Pushbike/moped/car? None?

vmf199

Dear All,

I've been without a car for nearly a year now and it's saved me alot (in it's last year of life it was costing about £200 per month inc everything cos of repairs etc) and I can't really afford a new one at the mo.

Being without a car hasn't been as difficult as I expected, but I am getting very bored of not having one now (perhaps the winter doesn't help), I'm living back at home and am missing the independance a car gives and was thinking of getting perhaps a moped just to make trips into town and to station a little easier. Does anyone know how cheap these can be bought for cos when I start looking into it the cost of helmet, clothing, cbt course, insurance etc all seem to add up. Realisticly how much would I need? Would I be better off getting a v cheap car?

I also have a very uncomfortable pushbike I've been reluctantly using which has now broken, was thinking of selling this and buying a more comfortable bike can anyone recommend any good ones for woman 5ft8, hybrid and comfortable?

I have paid off a £1000 overdraft and have a credit card of £1700 to now pay off so really I can't afford anything, so maybe I could sell some things on ebay to buy a nice push bike.

Any inspiration, motivation, ideas would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Gemmzie

It depends what kind of moped you want, a 50CC Japanese bike can be bought for £400 but once they go wrong they are pretty much scrap. My brother bought a Yamaha bike a year old for £800. The CBT is about £30 I think for the days training. Petrol is much cheaper than a car, as is insurance.

Sassamac

My DH just bought a motorbike to use for the commute (he has to do 50+ miles per day.
Its really cheap to tax, (£12.50).
He gets about 3 times (from memory of having worked it out once) more mpg than I do in my car. (in other words for him a tank cost about £6 and does 120 miles, for me 120 miles would be a third of a tank and cost about £17, or to look at the other way £6 worth of petrol would get me about 40 miles).
The leathers he bought gradually whenever we got spare cash but he still doesnt have all the kit and tbh with a moped I doubt its even necessary.
The bike insurance is about half what my car insurance is and the bike itself cost about half what my car is worth (guessing at depreciation) despite being about 18 months newer.
So I would say go for it if you need it, its a good value mode of transport. To get a car of the same value, you would end up with something middle aged / old and would soon be with faced with the endless costs of keeping it on the road.

adouglasmhor

Gemmzie wrote: »

It depends what kind of moped you want, a 50CC Japanese bike can be bought for £400 but once they go wrong they are pretty much scrap. My brother bought a Yamaha bike a year old for £800. The CBT is about £30 I think for the days training. Petrol is much cheaper than a car, as is insurance.

I think you mean Chinese not Japanese, unless you can prove me wrong. Yamaha for instance is Japanese.

davetrousers

Gemmzie wrote: »

Petrol is much cheaper than a car

Petrol will cost the same, but a moped will use a lot less, have heard figures of approx 100mpg.

Gemmzie

adouglasmhor wrote: »

I think you mean Chinese not Japanese, unless you can prove me wrong. Yamaha for instance is Japanese.

Yes, Chinese, sorry.

newmoneysaver_2

Gemmzie wrote: »

The CBT is about £30 I think for the days training. Petrol is much cheaper than a car, as is insurance.

This figure seems low to me - I would have through approx £100 - OH paid £90 3 yrs ago. Also the CBT only lasts for 2 year and then you would have to go for a full licence.

Tax:
50cc and 125cc costs £15 for a year
All bikes are exempt from the Inner London congestion charge which means it will be free to ride into London and use one of the free parking bays provided, but if you take a car it will cost you!

Clothing:
Helmets prices start at as little as £40, but as this is the protecting your head I would spend as much as I could afford. You will also need armoured gloves and jacket and possibly waterproofs if you intend to use it in all weathers.

You will also need a decent chain and lock and/or disc lock.

markrussell78

Hi there
Not sure if you know of this but its well worth a go! Try a website called freecycle (just google it) its part of the yahoo network. Once you sign into it you basically select the region in which you live. You will then receive emails from people once a day listing items people no longer want and are willing to give away for free. You do generally have to collect yourself but thats a small price to pay for a free piece of kit. You can also list items you want as well. I have seen in the past in the area i live people giving away push bikes and have even seen a car being given away! Its well worth a try. I have a spare bed in my guest room thanks to the site as well. Hope this is of some use.
All the best Mark.

sammiboo

well done you on living without a car. I couldnt do that myself, its 26 mile commute for me to work and the bus service isnt that great as I live in a very small villiage and its mostly country lanes to get to work.

Maybe you could look into getting a moped as said its cheaper than a car and it is nice to have some independance.

earthmother

I can't give you true prices having been off the road for some time, but those quoted do sound reasonable for basic start-up. I would say though, the comment about not needing all the kit because it's a moped is not a good way to look at it - ok, so they're smaller and slower than most motorbikes, but it's the same tarmac and cars etc that you'll hit whichever you fall off of. Can't stress enough the importance of a good lid (never spent less than £80 - usually just over the ton, on ours, and they were considered cheap by many - one actually cost more than the bike I had at the time ). And don't ever ride in 'street' shoes/trainers :eek: and trousers - you need heavy jeans/leathers and boots which give good ankle support.


Whether you'd be better getting a moped or car - find your local bike training centre - many will do a free or discounted introductory lesson - try it, see how you feel - if you're happy, then it will be the cheaper option, but if you don't think you'll be confident enough, then stick to a small car as it will be safer for you (and everyone else - no offence intended) in the long run.



Just a thought though - why moped? A basic bike may be easier for you - a bit taller (can see over the cars easier), slightly more pulling power for when you need it, and the smaller ccs are no heavier than mopeds if that's a worry. I've never tried a moped, but hubby, who's riden pretty much everything from 50-1500cc over years, has, and always reckoned they could be swines to control under poor conditions due to the engine being rear of centre rather than true centre/slightly forward.

Some of the cheap chinese bikes can be great little workhorses - they won't have all the whistles, bells and electronic readouts the others do, but bear in mind they were originally desinged and built under the assumption that some chap in the middle of nowhere will have to do all his own repairs etc, so they are generally cheap and easy to maintain (please note the 'some' - there are nails out there the same as in every other motor trade). It is useful if you have a basic knowledge of motor mechanics and/or a friendly local mechanic.

The Jap bikes are the most reliable though, so often worth the extra money.



Whatever you decide - good luck

vmf199

Thanks for responses.

I have considered motorbike and would be keener to get a motorbike than a moped but thought they'd be more expensive.

Also the cheapest CBT i've managed to find in my area is around £90, most are around £100. (i live in Guildford)

So costs would be..

CBT £100
Helemet £100
Clothing/Boots - £100?
Insurance -
Tax - £15
Bike - £??

Could be around £800 or more? Would I be better of getting a £500 car, or a £200 pushbike or try and last without any for a little longer and keep on walking/busing everywhere.....

Thanks once again