Thinking of getting my first bike.

goodlad

Hey people,

Im considering getting my first bike so just looking for some advice.
The main reason im looking into a bike is petrol costs and travel time are a bloody nightmare for me. I do about an 80km round trip each day, half is on a motorway.

Am i right in thinking if i get get a provisional A licence i can drive a bike with 33bhp?

If thats the case i was looking at getting maybe a bandit or fazer which is factory restricted.

Im 27 and have a full Car licence for 2 years now, does that factor into having a bike licence at all?

Any ideas what insurance i would be looking at on a bike like the fazer?

hobochris

goodlad wrote: »

Hey people,

Im considering getting my first bike so just looking for some advice.
The main reason im looking into a bike is petrol costs and travel time are a bloody nightmare for me. I do about an 80km round trip each day, half is on a motorway.

Am i right in thinking if i get get a provisional A licence i can drive a bike with 33bhp?

If thats the case i was looking at getting maybe a bandit or fazer which is factory restricted.

Im 27 and have a full Car licence for 2 years now, does that factor into having a bike licence at all?

Any ideas what insurance i would be looking at on a bike like the fazer?

It really depends on the magic number the person you speaks to pulls out at random as far as insurance goes.

The only thing you car license means as far as your bike License goes is that your familiar with the rules of the road.A bikes a completely different beast.

Get the bike, Get insurance, Get Good Protective gear(DO NOT SKIMP ON THIS AS ITS WHAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE),Get Training.

One thing to remember when on a Bike is nobody can see you and they are all out to kill you, with that in mind ride accordingly and you should be OK.

goodlad

Thanks for the reply hobochris.

I will study the rules of the road for bikes even though i have done the car test.
I assume there is a seperate test for bikes.

I cant see getting the licence too hard to be honest.

When i get the provisional can i just get insured and drive the bike right away?
I know its different for cars where you have to have a full licence person with you but obviously ya cant do that on a bike.

So i guess once you have the provisional ya can just go ahead and drive?

Any clarification on the type of bike i can drive on a fresh provisional?
Am i correct with the 33bhp?

jameshayes

I will study the rules of the road for bikes even though i have done the car test. There is a great document on the RSA site, it's called know your bike or something, I'll try find it for you and post the link, it's a great read

I assume there is a seperate test for bikes. Yeah, different test, have a look at my post from a few days ago re. Tallaght test experience

I cant see getting the licence too hard to be honest. You'll be supprised, the new theory test is quite tricky..

When i get the provisional can i just get insured and drive the bike right away?

I know its different for cars where you have to have a full licence person with you but obviously ya cant do that on a bike. Yeah, the law says you can get on and drive, but make sure you get instruction first, you'll end up head first through a wall if you dont - it'll be different when CBT comes in

So i guess once you have the provisional ya can just go ahead and drive? Yup

Any clarification on the type of bike i can drive on a fresh provisional?
Am i correct with the 33bhp? You can drive any bike you want providing it is restricted to 33bhp & it doesn't have to be factory restricted, aftermarket ones can be bought for nearly any bike

Have a look on the quinn direct website for quotes - & concider doing a Quinn Assessment or an Aon Assessment - this is a few hours training and an hour of an assessment, costs about 200 euro but when I done it my insurance premium was cut in half...

jameshayes

Here is the RSA document; http://www.rsa.ie/publication/publication/upload/This%20is%20your%20bike%20Jun%2009.pdf

What types of bikes are you interested in & whats your budget (bearing in mind bike gear will cost approx €500 - helmet, boots, jacket & pants)? Naked street bikes / sports by the looks of things? Have a look at an SV650s - great learner, easy to restrict and a nice poke off them too..

hobochris

jameshayes wrote: »

I will study the rules of the road for bikes even though i have done the car test. There is a great document on the RSA site, it's called know your bike or something, I'll try find it for you and post the link, it's a great read

I assume there is a seperate test for bikes. Yeah, different test, have a look at my post from a few days ago re. Tallaght test experience

I cant see getting the licence too hard to be honest. You'll be supprised, the new theory test is quite tricky..

When i get the provisional can i just get insured and drive the bike right away?

I know its different for cars where you have to have a full licence person with you but obviously ya cant do that on a bike. Yeah, get on and drive, it'll be different when CBT comes in

So i guess once you have the provisional ya can just go ahead and drive? Yup

Any clarification on the type of bike i can drive on a fresh provisional?
Am i correct with the 33bhp? You can drive any bike you want providing it is restricted to 33bhp & it doesn't have to be factory restricted, aftermarket ones can be bought for nearly any bike

Have a look on the quinn direct website for quotes - & concider doing a Quinn Assessment or an Aon Assessment - this is a few hours training and an hour of an assessment, costs about 200 euro but when I done it my insurance premium was cut in half...

Just to add to that, Yes you can get on the bike and ride once you have your provisional, But to do so, unless you have previous experience with bikes would be completely stupid.

You'd more then likely get seriously injured or kill yourself. A car is forgiving when you make a mistake a Bike is not.

Get training and then Ride.

jameshayes

hobochris wrote: »

Just to add to that, Yes you can get on the bike and ride once you have your provisional, But to do so, unless you have previous experience with bikes would be completely stupid.

Post edited :pac:

goodlad

jameshayes wrote: »

Here is the RSA document; http://www.rsa.ie/publication/publication/upload/This%20is%20your%20bike%20Jun%2009.pdf

What types of bikes are you interested in & whats your budget (bearing in mind bike gear will cost approx €500 - helmet, boots, jacket & pants)? Naked street bikes / sports by the looks of things? Have a look at an SV650s - great learner, easy to restrict and a nice poke off them too..

Thanks for the great reply.

That SV650 looks really nice!
I will check it out a bit more when times comes to picking a bike.

I have always like the look of the bandit style of bike.

As for my budget, i guess for the bike and gear i would be looking at maybe 4-5k absolute max. I have no idea yet what price second hand bikes go for, i have to do some searching on that.

I spend about 400 a month currently on pertol in my car so my aim is to get a loan for the bike and with the savings i make on the pertol costs i can use that savings to repay the loan.

I had looked for quotes from both quinn and carol nash but neither site would give a quote. I will have to call them.

I download that document you linked, i will read through it later tonight. I appreciate you linking it.

goodlad

jameshayes wrote: »

Post edited :pac:

I completely agree with you.

Apart from the fact i have always wanted a bike the current reason im getting off my ass and looking into getting one is my first child is due in november so i need to my monthy outgoing sticking 400 a month into the car is mad!

So i have no intention of driving my bike stupidly with a baby on the way.
I will get proper training.

n.catenthusiast

Nice one-go for it!

It's interesting that you're getting into the biking because you've a family on the way-a lot of people are the opposite way round-giving up the biking as too expensive. I know you'll save on petrol but biking isn't as cheap as it sounds. There's always some cost to be paid-maintenace, tyre repairs etc.

Less expenses is one of the benefits of biking but it's not one of the bigger benefits in my limited experience.

Whatever bike you're getting I suggest something with decent panniers to keep the baby in. Or at the very least good quality cargo netting

goodlad

haha! Well the bike is mainly for commuting. When the schools are back on it takes me almost 2 hours to work and 2 hours home.

With the schools off its about 1 hours 15 mins.

Im hoping a bike will help me keep that time down when the schools come back.

I figure there will always be additional small costs along the way but anything cheaper than the car is costing is is good with me. The travel times are doing my head in too so the bike should also relieve some mental stress

goodlad

Anyone know some good sites to find second hand bikes for sale?

Trying to get some ballpark figures of second hand bandits, sv650's and fazers.
Im kinda set on one of them, hehe!

Cuddlesworth

Donedeal.ie

jameshayes

I just done a quick quote for you living in dublin on the quinn site on a Bandit 6 - it comes to €1000...

Just remember when you're doin the quote on the quinn site, when it asks if you will carry a pillion make sure you say no... You're not aloud carry pillions until you have a full licence..

n.catenthusiast

goodlad wrote: »

haha! Well the bike is mainly for commuting. When the schools are back on it takes me almost 2 hours to work and 2 hours home.

With the schools off its about 1 hours 15 mins.

Im hoping a bike will help me keep that time down when the schools come back.

I figure there will always be additional small costs along the way but anything cheaper than the car is costing is is good with me. The travel times are doing my head in too so the bike should also relieve some mental stress

Yeah fair enough-more time with the nappies!


What sort of route have you got to do?

Watch out for the motorway-illegal to go on a motorway on a provisional, and once you get the provisional you gotta wait at least 6 months before you can pass a test.

of course everybody goes on the motorways anyways so it's kinda academic, but motorways are pretty dangerous on bikes, with and without proper training. Especially the M50-it's a death valley type of place

hobochris

goodlad wrote: »

Anyone know some good sites to find second hand bikes for sale?

Trying to get some ballpark figures of second hand bandits, sv650's and fazers.
Im kinda set on one of them, hehe!

Donedeal.ie
Biker.ie
Adverts.ie

goodlad

@n.catenthusiast

Im living in kilcullen and commute to dundrum every day.

So i would be going onto the M9 for about 5 minutes then the M7.
I come up the belgard road, tymon, past the spawell, then past rathfarnham, nutgrove and im in dundrum next.

@hobochris

THanks for the links

@jameshayes

Thanks for doing up the quote, for some reason when i did it i couldnt get a quote. It just told me to call them.

jameshayes

Just regarding you're daily commute, you're prob better with a bandit rather than a sv650, the sv is a Vtwin engine and is heavier on the juice, I only get about 200kms from a full tank which is about €15 ish...

goodlad

jameshayes wrote: »

Just regarding you're daily commute, you're prob better with a bandit rather than a sv650, the sv is a Vtwin engine and is heavier on the juice, I only get about 200kms from a full tank which is about €15 ish...

Cool, thanks for the info.
I looked through the sites. There seems to be a lot more bandits for sale than any of the other bikes im looking at.

These ones caught my eye:

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/motorbikes/958734
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/motorbikes/909365
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/motorbikes/922307

jameshayes

I've heard bad things about that moto4u place (used to be motomax iirc) but that red bandit s looks really nice!

Something with a fly screen would be a big help for you doing motorway journeys! More wind protection!

n.catenthusiast

That's a grand route you'd wizz it on the bike (or at least the bits of it I know)

Dunno maybe this was posted before but I'm quite fond of
www.bikebuyersguide.ie

Good search function

iseethelight

I wouldn't discount the SV650. I get 150miles bout 230KM to a tank €15. I dont think thats particularly poor.
The best thing is to have patience keep watching the adds and be ready to move quick when the bargain appears. There shouldn't be a problem with getting something nice and clean from around 99/00 for €2000.
Good luck with whatever you go for.

P.C.

jameshayes wrote: »

Just regarding you're daily commute, you're prob better with a bandit rather than a sv650, the sv is a Vtwin engine and is heavier on the juice, I only get about 200kms from a full tank which is about €15 ish...

iseethelight wrote: »

I wouldn't discount the SV650. I get 150miles bout 230KM to a tank €15. I dont think thats particularly poor.
The best thing is to have patience keep watching the adds and be ready to move quick when the bargain appears. There shouldn't be a problem with getting something nice and clean from around 99/00 for €2000.
Good luck with whatever you go for.

I thought a Vtwin would use less Gogo-juice than a four pot.

Having said that, I get 200 miles about 320km to a tank €20ish.

Fabio

P.C. wrote: »

I thought a Vtwin would use less Gogo-juice than a four pot.

Having said that, I get 200 miles about 320km to a tank €20ish.

I would have thought a V-twin uses less as well....

OP, get yourself some gear and take a look out for the Honda CB400 Super Four which can be got cheaper than the Bandits quite often and are less powerful, perhaps that'd be better to learn on before stepping up.

As other people pointed out, get yourself some good gear for the bike, armoured jacket, trousers, helmet and gloves. Cotters in Dublin are supposed to be good, never been as I'm in Cork myself but gather you're in Dublin.

What you should also so is read a lot and acquaint yourself with the basics of motorcycling, with the culture around it, how the machines work and get to know some bikers, maybe one or two at work ride bikes. The more knowledge you have the better an experience, more enjoyable and safer, it will be.

dubtom

I've been riding a bike for over twenty years and tbh honest if I was starting over and commuting long distances I'd go for one of those big scooter type thingys
I'll probably be slauthered for saying so but I think they make sense for a learner,less to do gear wise,actually nothing to do,their auto, weather protection,to an extent,which,when using a bike everyday, especially in winter,you'll appreciate. Test wise I don't know how they work,whether your stuck with one or can drive a geared bike on the same licence.Certainly the bigger ones like in the link I'm sure would be ok for motorway driving,smaller engine size probably not.Just a thought anyway,I'm not trying to put you off a fazer or whatever,although I'm sure a few cagers will when your on the road;)