Clueless....

[Gary G]

Hi guys, apologies first of all as I haven't really had much of a read around yet to be honest. Basically I was recommended to check out this forum by a member on a car forum that I frequently visit.

I own a Focus RS at the moment and live in Bristol and I have often pondered the idea of owning a motorbike; primarily to commute/leave round the back of my gf's house but also to have a bit of fun.

I used to ride a scooter when i was 16 and really enjoyed the responsibility, challenge and observation/defensive driving aspects as well as the two wheel fun!

I'm looking to do a Direct Access course- https://www.onyerbike.net/training.htm the £599 one as I'm not so keen on 'intensive' style learning as I believe experience is important and practice is the key. All of the people i know that did intensive driving courses are poor drivers and they just have the basics to pass a test and thats not what i'm interested in.

Any opinions/advice on the course i'm looking to do greatly appreciated.

Here comes the fun part- Bike shopping!! To be honest i'm clueless with regards to what bike would suit my needs...when it comes to cars I know my stuff but bikes Any recommendations? I'm not even sure on the budget tbh, so something that looks nice, goes well and is reliable and fun for a 22 y/old, that's had some previous bike (scooter lol) experience and is used to driving fast cars on both road and track.

PS. If you read all that you deserve a medal!! lol. Any advice greatly appreciated! Many thanks guys

[phantomtek]

Well yeah a DAS course would be the best course of action for one such as yourself. They will usually just teach you the basics, advanced riding courses such as BikeSafe can be taken later to further improve your skills, or maybe an IAMs course?

I think if you are wanting to both commute and weekend it then an SV650, Fazer 600 or similar might do the trick, though if it's for weekend fun mainly a sports 600 will be best, ZX6R, CBR600 R6 or a GSXR600. Of course there's always the Bandit or Hornet etc. but it's mainly upto what you need out of the bike, and also what bike you would prefer to ride.

If you tell us more about what you will be primarily using the bike for it would be better for us to tell you what you should be considering.

[Gary G]

Ah cool, IAM's course sounds good cheers.

Fazer looks good as does the Ninja ...actually they all look pretty cool bikes lol.

Primarily i would use the bike for fun at the weekends, daily commute to work (<8miles on urban roads), to nip to the shops, go to mates houses in town and for when I go to my gf's house...basically I dont like leaving my Focus RS anywhere! lol. Worst case scenario with a bike i guess is if someone pushes it over, in which case i'm sure repairs are much less costly than a car.

I think i would prefer a more up right riding position than one thats low down and leaning right forward....also i'm not really into the whole leathers thing although obviously they can save your skin (life)...whats the minimum amount of protection? Gloves and jacket obviously essential...are boots needed or is it possible to ride in trainers? Call me an idiot if i'm completely off here.

What sort of prices are we talking in terms of insurance for these types of bikes? thousands or hundreds? Also, do bikes carry the same insurance group ratings as cars...eg. 1-20 or whatever? (my focus rs costs a grand to insure and is grp 16)

Thanks alot for the input so far!

I will do a few searches on these subjects no doubt! lol

[phantomtek]

Well first off you need to look around for the bike that you like, if you want a more upright riding position a Fazer could be right down your alley, they look sporty, sound good and have a more upright riding position. Alternatively there is the naked bikes with flat bars that you can consider, as for bike groups the best place to visit is here, https://www.vauntage.co.uk/bike_groups.htm , with 1 being the lowest and going up from there. Oh and in regards to trainers, it's all in personal preference but remember that good footwear with ankle support could be the thing that keeps your feet attached to your body.

Once you have picked the bike you like, I think that maybe you should do your DAS, then go for test rides. You should ask colin1 because he is the king of test rides, I doubt many have done more than him But seriously get out there to dealers, ride their bikes and see what you think. Once you are happy with your choice of bike, get on BikeTrader and eBay to find good deals, or if it's a well known bike post again and people will tell you if it is a good deal or not. A sports 600 could be considered as it is good for weekends and a 16 mile commute is nothing really so you would be ok.

But in your case, get the DAS done and go test riding, it is the best way forward.

[Gary G]

Excellent thanks for your advice mate!

I might be going off at a tangent but what about super moto's? my older half brother used to ride one and he thinks I should go for one of those...i'm not too sure really. He rides an Aprilla Tuono R at the moment and I think its his 2nd sporty bike and each time i mention getting a sports bike he just goes on and on about super moto's lol.

I can see myself spending alot of time on these forums! haha

[Bendy]

[Gary G]

Very true mate, whats the best way of preventing this...chaining it up to a post or something I guess?

[phantomtek]

[Gary G]

You've been really helpful thanks mate...gonna have a good look around!

[Gary G]

https://www.motorcycledaily.com/032305top.jpg

Liking the supermoto style tbh

[phantomtek]

Good supermoto companies are CCM and KTM, though the big boys have also made supermoto style bikes.