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akura
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 02 Feb 2020
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PostPosted: 21:55 - 02 Feb 2020    Post subject: Newbie questions and worries! Reply with quote

Hi guys,

I have recently decided that i would like to buy a motorbike, a Suzuki v strom 650 is the one i have my eye on currently, a few questions though (I am 25 - never driven a car), I want to be able to drive my motorbike to the local train station to go to work in the city - they have a car park there which is great but there is no security at all, no cctv, no security around, it's literally just a space where about 60/70 cars park, this is the only option in this area(It's a rural area - although it gets really really busy after about 8am with cars) unless i want to start parking it along the road and i'd be afraid of a passing car clipping it and knocking it over, a few questions, would you guys trust parking your own bike in this location? is 8/9 hours too long to leave a bike unattended? Also what would you guys do with your helmet if you parked it up and hopped on a train which takes around 40/50 minutes, would you take the helmet with you or try and get a top box big enough to store it in?

Sorry for the very long post, but these are some of the last few questions i have before i take the leap and buy my first bike! Very Happy thanks very much for any and all advice given.
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akura
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PostPosted: 22:27 - 02 Feb 2020    Post subject: more info Reply with quote

I should just state, the workplace has no on site parking and the rates are £20+ a day for car parks around that area, so that's not happening, this is the most affordable option for me
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 00:35 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you have a licence to let you ride anything yet?
If not... dont you think that you are worrying about stuff that probably don't matter that much in the bigger scheme?
Eg; bike security at local train-station 'might', just 'might' be rather irrelevant, if you cant pass a bike test, or spend so much money on DAS training to get a bike licence, you have nothing left to buy bike with, or you do training, and HATE riding a bike, or or or, you pay for training, take tests, pass, spend more money, buy dream bike, then decide actually you cant stand freezing your chorrocks off and dont thaw out on the train! Or OR OR......
How secure the parking may or may not be... IS I think rather a long way down the critical path here!

Oh Kay... somewhat more helpfully.... or maybe not.....

You mention the cost of secure parking local to place of work... how thoroughly have you checked that out, and is that price you sugest that for a motorbike.... or a car? Who did you talk to, and be sure on the intel.. it could make a BIG difference to the plan.

Next up, you gotta leave the bike somewhere when you at work... railway car-parks are notorious, tea leaves can ride train, spot targets, and just get off to nab-em... it's not the most secure of places.. and ANY place you leave a bike for long periods unattended is going to ramp theft risk... but a railway station car-park? Going to be one of the worse.... The good news... not that there is lot... Bikes get nicked! Fact of life. And NO security is foolproof. If tyhey want iot they'll have it.... there are instances of people having the walls of brick garages sledge-hammered through by scroats deturmined to get at what's inside.... or they are 'jacked, pushed off at traffic lights or whatever, bike with keys taken, or they are mugged at knife-point when thy are unlocking it, for the same..... when it comes to security, its all a matter of common sense and simple probability....

More desirable your bike, more likely some-one will want it. More layers of security you use, harder you make it for them to take it, more likely they are to look elsewhere, B~U~T.... it's all in the lap of.. much like throwing your leg over a bike and facing the probably 10x greater risk of death or injury than just taking the train... you have to accept the risk that some-one at some-point is PROBABLY going to want to try nick your bike.....

SO... in answer to posed questions, would 'eye' leave my bike for nine hours or so, in a railway car-park?

Honestly, probably not, I have no need. If I had to? That's another matter, but yeah. I probably would. But I'd expect some-one to probably have a go at some point... as my bikes a near 30 year old Honda rattter... I wouldn't expect it to be top of many folks want list... but, they have 'ad it away with a CB125 project bike with no carburettors, before now, and mindbogglingly were apparently trying to bump start the thing! So, you cant make any presumptions....

So, is your suggested bike choice the most desirable? Probably not, but does depend how old it is. There are bikes that would top mores scroats wish list, but.. if they can 'av it, they will. So how hard could you make it for them?

Alarms, I have very little faith in. Annoying things few folk take any notice of, if they go off, and most who may here them will presume its owner error not a thief, and even if they did think it was a thief, even less would confront them...

Trackers, I don't put much store in. They dont so effall to stop a bike being nicked.. they may, if theres a sticker and the scroat can read, make them think.. if the scroat does that... but, at best they will tell you where the wreckage might be found....

Standard Locks.. ignition and steering lock... and to a large extent immobilisers that are a fancy ignition switch... well, this is the scroats bread and butter, its's what they do, and it does effall to stop them wheeling the bike away or chucking it in the back of a van.

Padlocks and chains... these I put more store in... but they only work 'really' if there is something hard and immovable to lock the bike to, like a lamp post, or sign post or railings.... is there? Again, not unknown for scroat to cut a sign-post down to get a lock off, but... does make the job more difficult for them.

Onto the Helmet Question..... In years past, I have lugged a hat about uni campus in my school bag. There are some rather smarter padded helmet sacks for the job these day, of if you want to get fancy, there's a top box on the bike....

Again, its a question of common sense, and practicality, and how much of a chore you want top make of it, but not really insurmountable, or a particularly big deal in the grander scheme, compared with oooh... passing a motorbike test.

Which takes us back to top really? Getting ducks in a row and issues in magnitude?

Would you leave a camera on the back seat of a car? Do you have a chain on your front door? Its all risk, and precaution, and choosing how much risk you are happy to take... how much I may live with, or
chap round the corner, or any other forum member, IS really chaff, we ALL have personal thresholds for such things... if there is a trick, its recognising the difference between 'perceived' risk, how likely you THINK something may be, and the 'actual' probability it actually IS.

And, people are horrendously bad at this, and biker's notoriously worse in general.... B~U~T the here and now is the fact you are worrying about this possible problem, is pretty striking when there are so many other, much more likely things that could make the question utterly irrelevant.....

You do it or you dont.. and its YOUR call.... that's pretty much it. If you have some common cocum, you'll do ;something' to reduce risks, and all will be, give or take a little, well. If not you wont, and you pays your money and takes your chances.... there's no grantees...

But, if you got to worry? REALLY this is NOT something I would stick at the top of the worry list, if I didnt even have a bike, licence yet! It really isn't!
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Pete.
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PostPosted: 00:47 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Re: Newbie questions and worries! Reply with quote

akura wrote:
Hi guys,

I have recently decided that i would like to buy a motorbike, a Suzuki v strom 650 is the one i have my eye on currently, a few questions though (I am 25 - never driven a car), I want to be able to drive my motorbike to the local train station to go to work in the city - they have a car park there which is great but there is no security at all, no cctv, no security around, it's literally just a space where about 60/70 cars park, this is the only option in this area(It's a rural area - although it gets really really busy after about 8am with cars) unless i want to start parking it along the road and i'd be afraid of a passing car clipping it and knocking it over, a few questions, would you guys trust parking your own bike in this location? is 8/9 hours too long to leave a bike unattended? Also what would you guys do with your helmet if you parked it up and hopped on a train which takes around 40/50 minutes, would you take the helmet with you or try and get a top box big enough to store it in?

Sorry for the very long post, but these are some of the last few questions i have before i take the leap and buy my first bike! Very Happy thanks very much for any and all advice given.


As your first bike you'll be paying a premium anyway so save your cash, get a scruffy bike that's less of a financial hit if it gets nicked and less of a worry to you when you leave it alone. It doesn't make sense to buy a tidy bike just to leave it standing vulnerable in a car park all day.

Get a big chain and lock it up at the station. Top boxes are easy pickings so get a cheap one and bodge a decent lock onto it, get a 50 quid lid and put it inside but be prepared for someone to bust the box open and never leave your keys in the box. If you do take your lid on the train don't keep your gloves and keys inside or it'll trash the visor and it's easy to lose the keys like that.

I would say ride the bike into work and find somewhere to park but you're not going to beat a 40-50min train ride on your bike.
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weasley
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Joined: 16 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 08:01 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is there another train station you can ride to, a bit further from you and closer to work but with better facilities?
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 10:29 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Re: Newbie questions and worries! Reply with quote

Pete. wrote:


As your first bike you'll be paying a premium anyway so save your cash, get a scruffy bike that's less of a financial hit if it gets nicked and less of a worry to you when you leave it alone. It doesn't make sense to buy a tidy bike just to leave it standing vulnerable in a car park all day.

Get a big chain and lock it up at the station. Top boxes are easy pickings so get a cheap one and bodge a decent lock onto it, get a 50 quid lid and put it inside but be prepared for someone to bust the box open and never leave your keys in the box. If you do take your lid on the train don't keep your gloves and keys inside or it'll trash the visor and it's easy to lose the keys like that.

I would say ride the bike into work and find somewhere to park but you're not going to beat a 40-50min train ride on your bike.


100% this.

Get a cheap shitter scooter or something similar that will only be used for the station run and then keep your lovely sparkly 650 for the fun days.

Yes, it will be more expensive but probably not more than replacing your your bike and raised insurance premiums when it gets nicked. Cheap bike, cheap lid. Nothing that is going to make you cry when it goes missing.

Saying all that, where is the station you are leaving the bike? If it's a country one in the middle of the sticks you might be OK but I wouldn't chance it personally.

Another idea. How far do you live from the station? What about an electric bike or something along those lines. Some you don't even need a licence for.
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Riejufixing
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Joined: 24 Jun 2018
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PostPosted: 11:14 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Re: Newbie questions and worries! Reply with quote

akura wrote:
I want to be able to drive my motorbike to the local train station to go to work in the city - they have a car park there which is great but there is no security at all, no cctv, no security around, it's literally just a space where about 60/70 cars park

Surely there must be someone there at least some of the time. See if you can have a friendly word , they may let you leave your bike or kit somewhere better. Worth a go, you never know.
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CorriganJ
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Joined: 04 Apr 2019
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PostPosted: 13:53 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm new so I'm still learning too. Whenver I come back to my bike I'm always amazed its still there. My tactic is to buy a rotter that noone wants (or actually, a nice solid bike that isn't new or fancy)

I will be investing in a top box to store my helmet in. If someone breaks into it, I lost a €50 helmet. No biggie.

Other than that, I put 3 locks on my bike just to be annoying. Most car parks have metal railings around the outside, or lamp posts in the middle. Try chaining it to something solid.
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JackButler
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PostPosted: 14:38 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only time I ever faced a similar problem I turned the charm on to an old lady living very close to where I needed to be. For a few £££'s every week + the occasional odd job the bike was semi securely parked on her back yard Smile
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Ste
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Joined: 01 Sep 2002
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PostPosted: 14:43 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

JackButler wrote:
The only time I ever faced a similar problem I turned the charm on to an old lady living very close to where I needed to be. For a few £££'s every week + the occasional odd job the bike was semi securely parked on her back yard Smile

These days there's a website for that. Wink

https://www.justpark.com/
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akura
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 02 Feb 2020
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PostPosted: 23:06 - 03 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks for the replies guys, upon further thought and your advice, i have decided to buy a smartcar, just kidding, no, i have decided to get a slightly cheaper bike, and take it to a car park, if it gets stolen i'll make sure i have insurance to cover theft. Plenty of dis locks and chains!

Thanks again!
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ThunderGuts
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PostPosted: 08:59 - 04 Feb 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only other thing is buy a heavier bike - a 125 can be much more easily lifted into a van than an old Pan Euro or equivalent (not that a Pan is necessarily an ideal first (?) bike)
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