Getting from 4 wheels to 2 wheels

[daxo]

Hey, Im planning to change my likes from cars to bikes! dont get me wrong cars are nice! but I cant effort them , insurance is too expensive, Im only 20 and had my car licence for 2 years, car insurance are well over 2k for a little car.

So I think I would have more fun with a bike, I hav been looking at the posts and im getting interested.

Any one have changed their likes from cars to bikes here? should I give it a try ?

I understand that I have to do some course (CBT) before I start looking for my bike, any ideas what type of bike should I get ?

as I said, im new on all this, I have no idea of any bike makes or model or anything. How much is the average motorbike insurance would be for lets say a 125cc or less bike ?

how much are the road tax? on average, MOT? I imagine that petrol is not a problem because of the size of the engine.

[L4Isoside]

Defo worth a try

MOT is about 30 quid, insurance should be really cheap compared to a car, especially for a 125.

Put it this way 2k for you to insure a car, gets my fully comp on a 2005 zx-6r with 2 claims, 1 years riding and no NCB and that is considered high risk/ very high premium. Most "normal" people would get the same for less than 1k.

For a type of bike to learn on, I'd suggest a 125cc bike, like a Yamaha YBR 125.

A good idea will be to wait until you are 21, and to a DAS course, going straight to a full license and thus no restriction.

Good luck bud

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Things that might help you decide:
Can you ride a pushbike with confidence?
Did you do any maintenance to your pushbike/car?
Do you like being 1st in the queue

Welcome to the world of bikes daxo.


Pat
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[pinkyfloyd]

Get your cbt done and get yourself a cheap 125cc bike. Not only will you not regret it and save money as its cheaper to run than your car you'll also understand why the rest of us nutters breathe!
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
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[Myler]

[Rogerborg]

The Get On scheme has some good info, and offers a way to get a free taster session before you do a CBT.

CBT will cost about £100, repeated every 2 years if you don't pass a test. An A2 test on your own 125 will cost you about £115 for theory, mod1 and mod2, no training required. Do one as soon as possible, as licensing laws are changing for the worse somewhere between 2011 and 2013.

Insurance is in the couple-of-hundred range. Road tax is £15 a year for any 125, and you'll see about 100mpg or so. If you're storing the bike outside, a cover, serious chain, and an alarm (wired in or an alarmed disc lock) are sensible investments.

All of the Japanese-branded 125 commuters are good bikes: Honda CG125 (or CBF125 if you want to go newer), Yamaha YBR125, Suzuki VanVan. If you want something sportier, go Honda CBR125. If you have to ask, then you don't want anything Chinese branded, but the Korean made Hyosung 125s are decent bikes.

£500 will get you a runner, £1000 a good runner, £1500 will get you a newish bike still with some of a 2 year warranty remaining (although some dealers can be shirty about doing warranty work on 125s). Only buy new if a dealer makes a compelling case for it: 0% finance, free insurance, free (decent) gear. Now is a good time to buy - but wait until the end of the month and go when it's pissing down for the best deal.

Budget for gear as well. Go textile instead of leather for year round use. Used gear can be good value - eBay is full of "worn once, realised I was too fat" bargains. Or consider something like this Hi Vis jacket, trousers, gloves and neck warmer set. If you go up one size on the trousers, you can wear them as over-trousers over your civvies. Remember that you'll take your gear with you from bike to bike, so it's worth investing in it.

Never buy a used helmet, and don't lend or borrow a helmet - has it been dropped and damaged internally? How would you tell?

Fit is the most important thing for helmets - go to a local store to try out a variety. Price is no indication of safety although more expensive helmets tend to be lighter and with a smaller outer shell to avoid Spaceballs Syndrome.

https://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/SpaceBalls.jpg

Go for a highly SHARP rated helmet with a good fit, in white or silver. Only go for black gear if you want to make a nice contrast with the white Transit that'll inevitably pull out on you.

[bikertomm]

Have you been on a bike before?

Once I had been on the back of my freinds bike I was literally hooked.

I have recently passed my driving test and yeah, while driving fast is fun it's all so risky and shitty insurance is always in the back of my mind!
I reckon driving faster cars will be good fun but nothing will come close to the amount of fun you'll have on a bike!


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[waffles]

I have driven cars for 10 years and started riding a year ago so I would definately say that I prefer riding to driving, driving now is more functional "I have to get from A to B" whereas riding is fun and exciting!

Do your cbt for sure, its a cheap way to get into the whole bike thing and if you pick a good school it will get you hooked. For my 125 the tax each year is £15, I got fully comp insurance with 0 NCB for £270, MOT is about £30 and a tank of petrol costs me under a tenner. Even if you factor in the cost of kit it is less than your insurance for a car.
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[daxo]

I never been on a bike before but I'll give it a try...thanks 'Rogerborg' I book a free hour session already, hopefully they will call me back, and I'll get my CBT as soon as possible, I cant wait now


then the hard thinking will come on Which Bike is gona be my first one ?

[carlosthejack...]

Agree with all of the above. It will eat you alive...
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