Bike cost question...

af_thefragile

Sorry for starting another thread but as i've kinda made up my mind that i'm gonna go ahead with the idea of getting a bike, i had a few questions about the money it'ld take me to get on the road.

Lately i realised the initial budget i had set myself up of €8-10k was a little too ambitious and realistically it'ld be more like half of that i'ld be able to manage to put together for the bike (as i'm planing on working over the next few months and the summer to fund it mostly).

So i was wondering would it be possible to get me biking on the road in around €4k?
The €4k would include the whole lot from lessons to the bike, insurance and gear...


Another bit of the question is that i'm looking to first just get some cheap bike over the summer which i could practice on till i learn not to drop the bike anymore and gain enough confidence to ride into town everyday. Then probably towards the end of the year i should be able to swap it for something i'ld fancy more (like the Ducati i've been lusting after!!). So would you think it'ld be wise to get a cheap bike (maybe a Bros) that i could get used to driving on, not mind if i drop it or even crash it, get cheap insurance on while i get to pass those assessment tests on and then once i've passed those tests, i can get cheaper insurance, i'm no longer dropping bikes and feel more comfortable riding into town everyday, i could sell that one and get the new bike of my choice.

Also wondering how much i'ld have to pay for insurance when starting out...? I'll be 22 in sep... if that helps!

Thanks!

Cuddlesworth

Its possible to ride on a 4k budget. Just remember to add about 20% to what your final figure comes to. There are always hidden costs you haven't accounted for.

You'd pick up a second hand 125/250cc cruiser for a reasonable price. They are cheap to insure and are very forgiving bikes. I would recommend the Yamaha Dragstar. It's bulletproof, nothing goes wrong with them and they are pretty comfy and roomy for a small bike.

antiskeptic

af_thefragile wrote: »

Lately i realised the initial budget i had set myself up of €8-10k was a little too ambitious and realistically it'd be more like half of that i'ld be able to manage to put together for the bike (as i'm planing on working over the next few months and the summer to fund it mostly).

So i was wondering would it be possible to get me biking on the road in around €4k?

The €4k would include the whole lot from lessons to the bike, insurance and gear...

It's a tight enough budget given that you'll be trying to find a bike in reasonable enough nick to ensure it's safe to ride - you don't want to add to your problems by trying to cope with some ex-courier dog and you don't want to be spending money on new tyres, chain/sprockets, brake etc.

You said earlier that you'd invest a grand on safety gear. With helmet/boots/pants/gloves/jacket to buy, you'll barely scrape entry level bike tackle for that cash. Steer clear of Lidl type offers. I'd strongly consider scouring the secondhand market for bike gear in this instance. You can either jump up a grade in quality levels for the same money, or reduce your outlay so as to leave more for other stuff. Plenty have gotten into biking, bought all the gear and figure to get back out again.

A helmet I'd only buy new.

Insurance? Quinn in the cheapest I've found. I'd imagine you'll be paying a grand or so.

When it comes to a bike you might find good value/good fit in the larger engined trail style bikes 250-500cc. They're simpler than multi-cylinder bikes - thus cheaper, have good low down stomp - which is ideal for commuting without being rocketships in the speed dept. The sit-up-and-beg riding position enabled by the high, wide handlebars make steering around town a doddle too - your bars will be higher than the level of car mirrors. So long as your not too vertically challenged the height shouldn't be a problem. These bikes are typically very light and flickable - again an advantage in the cut and thrust of commuting traffic

A normal format road bike is a good bet too - the bros being a good un if you can find a non-thrashed courier item. The basic bike geometry of a road bike isn't as nimble around town as a trialbike - certainly not for a learner. But still, the format is more than up to the job.

I'd steer clear of chopper-style bikes completely. They are fairly tame engine-wise and the very low centre of gravity / low riding position appears appealing for a learner. But I've never ridden one that isn't a dog in the handling department - they just don't really attempt to be motorcycles in any department that matters. That low centre of gravity tends to make the front wheel slide over the ground during braking - rather than digging in as with trial/road bike. Plus, they haven't the best of ground clearance when leaning over. Ghastly things all round!


Whatever you buy, put clean mechanical condition at the top of your list. Good tyres, brakes, chain/sprockets, brake discs and other such consumables.. allied with a (mechcanically) clean, reliable machine will get you started in the best possible way. If you don't know what you're looking for then take along someone who does. There is a recession on so there will be bargains to be had

On engine size/power. At the end of the day, you can ride a 125 at dangerous speeds around town - so respect by way of controlling your throttle hand isn't circumvented by buying small. Indeed, the difficultry in getting these liitle bikes to pick up any kind of speed is such that you're loath to back off when you should. I'd go for a larger engine in order to give yourself the advantage of having a bit of power to accelerate yourself out of danger. It would depend on how sensible you reckon yourself to be.


Good hunting.

af_thefragile

^Thanks antiskeptic.

I was hoping if i could get the bike and the insurance for about 2-3 grand max. And then 1 grand for the protective gear and another 500eur to 1 grand on lessons and those assessment tests. Would come upto 5k max.
But maybe 4k just to get me with a bike on the road legally with insurance. And then another couple of grand over the next couple of months to get the full proper gear and lessons.

About lessons i think first once i get my provisional license, i'll head down to a driving school and do a beginner course on their bike. Once i've done and am happy with that, i'll then get my own bike, ride it around, get used to it for a while and then do the assessment course and test on it. So that way I can split up my costs over a couple of months which would be more affordable to me rather than doing it all at once.

About protective gear i could do with something not very fancy to start off with. Just something basic as i'ld mostly be riding it just around my neighborhood anyway for the first month or so. But then as i improve and start riding further i could invest a bit more as i progress (and earn) to get better gear. I'll get a new helmet at first though.

Trail bike sound good but i really don't think they are for me as i'm only about 5'5" and so i seriously doubt i'ld be comfortable on a trail bike. Also never liked cruisers and as i plan on sticking with road/sport bikes, i think it'ld be a bit of a jump to move from a cruiser to a sport bike.

I herd the Bros was a good reliable bike that you wouldn't care if you drop it or anything. There are many of them for sale around the 1000eur mark but i don't know how many of them have been trashed by couriers. But then i'm just looking for something cheap that i could get rid off in something like after 6 months of riding it.
The Honda CBR250rr is another bike i found which is around the 1000-2000eur price range...

So something cheap like that which could get me started. Maybe i could be able to stretch myself another 1k to make it a 5k budget... But i'ld say the cheaper the bike and the insurance, the better!

antiskeptic

af_thefragile wrote: »

^Thanks antiskeptic.

No prob!

About lessons i think first once i get my provisional license, i'll head down to a driving school and do a beginner course on their bike. Once i've done and am happy with that, i'll then get my own bike, ride it around, get used to it for a while and then do the assessment course and test on it. So that way I can split up my costs over a couple of months which would be more affordable to me rather than doing it all at once.

The more experience you can gain without commuting in rush hour style traffic the better. Get your trainer to take you on the route you'll be using so that he can point out the specific fixed hazards you'll be facing.

About protective gear i could do with something not very fancy to start off with. Just something basic as i'ld mostly be riding it just around my neighborhood anyway for the first month or so. But then as i improve and start riding further i could invest a bit more as i progress (and earn) to get better gear. I'll get a new helmet at first though.

You're 5' 5" you say? I've a pair of infrequently worn Frank Thomas bike boots - a (too slim fitting for me) size 7. I've a rather more worn textile jacket as well (iirc) which fits my average build 5'6" frame. You can have 'em for nowt if you like. Finglas or Bray pickup or I could drop em off in the city centre on my way home some evening.

Trail bike sound good but i really don't think they are for me as i'm only about 5'5" and so i seriously doubt i'ld be comfortable on a trail bike. Also never liked cruisers and as i plan on sticking with road/sport bikes, i think it'ld be a bit of a jump to move from a cruiser to a sport bike.

My preference too. You'll be clipping more drivers mirrors is all

I herd the Bros was a good reliable bike that you wouldn't care if you drop it or anything. There are many of them for sale around the 1000eur mark but i don't know how many of them have been trashed by couriers. But then i'm just looking for something cheap that i could get rid off in something like after 6 months of riding it.

The Honda CBR250rr is another bike i found which is around the 1000-2000eur price range...

The Bros' pedigree is testified to by the fact it's the ubiquitous courier machine. There's no sticky out engine bits to knock holes in so it'd no doubt take punishment Avoid dogs tho - it's one thing a grizzled courier riding around on a bent, soggy, beaten up wreck. Quite another you doing same.

The CBR riding position would be less than optimal to start with. The narrow, low bars make steering it a bit more of an effort than you need and the seat is like a plank. Something with a bit of room where you're sitting comfortably and relatively straight up would be a better bet.

The less sexy models will tend to give you more bang for starter buck in the condition stakes. It's only for a while.

What else is out there for that price range?

af_thefragile

Thanks antiskeptic, that is very generous of you but i've still got a long way to go before i get the bike so i'm not gonna rush into it already. I've gotta get the provisional license first then save up the money for lessons and getting the bike. This might take a couple of months...


I haven't seen many more bikes less than 2k. There's the Suzuki Bandit (not sure if its 250 or 400). That one looks like a good bike too. There's also the Honda NSR i think...
I guess i'ld be happy if i find a Bros in good nick for around 1k... Or maybe a Bandit...

thehomeofDob

Bros is an excellent bike - I've only recently picked one up. I much prefer my commute on it over the 250cc cruiser I had previously. It's nice an thin for filtering, rock solid engine, and 50mpg Definitely getting harder to pick up a clean one, but I've heard of them doing 300,000km/s so it'll last you through your full license and 2 years restriction.

davedrave

Ive started on a suzuki marauder125. It would be classed as a cruiser but i drive to college in town on it every day, and dont have trouble filtering or cornering on it. Its fast enough to get around, and im sure one in better nick than mine would be a bit nippier still. cheap to buy and insure, just puttin it out there!

KamiKazi

davedrave wrote: »

Ive started on a suzuki marauder125. It would be classed as a cruiser but i drive to college in town on it every day, and dont have trouble filtering or cornering on it. Its fast enough to get around, and im sure one in better nick than mine would be a bit nippier still. cheap to buy and insure, just puttin it out there!

This thread is over seven months old, I doubt he's still trying to decide on a bike to begin with.

davedrave

i read the thread, im sure plenty of people have searched the words bike and cost and have gotten some advice from this thread, i was adding mine