first bike

[arse-claxon]

Hi all , i am soon going to buy my first ever scooter...well,my first ever motorcycle of any sort :D I'm planning to buy brand new but i can't pay much more than about £1500 .
I'm wondering what you all recommend . I want the bike to get to work and to maybe go camping at the weekends ,so i need a scooter that will do a fair few miles at a time with no problems . Also i hope to carry a pillion passenger ...in the form of my wife :>) So, will it need to be a big scooter? cause i'm not exactly small....6 foot / 14 stone sorta thing.
I'm not wanting a speed demon or anything fancy....just a solid basic scooter to do just what i've said above.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Richy

[White Noise]

[lilredmachine]

I'm guessing that you are entitled to ride a moped provisionally on your car licence? In which case do your DAS and get a big bike for the job.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[G]

A £1500 scooter can easily loose £1000 in value or more in a year.

Buy a second hand bike for the same or less and you should only lose one or two hundred. If you're lucky you could even make some money if you get a good deal.

[arse-claxon]

Hi guys, well, i only have a provisional car licence . It does have catagory A on it tho. I'm over 21 so i thought maybee i'll just stick to a scooter of up 125 cc. I have no desire to have a 'real' bike.
I thought i should buy new cause i'll get a nice 'on the road' package ...u know,warrenty,3 years mot etc etc.
Richy

[G]

You will have to do your CBT and a full bike licence of one kind or another. That or redo the CBT every two years.

A warranty on a £1500 scooter may not mean much.
Get a one year old vehicle and it'll still be in warrenty and not need MOT, but the first owner has taken the big hit on it.



Out of interest, why do you want a scooter over a proper bike.

[arse-claxon]

Hiya, well i want a scooter cause i have a bad back and they look more comfortable and easy to handle. I really don't think i could handle a proper bike and they just don't appeal to me. A friend of mine has a monster bike and when i tried sitting on it i was horribly uncomfortable.
A scooter will do me for the short commute and a little fun on the weekends.
Are scooters able to travel a fair few miles in one journey without burning out ?
I've seen a few good deals for new ones that included the helmet, gloves AA cover, MOT, warrenty and insurence.....hence my reluctance to go second hand.
All the best....

[RS125_Tecky]

You can't carry a passanger on a provisional can you?

Go for an Aprilia SR 125. i went everywhere on mine and within 3 years I had 30,000 km's on the clock.

The only work I every had done to it was a change of front brake pads and at 20,000 kms the drive belt snapped so I got a new one which cost £30. The front break pads were £14, so £44 is all I spent on it in 3 years, it never let me down.

I also did trips from manchester to blackpool on it alot aswell with no probs.

It was also quite nippy it did about 60-65mph and was quick off the mark.
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2004 ZX6R B1H

[Mark_petty]

Hi, if you want to get a scooter make sure you get a 125cc especially if carrying a pillion.
If you wish to carry a pillion you will need to do a full bike test as a cbt doesn't cover you for carrying anyone else.

What ever you decide you will need to do a CBT which costs around £100. Once you get the CBT certificate you can get any bike/scooter up to a 125cc.

I have just done my CBT and got myself a Honda CLR 125. I had a 50cc scooter before and much prefer the new bike.
I'm planning on using the bike as a practice thing for 6 months until I do my DAS. I have dropped the bike already luckily it only cost me £750 so I'm not going to loose much money.

[arse-claxon]

Thanks lads for the advice.A 125cc scooter it is then. I'll do my CBT and as soon as possible ill get the Light Motorcycle Licence.I'm 100% certain i'll never have a big bike. For one thing i couldn't it.

[dodsi]

Bikes are more comfortable than scooters.

Go to a dealer's and try a few on!

[dodsi]

Forgot to add.

a 125 does not have the power for "weekend touring" you will be sat 2's up at about 45-50mph in reality getting pissed off.

A 500cc bike will sit 2's up at 80mph with ease.

Then you have more room for other bits and peices.

If you REALLY dont want a real bike get atleast a 250cc maxi scooter.

[stinkwheel]

I personally find scooters horribly unstable things to ride. You have a lot more control over a proper motorcycle because it has bigger wheels, you sit astride it, it has gears and a clutch and your feet are on proper footpegs rather than sat one a plate.

I see no reason why a 125 motorbike should be any different for someone with a bad back than a scooter. Your mates bike was maybe a sports model with clip-on handlebars which has you crouched over it, not all bikes are like this. There are any number of 'traditional' style motorbikes out there on which you sit up properly.

Anyway, if you go and do your CBT they will have both step-throughs and geared motorbikes (usually CG125s which are very much a 'sitting up' style). Have a go on both and see what you think, the CBT guys will most likley recommend you try the geared bikes too.

From your description of what you want to do with the bike, I would have said you would be better off with one of the older style 250cc commuters such as the honda CB250 the yamaha SR250 although I don't think you can get them new any more.

Anyway. Keep an open mind on the geared bike thing until you have given them a try, not all bikes are the same.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[mr.z]

Scooters come in sizes above 125cc

The light motorcycle test is utterly pointless, you can still use a 125 to pass the full test, after 2 years of 33bhp restriction you can ride anything you decide to go for...

Somehitng like the burgman or Tmax is a more usefull option, you can tour on them, nip through traffic, everything, also not be such a traget to bike theives or people driveing into you "sorry didn't see you mate"

125 will carray a passenger if you really need to but you'd get sick of it VERY fast..

What stinkwheel said, scooters are feckin orrible to ride imo, like rideing a shoping trolley, all the weight is on the back wheel makeing the front end feel worryingly loose... orrible... biger scooters are excelent to ride, stable and enough power to keep you moveing.. just the price..

When you say monster bike was it a sports bike? i'm not supprised you found it uncomfortable


I'd suggest you go to a bike showroom and try different STYLES of bike, try siting on them, get a feel for the reach and the position you'd hold while rideing... by this i mean, custom/big scoot/sports/sports tourer e.t.c.


You have been warn'ed
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[AcIdBuRnZ]

[Sheepy1209]

I started like you, just wanted a scooter to get to work, but knew a 50cc wouldn't be adequate.

It was only when I looked into it that I realised I'd have to do pretty much the same test eventually - so I went down the DAS route - a 125 restricted licence would have been OK but would have cost just as much.

The DAS used Honda CB500s - really forgiving to ride, not scary at all, and with a good turn of speed when you need it. If you're nervous about handling the weight, power etc don't be - ask the CBT school if you can sit on a 500, and try pushing it around. You might find it easier to 'paddle' the bike while sitting on it.

Actually lifting the bike isn't something to worry about - you need the strength to keep it upright while pushing it, but there are loads of bikers who would be incapable of picking up a dropped bike on their own.

It just seems a shame to restrict yourself to an automatic scooter when for very little extra effort you can get a full licence.

Regarding bad backs - obviously every case is different; I have back problems, but I find my fairly upright bike is better than a car - it actually helps, as it strengthens the stomach and back muscles. Movements in normal riding are very subtle and natural - not like twisting steering wheel and pressing a car clutch.

If you really want to stick with a scooter, the Suzuki Burgman and Honda Silverwing are good ones to aim for longer term - bigger engines, so fine for travelling two up.

Sounds like it's confidence you need - the whole 'big bike' thing is intimidating at first, but I found the people so enthusiastic that I got sucked in - I'm not ready for anything really big, but I'm glad I made the commitment to riding a 'proper' bike. I've only just passed my test, which two months ago I could never have imagined doing.

Remember that scooters don't seem to get the same respect on the road as bigger bikes - most drivers see a scooter, with or without L-plates, and assume it'll be a buzzy moped - so they try to pass you like you're on a bicycle.