Non Biker but new to riding and after some advice

[Tarrman]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to biking, always loved my cars and bikes, but never had the opportunity to do my licence or ride them so I'm a complete novice when it comes to anything with 2 wheels. I did have a 50cc scooter for a year a few years ago but that is the extent of my expertise when it comes to motorbikes.

I'm currently banned from driving and will be able to apply for my licence next year so I'm just doing s bit of research while I have the chance. However after doing some dummy quotes my insurance will be sky high for a year or two which got me thinking about running a bike for a bit. It would only be a 125cc on L plates with a CBT, but would be an ideal place to start and to get back on the road again (and also enter the world of biking). Which brings me to a few questions.

Apart from insurance approved security devices what else could I do to bring my future premiums down? I'm looking at around £500 - £800 quid a year TPFT depending on bike.

Are there any specialist bike insurers that deal with convicted drivers/riders?

And lastly, I really like the Yamahas, particularly the MT-125 and YZFR 125, but these are the priciest to insure, whats the general opinion of chinese bikes (keeway/Sym etc)? Years ago they had a bit of a reputation for being a bit crap, are they still the same or are there significant improvements with certain brands?

That's all for now, thanks! 😁

[Riejufixing]

[Tarrman]

I'm 37 this year 😁. Are there any reccomended clubs you can join? Or any recognized training things you can do (but cheap otherwise I may as well fork out for the DAS.

[Bhud]

You still need to have a licence (provisional or full) to be allowed to ride on the road, even if you have a CBT.

I could be wrong but I heard that when you lose your licence, there is a period after which you can take an extended retest for any categories you used to have. This means that after taking a longer car test (again), you'll get your car licence back as well as any other categories, when your time is up. This is just what I heard. In any case, I'm pretty sure you lose your (provisional) motorcycle entitlement until your ban is over. It might be worth checking up on this before you get your 125 or book training with a training school.

[Easy-X]

Get a really shitty bike, Chinese will do, and insure it Third Party only. What do you need fire and theft for if the bike isn't worth anything?!

Advanced tests, security devices, etc. None of that will make much impact on your insurance: they won't like you because you've been banned, sorry!

All you can offer them is to ride as tame a bike as you can stomach that statistically causes the least damage to other ppl in a crash.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[dynax]

There isn't much you can do till your ban is over and you get your licence back, insurance prices change quite a lot during the year, usually updated on a monthly basis, so getting quotes now don't mean much, as they could go up by the time you're ready, also the reason you got banned will have a major impact on your insurance, you might be better to get your full licence first, if you can get a school to do it, you might have difficulty, and non disclosure is not an option, save your pennies and work towards the full licence, you can always get a 50 to restart your bike insurance, unfotunately car insurance doesn't qualify towards bike NCD, best of luck
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Mike.
Bikes: Xena, Bridget,Florence
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmihUc0xXxYbR4_0l-F1FzA/videos?view_as=subscriber

[Riejufixing]

[Tarrman]

Thanks for the replies! Just to clarify I know I cant do anything until my ban is up, I'm just doing research. All the dummy quotes I've done have been with edited dates of conviction and test passed etc to make it look like I've just got my licence back.

The reason I was looking into running a bike for a bit was because the insurers ask for any convictions in the last 5 years. I've been banned for 3 years (will be finished mid next year), then I'll have another year with the conviction code on my licence and then one more year having to declare it. As it is with more dummy quotes I'm getting car insurance quotes for well over £2k (on a basic car), so the bike quotes are a fraction of the cost in comparison.

I figured I could apply for my provisional and then do the CBT and get back on the road until it's cheaper for me to insure a car again.

I have no idea what position I will be in when i dont have to declare my conviction, but ideally with a bit of riding experience under my belt I may or may not be in a position to go for (if not already hold) my A licence. Then I could have the best of both worlds, car for the week, bike for the weekend. But that's just a dream at the moment.

After actually reading a few of the posts on here it makes sense to get a cheap 125 to scrag about for a year or so (when my ban is eventually up at least). It may seem silly looking into this now but time goes so quickly these days and I'm bored as hell not being able to ride/drive.

Thanks for the replies so far! 😁

[Tarrman]

[Tarrman]

[Riejufixing]

[Easy-X]

In the mean time get a push-bike!
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Sister Sledge]

How naughty have you been? What terrible things did you do? (so I can avoid them!)
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CCM 404 DS

[Teflon-Mike]

You will have to take the eztended re-test to get your licence bavk in any way-shape-or-form; without that you wont have ANY entitelement to drive/ride anything for any reason, including the provisional entitlement you mayu control a lawn mower or ride a aub 125cc motorbike.

Then... £2K insurance policies on chit-box cars... after daughter tried to get me to put her name on my chit box chavic-auto insurance and teach her to drive... that sounds quite cheap ackshully..... getting quotes for same girl on her own bike... they tended to come in not far off, and there was little to be done under a grand.. CERTAINLY when the check boxes for like for like, 'plus commuting' and anticipatied annual miles were checked.. BE WARNED, most M/C policies these days have a LOT of exclusions on them like commuting that are standard cover on a car policy, and if you do check them cover inclusions policy prices can easily double and the saving gap close very rapidly.

Which is to suggest, that bikes may NOT actually be mucjh if any better affordable than a car, when you get to it. Esp if you have to pay overt the odds for a bike... and here the more desirable bikes WILL be both more expensive to but, imsure and run, and likely noty dheaper than a car before you start, especially if learner legal 125.

On that score.... 125's suffer the 'Learner Loading'. My 125 costs me aprox £150 a year to insure compared to about £100 for my 750.... similar value machines, and the 750 having the higher miles and less restrictive inclusions.... so big-bikes can be 30% or so LESS to insure a year... which when you are looking at four figure insurance quotes, MAY make it a LOT more do-able to do a DAS course, get a big-bike licence and insiure that, straight off, than pig about tryting to do it on tiddlers.... food for thunks...... ESP if you are planning long term tiddling where learner loading likely to be prolonged.

Bottom line.... you dont ride bikes for the momey, only the love; if you have no love you will not enjoy it, you will not save money. If you have the love, then you will pay whatever it costs, and or ride to whatever your wallet ior significant other will tolerate, plus a bit... SO, that is the firsty question.... SO you love bikes enbough to spend ANY moneyu on them, snd if so, WILL one solve any other problems anmd can you afford whatever one will likely cost?

Trying to do it for the money, and make one pay for itself, is most likely a road to ruinb and madness... youy likely wont see real actual cash savings, just get stung by hidden costs, OR you'll get all enthused and not be able to afford the petrol/tyres/oil-changes, and either frustrated you spend more or dont ride..... either way its unlikely a benefit or help to you, so before you start BE SURE you are doing it for the love not the money.... and are prepared for the hiddern stingy costs later, if you do.

As for the research, as said a LOT more me thinks than just go-compare... and big bikes, big bike licences, tyres, oil changes and tappet tickles, KIT in the way of hats and gloves and DAS courses ALL need factoring onto the spread sheet along with insurance; as well as like for like polict inclusions....

I suspect that all in, here and now, getting togged up for a bike, over getting sorted out on a chit-box car, WONT acrtually save much if any money, and certainly given 3 years, when the 'history' will have lapsed and you have built up roms NCB, balence sheet will likely be back in favour of four wheels.... SO back to the question of love or money....

IF yopu have the love its worth every penny.. if not it is REALLY not worth the hassle and misery... ytour call... but... stop thiking tiddler, think big-bike, IS you really want to get insurance quotes down..
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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?'

[owl]

[wr6133]

[Ribenapigeon]

Tldr.
How did you get a ban?