Beginner motorcycle?

jennyjelly

My youngest has just hit 18 and announced that he plans to buy a bike. As there is no point in arguing with him we are settling with just making sure he does it the right way, safely, legally and with proper training.

As we have no experience whatsoever of the world of motorcycles, can anyone recommend how we should go about helping him find a suitable bike? Although we would be happier with a nice new one his funds are limited so he will probably have to go for a secondhand one. This would normally mean ebay, but I'm a bit dubious about this as there are some unscrupulous people about and we are real innocents in this. We feel we are stepping into a field about which we have no knowledge so any recommendations would be gratefully received!

Thanks

JJ

Rolandtheroadie

Start by looking for local training schools that do the CBT training (compulsary basic training, just incase). I found my instructor to be a great help and advised on all different things over and above what was required to be taught.
Has he got motorbike entitlement on his licence/provisional? It isnt on there automatically any more.
That should be enough to get you started hopefully.

Takoda

There are quite a few that I could recommend but we'd need to know a bit more about him first.For example how tall is he? Some learner bikes are quite tall and have a bit more presence on the road which is always a good thing.

Does he want a 'proper' geared bike or a scooter? Most scoots are automatic which if you're a beginner is one less thing to have to worry about.

Try www.therevcounter.com he'll get some good advice on there if he joins.

lisyloo

The C in CBT stands for COMPULSORARY.
So I would suggest he gets this done first.
The bike will be provided so he'll get to try at least one and they might have different types he can try.
The bike school should be able to help advise on a suitable bike.
I would not go to ebay.
A dealer might cost a bit more but they have liabillities if things go wrong.
They won't be able to sell you an unroadworthy or stolen bike for example, so I'd recommend paying the extra unless you come across a friendly expert at the bike school who will help.
The bike school might even sell their old bike now and again.
They get damaged a lot by learners, but equally they get well maintained and they tend to put on crash bars around the important parts to stop them getting damaged.

KillerWatt

It doesn't really matter what bike he buys, he won't be allowed to have any more than 12 BHP at the rear wheel until he passes his bike test (which is circa £600 for the whole deal).

Don't think the CBT is going to educate him at 18 either, NOBODY fails that test (look at the driving standards of the pizza boys for proof of that).

Coveredinbees!!!!

Actually it's not 12 BHP any more they upped it a bit a few years back to around about 15. If he's serious about bikes and wants to take a test to ride bigger bikes forget scooters get a proper bike. I wouldn't bother with anything with a R in the name like a cbr or a yzf-r as your be buying a fashion accessory, similarly Chinese bikes are a pile of pants. The trouble your going to have is that in general 125 bikes get abused and not looked after so it can be a bit of a lottery aviod anything that has reportedly been tuned in any as it will inevitably to shagged.

KillerWatt

Coveredinbees!!!! wrote: »

Actually it's not 12 BHP any more they upped it a bit a few years back to around about 15.

Just checked and you are correct - a maximum of a whopping 14.6 BHP is allowed....the starter motor on my Z probably makes more horses than that :rotfl:

Markyt

don't touch anything Chinese, either new or second hand.

Speak to the instructors on the CBT course, and see what they say. If he is happy on the bike used on the day, think about one of those.

If none of you have a clue about bikes, take someone who does know them to view any prospective purchase.

Don't buy anything new, or with expensive plastics. It will get dropped and scuffed more than once, most likely while parking up or rolling it backwards out of the garage / parking space.

missile

He will almost certainly know what he wants and if you buy him something else he will not be happy. I would suggest you fund his safety gear and lessons but NOT the bike or insurance. Buying a used bike is far more risky than a used car. Go to a good dealer. It may cost a little more but you can be assured the bike is safe to ride. Some training schools will hire you a bike and that may be a better option, as he will very quickly outgrow a learner bike.

You might like to contact the IAM, I believe your nearest motorcycle group secretary is Diane Stewart see here> http://www.iam.org.uk/details/east_kent_advanced_motorcyclists.html
I am sure she will be pleased to offer advice and assistance.

Get the best gear you can afford. An Aria crash helmet may cost you £500, but a £50 helmet may cost his life.

oldtoolie

As this is MSE, I have to point out that you can get safe, serviceable motorcycle gear for less than the top price. A £500 helmet is not 10 times safer than a £50 helmet. There are EU and UK ratings for protective gear and many reasonably priced items score well. Also see the tests by Ride magazine.

missile

oldtoolie wrote: »

As this is MSE, I have to point out that you can get safe, serviceable motorcycle gear for less than the top price. A £500 helmet is not 10 times safer than a £50 helmet. There are EU and UK ratings for protective gear and many reasonably priced items score well. Also see the tests by Ride magazine.

I never claimed it was 10 times better.:p Anyone buying a helmet ought to look for the sticker ECE22.05 as a minimum. There are other more stringent tests, e.g. SNELL M2010. It is important to note that none of the standards are meant to precisely replicate the threats that a motorcyclist may see in a crash.

A £500 helmet may be OTT for a learner, but I used it to illustrate my point. By all means shop around for bargains, but safety equipment is not an area where I feel it is appropriate to take a chance to save money. It upsets me when I see a youngster riding a poorly maintained bike wearing an old / accident damaged open face helmet, no gloves, denim jacket, jeans and trainers:eek:.