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| EngineerDaisy |
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EngineerDaisy
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 31 Jul 2013
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 Posted: 21:04 - 31 Jul 2013  Post subject: Newbie with a few questions. |
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Evening all,
Probably a bit of a long intro but ill try and summarise.
Me and the OH are looking at cutting our monthly motoring costs by selling her car and letting me get a 125 for commuting the 14 mile round trip to work.
I want to go down the 125 and cbt route as I want to make sure that biking is for me and I like the idea of a couple of years no claims bonus for down the line, if and when I do the full test and get a big bike. Should I do my cbt first and then get a bike or the other way round?
I love old minis and old cars in general as well as the custom cafe racers, bobbers etc and was originally drawn to the Sinnis Cafe and the Skyteam Ace but having read loads about Chinese bikes I can't justify the risk of spending nearly 2k on something that may or may not work (get that enough with the minis)
I've also looked online at Honda CG's and Yamaha ybr's but I'm not convinced by the styling (I know it's a commuter bike I'm getting but I still want to like it) i know the older cg's look better but i don't think that ill be able to convince the oh that a 20-30 year old bike will be reliable (the minis haven't)
Then I found a Suzuki GZ 125 and really like the look of it. Are these good starter bikes? Any known issues etc? Or are there other cruiser style 125's that I should be looking at? Budget for the bike is around 1200. Could possibly stretch slightly further for the right bike. Insurance quotes for all the above bikes seem to be coming in at around the same price so that's ok.
Also need to get myself the gear. Is leather better than textile or are they equal when sliding down the Tarmac (I'm going to fall off at some point it's not a question of if more when  )
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance. |
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| -Matt- |
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-Matt-
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Joined: 28 Apr 2013
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Posted: 22:02 - 31 Jul 2013  Post subject: |
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Hi and welcome.
Id definately CBT first just in case its really not for you.
Looked at more traily style bikes like honda xr's? For 1200 you shoule find plenty decent 125s though. Biketrader and MCN classifieds are my prefered places to look.
Gearwise for abrasion leathers normally the winner i think. For impact its about the armour position and quality i think. Textiles tend to be more comfortable and weather safe, but can just get a rainsuit to put over leathers. I use one piece leathers personally as i feel safest in them  |
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| Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike
tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
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| Posted: 22:59 - 31 Jul 2013 Post subject: |
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Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'
All your questions answered, just click the link.
But start here:-
I just want a bike because its cheaper than a car.
The suggestion that a little 125 does over 100mpg compared to a car that only returns 30mpg, so bike is going to cost less than 1/3 to run, starts to get rather eroded when you start digging into it.
Meanwhile; there is a huge 'set-up' cost to getting on the road on a bike, that can take an awful long time to claw back from any savings made.
AND... if you are really keen to save money, being brutal and looking at your transport, biggest savings are probably to be found simply thinking twice about whenther you NEED to travel and not jumping in the mota out of shear convenience.
Most people do about twice the miles that they really need to, and could slash fuel costs and maintenence costs at a stroke, just by walking to the corner shop or for thier milk, or not going to to the big mega store twenty miles away just to see if they have a different shade of paint to the one three miles down the road!
It ent the CAR thats unecconomical... its the person driving it...
Pump up the tyres, drive it like a granny, you'll see more improvement in mpg from it than any widget or gizmo you can bolt to it...
Same thinking when you go looking for more ecconomical vehicles....
UNLESS you apply the ecconomy mind-set and apply the driving discipline to how you use it and how much you use it.... you are still going tobe wasting money whatever the verhicle.. and in all liklihood... continue using vehicle to the limit of your budget....
So you go bikes? You spend big chunk of cash upfront, to get a bike on the road; get the gear to go with it; do the training... then having spent all that money based on presumed savings... still end up spending the same on petrol, as you did in the car... cos its 'cheap' innit? You dont have to worry about it!
Anyway; click the link, have a think. CAN be made to work for you, but you don't save money by spending money.... you save money by NOT spending money, and ecconomy comes from how you do stuff, not what you use to do it.
____________________
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?' |
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| EngineerDaisy |
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EngineerDaisy
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 31 Jul 2013
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| Posted: 06:21 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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Cheers for the replies. Matt I haven't really looked at the more traily bikes but I will have a look. I did spot a honda cityfly the other day that looked ok and my first experience riding a geared bike was my mates 50cc supermoto which was really nice (although the best part of 8 years ago now)
Teflon Mike cheers for that  . Both our cars are fairly economical (both get 50-55mpg average) but the 500 is not big enough for the dog (bought after the car) and having monthly payments for the two cars is wearing thin. Yes we can afford them but the 160 a month for the 500 would be better off in our holiday/savings fund. As for the point in your link for getting a 'cheap' car I have been running bangers for the last 5/6 years, however I have never managed to pick a 'good' one yet even when buying from a dealer so doing that again is out of the question.
The minis have been my hobby for years but having no garage and living next to the sea is seriously scuppering keeping them. However I do have a back garden that would be accessible to a bike and an outbuilding to keep it in. The money saving is the mainish reason for getting one. The other is that I've always kind of wanted one and now seems a reasonable time to do it. I don't need to take passengers or large items to work and if I did I could borrow a work van. So if I save a bit of money as well as the £160 monthly payments it all adds up for example I pay over 100 quid a month for insurance for the mini and my peugeot. For a bike that will be around 20 quid (although I will get some more quoted to make sure I have commuting on them) |
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| Nick 50 |
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Nick 50
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Joined: 24 Jul 2011
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| Posted: 08:52 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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Personally I thought my GZ125 was a pretty good learner bike for me.
£1200 should get you a very very good example.
About the bike. It was built to a budget and needs tlc to keep it in good shape, especially during winter. Bits can rust if you don't protect the bike, eg the rear springs.
The only issue I had was the reg/rec went on mine and took out a fairly new battery  .
Can I ask what is your 14 mile commute like? The reason I ask, is the GZ125 is pretty slow, especially with adding hills into the equation.
I am 14 stone and on hills it could slow to 45 mph. On a dual carriageway that was a tad worrying considering you can have lorries up your arse trying to get past.
If you have to use dual carriageways I would suggest a different bike, perhaps a Honda VT125C Shadow if you can find one.
____________________
Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon....... |
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| waffles |
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waffles
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Joined: 04 Oct 2009
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| Posted: 10:51 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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Why not book yourself on the GetOn scheme first? It's a free taster session on a bike that will teach you how to make it go and slow speed stuff. If you enjoy that then go ahead and book up a CBT
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125 |
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| Pol Anorl |
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Pol Anorl
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| Rogerborg |
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Rogerborg
nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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| Posted: 11:58 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: Re: Newbie with a few questions. |
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| EngineerDaisy wrote: | something that may or may not work (get that enough with the missus) |
Sorry, I can't read that any other way. 
Right, I agree that Sinnis do have some very pretty bikes, but they're asking too much. They're getting towards the price of a YBR that's had its turn-key depreciation. Skyteam, no. Just no.
GZ125s owners seem generally happy with them. If you like the tassels and such, you could do worse.
However, what I'd suggest that you look at is the YBR Custom. It's got cruiser styling cues but a more neutral riding position, with a Japanese badge that will hold its value.
An interesting alternative is the AJS Eco Custom. We've had some convincing reports that for all intents and purposes, this is a YBR Custom, made in the same factory (Jianshe-Yamaha), with some minor differences, i.e. carb instead of FI. I'd count that as less to go wrong, personally.
| EngineerDaisy wrote: | Also need to get myself the gear. Is leather better than textile or are they equal when sliding down the Tarmac (I'm going to fall off at some point it's not a question of if more when ) |
For an every day commute? Textiles are more practical. Leather is better sliding down a long straight piece of dry road, but... come on, it's the UK. 
____________________
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 |
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| pdg |
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pdg
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Joined: 15 Sep 2012
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| Posted: 12:12 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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Welcome first...
Reading your post (and between the lines as well as a couple of assumptions) gave me some thoughts.
If I've got it right, you're intending to go down to one car. From the figures you can pretty much ignore the bits about having to think about saving money and altering driving habits.
2 cars (mini and peugeot?)...
Finance = £1900/year
Insurance = £1200/year
Tax = £250/year?
MOT = £100/year ish if no work needed
£3450 + fuel and other running costs (tyres, servicing, etc., etc.)
Now for a bike, based on one year including setup.
Buying = £1200
Insurance = £240
Tax = £17
MOT = £30 (if no work...)
Kit (clothes etc.) = £250 if you're careful and choosy.
CBT = £130 (here)
£1867 + fuel etc.
Now, foregoing the difference in running costs that's a 'saving' of ~£1500 in the first year. Even if your running costs are the same that amount will buy you many buckets of petrol for the 'just nipping out on the bike dear' moments.
Of course, there's always a flipside.
It's called winter.........
Rain, snow, hail, ice and all the other fun stuff. Your profile says you're in Scotland so I imagine you see a fair bit of all that. Are you really going to commit to riding through a Scottish winter? Winter doesn't bother me much at all, but I'm almost as far south as you can get in comparison.
There's nothing wrong with a 30 year old cg if you're prepared to stroke the spanners occasionally. They are tiny though - almost like a 3/4 size bike. A trail-type might be a good idea if your roads are anything like ours, especially in winter. But just about anything is doable if you want it.
Personally, I'd say go for it - get some decentish waterproof textiles with removeable linings (just in case you get a summer), a selection of wooly jumpers and long-johns (for the other 11 months) then man up and ride |
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| EngineerDaisy |
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EngineerDaisy
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 31 Jul 2013
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| Posted: 19:13 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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Thanks all for the replies . Looked up that geton scheme and have put myself on the waiting list for the nearest bike school but they have nothing for the next 3 months I think it was. The other nearest schools were 120+ miles away
My commute is A roads. Most hills are in a town so slowing down a bit on them is not too bad. Have one on a 60 limit that may cause a bit of an issue then.
I shall have a look at the ybr custom and the AJS less to go wrong is always good.
We technically have 4 cars. Two old minis which are off the road ATM, a peugeot and a 500. The minis are up for sale as well. Winter I think I will be ok with. Having driven the mini through last winter with no heater, leaky windscreen and no interior bar a seat as long as I get myself a warm pair of boots, jacket, trousers and gloves ill survive.
No issues with wielding spanners however I would rather not have to be at them every weekend though. |
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| bren_9311 |
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bren_9311
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Joined: 18 Feb 2013
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| Posted: 21:14 - 01 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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| EngineerDaisy |
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EngineerDaisy
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| Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike
tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
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| Posted: 08:40 - 03 Aug 2013 Post subject: |
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| EngineerDaisy wrote: | How would the varaderos be for a shorter person?
Also what's people's view on the suzuki van van? I know it will never be the fastest but the retro chunky nature of it appeals to me. |
Dont go by seat height specs. Seats on motorbikes squash down when you sit on them. How far from the floor they are when they are sat parked is pretty much irrelevent.
How wide the seat, how much it 'splays' your legs before they can reach the floor; how much the seat squashes, how thick it it, how soft the foam, and how hard the suspension beneath, and how heavy the rider, sets how far bum will be from floor when you sit on it....
And that's only of importance when you stop.... we buy bikes to ride, not as arm-chairs.....
Do CBT, you will be taught the 'Safety Position'; how to sit the bike, at rest such as at a set of traffic lights.
Safety position = sat on bike both hands on handle-bars; left foot on floor, right foot on foot-peg covering the rear brake pedal.
Ie: you only put ONE foot on the floor, during normal riding.
Shorter leg, means you may 'tilt' a little more to the left when at rest.
Longer Leg, means you might take a little more weight off the suspension or have your leg a little more bent when at rest.
GO SIT ON THEM
Its the only way to discover if they fit.
Veradaro? Hugely over-rated and over-priced in my opinion. Its a practical and slightly more sophisticated machine in the arena, but I don't think it's as good as reputation suggests. However, high buy price offset by higher sell price; provided you don't buy a duffer, and that's worry with the Vero now; earlier ones are getting to that age where they are still as expensive as a three or four year old YBR, but can be pretty much on thier last legs, and being the more sophisticated machine, with twice the cylinders and everything else, have twice as much to go wrong, and be twice as expensive to put right.
Van-Van.... Oh-no-not-another-one...... I suspect you would LOVE a Van-Van. I just have that inkling.
They make ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.... but.... don't let that put you off! Not what the Van-Van is about.
Mechanically, they are based on the old Suzuki OHC single from the GS125 of old. A pretty robust, if some-what under-powered little engine; that has powered generations of Suzuki 4-stroke 125's of all shapes and styles, as well as Generic Chinese & Korean copies.
It is SLOW. Van-Van with funky beach-bike styling, and those FAT tyres, is about as slow as they go. Practically 50mph tops.... 60 if you find a big hill or something. But, its brisk enough about town; and usually very ecconomical... which is just as well, as the petrol tank holds about three thimble-fulls of the stuff! Range is not it's strong suit. But hey, its not built for trans-continental touring!
Handling is... a bit wierd... but what the heck. Its not built for precice high speed control.... doesn't need to be.... it cant go that fast! Its built for FUN!
And, while more serious bikers may frown at them..... Every owner I have ever seen simply looks on with an "I can count to Van-Van" grin of incomprehension!
As a bit of a cult bike; again, they can be a bit over-priced for what they are, but as ever, that just means higher buy price vs higher sell price.... though with the Van-Van... big risk that you'd be loath to ever sell it.... their tend to charm their owners who frequently hang on to them 'just for fun'...
A sufferer of classic cars... this is likely to be right up your street... and why not.
BUT carts and horses mate......
You're looking to book the holiday before you've applied for your passport.
IF you have read my generic advice; pondered the imponderables of whether biking may be for you, and want to do it for its own sake, over and above the numbers and potential ecconomics.....
Your first step is CBT.... and what ought to be top of the list to research is not bikes you might buy after you have validated provisional entitlement, but the stuff you might want before you go do CBT.... your own hat and gloves, water-proofs; what sensible footwear and out-door garb you can dig out the wardrobe.... and all that.
One step at a time.
____________________
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?' |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 12 years, 169 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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