Newbie going to look at bikes....

[WhyNot]

Hi,

So I am new and apart from the thread in the new person section I haven't posted much. I am going to Blade in Swindon this weekend to look for my first bike, is there anything I should look out for?

I am contemplating engine sizes and different manufacturers, found a dealership with a few to choose from, anything from a CBR250, a Kawasaki 250 ninja to a CBR500/CBR600.

So, being female its pretty intimidating going to a dealer, especially when they have a 'sale' on, I don't want to get roped into something that's not all it seems, what sort of questions should I be asking?

As you can tell, I'm completely new to bikes so any help would be appreciated

[P.addy]

What licence do you have.

Do you want a fun bike or something that is going to slowly kill you from the inside out.

Former? Street Triple.
Latter? Anything with 500cc or less that is 4 stroke

[TwoWheelsDail...]

Wrong section.....

But really you need to tell us a few things.

1) Age/Licence if any

2) main bike use

3) experience

4)what sort of thing your looking for? Sports/supermoto/commuter

just a few things that will help
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[MarJay]

Its hard to teach in one easy lesson to be honest. Don't let them intimidate or patronise you. Ideally you need to take a mate who knows about bikes.

You also should probably go in with an idea of what you want else you'll go out with whatever the salesman wants you to have rather than what you need. You seem to have an open mind towards a fairly large range of bikes, which is bad unless the salesman is a genuine one who wants what is best for you, rather than one who will upsell you to the most expensive thing he can get away with.

Personally I'd not be looking at 'new' bikes and if I was I'd be going for specific deals rather than naively walking into a large solus dealer and then riding out an instant later with something I didn't want or is unsuitable.

To be honest, your post sounds so... innocent and open... that given an even vaguely unscrupulous salesman, you'll be eaten alive and you'll have signed on the line for something you don't want or need or is unsuitable.

Beware, here be dragons.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[WhyNot]

Direct Access next month, 24, minimal riding experience and wanting a bike for weekends only.

What section should this be in? I figured that this may be the best place to ask about common faults, service history, maintenance related questions etc?


Unfortunately I dont have any mates that know about bikes, hence my posts

[Ribenapigeon]

[MarJay]

[WhyNot]

Not at all, but I can appreciate that finding something I like is going to take time, and I want to be asking the right questions....

Top end budget of £3.5k, id rather buy from a dealer and have warranty or somewhere to go if it goes wrong

[P.addy]

[c_dug]

Don't see why this is particularly the wrong section, could go here or New Bikers I suppose.

Weekend fun could be anything from Averaging 15mph down a mucky greenlane, to polishing chrome until you can inspect your growing beer belly, to cladding yourself in leather and tearing around your local B roads at 90mph. Given you don't have much experience you probably don't know what you will enjoy, but I guess you at least know what attracted you to biking to start with?

Do you have friends that ride?

Edit: If you honestly have no idea at all I would suggest looking at the likes of the ER6, a bit of a do it all bike. Try not to limit yourself too much until you know more what you will enjoy.
____________________
I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[MarJay]

[Tungtvann]

I bought my first bike, an FZ6 for just over 3k. Great first bike, I'd highly recommend something like that.

[WhyNot]

C_dug - No none of my friends ride

Im not going to a dealership to buy new, all the bikes i'm looking at are used, hence wanting to ask the right questions.....
I am female, but im 5'8 with a 34inch leg, sitting on a cbr500 is not problem and I can touch the floor flat footed each side very easily. Riding position thoughts are obviously going to change once I start riding but a bike will only be being used at weekends, so its no massive deal to buy something that i'll replace after the summer because it give me a bad back.

Obviously you know your stuff, but I dont, hence why i'm asking questions, I dont really care if I look stupid or naive, id just rather not get fobbed off

[MarJay]

[Ribenapigeon]

I can understand wanting to go through a dealer for a first bike if you dont have anyone with experience to go bike shopping with. £3.5k gets a lot of bikes but private youand could get the same bike for £500 less then sell in a year for not much less. Meanwhile that years riding will have given you an idea what kind of bike you would like. So either stick with what youve bought or sell on and get something else. Youl probably find yourself riding more than just at the weekend as well so could even think of a weekday workhorse (XJ6,Bandit etc) then get a sportsbike for the weekend. I bought my XJ6 new and happy with it but thinking of saving a few grand and getting a second hand zx636 for the weekend. To give you ball park im £114 per mopnth on the XJ and a ZX636 in good nick would be around £3k-£3.5k.

[Tungtvann]

I'd come take a look at some bikes with you (looks like I'm about 2 mins away from you) but I'm going to be away for the next few weeks, probably not much help to you!

[wr6133]

I'd suggest all you do at Blade this weekend is sit on bikes, try to sit on everything, literally. The stuff you find that you like based on comfort and looks write down the make/model.

Put that list then on here and hopefully get some objective info on the bikes you like.

[Mark 37]

Go to dealers, sit on every bike they have. Better still if they have a centre stand get them on it and sit again so you get a feel for riding position. Come home think about it, go back to dealers sit on them again. You'll find what you like but on the return trip the second sitting may not feel as comfortable, walk around showroom then try bikes again.

I find I can sit three different ways on my bike (central forward, central to rear of seat and to the rear again but slightly left of centre) and the bike feels weird sometimes. I guess I'm saying, make sure you can get comfy and familiar with how it feels and make sure it feels right for all your riding position.
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[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Rogerborg]

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[Tungtvann]

[Bendy]

Buy a reasonably-priced used SV650, ride it this summer, get shots on other things to work out what you like and what you don't... and then buy what you really want in the winter.

And fwiw, there's no point doing anything other than sitting and window shopping until you've done your DAS. So it's easy not to buy anything - be honest and say you're doing your course next month and are just having a good look around.

[69.9mph]

I would say pass your test before you buy a bike; you won't be able to insure it without a licence and dealers will take you more seriously if you have a full licence.

On the other hand, a nice bike in the garage is a massive incentive to pass.

If you're interested in a particular bike, try and get someone to go along and have a look at it, maybe your instructor or possibly someone off here local to you may volunteer.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/BIKES/news/how_to_buy_a_used_motorcycle.html

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/BIKES/buying/top_10_tips.jsp

https://www.visordown.com/features/visordowns-used-motorcycle-buying-tips/19818.html

[Pigeon]

Visiting dealers, lots of free coffee and attention. Laughing at your jokes, telling you that you look nice. Wandering between aisles of gleaming possibilities, with a near endless choice.

Get the excitement going, visit some dealers, why not. It's a good carrot.

Probably best to buy after getting the licence. But definitely take a look and get some ideas / enthusiasm.

It's all good clean fun

[gavbriggs]