Advice for a new biker

[minichez]

Hi all, i am currently deciding between a bike or a car, so firstly what are the benefits and drawbacks of bike riding.

Secondly what would the correct path to decide weather i actually am comfortable behind the bars of a bike before i decide to get one and do my cbt.

Finally advice on getting bikes, ive seen a couple 125cc bikes i like such as the lexmoto XTR 125 and the WK Sport 125.
But my dad would prefer me to get a 50cc, but i like the body styles of those 2 125cc's, found an aprilia rs4 50, but they are really expensive.

Am based in manchester so any good dealerships / places around here to recommend?

Any help would be apreciated.

Cheers!

[wr6133]

Car = Boring, expensive, boring

Bike = Awesome, awesome and more awesome

Easy choice really.

Though if you want sensible answers.

Car = tool to get you from A to B. Guessing you are around 17 a car is expensive to insure. Will eat more petrol than a 125 bike so cost more to run.

On a plus side for cars - You can fuck in it (challenging on a bike). you aren't exposed to the weather. You can fit all your mates in it so when you prang the thing in to a tree right after saying "watch this" the death toll is more amusing.

Bike - Exposed to the weather, no passengers with CBT and L plates. L plates are crap so you will want a licence. Can require more spanner work than a car. 125's are not exactly fast.

Plus side - They are fun more than just a tool to get from a to B you take them out just for the fun of it. Can be cheap to buy. 125's sip petrol so you can afford to rack up miles. Cheaper to insure (normally) than a decent car at your age. Chicks dig them though with a CBT you can't take said chicks to your house on the back and as we covered earlier doing them on the bike is no small feat (specially on a wobbly little 125).

ohh to add tell your Dad a 50cc limited to 30Mph is just dangerous a 125 can at least safely keep up with traffic

[evilbond]

[minichez]

i am 20 actually and am starting to want to drive something :p.

And cheers for the advice!

[Rogerborg]

#1 Use the Get On scheme to blag an hour or so on a bike to see if you like it.

#2 Do your Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)

#3 If you're still grinning, then's the time to think about a bike.

I'd rather walk or pedal than ride a 50cc. They're utterly unsuited for all but the most urban of commutes to your job at the hairdresser.

If you buy new, you'll get hosed with depreciation. There's a chap near me who has been trying to shift a 7 month old £1550 WK Trail 125 for £750 on Gumtree for weeks (actually £650 this weekend), and getting no takers.

The XTR and "Sport" are both essentially the same bike: CG125-copy running gear wrapped in CBR125-copy plastics. They're very basic, not nearly as quick as their looks would suggest, and they'll cost you a packet if you drop them.

Your money would be much better spent on a used YBR125 or a CBF125 in decent condition, or push the boat out, get a real CBR125.

But horse before cart: CBT, grin.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[sabian92]

Please do not get anything 50cc. Slow to the point of being dangerous. A 125 will hit 60 reasonably easily even though you'll be pinning it to get it to go that fast (and only on the flat) - a 50cc anything will do 30 tops and yet you're legally allowed to ride one on a motorway (if you have a licence, anything on L plates isn't allowed on the motorway).

I've got a YBR125 and it's slow as fuck - I've only been on it 7 weeks and I want something quicker already. It's alright round town as it's quick to get up to 30 but above that it does struggle, and even in a light headwind hitting 55 is difficult.

[biggeeman]

when you prang the thing in to a tree right after saying "watch this" the death toll is more amusing.

lol
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lol your funny

[Tamsin]

From my point of view (as a new biker who passed car driving test 12 years ago at 17) get your car license first and get a beat up little shitbox of a car with the expectation that it might last one more MOT at most and get some roadcraft learned (and observe the a-holes that are on the roads) in something that's less likely to kill you. In your first year or two on the roads you are significantly more likely to have an accident and if you do it in a car you are far less likely to do significant damage to yourself....

Whilst tootling round in that start putting some dosh aside for CBT, bike and associated bits n bobs.

[biggeeman]

I see a lot of L plate warriors these days makes sense for a financial
reason practical reasons can be difficult but workable misses sent me to ikea to pick up a small package it will fit on your bike she said it was a fooking wardrobe enough said.

but whatever your choice welcome to the biking world.
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lol your funny

[Rogerborg]

<OFF TOPIC>

[minichez]

Thanks for all the responses, i am drawn to getting the WK sport 125, i love the look of it, it just now depends if i like riding a motorbike and im not scared of it.
the free hour thing is booked in my area wayy into the future so i will leave that and just go straight for a CBT!

[ficedula]

[ice.shark]

I wasn't a teen when I bought a car and my car insurance was almost £2000 and that's one of the cheapest I could find and my car is category 5! My motorcycle insurance was £250 and my bike is category 11 (I think).

CBT costs £100-£150. Car lessons cost £25/h and you'll need 20-25h if you've no driving experience.

Cars are also, in general, more expensive.

Otherwise there're the obvious things - load capacity, weather effects, jam avoidance etc.

If I were living with my parents, I'd get a bike. Otherwise I'd get a car and then I'd get a bike.

[Rogerborg]

[Robster]

I applied for one of those GetOn free ride things, they never got back to me, so I got bored and just booked and did my CBT... Figured 30 mins to an hour on a bike would just make me want to do the CBT anyway so I jumped the gun, now I can rent and ride a 125 whenever I want.

Will echo what other people said here regarding 50ccs, my instructor said the same thnig, wouldn't let his kids anywhere near a 50cc scooter for the reasons mentioned.

[Frostdog]

Bikes are fun fun fun! Nothing beats getting up in the morning and sun is shining and getting on your bike, puts a smile on my face everytime. I've driven a car for 15 years and only last year took my cbt, wish I'd started earlier. But in saying that you sound a bit reserved, scared possibly so you need to go try it and see if it's for you. As long as you take it easy to begin with and don't try to show off or impress and take it slow I'm sure you'll be fine. I would suggest looking into and researching the Chinese bikes a bit more, I've not heard or seen too many positive reports. I'd Defo recommend a second hand jap bike, I have a Yamaha and it's reliable, not a single problem in nearly a year of owning and had two female owners prior, was barely used. Do you cycle? Ever commuted in traffic ? Sounds daft but I did, I feel i knew a bit more what to expect from this, you suddenly feel very vulnerable. Good luck
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YBR 125, Bandit 600, Er6N, Honda CB400 Super Four

[Andy_Pagin]

50cc mopeds exist for one reason only, because the law allows sixteen year olds to ride them. Avoid

As others said, bikes are more fun than cars by a country mile. Insurance is way lower and in the case of 125s running costs are also a lot lower unless you plan on cranking up really high annual mileages.

Downside is that biking is dangerous, other motorists will regularly do things that genuinely put your life in danger, so you need a very high level of concentration and the boldness to take pretty rapid evasive action on occasions to avoid collisions. Simply riding slowly and safely will not keep you safe. Biking is more analogous to flying a fighter aircraft in combat than it is to driving a car. I find all that bloody good fun , but is scares others shitless .
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer