Bike versus scooter

[KnightsFall]

So then, I recently started riding and am wondering what next. I did my CBT on a moped and got me a 125cc scooter which I mainly use for shortish commuting (about 5.5-6 miles typically). What I am trying to decide is if I should stick to scooters or look at switching to a "proper" bike.

A bit of background then. I am 35 so plenty old enough for DAS. My wife is the car owner (I did have one as well but got rid when it broke down some). I work on the edge of the local city centre, at a location with very little onsite parking so two wheels makes sense for beating as much traffic as possible and also avoiding expensive parking charges. The distance is doable on a push bike but I am too lazy to commit to doing so every day, in all weather and also want to have a motor under me so that I can go further afield when the need/desire arises. Anything without a roof is less than ideal in crappy weather but being bundled up in waterproofs and not having to pedal is still a plus. I'm about 15 stone and 6'1", with about a 33" inside leg so can probably sit comfortably on something a bit bigger and would to want anything too small. I like riding for the sake of it but get little time for exploring the local twistiess at present.

My heart says try a geared bike, do DAS and buy something big enough to be fun but still relatively practical. My head, annoyingly, insists on overthinking it. So given this information, would a big bike suit my needs do you suppose? Would a 125cc geared bike be worth considering, perhaps one of the 15bhp models to keep up with NSL a bit better? Any makes/models that would make sense? I am admittedly not a big fan of top boxes, aesthetically speaking, but would definitely miss the storage on a scooter otherwise.

My current ride, by the way, is a Piaggio Fly, which I don't think is too bad but the rear suspension kind of sucks and I sometimes find getting just the right speed a pain in the arse when creeping along with slo moving traffic.

TL:DR, if short commuting is the primary usage but flexibility to do more is desirable, is it worth getting a geared bike or better to stick to scooters?

Thanks in advance.

[Itchy]

I'm not sure if this applies any more judging by the fact that more people turn up to meets in cars than bikes.

But I started out as a commuter, as I loathe paying for parking.

Moving to new towns I met people by going out on crazy rides frequently. I miss the Plymouth group muchly.. we went out 3-4 times a week.

This built friendships and turned into more for a few years...

As it stands you ain't gonna be invited to a ride out on a scootay, in all my time riding I've seen ONE automatic motorbike that horrible Honda & zero scootays.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[JP7]

Is your ultimate aim to do your DAS and get a big bike? If so, it's maybe worth getting a geared 125 and getting used to working the gears.

Equally, you could just go and do your DAS, get your training on a geared bike while you do that and go straight for a big bike.

A moped is simple for zipping about on your daily commute, and if that's all you want to do then perhaps keep the moped for now. It depends what your aims and your priorities are. There's no easy answer really.

[wr6133]

If your ultimate aim is DAS and a big bike then go for it.

Commuting tool.... your 125 scooter is a practical choice, no faffing with gears, comfortable, under seat storage and user friendly. If commuting is your only reason for 2 wheels I'd stick with what you have.

A 125 with a hair more power for maybe a few extra Mph at best, I think would be a waste of money.

[KnightsFall]

Well I guess one of the main things I am trying to figure out is if DAS would be worth doing or not under the circumstances. Would a big bike make any sense if the primary usage is short commuting? I'd love to get out more on the weekends and go exploring but I usually end up doing stuff with my kids instead, often borrowing the car, so the commuting has to be the main factor. That said, I do still spend some time on NSL roads (topping out at what I am guessing is about 60mp, despite what the clock says) and being able to go on motorways from time to time would be nice.

For example, would something like a Honda CB500F or X be a sensible choice? I quite like the looks of the MT-07 but would it be a silly option if it spends most of its time on 30-50 roads?

Clearly I can get any 125cc and stick with the L plates but I would quite like to ditch those eventually regardless. I know one thing, I would like to get something a bit nicer to ride, with better suspension as soon as I can, even if it is just a more up market scooter. I'm also considering something like a 300-500cc scooter but this obviously requires further training anyway.

Yeah, wr6133, you might be right. But the some of the slightly more powerful models also look nicer in general and might potentially be better quality than some alternatives, so there is that too. I dunno really.

Maybe I should see if they are still doing something like those Get On sessions anywhere local of even just pay for a lesson, just to see how a geared bike feels.

[Pigeon]

[barrkel]

Scooters are better in "creeping" traffic than big bikes - the constant clutch slipping gets tedious after a while. I don't think your commute would be any better on a big bike. Though you should get confident enough not to keep creeping, and try and filter.

A 125 geared bike is not worth it, if you can get used to riding with gears fairly quickly - try a conversion lesson to give it a go. I'd be looking to do DAS as soon as possible. A big bike is a different creature to a 125.

A big bike opens up the whole countryside to sporty riding and exploration, riding that is much more fun than on a scooter. Scooters are at their best in cities.

I solved your problem by getting both scooter and big bike. More justifiable in London though.

Big bikes are 90% toys. But they are very fun toys.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[Rogerborg]

[monkeybiker]

[Richmurrills]

I've just upgraded to a 600 from a 125 for my daily commute (it's only a few miles each way). Sure, it's probably a bit overkill for that but I've got the option of going for a hoon when I can, and if I do need to head somewhere further afield again it's no problem.

So so glad I did my test, I couldn't go back to a 125 now I reckon. It's all very Flowers for Algernon…

[Rogerborg]

[Dannygee]

If you've got the cash, do the DAS/A2 however you like, then at least you have the freedom to pick & choose. Nothing says that you HAVE to get a bigger bike after passing your test (you will...) but you'll have freedom of choice & that's what it's all about IMO
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I just wanna ride, that's all...

Honda H100, Honda FX650, Honda NTV 650 Deauville, Suzuki GSX1250 FA Z

[KnightsFall]

Re: creeping.

I do filter quite a bit actually. But there are a number of places around my way that are not always easy to avoid, where filtering safely does not seem possible. Maybe that is just my inexperience but I still just end up crawling along until I see an opening.

It might just be my scooter but I find that it is very tricky to set the throttle just right at those speeds and controlling it with the rear brake also gets tedious, with the engine sometimes sounding like it is not so happy. Possibly I just need to learn to ride it better but I much prefer slipping the clutch in a car. Dunno how well this translates to clutch control on a bike though.

Money is a factor, by the way. If it was not, I would be doing my DAS instead of typing this. I can't really justify it for a play thing only but I am exploring the viability of doing so as this has become my main form of day to day transport. I get the comments about some cars being cheap to run but that does not help a lot due to the work parking situation. Public transport was taking about 3 times as long as riding and included a walk almost as long as the entire ride to work, so I don't want to go back to that.

[monkeybiker]

Can you find a place that does hourly lessons?

Do some lessons on a big bike and see how you feel.

[Rogerborg]

If you put a location in your profile, you may find someone nearby might offer you a naughty ride in some grimy industrial estate.
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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

[map]

[Wednesday Biker]

My experience of scooters is that they don't tend to last long.
A cheap 125 will go for years and at 10-11 miles a day you'll not be wearing tyres or brakes that quick.
Think my 125 did 200 miles or so on a tank of petrol.
Bigger bikes are great but for a short commute they aren't a must.Especially if its in a buit up area.
They cost much more in tyres,brakes and juice too.
I have a 250 for commuting and its pretty good.125 was too slow for me as I do 25 miles each way and most of that is A road and Motorway.

[KnightsFall]

Ooh, an illegal rendezvous in a grimy industrial estate? I'm a bit scared to give my location now, if truth be told.

So I'm kind of getting that I should probably do the DAS, though the paying per lesson/hour option might be a good idea. I want to lose the L plates anyway but paying to do a restricted license seems silly, if I can get unrestricted for a bit more. I'd need to do it on a school's bike anyway unless I want to be stuck with auto forever. Plus I would need at least A2 for even just a slightly more powerful scooter. I guess any further decisions like what bike might suit can wait for now.

Incidentally, I'm around Nottingham if anyone can recommend any decent riding schools.

[monkeybiker]

Me friend is using these guys at the moment

https://www.derbyshiremotorbikeschool.co.uk/

[WD Forte]

It sounds like you have just what you need right now
for a 5-6 mile commute
Do you need a bigger bike, or want one?
My lad had a 125 majesty that I was always using for similar trips
( which pissed him off at times)
It was great fun and I got through Bristol traffic a lot easier than on my
heavy 1000cc beemer which seemed cumbersome to use on short city trips.

If you seriously want to start getting out of town for say 100+ mile runs
on a regular basis then something bigger may be better so you can keep up with the flow
of traffic.
Bike or big scoot (burgervan for instance) you'll need to upgrade your license
and a geared bike test gives you more choice of machine.

Riding a big bike in creeping traffic can be tiresome
Its really easy on a T&G scoot, so if you're not enjoying it now
dont expect to enjoy slipping the clutch and tap dancing
on the gear change if you upgrade to a geared bike
Its when you get out of the town and traffic you start to enjoy it the most
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bikers smell of wee

[Tamsin]

Given the majority of my daily ride is on 20/30mph traffic laden roads and its not far, about 8 miles a day I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting a 50cc scoot from a practicality perspective but from a fun and learning perspective the geared bike is definitely better. I'm hoping to do DAS myself in the not too distant.

Get your DAS done so you dont have to worry about your choices being restricted and then think about what to do - given how little it costs to run a small bike compared to a car, I'd be keeping the scoot for the commute and getting something a little bit more entertaining for days out or longer journeys.....

[KnightsFall]

Just to be clear, the slow speed thing is an annoyance but not in itself a deal breaker. It might just be that model that is not as smooth as some at lower speeds and most of the time I can keep moving at a more comfortable pace anyway. Its the suspension that bugs me more. It has a single, basic spring on it and, at least for my weight, it seems to be pretty poor. I'm under no illusions that all bikes have flawless suspension and a better scooter might serve, but it is definitely one reason to want to change it for something better.

One thing I am glad that I did not do though, is go down the 50cc route. It was quite good fun for a first timer on CBT but, even with its relatively modest top speed, my 125cc is a lot more versatile when I get to 40-50mph roads.

[Val]

[KnightsFall]

I think it is more a case of "I wanna motybike" than any clear need, if I am being honest with myself. It just seems easier to justify if it is not a ridiculously ott option for my commute, even if it is not exactly optimal for the task. It's not like I need a particularly high spec car to get stuck in traffic either, but it is still nice to have something that is more comfortable to drive over longer distances and at slightly higher speeds.

Best answer still seems to be look at doing DAS and consider other options later. Maybe I will not be able to justify it even then, though something like a 250cc ride might not be incredibly silly for my needs and has similar requirements in terms of further training.

[Rogerborg]