Help needed from some experienced old heads :)

[Teflon-Mike]

[Undinist]

Mike seems to think that armour doesn't need to be on the shopping list. I have to disagree strongly - good armour, e.g. Safe-Max which came top in a Motorrad test, if worn correctly so that it stays in position, can make a huge difference. It's cheap too - a full set, inc. back, knee, hip, elbow and shoulder protectors, is £110 from polo-motorrad.com. What's that - 4 tanks of petrol? In a low speed commuter collision where you whack a car bumper or a kerb or something, it can mean the difference between bruising or getting in the ambulance. Or it can make the difference between a simple fracture or a shattered joint with months of rehab and permanently reduced mobility.

An air bag vest is something else for Stewdog to think about - £310 for a Helite https://r.ebay.com/OSlcgp which could stop your spine breaking or your lungs being punctured by your ribs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA8j3M6YBwo
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[Teflon-Mike]

[Undinist]

If you think armour is good, read your posts again and consider the context. I think you've made a somewhat irresponsible oversight. You're right to stress active safety, but a noob would get the impression from your posts that passive safety is trivial.
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[dydey90]

Jesus. Fuck doing a London commute.
Yesterday I had to be at work for 2pm. I was still in the bath at 1:35.

I used to do a Leeds-Nottingham commute, around 80 miles. That took 1:30-2:00, unless there was a crash/closure, but that could happen on any route.
That commute was a pain in the arse and I got through it with copious amounts of audiobooks and by knowing that it was only temporary. This was in my own space in the car too, where I could pick my nose and scratch my balls without being in a full train carriage with hundreds of personal space invades.

I'm going to bookmark this thread, so that if I ever get tempted by the inflated London wages, I can remind myself that my quality of life in the north is so much better.


Oh... Passing effort at returning to topic, I'd say that by using finance deals it would be possible to get on the road for the outlay of around £1200. Most of that is DAS, can cost up to £800 I'd say, then basic helmet, boots, gloves, deposit for insurance and bike.
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[Teflon-Mike]

[Undinist]

You really are quite weird. I think I'll put you on ignore.
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[Stewdog]

Thanks for the advice thus far guys, I understand the need for the DAS I just wasnt sure if could ride for a year without it! certainly it would appear you all believe the DAS as essential. And altho some may have read into my posting that i was indifferent to safety. Rest assured it is paramount to me and i have no interest in riding like a dick. The better knowledge the safer i'm gonna be.

So revising that list a little i have the following:

CBT - £120
DAS - £800
Helmet - £100 - £150
Armour - £100
Gloves - £50
Jacket, Trousers, Boots - £200 - £300
Insurance - £300
Sub total - £1670 as a lowest.

Mileage was based on a 45 mpg. so came out around £1500. I wanted to target a bike that was gonna offer me above 45 if possible ? and use whatever is left to help cover the filters, oil changes etc.

Ill be doing 80 miles a day for 192 days so that's roughly 15000 a year.

Now some of you mentioned rush hour etc. its suggesting between 1hr 15 and 1hr 30 to travel so as i need to hit the office at 10 i was going to head out at 0830 in the morning so i guess i'd be at the river by just after 9. or there abouts. Is that going to be hideous, if any of you regularly find yourself there at that time in the morning. I did hope it might have slackened off a touch after 9.

Regarding moving, its currently not an option, ive got a 6 and 3 and they are happy so im not gonna rock the boat. God how i wish i was back in the west country!!!

so i guess the challenge would be to find that mythical creature a super reliable bike with a huge mpg!

I never go into anything without seeking proper advice so please do continue to offer tips and ideas on anything from kit, to bike suggestions etc. Thats another thing, i was looking in dealerships and online, but where would you guys go to buy a used bike?

Apologies now if i sound like a total novice, but i am one i really appreciate the info so thanks for all the info coming through!

[Teflon-Mike]

Stop crunching numbers, start crunching cogs!

Go get your DAS booked.
Go learn something.
Go RIDE something.
Start getting some-where.
Make something a reality... a licence...
The rest will follow as course.
AND if you MUST keep planning and plotting, the 'doing' should help inform the schemes as you go, and probably far better than buyer's guides and brochures or even us lot!
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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?'

[Sable]

London Rush hour starts at 7 am gets a little easier between 10am and 3pm, then remove engages from 3pm - 7pm. About 1am the roads go quiet until 5am. Sometimes.

Rush hours in London are like that more or less all over London. So that's a yes, traffic between 8:30am and 10am will be hideous. You will however be on a bike, and skipping past traffic is what we are good at.

[Val]

[SuperMike]

I think the running costs on a scooter at least are a little high from some.

I used to work out in the community in my job - involved going round to people's houses. It was a 12 mile commute each way and then another 30 miles or so a day going around. I got re-imbursed for petrol etc, but servicing wise my scooter was a service every 2500 miles and they would be between 80 - 200 quid.

I put 15000 miles on my scooter in 18 months which is probably about what you would be looking at.

I had to have:

1 set of new tyres at about 150 quid
5 or 6 services - can't remember off the top of my head.
Petrol was the only other thing I brought - 6 quid would get me 120 - 140 miles.

With all the running around - some 1000 miles or so a month, it added up to about 70 - 100 quid of petrol, and then a 80 - 200 quid service every few months.

I reckon you would be quids in over the train easily. On a big bike perhaps not, but modern scooters really don't require all this weekly oil change etc as some have hinted at. I literally did nothing to my honda and it just went and went and went.

For me, it is an easy choice - scooter all the way. Not a slave to timetables, strikes etc. Driving through London, well yes it has its hazards - I got knocked off last year, but it is likely to be a low speed one, not a 90 mph bender into a lamppost.

Low mileage scooter second hand for 1500 or so and then enjoy - summer is coming!

[talkToTheHat]

Don't be thinking you'll be filtering through slow traffic like those with mad filtering skills as soon as you're set loose on the roads. It takes a fair amount of skill and practice. If you're in heavy traffic every day it will come fast enough, but beware of your enthusiasm or confidence exceeding your skill level.

Yes Tef has some odd ideas and isn't particularly consise. But he's part of the decor here, so get used to it.

Of course I'm going to have to disagree with tef. At some point you're going to fall off. A cheese sandwich and a woolly jumper isnt going to be as much use as as a reasonably priced and reasonably comfortable two piece in immitation goretex and nylon with built in armor. Drop a halfbrick on your knee from a height of two metres and that's you not walking for a while. A chunk of fancy foam and you'll walk away. It wont save you from a high speed interfacing with a relatively immovable object. You need a tonne of steel crumple zone for that. But kit that keeps you warm, dry and makes you bounce and slide just that little bit better is resonably affordable, and if you cnoose it well, is reasonably comfortable.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Matt B]

[Undinist]

Stewdog, the fact that it's winter and you're planning a few months ahead means you have the perfect opportunity to get good quality second hand clothes on the cheap. There's a high turnover of people who give up biking and sell nearly new stuff. Prices hit rock bottom at this time of year, partly because of the weather and partly cos dealers are discounting the new gear. Set up some saved searches on ebay and get trawling!
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[Val]

[Stewdog]

Thought you all might appreciate an update.

Finally got the money together and tackled CBT and theory over the past two days.

Got through both, although that theory test was a lot more strenuous than I anticipated. I'm pretty certain I just turned up and collected a piece of paper when I did it for my car test 15 years ago. Anyway 46/50 weren't too bad.

If anyone's about to do it go on App Store and pay £2.99 for the revision app it saved me.

CBT was good, did one hour free get on in Feb so was itching to start properly. Lucky I did as they got me straight on no faffing around with the controls. My gear changing was making me wince. That poor 125 had the nuts revved off it poor thing.

Left chuffed yesterday getting out on the roads properly confirmed why I signed up.

DAS booked for mid May, so now trying to get a handle on bike prices and gather together my kit.

Cheers for all the advice thus far gents/ladies.

[Rogerborg]

Nice on, when winter ends in August you'll really start to enjoy it.
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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

[Undinist]

Top marks Stewdog! I was checking this thread only yesterday - I'm still thinking of filming your route as a test of my new camera. I've been trying it out, with mixed results.

[Dave70]

If you're doing your DAS in May, get your test booked now. If you're lucky, you may get a test bate before December 2034.

Okay, slight exaggeration but seriously, get it booked this week, as there's quite a wait.
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There ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk.

2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.

[Pjay]

Make it happen Stewdog!

And remember, you will be getting back 8-10 hours of your life back a week, price that into the equation when the figures dont stack up.
Also, the first year you'll take a financial hit, as you have to pay for the gear/bike/cbt/das/etc but the following years, the costs drop considerably.

[mossywitt]

I passed my DAS a few weeks ago (A2 as I'm 23) and bought my first bike this weekend. I've been keeping a close tally of costs, which I thought might be of interest:

https://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j396/Mossy_Wittenberg/Costs_zps4bo1vqpl.png[/URL]

As you can see there are some predictable costs and some strange ones (e.g. the drinks money left behind the bar of a village pub in the Pennines, for the absolute heroes who helped me reattach my gear lever when it fell off on my ride home).

I did my DAS with camrider on their 2-for-1 winter deal, which saved quite a lot, although I threw away another £145 when I dropped my bike in the Mod 1 manual handing maneuver

So far I've bought cheap gear (e.g. a second hand leather jacket from eBay) and made up for it with stuff I have already (wearing cycling thermals underneath and a goretex hiking jacket over the top). But when I get round to planning longer trips I'm going to buy more substantial stuff (£100-200) and upgrade the screen on the bike (£100) because currently I'm cold and badly buffeted above 60mph.

[Matt B]

[J4mes]

[mossywitt]

Tbf that's more for cycling. Though I was wearing it on the motorbike yesterday when a police van cut across my lane and very nearly took me out. Perhaps they didn't appreciate the mimicry.