Motorbikes & carrying ... stuff?

Emmia

B0bbyEwing said:

I don't have a bike licence but I'm interested in getting one.

I only really use my car to get to work & back these days which is also all I'd be using the bike for pretty much I imagine & it's this that's put me off over the years but also something I've never properly looked in to - 

I know you get bike boxes where you can store stuff but I take a fair bit of space consuming stuff with me daily & I'm not sure whether it'd be doable on a bike.

I've a backpack & a sandwich bag. I suppose I could get a bigger backpack which would then house the sandwich bag.
But I also have a 1ltr thermos flask which I wonder whether it'd fit in anything. I have to take this as the water at work is absolute rank!

I also take my work boots. I could maybe work around this & leave these at work. I just prefer not to leave anything behind as things can go missing.

I have a spare jacket in the boot of my car for wet days but then I suppose I probably wouldn't be biking if the weather was looking to be THAT wet, unless say the car was at the garage & I had no choice.

But yeah, backpack, sandwich/cooler bag & 1ltr flask is a must.

Just not sure on the capacity of these things on bikes as I've never looked in to it before so I don't realistically know what I could carry.

And while I'm on the topic of it all - how do you even go about it all?

I remember when driving you'd give a guy some cash, he'd take you out for a bit each week & then when he felt you were ready it'd be test-time & job done.

I'm certainly not going to be allowed any time off work just to take some bike lessons.

What benefits do you perceive to get from biking rather than driving to work?

You'd become what is termed as a "vulnerable road user" as on a bike you really have no protection and a small error by you, (or by someone else) could have significant consequences - what would be a relatively minor bump in a car you walk away from no worries, could be a significant disabling injury (even if it's not life threatening) if it happens when you're on a bike. 

Do you currently cycle anywhere on a normal pedal cycle or an electrically assisted cycle using the road only (no illegally riding on pavements) and obeying all traffic signals? Would you pedal cycle to the supermarket for a top up shop?

facade

OK, if you are determined..

I used to just wear a backpack when commuting.

Anything heavy I would put on the back seat secured with a cargo net and some straps.

I have a set of those "throw over" soft panniers that wear the paint off the rear bodywork, so I rarely use them, although the 'bike in the garage is styled like a refugee from the 1950s so there isn't any rear bodywork.

I had a locker at work where I would keep my work shoes.

Just for commuting and moneysaving, you want a 125, the cheapest way into a licence, and the cheapest tax class.  A Honda Cub would be my choice, you can't underestimate how useful the weather protection is until you get caught in a downpour on an unfaired bike!

Now if you want A BIKE then you really need to get the biggest one you can afford, as the tax maxes out at 600cc, and you can tax a 1400 for the same price as a 650 (which makes a 650 extraordinarily poor VFM).

A 400 would be my realistic choice, they go well enough, and the tax is reasonable (but double a 125), but it isn't a popular size except for grey imports, otherwise 500 is a popular commuter/general purpose size (tax is getting expensive)

You can also sing "Motorbikin'" when you tire of "Born to be Wild" and "bat out of Hell"

TIP: WEAR EAR PROTECTION- so that adds to the time & expense as you have to force ear plugs into your ears, disposable ones aren't cheap and those reusable ones aren't the best.

I know your mum said to never put things in your ears, but I'm deaf in one ear which I put down to over 20 years riding motorbikes without earplugs (I did use them in later years, but the damage was already done....)

Mildly_Miffed

Not sure I'd fancy a backpack on a bike, and especially one with a big thermos flask in it. If you DO come off, and land on your spine, that's not going to do you any favours at all.

Panniers are a definite thing - and some sensible packing of a pair of decent-size panniers and a topbox should give you reasonable capacity, especially on a tourer/adventure bike kind of thing. They can easily unclip so you just carry the panniers in to work as if they were just hard cases.

Be aware that, on many bikes, a high-mounted exhaust can cut heavily into the capacity (and what you want in there!) of one pannier.

matt_drummer

A decent set of large alloy panniers and mountings will cost about as much as the cars the OP buys.

Let alone a bike to put them on and all the kit you really need.

A decent crash helmet is hundreds for a start.

Leathers (I will not ride my bikes without leathers) are hundreds too.

Back protector, water proofs, decent boots (again a lot of money), decent gloves,  security chains, it just goes on and on.

Running and maintaining a proper motorcycle will be far more expensive than running a car.

Tyres last a few thousand miles at best, some only about a thousand miles.

Chains if it has one are expensive and need regular maintainance.

And fuel consumption won't be as good as a car for anything medium sized  and up with some performance.

MyRealNameToo

When in Sri Lanka saw two motorbikes coming towards us, only one with its lights on, with a sofa over the back of the two bikes. Certainly some are able to carry substantially more than a lunchbox and water bottle on theirs!

I've only know two chaps who come in by motorbike, one did so because he was doing 150 miles each way and with a bike he could park near the office for free whereas with a car he had to pay for parking in outer London and then get a tube the rest of the way in. The fact he'd have several beers before getting on his bike was concerning. The other chap didnt have a licence for a car and so used his motorbike when the weather was too poor or he needed to stay too late to cycle on his pushbike. 

With the faff at both ends if "speed" is the reason for doing it you may not find its much time saving. 

GixerKate

Commuting on a motorbike is not for the faint hearted but it can be very useful, faster (and fun).  Once you get over the initial set up the running costs are cheaper than a car but good gear is essential.

To get your licence you will need to do your CBT and then the 2 tests, have a google to see what you need to do.  If you are doing short journeys then a 125cc might be all you need (so just do the CBT) but if you are doing motorway or longer journeys I would suggest doing the whole thing and getting a bigger bike.

What type of roads are you commuting on?  I used to commute daily on the M25 and also in London.  Being on the bike meant I reduced my travel time substantially and its a lot cheaper to run the bike.  The downside is where you park the bike.  I had secure underground parking so all was good however if you have to park in a public bay then you will need to secure it.  I had a bike stolen outside my house so after that always had somewhere secure to park.

I used to have everything in a pack strapped to the back of the bike - laptop, lunch, clothing, shoes - literally everything I needed for the day.

Gear - this can be expensive but if you have an off then good gear is often the reason people walk away rather than the alternative.  You can get armoured 100% water proof gear plus heated gear for colder weather.

My suggestion would be to find some local training places and see if they provide a taster session, and see if its for you.  Lots of people love bikes, it can be a real passion.  Others find they aren't keen on the setup and find its just not for them.

Good luck!

matt_drummer

I don't understand the cheaper bit about a proper motorbike.

Something like a Honda CBR600 will do 50mpg at best, but probably less.

You'll get similar fuel economy to a car.

But tyres will kill it, especially commuting just running in a straight line, the tyres will be squared off in no time.

Servicing a bike will be at least as costly as a car.

The VED is more than many older cars.

I can't see what will be cheaper about running a motorcycle?

Maybe a 125cc but they're not really motorcycles, they are generally small and not great on bigger roads, possible but not that enjoyable.

Goudy

Things have changed massively in regards to all things motorcycling in these last few years.

The test has obviously changed quite a bit, as have the types of licence you can get.
There's the A1 which is limited to 11kw (around 125cc)
The A2 which is limited to 35kw
And the full A licence that is open if you are over a certain age and sit a special Direct Access course.

If you are just commuting, say max a hour each way on 50-60 max speed limits, an A2 licence will allow you to ride up to 35kw bikes.

These 35kw bikes tend to range widely in cubic capacity as there tends to be many different engine variations, Singles, V twins, Parallel twins, Triples and so on.
Firing order also tend to alter on multi cylinder bikes. Unlike a car with equally spaced firing orders, they have started to group firing orders close together. It reduces total power but you get lots of smooth torque at the back wheel.

Manufacturers now make specific A2 bikes, like the Triumph Scrambler 400x, the Honda CB/CBR 500 and the Yamaha R3 and MT03.

What you might choose depends on what sort of use. An hour each way at motorway speeds and I wouldn't particularly choose a naked bike with no wind protection.
Zipping in and out of traffic around towns with short stretches of 50mph between them, then maybe a naked bike would be ok.

With an A2 you can of course ride pretty much any of the big scooters like the Piaggio Beverly.
These have some benefits over a standard bike. They are easy to operate, with a decent screen offer plenty of year round protection and they'll easily keep up with motorway traffic no problem.
If you are going to go this route, the bigger wheel scooters are far better to ride than the smaller wheeled ones.

You don't need leathers, particularly in this country. They are hot and sweaty in the summer, freezing in the winter  and when wet they are f**king awful!

There are many different types of textile clothing that work for all occasions. They are made with layers so you can zip in or out jacket liners and zip trouser over layers on and off.
One set should see you right in winter, summer and anything in between. Cost vary, but they are generally fairly well priced.
Have a loot at J&S Accessories.

Helmets are a personal thing. I only wear Arai.
They can be expensive but the expensive ones are easy to care and tend to last as liners, visors etc are readily available.
Don't sticker them up and treat them very carefully.

GixerKate

matt_drummer said:

I don't understand the cheaper bit about a proper motorbike.

Something like a Honda CBR600 will do 50mpg at best, but probably less.

You'll get similar fuel economy to a car.

But tyres will kill it, especially commuting just running in a straight line, the tyres will be squared off in no time.

Servicing a bike will be at least as costly as a car.

The VED is more than many older cars.

I can't see what will be cheaper about running a motorcycle?

Maybe a 125cc but they're not really motorcycles, they are generally small and not great on bigger roads, possible but not that enjoyable.

Well, I commuted daily on a Suzuki GSXR600 and later a GSXR750.  Both cheaper to insure than my car, both cheaper to service and the tyres lasted pretty well as I didn't ride as if I was on track (separate wheels and tyres for that), fuel economy wasn't bad either but my main saving was in time.  The journey in the car took roughly an hour and a half on a good day, 2 hours + on a bad day, on the bike I could always guarantee to be there in under an hour.  In London you don't have to pay congestion charge and most bikes are exempt from the ULEZ charge as well.

In actual fact, I can't think of any bike I've had that costs as much to run as a car (the price of the vehicle is something else, I'm happy buying a new bike but won't buy a brand new car lol).  Saying that though, you can get older bikes with very low mileage as many riders don't ride all year round so you can pick up some good bargains.

Goudy

matt_drummer said:

I don't understand the cheaper bit about a proper motorbike.

Something like a Honda CBR600 will do 50mpg at best, but probably less.

You'll get similar fuel economy to a car.

But tyres will kill it, especially commuting just running in a straight line, the tyres will be squared off in no time.

Servicing a bike will be at least as costly as a car.

The VED is more than many older cars.

I can't see what will be cheaper about running a motorcycle?

Maybe a 125cc but they're not really motorcycles, they are generally small and not great on bigger roads, possible but not that enjoyable.

Your modern motorbike will do far more mpg that your average car.
A Honda CBR500F will hit around 70 mpg in town and on a steady cruise nudge 90 mpg or more.
The weight it has to accelerate is far far less than even your lightest, specialist sports car.
It's a simple fact of physics.

Yes if you rag a BMW S100RR around a track, you'll see dismal figures, but the OP isn't taking about that.

Not all motorbikes use or make use of super soft sports tyres.
Most road bikes use a road or touring type of tyre which tend to lest anywhere up to 10,000 miles or so.
A pair of top touring type tyres will cost you around the same price as ONE top branded 17" car tyre.

As for servicing, a bike will be far cheaper than a ICE car.
They generally take less oil than a car, often around half as much.
Some have only one, two or three spark plugs. Not many bikes these days have four cylinders.
Air and oil filters are no more than a car.
There are only two, perhaps three sets of brakes to maintain rather than four plus the separate handbrake mechanism a car has.
Most will have wet clutches which require little attention unlike a dry clutch in a car.
Tyres are generally cheaper, plus there are only two compared to four.
Most makes (except a few like Ducati) will run a chain, geared or even push rods, so no cam belts.
A battery for a bike is around £30-£40, a modern AGM car battery is three or four times that.
Yes some require chains and sprockets but clean and lubricate them properly and it's not really a regularly service item. Then again not all use chains and sprockets, some run shaft or even rubber belts which are far far cheaper to maintain.

Plus they don't need too much specialist equipment like ramps and lifts or lots of space, so labour rates tend to be cheaper.
My local bike shop is just an old news agents shop, he has around 8 bikes in there at anyone time and charges 70% less per hour than my local car garage, that can only deal with two at the same time and has to have lifts and ramps.

An MOT is only £29 compared to £54 for a car.

On a like for like basis under the current VED scheme, road tax is around 60% of a car.
Want to buy an expensive bike over £40k? They are exempt from the Expensive Car Supplement.

Pay for your car parking?
Generally bike parking is free though some places are now starting to charge, but far less than a car.