First time buyer - URGENT HELP! (Bikes)

[DeludedGuy]

I want to buy a motorbike, not a little scooter, not a bicycle, a bike.

My budget is £1100, I dont need anythone over 600cc, but I dont want anything below 150CC.

Anyone care to help me?

Also, I have a full UK driving license, but not a bike license, whats the cheapest way to go about gettting one of those?

Thanks in advance.

[XA04]

How old are you?

[Mullet]

I want to buy a motorbike, not a little scooter, not a bicycle, a bike.

My budget is £1100, I dont need anythone over 600cc, but I dont want anything below 150CC.

Anyone care to help me?

Also, I have a full UK driving license, but not a bike license, whats the cheapest way to go about gettting one of those?

Thanks in advance.

you may be able to pick up a cheap bandit for that sort of cash 600cc.

[Rave]

Yeah, what they said: if you haven't got a full licence, it makes a big difference whether you're 21 or not. Clarify that, and I'll recommend some bikes.

[J4MES]

CB500, SV650, XJ600, GS500, CB600F (maybe), Bandit (maybe)...

whats the bike for? commute?

cheapest way - cheap flight to Cyprus, get license issued there (about £100), return to UK and exchange for full bike license...

or pay iro £500 for week long direct access course (plus theory test, but includes CBT)

[DeludedGuy]

Thanks for the help so far guys.

Im 20, going to be 21 in July next year. I need it just to get to work and back, in London.

I was thinkign about a car, but the insurance is too expensive, the petrol is too expensive and the congestion charge is a pain in the butt.

So £500 for a bike course is a bit on the steep side. Im liking the Cyprus idea but is it that easy?

[TeePee]

As you are under 21 you won't be able to do the direct access course. You will have to learn on a 125 and you will be limited to bikes with less than 33bhp for 2 years. (This is the same if you go to Cyprus.[1]). The reson for this is the large number of young males who buy 600cc bikes for riding around town with minimal experience and kill themselves.

A week long bike course is the quickest way but not the cheapest. You have to start with a CBT at about £100. Then you can get a 125cc bike and take some time to learn to ride, then take your test when you are ready, sell the bike and get something bigger. 600cc bikes are well over 33bhp, so you would need to get them restricted which would cost more money. Use the £1100 to get a reasonable 125, CBT and gear and maybe save some more while you learn and wait until you reach 21 you can take the direct access and move up.

[1]I'm sure somone will dispute this since it's one of those things where you know a guy etc.

[DeludedGuy]

Ah man, im so dissapointed.

It takes me 40 minutes to get to work by tube, but only 10 minutes by car, I was really looking forward to getting a bike and avoiding the whole congestion charge thing.

125 CC is good enough for me I guess, what are the best bikes that I could purchase with a budget of £1000?

Brand new or second hand, I dont mind.

[J4MES]

cbr125

[J4MES]

The reson for this is the large number of young males who buy 600cc bikes for riding around town with minimal experience and kill themselves.

but they don't, do they... it's a myth, when really it's older (30's/40's) men who buy sportsbikes and ride carelessly... but then I would think that...

[TeePee]

Actually, (according to Essex Police excellent bke safety statistics) the most commen age to die while riding a bike is the 25-35 age group. But this is a recent statistic, based on figures since the laws restricting younger riders to smaller machines. What does stick out is that the deaths overwhelmingly occured amongst riders of high powered machines.. Only 3 in 31 deaths in Essex in 2001 involved machines of less than 500cc. In adition to this unfamiliarity played a huge role. 38% of deaths this year involved riders who had owned their machines less than three months, and another 61% for less than a year.

Clearly high capacity and inexperience play a role regardless of age. Personally, I'd like to see riders of all ages restricted to lower size machines for two years, followed by another test. And don't get me started on car drivers..

Edit: Fake signature as below

________________________________
Honda VFR800 and IAM Member.

[DeludedGuy]

Thanks for all the help guys. I apreciate it

[Rave]

You'd be lucky to get a CBR125 for a grand James. They've only been around for a couple of years.

I'd get something like a CB125 or Suzuki GS125. If you're learning on a 125 you don't need to be accompanied around; once you've done your CBT you can ride on L-Plates for two years*; if your commute doesn't include any motorway you don't need to pass your test to ride to work. Of course, you should get as much training as you need to be safe, but if you can ride a bicycle and have a full car licence there really isn't a lot that you need to learn about motorbikes, the rules of the road are still the same.

*however if you don't pass your test in that time you have to take a compulsory year's break before you can apply for another provisional licence.

[Totem]

How much speed can you get out of a 125cc bike?

[Rave]

Learner legal ones with 12-15bhp can usually do at least 60, maybe up to 75 with a following wind/downhill. I got 67 on the clock on the way back from (passing) my bike test on my borrowed CG125.

[Totem]

Thats quite fast really, well fast enough to keep ya pants full.