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return L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 14:59 - 02 Feb 2019 Post subject: Recently passed mod2 - no bike, no storage |
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There are so many bike forums, and I settled for BCF because it seems pretty active. This post is part introduction, part question.
- I passed the mod2 test in December 2018 (taking the CBT, then DAS route).
- I'm 36, male, and live in London.
- I have no garage, and a garden without side access (you can tell where this is going).
Unfortunately passing the test was the easy part. I live in rented accommodation (thank you successive UK governments for inflating housing beyond the reach of ordinary people). I can't drill a ground anchor and there's nowhere nearby I can secure a bike to.
I've had plenty of time to research bikes, and would love to buy a used Honda CBR650F or Yamaha MT07. But this feels like an impossible situation.
It may be that in about 2 years I will have be in a position to buy my own place (well, rent it from a bank via a mortgage). And I'm glad I can consider this before I buy anywhere, but waiting two years until I ride feels like too long.
I don't want to buy a complete heap just to have a bike, and still risk it getting stolen. Equally, I wouldn't want to buy a nicer bike (~ 5K) and store it outside all year, and locked only to itself.
Last edited by return on 15:07 - 02 Feb 2019; edited 1 time in total |
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Riejufixing |
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Riejufixing World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Jun 2018 Karma :
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return L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 15:13 - 02 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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I should've been clearer: The landlord won't allow me to drill or cement a ground anchor in the front. I guess I could just move :-/
You're right about lending standards, and I blame the BoE as much as anyone else Although the government Help to Buy scheme has inflated prices on top of low interest rates. |
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M.C |
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M.C Super Spammer
Joined: 29 Sep 2015 Karma :
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Posted: 15:33 - 02 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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A housing debate... I'm in MT-07 you say... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grtWiGEM0J4 They'll have anything, I've only had bikes due to secureish parking, anything on street will be gone. |
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return L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 Karma :
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grr666 |
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grr666 Super Spammer
Joined: 16 Jun 2014 Karma :
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Posted: 16:08 - 02 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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Have you actually asked your landlord? Or the letting agent? ____________________ Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off. |
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return L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 Karma :
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M.C Super Spammer
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Bhud World Chat Champion
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DRZ4Hunned |
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DRZ4Hunned World Chat Champion
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Kentol750 |
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Kentol750 World Chat Champion
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P. |
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P. Red Rocket
Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :
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Posted: 22:21 - 02 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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Unless you can have it indoors... I'd not bother.
London is a bike thieving cess pool. We've had bikes stolen outside our office door, that's not even central |
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vp1977uk |
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vp1977uk Derestricted Danger
Joined: 19 Dec 2017 Karma :
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 14:06 - 03 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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You pretty much need lock-up space. I'd imagine rents are so high there that people will be happy to sub-let one bikes worth of space in a normal lockup. That's how we used to do it when I lived in Edinburgh. You easily get 4 bikes in a car-sized lockup.
As an alternative to fitting a specific ground anchor, you could get a big "pot" (think half barrel type size). Fill most of it with heavy stones and cement but leaving some gaps for water to drain through (half a dozen bits of pipe running top to bottom?) with a ground anchor type loop embedded into it and sticking out the side. The important thing is that it's really fucking heavy, too heavy for one man to lift.
Paint it so it looks smart (or even wrap one of those bamboo mats round the outside), fill the top with compost and plants so it looks like a planter, have some spilling out round the side etc. Chain your bike to it.
May also be a good time to look at your financial priorities too? You're looking at what, £4-6k for the bikes you're thinking of. Why not go for one at half that (or less), leaving you money to rent a lockup, or be in a position to buy a property sooner.
An ebay search for bikes between 500 and 1000cc for between £1500 and £2000 brings up 465 adverts. Have a look through them. Try the same on autotrader, again, hundreds of bikes. I generally sort by mileage. ____________________ “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. |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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P. Red Rocket
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stevo as b4 World Chat Champion
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Travis Bickle |
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Travis Bickle Banned
Joined: 06 Jan 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 02:12 - 10 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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stinkwheel wrote: | You pretty much need lock-up space. I'd imagine rents are so high there that people will be happy to sub-let one bikes worth of space in a normal lockup. That's how we used to do it when I lived in Edinburgh. You easily get 4 bikes in a car-sized lockup.
As an alternative to fitting a specific ground anchor, you could get a big "pot" (think half barrel type size). Fill most of it with heavy stones and cement but leaving some gaps for water to drain through (half a dozen bits of pipe running top to bottom?) with a ground anchor type loop embedded into it and sticking out the side. The important thing is that it's really fucking heavy, too heavy for one man to lift.
Paint it so it looks smart (or even wrap one of those bamboo mats round the outside), fill the top with compost and plants so it looks like a planter, have some spilling out round the side etc. Chain your bike to it.
May also be a good time to look at your financial priorities too? You're looking at what, £4-6k for the bikes you're thinking of. Why not go for one at half that (or less), leaving you money to rent a lockup, or be in a position to buy a property sooner.
An ebay search for bikes between 500 and 1000cc for between £1500 and £2000 brings up 465 adverts. Have a look through them. Try the same on autotrader, again, hundreds of bikes. I generally sort by mileage. |
I'll go with this. No need to be aiming for a complete shitter but if you're looking at something sub £2,000 you should be able to get something reasonable and go with stinkwheel's inventive plantpot idea (I think that's awesome by the way) and get as much anti-theft stuff as you can... should the worst happen you're still insured right? Doesn't sound like you'd be using it for commuting so the worst that's going to happen is you lose your weekend toy which you didn't have in the first place. It's not like you'll be stranded with no way of getting to work until you can sort another set of wheels as presumably you already have other means of getting to and from work which remain after the bike purchase. Live and learn. Insurance will have to stump up in any case, you could argue your premiums will rise but if you're not in a position to get a mortgage for a couple of years that's a couple of years you potentially wouldn't have had a bike for anyway. If it goes walkies just put it down to experience and leave it 2-3 years if you're worried about the premium as I think anything after 3 years you don't have to declare.
What I'm trying to say in my usual garbled way is it's better to have loved and to have lost than never to have loved at all.
Get the cheap reasonable bike, do the plantpot thing, if it goes walkies make a claim and put getting another one on the backburner for a few years until you've got a more suitable property. ____________________ Must Go Faster
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vp1977uk Derestricted Danger
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Grubscrew Scooby Slapper
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M.C Super Spammer
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Posted: 22:14 - 10 Feb 2019 Post subject: |
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Not enough to make a difference really, it was still cheaper for me to go with an insurer with no NCB than with one who accepted bike NCB. |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 5 years, 68 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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