want a bike for the summer but I have no clue where to start

[nass_ak]

Hi All!

The summer is coming and I'm moving into Liverpool, I'm 24 and I wanted to get a nice bike just to commute in around the city and occasionally maybe go to Manchester, I want something that looks nice and is also fun to drive.

I probably wont be driving the bike in the winter so I wouldn't want to spend more than 1k on getting a bike as I'm saving up for a car.

Where do I start and what do I do bearing in mind I have 0 previous bike experience.

Thanks!
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NaZ

[Nobby the Bastard]

[nass_ak]

How optimistic are you of you still having it a week after you arrive?[/quote]

Pretty optimistic! I live in a good area and I can park it safely.
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NaZ

[A100man]

CBT certificate is a good start. Got one?
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Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600

[nass_ak]

[BRUN]

so are you looking for a 125 ?

[c_dug]

A grand doesn't buy you much these days. There are 40 125s listed on AutoTrader for under £1000. The majority are scooters or Chinese.

Have you factored in the cost of insurance, bike gear, security, consumables? You'll most likely need to spend a little money on all or those as well as the purchase cost of the bike itself.

I think you either need to up your budget or lower your expectations.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

a grand'll get you f*** all - but you'll already know that because you'll have spent two minutes glancing at eBay....won't you?
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Evil Hans]

[Keithy]

Buy a pushbike, it’ll get you around the city, you can take it on the train to Manchester and you won’t need £500 of protective kit.

[ThunderGuts]

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

OP flounced already?
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PRESENT: 2018 BMW S1000XR SE Sport.
PAST: 2009 Kawasaki ER-6F. 2021 Zontes ZT-125U.

[struan80]

Any Japanese 125 would do me. Maybe cost 1200 for a decent one then the cost of all the gear on top.

Biking is great fun I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Next year you'll be asking in here whether to go for a Fireblade or R1

[to v or not to v]

my biking gear cost me about £100 i think?
helmet from Halfords £20 in sale
gloves about the same price from sportsbike shop
and leather jacket £60 from amazon.
i wear Dr Martens boots, which i already owned, due to the thick soles. helps my little legs reach the ground.
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current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
its old and fat, but its a damned good ride. the bikes not bad either.

[jeffyjeff]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[P.]

[to v or not to v]

[ThunderGuts]

[Freddyfruitba...]

[Evil Hans]

[to v or not to v]

[blamski]

Are second hand bikes really so pricey in the UK at moment? I always saw that here in Spain, used vehicles tend to hold their price better. The car I bought for 4000 euros would've cost me little more than half that in the UK.

I got my 2016 YBR with 9,500 km on it for 1500 euros. Surely there must be decent ones to be had in the UK that are slightly older and slightly cheaper.

Or maybe not.... what the hell do I know?

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

well, like i said to the OP, you could go on eBay UK and spend 2-3 minutes just looking in the relevant section - set it to cheapest first and see what BIN listings come up. £1k is not going to buy very much, whether it be 125cc or 1250cc.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[blamski]

I could absolutely do that, but I could also enter into an interesting conversation with fellow forum members about the relative prices of second hand motorbikes...