Buying your first bike

[Agent]

Tips / recomendations please, looking at maybe getting one, probably second hand.
Anything to look out for, any good places to buy from ?
What do you thinks a good size to get started on ? 400 a bit too powerfull or about right ?

[Zak33]

gawd...mate..I know nothing about bikes AT ALL

I think most people start at 125 don't they?

Learn NOT TO DIE.....at lower speeds

please....dont want you popping your clogs, on us

[psalliss]

a good starting bike all depends on you really and what you can afford to insure and how much self restraint you have.
i did my das last year and went straight to a 600 sports bikes, havent really had any problems that i wouldnt have had on any other bike. just respect the bike and youll be fine. as a side note i rode my mates 400 a month or so back and although it was great fun i thought that it was a little slow.

[Mart]

I looked at getting a bike a few years back, did the CBT, bought a helmet but then never bought the bike. I did the CBT at the same time as my mate (an employee scheme at Ford) and he went on to do a DAS test and got a VFR750.

When he told me he had bought it I was shocked as he was a bit wobbly on his CBT but he has had no problems. Another friend had one and he highly recommended it.

If you'll be needing a helmet I've got a size 57 Shoe TXR thats still new in its box sitting on my warddrobe. Only occasional use of pretending to ride imaginary bike around flat

[Punky]

i got a 50cc scooter (yeh, i know they suck but its better than the bus), it aint too bad i spose to mess about on and learn the value of some road-sense and how much it hurts to crash em.
i fink you're from round by me Agent, so just go up QB's in Quarry Bank n have a chat wiv em (the guy wiv the big specs is the best to talk to). peace.

[Angus]

g/f got a new bike a couple of months ago - unless you've got the money and time (and you're over 21) you'll have to strat with CBT and a 125. She got a Baimo from J&S http://www.baimo.com/img/motorbike/b...deview_big.jpg she had a few teething problems with it but it seems to be doing ok now (she's stopped whinging so much!!)

Total cost in the end was about £1700 for brand new bike, CBT (twice), Insurance, Helmet, Jacket, Gloves.

[Rave]

We need to know your budget, age, whether you have a licence or which test you plan on doing. I got my licence in early '97 but never had the money to buy a proper bike. Hopefully I'll rectify that sooner rather than later.

Rich :¬)

[Agent]

Budget ~ 1-2k
age 19
no licence and no idea on test

[TiG]

You could easy kill yourself on a 125cc to be honest, quicker than most cars you could own at 19.

I'd stay with the low powered bikes, winter is not the time to start learning in my opinion to be perfectly honest.

Look at it in May time i'd say, safer to learn and more enjoyable with better weather, but make sure that 1-2k budget involves some damn good leathers and a helmet.

I've got a few mate whose life was saved by that investment, he was unconcious for 30mins after his accident, woke up in hospital having had no idea what happened, police found bits of body work on the road and looks like he was hit by a car.

No-one has ever been caught, but he only survived as his kit was top notch.

TiG

[TeePee]

You can't do your DAS until you are 21, so CBT and basic test first before moving up in two years. You will be restricted to bikes of less than 33bhp. Which, I'm afraid to say, rules out 400cc sportsbikes. You are left with three options. Get yourself something like an Aprillia RS125 or Cagiva Mito 125 (I'd choose the Cagiva for that faux Ducati styling). Or, go for a Honda CB250 or similar. It wll be in your power range and a solid, simple, A to B bike. Final option (and probably the best) is to get a bigger bike, something like a Kawasaki ER500 and get a restriction kit fitted. This will drop the power of the bike down under your limit, and is easily removed after two years, giving you an easy way to step up to more powerful machinery. Don't be tempted to get a 400cc sportsbike and restrict it. They have a very narrow powerband where all the fun is, and you'll lose it with the restriction, leaving you with a bike that performs very badly.


My previous bikes:
Yamaha RXS100
Cagiva Mito 125
Kawasaki GPZ500 (restricted for the first year)

and currently a pre-vtec Honda VFR800

[Rave]

Aye, you're stuck with learning on a 125, then with 33bhp for two tears after your test if you're under 21. It's stupid IMO and discriminates against motorcyclists, but insuring a big bike would be prohibitively expensive if you're under 21 anyway. My advice is to do your CBT, then learn on a 125 until you pass your test, then derestrict the bike if that's possible. Then save up for a big bike after two years.

I was fine just doing the CBT and going on the road but I'd been riding a field bike for three years. If you're not confident, do a longer course before you go out on your own. If you have a car licence, you just need to make sure you're properly in control of the bike, the rules of the road are the same.

Originally posted by TiG
but make sure that 1-2k budget involves some damn good leathers and a helmet.

....and never ride without decent gloves- by decent I mean leather, or something hard like Kevlar. Skiing gloves keep you warm but disintegrate if they hit tarmac, I know this from experience. Luckly I just about got away with it. I wasn't so lucky with my foot though, my big toe still isn't right six years after I made a three inch dent in the side of a Ford Escort while wearing trainers. Solution: always wear boots.

Finally: Get a pukka lock, and lock the frame to something solid whenever you park up.

Good luck.

Rich :¬)

[Tumble]

Gloves, boots, leathers & decent lid. Life savers. My knee woulda been a lot worse than it was if I wasn't wearing the right kit

[Agent]

So how much is a decent 125 ?

[Skeps]

Get yourself a Ducati 996 and dont worry about a thing!!!

[TiG]

Apart from Morons like ^^ here that don't have a fking clue. If you don't want to post something helpful don't post.

TiG

[Skeps]

Sorry TiG but its called havin a laugh ( like hes really gonna go out and get a 996 ) oh and some of us have a sence of humor you Tw*t!!