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Advice regarding a new bike

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drmmanish
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 27 Sep 2012
Karma :
PostPosted: 15:40 - 27 Sep 2012    Post subject: Advice regarding a new bike Reply with quote
Dear All,

I am grateful to you all in advance for reading and/or responding to my post.

I am moving jobs in future, which means that I will need to commute from harrow on the hill (10-15 minutes to the tube station on cycle) to tooting broadway (very near the tube station). It will take me just over an hour on the tube itself, including the change times, taking my total one way journey time to 1h15min to 1h20 min. Cycle and car as a mode of transport is out of the question for me due to the distance for the first and the variability in time for the second option. It is about 18 miles road distance.

Given this, do you guys think I will be able to commute this distance in 45-50 minutes one way by bike? Put differently, do you think the time gained with bike over the tube/cycle option would be substantial?

If yes, could you suggest me a used bike (number of years old, mileage, possible cost, accessories that I should buy) that best fits my situation. My obvious priorities are safety and hasslefree ride.

My final question is to do with the weather - does the weather matter because I will be starting around 1st week of december.

PS - I will have to sit for my CBT, so would be limited to the 125cc range. I have been used to riding bikes in India for 20 odd years and have used a range of 100cc bikes as well as the enfield bullet.

Thanks a lot again for reading thorugh my post.

Manish
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Matt-
World Chat Champion



Joined: 19 Jul 2012
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PostPosted: 16:18 - 27 Sep 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Weather may be an issue throughout the year ( snow & ice )

Other than that, what sort of style & size are you looking for ?

Also A higher budget is always a good thing.

Report back what you would like or fancy !

Good luck !

Matt
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RIP jack (wheelie king), you will never be forgotten.
Current Bike's - Road Legal TZR 125 Pitbike, Aprilia SR50R 2010
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SamWise72
Trackday Trickster



Joined: 16 Sep 2012
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PostPosted: 17:17 - 27 Sep 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you're currently ok cycling to the station all year round, you should be fine on a bike too.
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angryjonny
World Chat Champion



Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Karma :
PostPosted: 17:27 - 27 Sep 2012    Post subject: Re: Advice regarding a new bike Reply with quote
drmmanish wrote:
If yes, could you suggest me a used bike (number of years old, mileage, possible cost, accessories that I should buy) that best fits my situation. My obvious priorities are safety and hasslefree ride.

If safety is a priority, don't ride in London. Or get decent gear (I see people riding in suit trousers and loafers etc = shredded legs in an off) so get decent textile kit that fits (all the pads in the right places) and a waterproof oversuit (waterproof also means windproof which is a real godsend in those cold winter months).

Bike-wise it will probably end up shiny-side down every so often and it's not a question of if it gets nicked but when. So I'd avoid anything with shiny plastics and stick to something comfortable and basic like a YBR125 or a CBF125. Avoid anything Chinese, particularly as a daily commuter bike or it'll rust away from underneath you while you're riding it.

Normally we say to folks who are learning that you can buy a basic 125 (2-3 years old) for £1000 and sell it for £1000 when you're done with it. But that's someone who is going to learn and then upgrade afterwards. You're going to run whatever you buy into the ground so be prepared to basically throw it away when you're done with it.

Service it frequently, wash all the salt off in the winter, keep your chain lubed and adjusted or else you'll get through several bikes a year.
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Teflon-Mike
tl;dr



Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Karma :
PostPosted: 18:24 - 27 Sep 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Read this:
I want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do I start?
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'
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Matt-
World Chat Champion



Joined: 19 Jul 2012
Karma :
PostPosted: 18:33 - 27 Sep 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Teflon-Mike wrote:
Read this:
I want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do I start?


Where's the story Tef Wink
____________________
RIP jack (wheelie king), you will never be forgotten.
Current Bike's - Road Legal TZR 125 Pitbike, Aprilia SR50R 2010
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Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 14 years, 13 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
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