Motorbikes? Yay or Nae

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Don't forget the consumables.
If you buy a scooter, the tiddly little wheels go through tyres like lightning.
On a bike, something like 8000 miles is all you will get from tyres on a commuter, a sportsbike will see tyres off in 3000!
If you have a decent commute, like 30 miles you are better off with a small car.

Up to you, but the traditional going to work bike was the Honda C90, the latest incarnation is the Wave 110i @£1800! It does 160 to the gallon though.

Don't be tempted to get a Chinese copy of Honda or Suzuki, these look very good, especially the custom cruisers, but they are very unreliable, and are often the 'bikes you see at the side of the road that won't start.

Wi88le

RichardD1970 wrote: »

CBT requires re-doing every two years so I am considering getting my full light bike licence (or even full bike) when I have a bit more experience.

CBT-DL196 certificate doesn't expire after 2 years if you have full car licence at the same time, it lasts the length of the licence. Not sure if this would cover you on a 125cc but certainally does on a 50cc moped

Get your proper licence done though, so much more fun on a proper bike.

Jo_F

I too have a Honda PCX, and that one doesn't have piddly wheels, ok maybe not full sized motorbike wheels, but better than pram wheels.

£2500 brand new from Honda on 3 years interrest free, with one years free Honda assist breakdown.

If you are happy to stay at 125 max, and are happy to have L plates, you don't even need to do your DAS, just repeat the CBT every 2 years.

Richard53

MEM62 wrote: »

I have been riding since the age of 16, some 35 years now, and love it as much now as I did then.

Totally agree. You will either get the bike bug or you won't, but if you do you'll have it for life.

"Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul."

A lot of sensible advice here. Speaking as an all-weather rider (commutes, day rides, long tours), I can suggest the following:

1. A decent textile suit, which will be waterproof and (if you remove the trouser liner) wearable over work clothes, and will have CE-approved armour in the vital bits. Don't think of commuting in normal clothes. Watch any Youtube 'Great motorcycle crashes' video to see why.

1a. Decent boots that cover your ankle, at the very least.

2. You needn't spend megabucks on a helmet, but the fit is vitally important. The few extra pounds you spend buying at a local dealership (compared to online) buys you an awful lot in terms of advice, the opportunity to see what works for you, and expert advice on fitting.

3. Steer clear of cheap Chinese bikes, which are heartbreak on wheels.

4. Get your training, and then get more training. And after that, look for more training. You can't have enough, but the upside is that you will be the most observant car driver you know.

And enjoy it. There hasn't been a single day this winter when I have wished I was in a car.

longbowgilly

I had many bikes and loved them all, it was my only transport for many years.
The most important advice I would give is
Assume they have not seen you
Assume they will hit you
Ride defensively at all times and please ALWAYS wear proper clothing!
The amount of people I see over here riding a bike in shorts and flip flops makes me shudder!
Bikes are fabulous, I miss mine I had 9 at one point but my Hubby is not keen on me getting one, he's got all protective!

Richard53

longbowgilly wrote: »

The most important advice I would give is
Assume they have not seen you

+1. The best advice I was ever given was - ride as if you are invisible.

And by the way - if your hubby is preventing you pursuing your love of motorcycling, that's domestic abuse in my book, and you should be consulting a lawyer.

demystified

If you're into regular commuting personally I'd go for something with a little more poke, say a 250. You can get scooters/commuters with that size engine and are generally more comfortable than the learner models and can keep up with traffic easily as well as being capable of a decent turn of speed when required.

JoolzS

Do you have a job that pays sick pay for a lengthy period if necessary? If not, then I'm a nae. My DH works in an industry that traditionally doesn't pay sick pay (other than SSP) and one drunken idiot on a bicycle caused him an accident on his motorcycle that meant he was unable to work for three months. Going from a fairly decent wage to SSP put us into debt that took us years to pay off. We also spent about two months worrying whether or not he would be able to return to work at all. The three plates and 19 pins in his hand meant that it was uncertain whether or not he would recover any real movement in it which would have made his job virtually impossible. Fortunately, he recovered even better than his surgeon had expected.

His commute to work was only about two miles, and he was riding home at around 4 a.m. at the end of his shift when the roads were virtually empty - except for the drunken idiot on a bicycle. If it hadn't been 4 a.m. then he would probably have been killed by a car while he was lying unconscious in the middle of the road.

Obviously, one bad experience has made me very negative about motorbikes. I know that lots of people ride thousands of miles without incident, but I now only see the worst that can happen.

Oh, and if you do get one, factor in the cost of life insurance if you don't already have it.

david29dpo

12 months into my CBT and loving it.
The best advice i can give (so far) is treat all car drivers as muppits.

Stooby2

Assume they haven't seen you (is great advice)...

Wait and expect them to do something stupid, then you're ready for it when they do.