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Do the whole thing.
There’s no joy in a 125, you get blown around above 40mph (esp in the fens), they’re not quick enough to feel safe on 60mph roads, you feel really vulnerable as you’re at the top of what they’ll do. It’s enough to put you off riding.
A big bike (100bhp is perfect) makes you feel much more comfortable as you can very easily keep up with traffic without pushing its limits and nip away when you sense a driver isn’t being careful. On dual carriageways you need to be able to add 10mph instantly and move forward into a space to overtake. 125s on dual carriageways are horrid.
ETA: Do it!
Hefty-
For a counterpoint, I had a lot of friends who did direct access, bought a 700 or 1000cc sportsbike and almost immediately had huge crashes. Goodbye new bike, hello hospital.
I did my test on a 125, which was scary enough at first, then bought a 33bhp 400cc bike which scared me even more, and was a bit of a tractor, and after 2 years traded it for a 900cc Triumph (which still scared me shitless almost every time I rode it in the following 5 or 6 years. Way too much power for the available grip)
Progressing gradually made me acquire the necessary skills at a speed I could handle.
Bigger bikes are heavier and, ignoring the speed, worse to ride. Litre bikes are too big and heavy.All bikes are horrible on dual carriageways, even mobile sofas like the Triumph Sprint 1050.
bq
Not yet, no. Still trying to decide whether to do the CBT and then potter around for a while, being both terrified and bored, on a 125 or whether to do the rolled-up licence process and go straight for something larger. Although probably not straight to the Matchless Model X or Vincent Rapide.