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insomnai
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 16:37 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Pre-New Rider Reply with quote
Hey guys and gals. Hope all is well!

Give you a little background first:

I'm 37 years old and have NEVER done anything i've not needed to do so catching the local bus route has always faired me well. A taxi has always helped with shopping as it was actually cheaper than ordering online.

However...

I recently decided, much more of a whim than anything else, that I need to get something done about being able to get myself from A to B without having to rely on the local service, a taxi, or a lift to do my normal day to day living.

And so begins my comparison between my £85 bus pass that gets me anywhere in West Yorkshire at any time, and the cost of running a motorbike.

"A car!" my colleague shouts at me across the desk, "I'm selling my car!" they state. And because I'm a larger fellow, I get the obvious responses when I ask "What car is economical without it looking like i'm driving a go-kart? That is good for mileage and cheap to maintain?"

"Sherman Tank", "Arctic Lorry" yadda yadda. (Gits!)

I'm not 'huge', not by any means, but I am 6'4" and 138kg. I don't want to look like a complete tard riding or driving any vehicle.

Continuing my tale, I was invited to have a chat with one of the local instructors, and see what I thought of a CBT session in full swing (The bit in the sealed off carpark, not the road riding bit... I wasn't running after the instructor and his 2 learners along the main road), and it certainly caught my attention. Everything 'seemed' to make sense and I was watching carefully what he was showing the learners and listening to his every word for about 2 hours.

I have now bought my provisional and am going to go for a CBT the moment I get paid next week.

I hope it goes to plan.

The most obvious question I have here is, based on my size and weight, what kind of bike is suggested if I go purely for CBT legal for now? What kind of running costs am I expecting to run into mileage wise?

Thanks for taking the time to read, and thanks in advance for taking the time to reply!
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grr666
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PostPosted: 16:38 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Did my CBT on a Fazer 600.
But the old favourite learner legal jobbie for big fellas is a Varadero. No longer made they seem to command a
premium second hand because their size is like a big bike.

https://www.bikeexpert.co.uk/public/site/thumbs/500-500-0-0-tn-image-89.jpg
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Last edited by grr666 on 16:43 - 10 Apr 2016; edited 1 time in total
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insomnai
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Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 16:43 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
grr666 wrote:
Did my CBT on a Fazer 600.
But the old favourite learner legal jobbie for big fellas is a Varadero. No longer made they seem to command a
premium second hand because their size is like a big bike.


Damn,

I think you posted that before I even hit 'submit'!!

Thanks for responding. After a quick Google, I found the Varadero, surely a good looking bike for a 125cc but yes, I haven't found a single 2nd hard one that isn't hideous in price.

Are there any other takers?
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arry
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PostPosted: 16:45 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Re: Pre-New Rider Reply with quote
Wotcha, and welcome Thumbs Up

insomnai wrote:

The most obvious question I have here is, based on my size and weight, what kind of bike is suggested if I go purely for CBT legal for now? What kind of running costs am I expecting to run into mileage wise?


TBH, with your size, you're going to struggle a bit on a 125 with the likely exception of a Honda Varadero 125, which is a bit taller / more 'bigger bike' style than the others. With that said, you'd probably still get on ok with something like a Yamaha YBR 125 as they're still fairly roomy, but you will look a bit monkey bike Laughing

You'll also, obviously, suffer with the lower power bikes because power to weight will be well against you. Best advice I'd give is to do your full licence tests and get a bigger motorcycle. Trust me - it's better that way.

As for running costs - at your age, as long as you can leave it somewhere secure and you don't live in Beirut, insurance will be insignificant. Tax is naff all. A YBR will do 100mpg ish and tyres are cheap. It's a very effective and efficient mode of transport overall. My only word of caution is don't forget about the cost of buying everything you need (or should consider, at least) to safely ride a bike. That's helmet, gloves, boots, textiles / leathers. That lot can soon add up, but at the same time you can get some good bargains and get it all done in a couple of hundred quid by shopping well.

Best of luck
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insomnai
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Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 16:53 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Re: Pre-New Rider Reply with quote
arry wrote:

TBH, with your size, you're going to struggle a bit on a 125 with the likely exception of a Honda Varadero 125, which is a bit taller / more 'bigger bike' style than the others. With that said, you'd probably still get on ok with something like a Yamaha YBR 125 as they're still fairly roomy, but you will look a bit monkey bike Laughing

You'll also, obviously, suffer with the lower power bikes because power to weight will be well against you. Best advice I'd give is to do your full licence tests and get a bigger motorcycle. Trust me - it's better that way.

As for running costs - at your age, as long as you can leave it somewhere secure and you don't live in Beirut, insurance will be insignificant. Tax is naff all. A YBR will do 100mpg ish and tyres are cheap. It's a very effective and efficient mode of transport overall. My only word of caution is don't forget about the cost of buying everything you need (or should consider, at least) to safely ride a bike. That's helmet, gloves, boots, textiles / leathers. That lot can soon add up, but at the same time you can get some good bargains and get it all done in a couple of hundred quid by shopping well.

Best of luck


Thank you!

The Yamaha YBR125 is what I would be learning on and it is a Kawasaki ER6N if I go for my big boys test. (Which I will probably do IF I ace the CBT and am comfortable)

I did note the lads doing their CBT on the YBR125 were all at least a foot shorter than me and still had right-angle leg position on the bike. I've got 35" inside leg so i'm curious as to what I'm going to look like on one of these.

I did a price comparison on insurance on a bike that went on eBay yesterday afternoon, a Honda 650cc, based on passing this month and parking it on the road outside my house, i'd only pay £84 tax a year and £450 insurance. Which is still a hell of a lot cheaper than my bus pass. Of course Petrol is another story.

Helmet, gloves, textile/leathers are accounted for before I even begin. I'm not skimping but i'm not going nuts either Wink
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grr666
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PostPosted: 16:54 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Re: Pre-New Rider Reply with quote
arry wrote:

You'll also, obviously, suffer with the lower power bikes because power to weight will be well against you. Best advice I'd give is to do your full licence tests and get a bigger motorcycle. Trust me - it's better that way.


Thumbs Up I agree with this post. Do DAS and get a proper bike. Even a moderately powered CB500 or similar will
properly blow your wig off, especially if you're a complete novice.

I rode a GN125 I was interested in buying for my wife This was after I had already passed my test, it
honestly felt like a toy bike and I'm only 5'11 and 12.5 stone soaking wet. I was pinning it the whole time and
was still HUGELY frustrated by how gutless and slow it felt to the point that it literally made me laugh out loud as
I was riding it along. PROTIP Big bikes are easier to ride.

35" inside leg Shocked
You may find an ER6 a bit cramped. I do after about a hundred or so miles, especially with a pillion.
But I think the two part, two level seat has a lot to do with this as you can't just slide back a bit as the rear cushion
won't let you.
BTW. This thread is Tef bait a bit.
All you have to do is get him to say CB125 backwards and he will probably disappear for another hundred years. or not
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Andy_Pagin
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PostPosted: 16:55 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Try the YBR125 or any other run of the mill 125. What counts is inside leg measurement, but the only way to really find out what fits is to sit on one. Doing the CBT will give you a good idea as to what fits.

Running cost for a 125? DIY it's Something like...

Oil change every 4000 miles - £10
Full service every 8000 miles (one spark plug, air filter) - less than £50 easily.
Tyres will last about 10,000 miles and cost about £70 a piece including fitting.
Chains last anywhere from 10,000 miles to 30,000+ depending on quality and how well you look after them.
Petrol - 100mpg+ is about average for a 125 geared motorcycle, twist&go is slightly less.

Tax man says mileage allowance for a motorcycle is 26p per mile, so you can take that as being roughly the running costs for a 125, for a big bike it's considerably more.
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Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer
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Andy_Pagin
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Joined: 08 Nov 2010
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PostPosted: 17:00 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Stop worrying about how you'll look, no-one else will give a toss. It's how you feel that's important.
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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
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arry
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PostPosted: 17:10 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Andy_Pagin wrote:

Oil change every 4000 miles - £10


Do you think we're made of money Shocked
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insomnai
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 17:41 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Hahaha Reply with quote
Andy_Pagin wrote:
Stop worrying about how you'll look, no-one else will give a toss. It's how you feel that's important.


Thanks for this, lol, it was relative to comfort of course. I don't give a rats posterior how I look as long as i'm comfortable but the more knowledgeable of the community can certainly give me a good idea as to what i'm likely to be comfortable on based on my size haha Wink
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insomnai
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 18:00 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
ZX-7R wrote:
Might be worth popping down your local dealer to try a few for size to get an idea what suits you.

Imagine a dirt style bike may be better for your height.

Welcome to the world of riding. Thumbs Up


Thank you very much, yes it might well be worth visiting. I just don't want to be disheartened by looking at the prices of the new shiny bikes. Finance isn't an option for me as i've just moved and cash isn't a limitless supply at the moment...
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Dave70
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Joined: 20 Jan 2012
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PostPosted: 20:29 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Andy_Pagin wrote:
Oil change every 4000 miles - £10


Tut Tut Only if you want to kill the engine. Generally, it's usually around 1800 miles for an oil change on a 125. Well, when I say generally, I mean on the YBR & R125 anyhow. Wink

To the OP. You may find the YBR a bit small tbh but, it's a nice little bike to practice on, cheap to run a very reliable but, I would recommend getting a full licence asap. Most 125's will struggle to maintain the required speed on certain roads, especially if it's up hill and you're on the larger side of average (like myself).

Do DAS and get an ER6. As someone who's been in a very similar position to yourself but, had the experience on riding 125's for a few years, I'd recommend the former.

Good luck. Thumbs Up
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2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.
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insomnai
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Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 20:45 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dave70 wrote:

To the OP. You may find the YBR a bit small tbh but, it's a nice little bike to practice on, cheap to run a very reliable but, I would recommend getting a full licence asap. Most 125's will struggle to maintain the required speed on certain roads, especially if it's up hill and you're on the larger side of average (like myself).

Do DAS and get an ER6. As someone who's been in a very similar position to yourself but, had the experience on riding 125's for a few years, I'd recommend the former.

Good luck. Thumbs Up


It seems like the common advice is to forget the 125cc altogether and go for DAS in order to go for the bigger bikes, OK, lets say I ace the CBT and that's an option open to me, my problem is the cost of the bikes, they're just so damned expensive!
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arry
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PostPosted: 20:53 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
insomnai wrote:

, my problem is the cost of the bikes, they're just so damned expensive!


You'll get a lot more bike in much better condition than you would a 125. The 125 you get for 1500 quid may be newer but that's all it'll be better at
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Dave70
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PostPosted: 20:58 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Many 125's are expensive too. Sometimes more so, as crazy as that sounds.

Shop around and many used bigger bikes can be had for the same, if not less than a used 125.

You'll often find that the bigger bikes have been better looked after too, as they haven't been dropped a few times by beginners or ragged to death and or neglected by teenagers.
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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.
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insomnai
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Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 21:11 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dave70 wrote:
Many 125's are expensive too. Sometimes more so, as crazy as that sounds.

Shop around and many used bigger bikes can be had for the same, if not less than a used 125.

You'll often find that the bigger bikes have been better looked after too, as they haven't been dropped a few times by beginners or ragged to death and or neglected by teenagers.


That's true.

I really REALLY like the look of the Kawasaki ER6 series, I like the predator/jaggedy type front end. It's purdy.
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Dave70
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PostPosted: 21:27 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
insomnai wrote:
I really REALLY like the look of the Kawasaki ER6 series, I like the predator/jaggedy type front end. It's purdy.


I had to re-sit my cbt in the UK recently and spent the afternoon riding around on one. I was just about to buy a gsxr 600 prior to this but, the ER6 felt perfect in every way tbh. It was so comfortable and easy to ride (once I'd got used to the low down torque). It was a decent all rounder on the roads.

And yeah, they look quire decent too. Thumbs Up
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2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.
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insomnai
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Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 22:42 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dave70 wrote:

I had to re-sit my cbt in the UK recently and spent the afternoon riding around on one. I was just about to buy a gsxr 600 prior to this but, the ER6 felt perfect in every way tbh. It was so comfortable and easy to ride (once I'd got used to the low down torque). It was a decent all rounder on the roads.

And yeah, they look quire decent too. Thumbs Up


Yeah these are nice. I've just done a quote comparison for insurance based on passing my test on 01/04 and insuring from 30/04 on an ER6N and it came out at £483 fully comp with £200 compulsory excess. Can't scoff at that at all.
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Dave70
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PostPosted: 22:47 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
For a new one, I got quotes ranging from around £530 up to £10,004 and yes, that comma is in the correct place. Laughing
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2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.
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grr666
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PostPosted: 22:51 - 10 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
They are a brill first big bike I think.
I'm ready for something a little bit 'fruitier' now though.

@OP I went through the DAS scheme at 40YO and never bothered with a 125 either. Couldn't see the point to be honest.
But to be fair I did ride A LOT when I was in my late teens so I was coming back to it after a long break away from biking.
Bought a year old ER6f with about a 1000 miles on the clock private sale via ebay. My first years insurance on my ER6f as
a new full licence holder was £111 full comp and that's with zero no claims obviously.

I was expecting it to be closer to £500 if I'm honest, for some reason that seemed 'about right' and was what I had
budgeted for so I was pleasantly surprised. Paid same again year 2 but the cover was considerably better than year 1.
The bike hasn't had tons of use to be fair, I only ride for fun now when I have the time and favourable conditions.
I appreciate that others may want to ride year round, but I don't. Besides it keeps going for a ride as a nice
treat that way, especially as the rest of the time I drive a smelly old van.
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insomnai
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Joined: 10 Apr 2016
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PostPosted: 20:57 - 12 Apr 2016    Post subject: Nearly there... Reply with quote
Well, 2 days to go and I will be sending off for my provisional. Hopefully the new application will drag my photo from the Passport Office and verify who I am quickly and I can have it back within a couple week.

Then, onto my CBT.

Can't wait!
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insomnai
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PostPosted: 22:48 - 12 Apr 2016    Post subject: Struggling... Reply with quote
I have been scouring eBay and Gumtree for days now and cannot find a single suitable bike within my financial limits.

It's almost heartbreaking Sad
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 07:48 - 13 Apr 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Slim pickings up here as well. Most of what's on offer is either overpriced, or dealers masquerading as private sellers to shift trade-in dogs, or both.

Fret not though. What matters is that there's a bike available at the point when you're ready to buy. Get your ducks in a row, get your money ready, then hit the market.
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