Bike peoples! some questions on getting a bike

[SilentDeath]

Does hexus still have bike people? :)

Ive been planning to get a bike for a while, my car insurance is almost up so its probably a good time. Im 23, but I will be going the CBT then L plates route, since Im between jobs :( will be selling the laguna to pay for it. Id like to do a DAS but the cheapness of just doing a cbt wins.
Cbt booked for the 31st.

Ive been looking at second hand bikes, but they dont seem to deprechiate nearly enough for my wallet to be happy :(

Anyone know of have experience of the Sanya SY125? its a very cheap chinese copy of the honda cg125. Ebay has them for £550 for a new 2009 :O I cant even find a decent used honda for that..especially 125's.

Car insurance best quote is >£1000 for me, but bike is not even £200, and Ive never even sat on a real bike before! vs 3 years car experience. Then there is road tax... etc..

[JPreston]

Well the concensus I've encountered is to steer clear of all chinese bikes, full stop. You'll want to be out riding it rather than tracing electrical faults with no dealer backup or parts availability. I have a Hyosung, and a speech memorised to explain to incredulous dealers that yes they are a proper brand and they've been reviewed in MCN and everything and they make engines for suzuki and blah blah, but it still takes a long time to track down bits for it.

Stick with suzuki, yamaha, honda - then you are looking at less than a dozen bikes to read up about. And they have haynes manuals, owner's forums, and everything! Luxury. The cruiser/chopper style bikes seem more substantial at 125cc, eg Suzuki GZ125 or VL125 (v-twin! got to be better a low speeds), or Suzuki Van-van (sandracer type, actually looks really good, but you will not find one for less than £1000).

You can definitely pick up a reasonable 125 for about 600 - 700, watch what they go for on e-bay. If it's to be your main mode of transport then really do try to find a sound example - you'll save in the long run - but don't pay over the odds for one that's never been dropped because you'll kick yourself if you ever drop it. Crazy that you can buy two running cars for the price of one bike, but there you go. At least road tax for a 125cc is £15!

[strike-down]

Well the concensus I've encountered is to steer clear of all chinese bikes, full stop.

Period.


Seriously, they are held together with plastic cable ties. Dont put yourself through biking hell for the sake of saving £500. If you hunt around you can pick up a very decent second hand 125cc bike.
I got a CG in good condition for £890

[BigGlenn]

Id like to do a DAS but the cheapness of just doing a cbt wins.
Cbt booked for the 31st.

Just doing CBT is fine for now, but be aware that unless you take your full test within 2 years you will have to re-sit your CBT again - You can't just do the CBT and ride around on a 125 with L plates forever

Personally I would advise doing the DAS, if you can afford it, as it then means that you would not be limited to a 125, and from riding both a 125 and then the 500 on my lessons, I found the 500 a lot easier to ride than the 125

I did the DAS 18 months ago and got my first bike last summer - a 55 plate Suzuki GSXR600 (so not a big bike, but not exactly slow either) and insurance was around £300, tax was less than £50 - admittedly I am a bit older than you, but like you, I had never ridden a bike before either

[JPreston]

You'd also be an immeasurably safer rider having done a DAS course - four days of supervised riding - compared to working it out for yourself on just a CBT, which you can't really put a price on. It would take a couple of months at least to get up to the same standard going it alone