbies. They can be a bit hit and miss but you'll only find out, once you go and see for yourself.

To me, the GSXR is too much for a newbie. There are 600's out there which would be more forgiving for a newbie though, so don't rule out a 600. But you still have to respect it. With one of the sports 600's, you could open the throttle and it'll spit you off before you've had a chance to say, 'power ranger'..

Four grand was probably too much money. You'd have been better off with a cheap used bike to get started on. Then get a bigger bike, when you have a bit more experience.

Anyway, that's my opinion.. Now get the drinks in..

No-one will believe me but I managed to do the same thing to the cg125 on my cbt

ROFLMAO best button is the killswitch i reckon


oh I do knowing some of the things that I did during training

I would go for something a bit older to get some experience on before you go for something like a GSXR. Then get something new and shiny when you have more skill and confidence.

If you are anything like me, and it sounds like you might be, I knew that if I bought myself a sports bike I would not be happy until I found the limits of its power, and I am quite sure that even now the limits of its power would be somewhere way beyond the limots of my skill. (I drive a 250bhp car - and I have driven that to the limit - especially on the German autobahns!)

So I went for something a bit more docile and forgiving - that also met my long distance commutng and touring needs. certainly not to everyone's taste, but even so its easy to ride around at licence losing speed!

Ahhhh, but do I let go of the right or left lever to reach over and hit it

hold lever with two fingers - use a spare finger (or thumb)
well either that or sit there and wait for the fuel to run out

I would say get a full licence sorted then go on some track days with hire bikes and instructors. then do some advanced days with hire bikes and instructors ( on road obviously) then buy a bike and join the IAM and do some more advanced riding . Doesnt really matter what bike you get so long as you can control yourself mate. Will you kill yourself? You tell me. As for the bike being 'handlable' - well they're all ''handlable'' - its the rider and his/her attitude that controls the 'deathby riding' equation, its the only unknown variable.

Now are you absolutely sure Zombie, don't want to change your mind on that one then?

are you getting at my double posting ian?

Why were you expecting to be "slated"?

Have you read something elsewhere on the forum that made you expect it? If so, where? Or have you already worked out that a gixxer is a bad idea as a first bike?

Short answer:

Yes, get a 600

No, not a GSXR

HTH!

You will actually have MORE fun on a lesser bike, as someone else said, cos you can push the bike and yourself harder, instead of the bike pushing you.

Don't think that being a car driver gives you an advantage over a non-driver when it comes to learning to ride a bike, it doesn't - quite the reverse, in fact. I was a driving instructor for nearly twenty years, and bikers were easy to teach. Observant, mechanically sympathetetic and with highly developed road reading skills. They had to be, or they wouldn't have survived on two wheels. It doesn't work like that the other way round.

The trouble with being a car driver is you think like a car driver. A biker has to learn to think in a different manner entirely. You can get away with bad driving habits in a car. Late braking, braking firmly on a bend because you misread the road, ignoring hazard signs, locking the wheels, using the size of the vehicle to force yourway out of dangerous situations that poor planning got you into, etc. Any of the above will have one result on a bike - arris on tarmac. There are no minor prangs on two wheels, only painful accidents.

At only 23 you have a long biking life ahead of you. Do the apprenticeship, ride a low powered machine that doesn't bite and learn to enjoy being a motorcyclist for all the right reasons, the freedom and feeling of being at one with the machine, the camaradarie that comes with being one of an exclusive club. Performance machines can come later, when you know how to handle them and you can appreciate and enjoy the power in relative safety. Sorry if this all sounds a bit patronising, but it is something I feel strongly about. Most on here will disagree with me, but I am not a fan of direct access. I would bet that most of the riders who end up dead after single vehicle accidents are a product of that system.

After all, you wouldn't be happy at the thought of people who had just passed the car test driving Ferrari's, would you? And for little more than pocket money you could buy a bike that would blow any Ferrari into the weeds.

dont try to run before you can walk i think is the phrase?

I had a customer in today who wanted to buy a zx12r and was asking if there was any way around the restriction. He passed his test two weeks ago. I told him to learn to ride a bike before he ventures up that street. twenty odd years of riding bikes and i still couldnt cane a twelve ar restricted or not.

i suggest you buy an SV650 mate Get your direct access done and get some good kit - helmet, leathers etc so that you're more protected on the road. When i first started at 21, i took CBT and Direct Access in pretty much one go, then bought some kit then bought a GS500. This has served me well for 18months but now its gone and ive bought the SV. I cant fault the GS althought i wouldnt buy new as i dont think they hold their value well. You can get a very good one for under 2k. The SV can be purchased from anything from 2k upwards depending on which model you buy.

You sound as if you want to get into it the right way so i suggest you get your lessons booked in, pass the test then look around at bikes look in mags for reviews (but dont accept them as gospel) and most importantly check to see if the bike has a forum on the web. The amount of info ive gained from net forums is ridiculous, a real form of knowledge on these things.

www.gs500e.co.uk and www.sv650.org are just 2 of those which i have used.

sv's are great bikes.. but im biased having owned both the 650 and the 1000 ones

Sound words of wisdom there Joe. Maybe they should knock the direct access on the head. Ive got a bike which easily outstrips my ability. Ive just got to take it easy on it and hopefully ill get used to the bike and ill be able to learn a lot from it. I bought my bike because of the reviews the bike was given by not only the mags but the people who have had them. Handling was a big plus in my factor of purchase and i havent been disappointed - it handles with so much more confidence than the GS. I also think that the SV is quite a forgiving bike. The brakes dont bite too much and the handling isnt too sharp to overcook it too easily. Im trying to concentrate on smooth riding rather than fast riding. I know that this will only come with experience.

On the other hand i often look at smaller capacity bikes and wish i had one if only to get around town on. Id especially like a 125 or 250 trailie but i cant afford one

I have only recently passed my CBT and am doing my DAS, been a car driver for 26 years. Got a bargain on a Virago 125 and my wife wants it in the summer so thought I would get it to learn th skills I get on DAS. Biked to work the past two mornings, a road I have drove daily for the last 7 years. No it is not! It's a completely different road to bike on than it is to drive. I might just keep the 125 to hone my self on for a while before getting my Dragstar. My bike has only done 185 miles, 87 of them mine in the last 5 days so is still running in. I get 60 out of it though not sure I should be doing that speed till it is run in. Go for a 125, you won't look silly or anything and it might just forgive your odd mistake. Mine does.

Peter

As BD said, supersports 600s are race derived machinery on the road. Make no mistake, to get anything like what they are designed to do out of them you have to be committed and you have to keep the revs up. That's where it'll bite a newbie. Get into a bend too fast or get into it a gear too high and they will bog down when you roll off the throttle.
Good shout on the SV650. Let's talk torque, probably far more useful on the road than outright power, esp. for newbies. A GSXR puts out a max 44 ft/lb of torque whereas an SV650 puts out 42 ft/lb. Thr Gixxer is putting that out at 10,700 rpm whereas the SV is putting that out at 7,400 rpm. At 7,400rpm the Gixxer is putting out something like 36 ft/lb. Think about that for a while. It means you've got to start caning the Gixxer before the bhp and top speed differences become apparent, and caning it means keeping the revs up by being in the right gear at all times. Caning it in second will probably be around the ton on any modern supersport 600.
Net result? SV650 far more practical on the road 90% of the time, and far easier to ride quicker and safer for relative newbs, let alone novices. Supersports 600s are for the skilled and committed only in my book, and that's why I simply don't get the 'I'm a newb but I'll get an R6, the throttle works both ways, I can build gradually' point of view. Upper reaches of the rev range is what these bikes are all about. Early CBR6 or Thundercat are more practical than today's rocketships, and a lot cheaper too. Or a Bandit, Hornet, SV650 etc etc.

Can I have a try please..??

It is do-able to go from nothing to nutter but it takes alot of self control.
I regard my self as lucky Ive lasted this long...Ive got 100+bhp and the self contol of a mentally buggered Ape..

Bad combination...

Just remember its the rider who crashes the bike..Not the other way round..
I don't regret buying a sports bike for my first 'proper' bike but It does scare me...the fact it can do 150 mph fairly easily..anywhere. and I'm the only one stopping it !

I would reccommend a ZXR750 though..the easiest sports bike to ride ever made tbh. I'm in love with mine

What can i say thats not already been said?
i'd have to teach you to asses what type of 1st bike would be suitable, we are all different.
any bike has the potential to give you a scare & i wouldnt recomend a gixer as a 1st bike.
i ride a gs500 as an instructor & its a capable bike which will out accelerate any car from the lights-wouldnt buy a new one because you ARE going to drop it-its an unwritten law.
do the DAS, sit on a few different bikes & do the sums.

Speaking from recent experience ...

I thought having 14 years car driving, and 8 years no claims would mean climbing on a bike would be a doddle. I was completely wrong and, in many respects, my car driving habits hindered me. I must say I found the challenge thrilling and inspiring, so go for it!

In your shoes I'd go for something you know you'll grow out of ... if you pick up a second hand hornet, you can drop it a couple of times, run around for 3 or 4 months, hopefully find you've out grown it and find it frustratingly ploddy, then just sell it. You won't loose that much on it (providing you don't drop it too hard!) and you'll really know what you then want to spend your money on for the 2nd bike.

If you've got 4 grand to spend, remember you'll need £700-1000 for your DAS, up to £500 (or a lot more!) for helmet, kit, gloves etc, TP insurance is likely to be £250 for a new rider on a 600 (at a guess), and you'll probably find that you spend a few hundred on bits and bobs (locks, oil, spanners) when you do get your bike. Could just give the credit card a damn good spanking I suppose

Hey guys.... So many replys to a post that took me minutes to write.... Thanks for all the support!!

I am completly aware of the DAS thing.... the factor that i forgot to mention (wait for it) is that i was going to get the bike BEFORE the DAS, and slap a restrictor kit onto it.... This way, i'll get used to riding and stand a greater chance on passing the DAS... Can't believe i forgot to mention that!

I have the extra money saved up for the DAS already, the 4grand is to go towards the bike and leathers.

Ok... i'm rethinking my plans for the GSXR... but all the talk about getting an older bike doesn't really interest me (no offense to all that suggested it, thanks for the advice)

It looks like i'll be getting a 400 - 500 instead thanks to the replies here... the 125 doesn't really do it for me, i don't really agree with getting a bike i'll grow out of and that i'll have to replace in a year after i've borrowed so much money!

I may be wrong tho?

What does everyone think about the Suzuki 500 that i mentioned in my first post? Maybe that would be a bit of a compromise?

And can anyone suggest a few good 400 - 500cc bikes that would be good for a newbie like me? (Baring in mind i'll put a restrictor on it for a couple of months until my DAS)

By the way, i made that post late last night... nothing prepared me for the amount of replies that you guys gave... just wanted to say thank you to all that put the effort in... You really know how to make a new guy feel welcome :P

Hey guys.... So many replys to a post that took me minutes to write.... Thanks for all the support!!

I am completly aware of the DAS thing.... the factor that i forgot to mention (wait for it) is that i was going to get the bike BEFORE the DAS, and slap a restrictor kit onto it.... This way, i'll get used to riding and stand a greater chance on passing the DAS... Can't believe i forgot to mention that!

I have the extra money saved up for the DAS already, the 4grand is to go towards the bike and leathers.

Ok... i'm rethinking my plans for the GSXR... but all the talk about getting an older bike doesn't really interest me (no offense to all that suggested it, thanks for the advice)

It looks like i'll be getting a 400 - 500 instead thanks to the replies here... the 125 doesn't really do it for me, i don't really agree with getting a bike i'll grow out of and that i'll have to replace in a year after i've borrowed so much money!

I may be wrong tho?

What does everyone think about the Suzuki 500 that i mentioned in my first post? Maybe that would be a bit of a compromise?

And can anyone suggest a few good 400 - 500cc bikes that would be good for a newbie like me? (Baring in mind i'll put a restrictor on it for a couple of months until my DAS)

By the way, i made that post late last night... nothing prepared me for the amount of replies that you guys gave... just wanted to say thank you to all that put the effort in... You really know how to make a new guy feel welcome :P

You can't restrict a bigger bike, like a 600cc and ride it only with CBT....for that you would need a A1 restricted license.....

With CBT only the option is 125cc...nothing more.

As JP said, you can't ride around on a bike bigger than a 125 with just a CBT.

The restrictor kits are usually for people under 21, who have passed their test but are limited to the 33bhp limit for two years after passing.

You still need to pass your test before you can ride anything bigger than a 125. If you sit your test on a 125 machine, you will have a restricted license for two years. If you has your test on a bigger machine, you can ride any bike. That's were the DAS comes it. Direct access to any horse power of bike.

If you have (or are getting) an A1 restricted license you are only allowed to ride a bike of up to 33bhp (if necessary by installing a kit on a more powerful machine).

To do the DAS test the machine you ride must be a minimum of 46.6bhp, though I don't know whether the examiner would check for the presence of a kit on a bigger bike, so you might get around that one. I guess they'd probably spot it at some point ...

As others said, with a CBT you can only ride 125/15bhp max. I'm told you can take any machine you like along for training, but you've two problems. You'll need to get insurance for yourself as a provisional license holder and abide by whatever conditions the insurer imposes, you'll need to get your bike to the bike school's location without riding it yourself ....

To be honest mate the bigger bikes are much easier to ride.. I would do things in this order:

1. Book DAS
2. Buy some good gear - don't be stingy when it comes to clothing, helmets, etc.
3. Pass test (for all you know you could be crap and fail and then get sick of try/run out of money to do so)
4. With whatever cash you have left - start looking for a bike

Makes sense to me..

On the restriction issue I don't know the legalities but I can bet you that the info passed onto you by those who do is correct. What I do know is that if you restrict a new bike and run it in it will be the slowest GSXR600 on the planet when you de-restrict it. Imagine spending the first 6 months of your life breathing thru a straw and what effect it would have. The cams would not profile them selves properly, the rings would not bed in. It would be criminal. Another point is, I get the definite vibe from the way you wrote the post that you are not ready for a 600 sports bike. This is not a slur on you or an insult, it is just that you are new to the bike world. A position that EVERY bike has been in even Rossi . He started off on a scooter being chased by the cops on a daily basis. What you are asking is to be Airlifted to the top of the mountain. Isn't it better to climb and enjoy the experience along the way rather than die in a Helicopter crash ?????

The only people who will poke fun at you are your mates who have no bike and are secretly jealous. All you will get from fellow bikers is respect for having the courage to admit you are new.

DAMN

My understanding of the Restrictor kit was, that i could buy any bike... but knock it down to a reasonable power so i was legal to ride it with my CBT?

That way, i could buy the bike that i wanted for after my DAS, and have a shed load of experience before actually going for the test!

I didn't realise that you can't restrict a bike to the power output allowed by my CBT

Does this mean that i'm only allowed a 125 until i pass my test? - no get arounds?

nickr6 - Don't worry i didn't take that as anyway insulting... the reason i came here in the first place was for an education and i'm more than happy to hear what anyone has to say!

It looks like i may well have to go for a 125 ride that for a while and move slowly up... Either that or go for my DAS with little no experience in riding bikes and hope i can pass in 5 days

What do you all think are the chances?!

i choose the 125 route to get some experience.
only problem doing this is you can pick up some bad habbits.

if you felt very confident on your CBT then go for DAS as you will save money doing it that way.

im also hope to get a years ncb so hopefully my insurance will be cheaper when/if i pass.

doing the DAS dont worry me that much, it more the theory test thats holding me back as never been good at stuff like that.

good luck with what ever you choose.

I took two tests and an extra two days to get the DAS done. Which amounts to £170 and a bit of extra tuition I don't doubt I needed (and benefitted from).

I was struggling with a minor disability, so if I can do it I'm sure you can!

It might be helpful to find a school that will let you book just a day or two on an ER5 as a taster so you can see what you think. You might decide you don't like it much and prefer the 125 (some do), or that you don't want to bother with a 125 at all (like I felt).

In the meantime get the theory and that (frigging) hazard perception thing done if you haven't already, they're only a few quid and it gets them out the way.

I like sloth's logic on the insurance, zero years experience and NCB can generate some hilarious quotes for a 600. Necessary evil though it may be, it still feels like money down the drain! Have a play on http://www.virginbikeinsurance.com, it's probably not the best around but it is quite easy to get quick online quotes out of ....

Yeah.... i have the insurance done, the best i could find was the Zenith one... i got it at an affordable rate on TP.

I think i might have to risk the DAS before getting any prior experience on a bike, i suppose 5 days is long enough to get to grips to it! I'll have to wait and see!


Just wanted to thank everyone for replying like you did... i'm very grateful for all the help you guys have given me!

mate....book your DAS....if you passed CBT with no problems, or minor problems like the normal ones like U turns.....you'll be just fine on the bigger bikes....

And everyone finds the 500s easier to control than the small 125cc......

Give it ago...

And the way to say thank you for all this answers........stick around and keep us updated of your progress!!!









Sodom...isn't something wrong there?...
If he doesn't pass point 3, and he's crap and then get sick of trying.....
what is he going to do with all the gear?!

In my opinion people shouldn't be allowed to get on a bike (especially the 500's) without a decent pair of boots mate, especially learners..

If he doesn't pass his test then he can easily sell the gear.. I wouldn't compromise safety for anything.. if you think about it you're more likely to come off and have an accident when you first start so that, in my opinion, is when you should invest in the best gear you can afford.. if you can't afford the gear you shouldn't even think about getting on the bike..

I think most people already know in their own mind what type of bike they are after......... If you want a 600, do the DAS and buy one- as sodom says, buy good gear and take it steady!!
I would have brought a cbr600 if my R6 wasnt such a good price............. the honda has very nice build quality.

Forgot that point....sorry about that, i was only having a joke

Hehe.... Thanks guys

Think i might stick around... If nothing else, its interesting reading

I've got an ER5 for sale (ex school bike so it has crash bars, high mileage, and a scruffy look - but - its cheap & reliable and easy to insure).

I wish I had got some advice like that when I passed my das, all the instructor was interested in with me was the £££

On the day of my CBT I had never ridden a bike b4 and my CBT lasted all of 2.5hrs, I didn't buy a 125 as I didn't want to be classified as one of the tos*ers that ride around my town on 125's pis*ing people off. (hopefully that just happens where I live)

I passed my das still feeling like I wasn't capable of riding and went out and bought a GSX600F after the sale of the ZZR6 I was going for fell through.

On the way home I dropped it at a junction, minor damage but it highlighted the fact that I didn't know how to ride

Touch wood I haven't fallen off since but I do have a small bit of common sense

Even 1 full year later I still can't ride the bike to it's limits although I would like something bigger, I feel that I am sensible enough to keep the bike with in safe limits but would enjoy something that preforms well below 7000rpm


Best of luck what ever you decide to do but keep your sensible head on, pain hurts and if you come off too hard you may not get another chance!!

You can get a decent helmet for under £100 and you can get a pair of boots for just over £30. Couple that with a jacket (textile is cheaper £50 upwards?) and then buy a pair of gloves (look in the bargain bins for last years kit) and its enough to set you off. Thats how i first started out. I wouldnt scrimp on the helmet mind as that should be your no 1 priority.

DAS i think cost me about £350ish. Took me 3 days of lessons to pass my test.

I bought my GS from a dealer for 1k. It was in good nick and served me very well - it's certainly enough to put a smile on your face when you first start riding.

If none of the newbies is interested bluebrakes I may be - need a nice commuter bike for the other half (and one that I can use for work when other half prefers the car)


martin, I know how you feel, been there got that tshirt - DAS only teaches you to pass the test - I can recommend finding an advanced trainer and getting a day or two (or more) of riding with them, your own time and space and no pressure - my two days in north Wales were brilliant and I certainly learnt loads. (for those who've seen me ride - well you should have seen me before )
I'm not keen on the advanced riders groups. but one to one (no radio just occasional briefing stops) is a great competance/confidence boost