Newbie: best time to buy a bike? /panier box things

[WreckTangle]

hi there everyone, another newbie on the forum.

Just passed my MOD 2 test..........quite literally, as in about 7 hours ago!

just had a fun of rippping off my L-plates............and realising that because I glued the back L Plate to the bottom of my reg plate.........I rippped off the reg plate as well........

just thought I would ask a couple of questions of you lot, as you seem like a very experienced bunch of people


At the moment I have a yamaha ybr 125, which was great as a learning bike, but is too small for me and is pratically made of nothing but rust and arthritis.


As i now have the full A license, I was looking for a bigger bike that is best sort of made for touring, you know, as in nothing stupidly fast, but at the same time can be used for commuting. I am not going to ask what bike to get, as there are so many different bikes/types whatever, this would be a discussion that would get a million replies.


I was going to wait until some point in the new year, around march or april, then buy the bike when the weather is better, (maybe more bikes for sale then as market picks up) but my friend** said that the best time for buying a bike is around christmas, as not many people buying bikes as weather is bad, so if you find a bike, you can haggle like hell as lack of buyers? (or something like that) . I only ask this as I might have to use the wretched thing called the 'credit card'

Is it worth waiting for march/april next year (get some money saved up by then) or do I go in early and take the plunge and just buy one at christmas?

**Then again, my friend suffers from constipation of the brain, and Diarrhea of the mouth (long story, don't ask)



I also wanted to know about the funny box things you can put on the bike that you can store stuff on , is it a panier (or something like that)

are they easy to attach/remove and when full, how much impact do they have the handling of the bike?

- If you could give your advice ...thanks!

i
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My wife asked me to get her something that goes from 0-100 in under 5 seconds for her birthday. ......................I got her a bathroom scale.

[ThatDippyTwat]

VFR750. Cheap, will do moon mileage, plenty of torque, can get some hustle about it if you want it to. Easy enough to service most things. Heavy but you don't notice it when moving.

Hornet (CB600F) - Solid, can do moon mileage. Common as a first "big" bike, but command higher prices.

Panniers can be fitted to most bikes, there are soft throwovers and hard luggage. My VFR has a Givi Wingrack2, if you want to get an idea how they mount/work, google that.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[doggone]

Used bikes sell better in the spring but people know that and put more of them up for sale then.
You might pick up a bargain around now as enthusiasm wanes and Christmas looms, and again when January credit card bills come round.
A good well looked after example is not going to be cheap unless you are lucky, best hope is someone you know might let you take one a bit below going rate for minimal hassle and risk of dealing with oddballs through advertising.

[Bhud]

Congratulations on your pass.

[Andy_Pagin]

Unless you need a lot of storage a top box is probably a better and cheaper bet than side paniers.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[WreckTangle]

Ok, so my friend was actually talking sence about 'bike selling seasons'

It sounds like I am best to wait to spring then the market will have more bikes for sale then. Then the credit card will not be summoned.

suppose it is not best to get a powerful bike yet, whilst still inexperienced, and ice and snow are on there way.

[Polarbear]

Well done.

Whatever bike you go for, If you want hard luggage whether it be a top box, panniers or both, buy a bike with them already fitted. It makes little difference to the price of a second hand bike, but if you are buying a hard luggage set new you won't get much change from a grand.

Much cheaper to buy a bike with them already fitted.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[ThatDippyTwat]

[Teflon-Mike]

Really there's no best time to buy a bike, just more or less expensive or fruitful ones.

Actually, Christmas is probably the worst time of year to go bike shopping; too many folk have better things on thier mind. For better prices, February-ish, is probably the best, when Christmas credit card bills have come in and people look out at the wet weather and the bike they haven't ridden for a couple of months and have an idea... other than that, there's the phenomina of the March hares, when the first bright days becon folk out of hibernation, and other folk seing other bikes about have ideas to do the same. From there bikes start to get pulled out of winter storage ad the 'season' gets going, and bike ads and sales start to peak around Easter and the bank-hols. This is not the best time for prices, cos theres too many eager buyers keen to get in quick, but flip side is that there are more bikes about so more for sale and more chance of finding something worth your money.

As the season progresses, it settles down a bit and prices are more reasonable but it's swings and roundabouts on the shances as the number of ads falls off, and folk start doing other stuff again, like plan holidays.

Probably THE most significant thing to you, as a new rider wanting to progress from a 125 to a big-bike is when the insurance on your 125 expires.

Many insurers will only insure 125's, so they wont change details on your existing policy over top anything bigger. Of them that may, you will often have punative revision charges to face. Depending on how old you are, and how many years NCB you have spare, these can make swapping bikes mid-policy exhorbitantly expensive, if you even can go from a 125 to a big-bike on the plot.

Most often you will be best off taking out brand new policy on a new bike. Now, you have the vexation of the cancellation charges, 'cos you cant use existing NCB if policy still in force, to factor into the equation. Plus remember if you have the insurance on the monthly plan, its not paying your insurance month by month, its a credit deal you pay monthly to repay the loan that paid for a full years policy.

These sort of switch-over costs CAN be quite big, especially if your insurance is large to start with; A-N-D, if you are hoping for a bargain, these costs can easily outstrip any seasonal savings you may find on bike buy.

I mean, great idea to get a deal on new bike and pretend you are quids in 'cos seller is asking £500 below Parker's Price guide.... BUT that no real gain if it costs more than that to chop and change insurance policies.

I pay old duffer insurance circa £100 a year. Small print in the policy docs tells me There's actually a £120 mid term cancellation fee, and a pro-rata refund of unused insurance.. so I'd actually be out of pocket if I cancelled the day the policy started!

So check the small print! And dont sweat the small stuff.

Totally understand the impetus to go get a big-bike ASAP, after all that is probably why you bothered to take the tests... but.... there's no rush, and rushin be quick way to pain, financial and/or physical when it comes to two wheels.

Its heading into winter; whatever new shiny you might get this time of year aint going tyo stay shiney very long in the crap and the crud with a few days of road gime on it, and clocks go back soon, it's not like you will have the day-light to see it any-way.

More swings and roundabouts, but getting to grips with a bigger heavier bike in winter weather need not be the nicest, especially if you drop your new pride and joy in the first frost; a 125 lightweight IS less planted and more likely to go out from under you, but, you have been riding it however long, you at least have some experience on your side, and you are/were going to get rid anyway... whats a few more dents on a YBR?

It's likely a good idea to ride out the winter on the tiddler, and get the most from the existing insurace and plan to swap when that lapses, hopefully, when the weather starts to get better and the market starts to pick-up for the season, A-N-D theres a good chance that that would be the most ecconomical ways about, to-boot.

Just to temper enthusiasm a tad, remember, its a full bike licence NOT a big bike licence, no one will take it off you if you dont go get a mega monster in the next twelve months... meanwhile, your YBR is a 65mph motorcycle, it is practically as fast as any bike of any capacity is allowed to go.... and just 'cos its engine isn't so big, dont mean that its frame isn't! There are many 'big-bikes' more cramped than tiddlers on that score! And there is the cult of the 'Winter Hack' many bikers not risking the pride and joy machine in the winter muck and weather, actually swapping mounts to something shabby and often small, for the off-season;

So ponder how much of your desire to get on a big-bike straight away IS merely impatience, and how much you might gain frome just a little restraint.

BUT, Check the docs look at the small print, weigh up the costs, and think spring is when most bikes will be about to buy....
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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?'

[ThatDippyTwat]

[thx1138]

if buying second hand, Jan or Feb can be a good time

[WreckTangle]

Christ Teflon-man, the insurance sounds crazy

yeah, it seems that everyone is saying that best time to get bike is at feb - march - april, so I will keep to that, least I don't have the use the sinners card for it!
A couple of months of extra experience in ice and wind might be useful

[Teflon-Mike]

[annemarie]

[WreckTangle]

Hopefully, as I am 34 years old and have had a car driving license for 14 years this will help........I hope.........no, maybe not.....oh well

[ThatDippyTwat]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Andy_Pagin]

You won't even notice a top box is there, though the wider ones can give the impression you're being tailgated by something in the mirrors. I've had them on a YBR125, not on my FZS600 and a wide one my current FZ1, can't say I've noticed any effect on handling either way.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Copycat73]

[WreckTangle]

[ThunderGuts]

I have 50 litre soft panniers on my ER5 - no noticeable difference at any speed. Yes, have to be slightly more careful when filtering but they're still narrower (just) than the handlebars, albeit at a slightly lower height.

I have to say though having panniers transforms the practicality of the bike (as I'm sure would a topbox too) - even simple stuff like when I went for a ride yesterday, I threw a pair of winter gloves and a spare top into my pannier in case the summer gloves proved too chilly. They didn't as it turns out, so I got to ride with my preferable gloves on, but it's nice that I would be able to swap them out if I wanted to.
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TG.

[Polarbear]

Most of my later bike have been for touring so have had a luggage set. They were usually physically big powerful bikes and i didn't notice any real difference between having the luggage off or on handling wise.

The one place I did notice it was two up, fully loaded when wifie had packed the kitchen sink. The acceleration was noticeably down but the handling was ok. Good adjustable suspension is a must in my view in those situations.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Baffler186]

I had a 50L box on my FZ6, didn't notice any difference. You could fit a helmet, trousers and 8 beers in there at a squeeze.

If you're worried about best time of year to save a few quid, then don't buy from a dealer at all. Unless you need credit.
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[doggone]

Severe cross winds will affect a bike more with luggage fitted, especially a top box because the wind has more leverage with it being higher up.
Mostly you just have to be expecting the increased push which can have you out of lane or on the verge.