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Regal John
i've heard that car insurance is crazy right now, and so is petrol so i thought that i'd go for the cheaper option and buy a motorbike.
i went to confused.com to check out insurance and stuff and it was asking loads of question like 'what cc is it', 'what kind of bike' and 'bike qualifications'... i'm not going to be able to figure out the insurance before i whittle a few details down!
what i'm looking for is good advice for a beginner in terms of what my next move could be and what bikes are good choices for an adventurous 23 year old student who travels around a lot.
my price range is anything up to £800. i want one of those comfy big seats, with the luggage containers on the sides. not bothered about speed, just want a big comfy spacious cruiser, think they're called tourers, not sure, but anyway... something big and meaty, chunky and funky, comfy big seat with space for two and large storage compartments. what kind of bike am i looking for?!
[edit] eeerm... something like this... http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/250837/images/police.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/General-news/2009/May/may1809-have-you-bought-an-ex-police-bike/&h=500&w=800&sz=27&tbnid=poDksraYtoxDJM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=143&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpolice%2Bbike%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=police+bike&hl=en&usg=__CCAlCn5oRhR7r-dKxhzNRXnpNHs=&sa=X&ei=52SkTYacLcmYhQeGuPTZCQ&ved=0CDUQ9QEwAQ but obviously... NOT like that... just like the shape and feel.
would be extremely grateful for any help.
thanks, regal johnston...
Answer
Oh jesus ... OK... total newbie. How do we address this.
Right, first up, you're not going to be on anything over 125cc as a learner, unless you do something stupid like go straight from never having sat on a bike to doing a Direct Access course over a weekend and barely passing the test. You will need to pass Compulsory Basic Training before you get anywhere near a road, which clears you to ride a 125, solo, without going on motorways. You can get cruisers in that capacity, but to be honest if you get one of those and then load it up with loads of luggage etc it'll struggle to clear 50mph. Get some experience on a more standard cycle, go for your full test (or Direct Access, probably more appropriate so you're not further limited to 33hp for two years), THEN get yourself the touring Hog.
Secondly... as a new rider... of your age... on a learner bike... I'd estimate probably £300-400 for your first year. Going on how my first annual payment was about 2/5ths what I was paying on my car at the time, and I wouldn't be surprised if car insurance for someone who was in my position when I bought my first (at 22-23) has gone up considerably from the ~£650 I paid for a group 2 runabout. However, I'm now paying about £120 a year for the bike (vs £500-600 for a car), having survived a year with no claims. This, however, is STILL on the standard 125. I have no idea what it is on a fat, fancy tourer, but it's certainly going to be more. The accident payouts are less, but you're at much higher risk of having one, so don't be surprised if the premiums for a luxury bike aren't far off that of an economy car. On student finances, a 100cc scooter might be a more sensible bet. Or an old Fiesta, and charge your mates petrol money for rides to the shops etc.
Thirdly, looking at the insurance as your first port of call? That's a bit wierd if you don't mind me saying. Your priorities seem topsy turvy. It certainly wasn't what I first looked at, in fact possibly the last. Fuel economy, ability to pick through traffic, ease of parking, lower costs of purchase and maintenance (on a simple bike, anyway), much lower road tax (£15 for the bike ... £205 for the car! And it doesn't go up *massively* with a larger engine), the fun of riding in the first place... Any of those call to you?
Fourth, after looking at your link: Honestly. You want a police cruiser copy as your first motorcycle, and as something cheap to get around on. Dude, give it up. It's not happening. Those things are freaking expensive (far more than I've ever paid for a car, and I bet they're not even particularly economic - just fast, and able to "filter" more easily than a panda car ... 45mpg might be ambitious), heavy, and I bet the insurance is insane, much like if you were to try and insure an ex-interceptor Vauxhall Omega 3-litre Turbo. They go on special courses before riding them.
Fifth: Have a look around a forum like bikechatforums or ukbiker, and the mcn fora, maybe pick up a bike mag or two and look at what their top picks are for beginners and any tips. Have a look on the DfT, Directgov, DSE websites that have quite a bit of good info on getting into it. There's another called, appropriately, BeginMotorcycling which does look like it harks from the mid 90s but has good, up to date info (did me well when i started) and others that cover e.g. what to look for when you DO buy, etc, if you google for them. Also Sharp helmet test ratings, if you care about your head.
In all, I don't want to overly discourage you - getting on 2 wheels is a very handy thing to do, it can save you a packet, put a smile on your face and, if you're brave and careful, even make christmas shopping in the middle of a Big Freeze a whole lot easier (just be careful of the black ice, jeeeez!!! 8-o). But it's better to dispel your dream of picking up some Trans-alpine road warrior tank of a bike like the one pictured and think it's going to save you fuel and insurance money vs, say, a secondhand Focus TDCi, before they get too far entrenched.
Welcome, potentially to the fold. I hope you can achieve your dream, and do it economically, just realise the deck is stacked against you.
Oh jesus ... OK... total newbie. How do we address this.
Right, first up, you're not going to be on anything over 125cc as a learner, unless you do something stupid like go straight from never having sat on a bike to doing a Direct Access course over a weekend and barely passing the test. You will need to pass Compulsory Basic Training before you get anywhere near a road, which clears you to ride a 125, solo, without going on motorways. You can get cruisers in that capacity, but to be honest if you get one of those and then load it up with loads of luggage etc it'll struggle to clear 50mph. Get some experience on a more standard cycle, go for your full test (or Direct Access, probably more appropriate so you're not further limited to 33hp for two years), THEN get yourself the touring Hog.
Secondly... as a new rider... of your age... on a learner bike... I'd estimate probably £300-400 for your first year. Going on how my first annual payment was about 2/5ths what I was paying on my car at the time, and I wouldn't be surprised if car insurance for someone who was in my position when I bought my first (at 22-23) has gone up considerably from the ~£650 I paid for a group 2 runabout. However, I'm now paying about £120 a year for the bike (vs £500-600 for a car), having survived a year with no claims. This, however, is STILL on the standard 125. I have no idea what it is on a fat, fancy tourer, but it's certainly going to be more. The accident payouts are less, but you're at much higher risk of having one, so don't be surprised if the premiums for a luxury bike aren't far off that of an economy car. On student finances, a 100cc scooter might be a more sensible bet. Or an old Fiesta, and charge your mates petrol money for rides to the shops etc.
Thirdly, looking at the insurance as your first port of call? That's a bit wierd if you don't mind me saying. Your priorities seem topsy turvy. It certainly wasn't what I first looked at, in fact possibly the last. Fuel economy, ability to pick through traffic, ease of parking, lower costs of purchase and maintenance (on a simple bike, anyway), much lower road tax (£15 for the bike ... £205 for the car! And it doesn't go up *massively* with a larger engine), the fun of riding in the first place... Any of those call to you?
Fourth, after looking at your link: Honestly. You want a police cruiser copy as your first motorcycle, and as something cheap to get around on. Dude, give it up. It's not happening. Those things are freaking expensive (far more than I've ever paid for a car, and I bet they're not even particularly economic - just fast, and able to "filter" more easily than a panda car ... 45mpg might be ambitious), heavy, and I bet the insurance is insane, much like if you were to try and insure an ex-interceptor Vauxhall Omega 3-litre Turbo. They go on special courses before riding them.
Fifth: Have a look around a forum like bikechatforums or ukbiker, and the mcn fora, maybe pick up a bike mag or two and look at what their top picks are for beginners and any tips. Have a look on the DfT, Directgov, DSE websites that have quite a bit of good info on getting into it. There's another called, appropriately, BeginMotorcycling which does look like it harks from the mid 90s but has good, up to date info (did me well when i started) and others that cover e.g. what to look for when you DO buy, etc, if you google for them. Also Sharp helmet test ratings, if you care about your head.
In all, I don't want to overly discourage you - getting on 2 wheels is a very handy thing to do, it can save you a packet, put a smile on your face and, if you're brave and careful, even make christmas shopping in the middle of a Big Freeze a whole lot easier (just be careful of the black ice, jeeeez!!! 8-o). But it's better to dispel your dream of picking up some Trans-alpine road warrior tank of a bike like the one pictured and think it's going to save you fuel and insurance money vs, say, a secondhand Focus TDCi, before they get too far entrenched.
Welcome, potentially to the fold. I hope you can achieve your dream, and do it economically, just realise the deck is stacked against you.
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