Getting a motorcycle

tbourner

I did my CBT Sunday, awesome fun as I've never even sat on a bike before! 2 other blokes were doing it who had ridden before some years ago, so progress was fast. I was lone with an instructor on the road which was nice, my bike broke down as well (battery knackered) so I had to kick start it on a hill approaching a roundabout when I stalled it!!! fun. Rev counter stopped working too as did the radio, serves me right for saving £20 on the fee rather than going to a well known place!!
At the end he said I'd done really well, probably close enough to put in for my test NOW and just do a couple more hours practice, so that's nice.

Anyhoo, now what? I've got my lid/gloves/jacket, just gonna wear jeans for now. I was planning on getting a 125 scooter but since riding the geared 125 I kinda like it, not sure what to do now.

It'll only be used for work, 3 miles of max 40mph roads, with lots of traffic lights and roundabouts, so the automatic would be easier. Plus I'd like to be able to get some milk/bread etc. on the way home so if I go geared I'll need a box.


I think I'll probably get a 125 scooter, see how I get on, they're cheap enough that if I do get bored in a few months or a year I can trade it for a 125 bike. I'll probably trade it anyway or maybe do some lessons on a geared bike, then take my 'A' licence and get a nicer geared 250 or something, keep that for a couple of years then go bigger!!

So, what is it with mileage on bikes? I guess it's more important than on a car?
Mayhem Motorcycles have a 2008 Yamaha 125 scooter for £900 with 3,500 miles on it, and Open Road Motorcycles have a 2005 Yamaha 125 scooter for £795 (he said I could have it for £725 - worrying) with 34,000 miles on it!! 10 times the mileage!

missile

34,000 is a lot of miles. If it has been cared for and in good condition with a fsh that is far more important

You will have a lot of fun and it is surprising what you can do, see here >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w56zrptyHfw

A word of caution. First time on a bike and you are ready for the test? I don't think so, more like he was blowing smoke up your a...e to avoid complaints about the condition of his bike.

I would suggest you do not rush into buying a bike before you pass your test. Look for a decent training company who offer a training package with sufficient lessons to pass your test.

More importantly, get some proper protective trousers or at least wear dragging jeams. You will realise why WHEN you fall off.

tbourner

missile wrote: »

A word of caution. First time on a bike and you are ready for the test? I don't think so, more like he was blowing smoke up your a...e to avoid complaints about the condition of his bike.

Well he did say after another few hours practice, basically that I have road sense and know where to position myself etc. I just need to get used to the gears and clutch control, and make sure I do more shoulder checks as I kept using my mirrors but not 'lifesaving'!

missile wrote: »

More importantly, get some proper protective trousers or at least wear dragging jeams. You will realise why WHEN you fall off.

I would do if I got a geared bike, I was thinking jeans and normal boots would be OK on a scooter as you're not likely to trap your leg under it!

de1amo

i past my 'geared' a test back in the day when u could ride 250s at 17--my second bike was a 500 two stroke suzuki---i now live abroad and ride a 150cc modial sports scooter and i know when i felt safer--years ago!! automatics are point and go but when stopping you cant drop the gears and use the secondary brakes--its hazardous where i live and even with disc brakes my journies are fraut with emergency stops and just brakes arent good enough!!

dizzybuff

Definatly get some draggin jeans or kevlar pants . Even at 30mph you will loose skin and bone at a rate of knots.

Can I suggest doing some road riding time with the motorcyling school , more expense but you will get to use a 125 with gears and if you drop it you dont have to pay .

Ive ridden a FZ6 for 2 years now and I know Im still not as competant rider as I want to be .

Experiance comes with time. Did you do your CBt on a 125 or a twist and go . If it was a twist and go there will be restrictions on your licence . A 125 motorbike opens new teratory.

What ever you choose , you MUST have a Helmet , Gloves , Jacket with appropriate protection and pants of the same , and boots . Belive me if the foot pegs fall on your foot you will know about it in trainers.

They are not law but are needed , id rather look a twonk and be protected than look cool in jeans and loose half my legs when some nupty side swipes me .

Keep it shiney side up mate what ever your choice.

de1amo

where i live helmets are advisory'!!--i tend to go without because its very hot --shorts and tee shirts ---crazy but loads of fun!

tbourner

dizzybuff wrote: »

Definatly get some draggin jeans or kevlar pants. Even at 30mph you will loose skin and bone at a rate of knots.

Can I suggest doing some road riding time with the motorcyling school, more expense but you will get to use a 125 with gears and if you drop it you dont have to pay.

I will do all that if I decide to go geared, I'm still leaning towards a scooter though, thinking about doing training when I want to prepare for the test or if I think I'd rather have a geared bike.

dizzybuff wrote: »

Did you do your CBt on a 125 or a twist and go. If it was a twist and go there will be restrictions on your licence. A 125 motorbike opens new teratory.

Did it on the geared bike and loved it! I was set on the idea of a scooter but the CBT made me wonder...

dizzybuff wrote: »

What ever you choose, you MUST have a Helmet, Gloves, Jacket with appropriate protection and pants of the same, and boots. Belive me if the foot pegs fall on your foot you will know about it in trainers.

They are not law but are needed, id rather look a twonk and be protected than look cool in jeans and loose half my legs when some nupty side swipes me.

I've got helmet and textile jacket with armour, plus some winter gloves with knuckle protection. If I get a 125 geared bike I'll go and get some kevlar jeans and proper boots as well but on a scooter I won't bother, just jeans and my hiking boots. Not worried about looking a twonk just don't see the need for trousers and boots on a scooter, you're more protected than on a pushbike!

de1amo

my scooter can do 80kmph so its slightly faster than a push bike and can easily keep up with even the fastest car around town

bigjl

I had a Peugeot Vivacity for a while, 100cc, not fashionable so a lot cheaper, I wouldn't touch any scooter with high miles.

Mine had 3000 miles on it when I boughtt it for £400, I moted it and road it for 6 months and got £650 for it. This was two years ago and it was a 2001/X.

It would do an easy 65mph and hardly used much fuel, I would have another.

Make sure you have some form of protection, armoured jeans and a jacket with armour in the shoulders, spine, kidney area. I have been to many fatal and near fatal scooter crashes caused by folk not wearing the right equipment, when I was a courier, mid '90s, we always used to wear a good quality jacket and two pairs of Levi 501's, and believe me they don't give you the protection you might expect, better than one pair of jeans. If I was in the same position now i would find decent clothing with some form of armour, falling off hurts, even at slow speeds.

Also don't use hiking boots, they aren't designed to give you the right protection, get some decent motorbike boots, they don't have to be overly bulky, though I always used to favour motocross boots with the buckles, almost certainly looked like a c**k but at the time we thought we looked like Urban Soldiers, though there was no mullet action, nope, none, never, erm......................

Tinks74

tbourner wrote: »

I would do if I got a geared bike, I was thinking jeans and normal boots would be OK on a scooter as you're not likely to trap your leg under it!

As tempting as it is not to wear the correct gear it is not really an option.

You can't assume you wouldn't get trapped, you never know what else is going to happen, I got my leg trapped under my bike when I came off, there was no weight on my leg just not enough room to get my foot out and from my position on the road I couldn't get enough leverage to move the bike away. Imagine if my leg had been caught under the hot exhaust? Jeans would have offered no protection at all (assuming they had not torn or been shredded to pieces when I hit the tarmac).

If you come off a bike at 30mph you will skid down the road. Wearing jeans your legs could be shredded/stripped down to bone in well under 10 seconds! (Can't remember the exact figure I was quoted when I had my lessons but it was somewhere around 5-6 seconds)

Also sturdy boots are good but you have to check your foot manouvreability in them, biking boots tend to protect ankles a lot more than ordinary boots will. You should also avoid steel toe capped boots, if the toe gets bent upon impact it could end up crushing your feet.

Other than that, I'd say go for the full bike test rather than the scooter.
2 wheels GOOD!!!!

Markyt

tbourner wrote: »

Not worried about looking a twonk just don't see the need for trousers and boots on a scooter,

At 30 mph your jeans won't last more than a couple of metres if you slide down the road. Then it's your skin. I had an off at about that speed a few weeks back, where my jacket rode up it burnt through a jumper, a shirt, a t-shirt and my skin in short order.