Beginner

legend365

Got my prov. license in october and am looking at getting a bike in feb or march (when the weather is more favourable). I was just wondering about the costs. I'm 22 btw.

Here is what i plan to buy:

Good all round gear
Kawasaki ninja 250
Insurance for about 6 months.

Any ideas on how much i'll be paying?

Also, is the ninja too small for a 6'4 person? :P

cantdecide

legend365 wrote: »

...Insurance for about 6 months. Any ideas on how much i'll be paying?...

A grand for decent gear anyway.

Insurance is a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string situation. There appears to be no rhyme nor reason to insurance costs for any similar case. Least of all for yungfellas! Just pick up the phone.

legend365 wrote: »

...Also, is the ninja too small for a 6'4 person? ...

As someone who is also 6'4", yes, I'd say. You almost certainly will look like an eejit. If you can (genuinely) make yourself comfortable then it's up to you to decide but ffs, if you know it's physically too small, look at some alternatives.

martydunf

I dont think you can take out a 6 month policy Im pretty sure it has to be 12 months, but Im open to correction on that.

Have at look at the faired Bandits, Im 6'2" and feel very comfortable on it, I know it isnt as sporty lookin as the Ninja tho.

Paparazzo

martydunf wrote: »

I dont think you can take out a 6 month policy Im pretty sure it has to be 12 months, but Im open to correction on that.

Have at look at the faired Bandits, Im 6'2" and feel very comfortable on it, I know it isnt as sporty lookin as the Ninja tho.

You can take out a years and cancel it. They have to refund the balance.

Alkers

You're mad getting a new Ninja imo! Look at getting something second hand and maybe without expensive to fix fairings. It would look a bit like a toy bike with you being 6'4" also.

P.C.

Paparazzo wrote: »

You can take out a years and cancel it. They have to refund the balance.

Correct, but...

You won't get half the years cost back.
You might get one third back, but it will probably be closer to a quater.
And if you want insurance the following year, you won't have a years NCB.

You are better of paying for the year, and getting your years NCB, as in the long run this should work out cheaper.

KamiKazi

P.C. wrote: »

You won't get half the years cost back.
You might get one third back, but it will probably be closer to a quater.

Unless you're paying by monthly installments!

P.C.

KamiKazi wrote: »

Unless you're paying by monthly installments!

Most of the time you have to pay the first two months premiums up front, and then the balance over the next ten months.

So, after 6 months you have paid for just over 7 months of cover.
And you will not have a years NCB.


I suppose it all depends on how much your insurance is, and how many years you intend to ride a bike.

Flyin Irishman

legend365 wrote: »

Got my prov. license in october and am looking at getting a bike in feb or march (when the weather is more favourable). I was just wondering about the costs. I'm 22 btw.

Here is what i plan to buy:

Good all round gear
Kawasaki ninja 250
Insurance for about 6 months.

Any ideas on how much i'll be paying?

Also, is the ninja too small for a 6'4 person? :P

Im 21 & got my provo in November:

don't hav all the gear yet but Id say you would want to allow a grand, it seems its worth spending the money on top quality gear

Just got a new ninja 250 (€5000), if you have your heart set on the ninja I did find that most second-hand ones were either not that much cheaper, or had been dropped. Thats why I went with a new one

My insurance quote (from quinn) is €836 for the year (with grade 3 quinn assessment)

legend365

The reason I'm looking for 6 months is because i plan to travel to Australia.

I really just want to get my full license and go. Would you get much re-sale value on good gear?

Would love a new one but can't always get what ya want ha ha

Hope to pick one up for 2,8 or even 2,5. I'll prob go view some soon and make a re-adjustment to me plan if it comes up too short :P

Flyin Irishman

legend365 wrote: »

The reason I'm looking for 6 months is because i plan to travel to Australia.

I really just want to get my full license and go. Would you get much re-sale value on good gear?

Would love a new one but can't always get what ya want ha ha

Hope to pick one up for 2,8 or even 2,5. I'll prob go view some soon and make a re-adjustment to me plan if it comes up too short :P

When I was looking around I think the cheapest I saw for a new model Ninja (2008 +) was listed at €3195. It had been dropped so it had scratches on one side but looked ok, with that kind of list-price you might talk someone down to 2,5 - 2,8.

As for the size of the bike, where are you?, if your near dublin go to bikeworld and sit on one in the showroom, might have one in ross motorcycles in cork too, but i'd check first

inchiuvatu

Just incase you hadn't considered the option, you could always get any cheap bike to learn on, then do a pretest and rent the instructors bike for the day of your test.

i got my provisional 15 sept,had never been on a bike before and learned on a cbr125 then rented a cbf250 and passed my test the 11th of november to get my full A licence

there are loads of cheap second hand bikes if the bike and insurance together cost you alot less then 2k you would have the gear and all for under 3k. and doing the test on an instructors bike means you can be confident the tester wont nit-pic the bike the day of your test.

perhaps the money isn't an issue which is fair enough but i would be saving every penny for australia rather than buying a shiney bike to learn on at least if its a cheap bike the scratch or two you put on it wont effect it's resell value.

legend365

Moneys always an issue but i dont just waste it and was hopin to re-sell for atleast 3/4 of what i bought for. The ninja is looking less likely as im tall.

Did you find the test difficult? And what did you think of the 125?

martydunf

legend365 wrote: »

Moneys always an issue but i dont just waste it and was hopin to re-sell for atleast 3/4 of what i bought for. The ninja is looking less likely as im tall.

Did you find the test difficult? And what did you think of the 125?

You cant sit the test on a 125cc has to be 150cc or more to get the Full A Licence.

inchiuvatu

i learned on the 125 with the help of a friend only went out about 10 times or so. then i did a 3 hour course with an instructor and just like in a car pretest he nit-picks all your bad habits.

i rented my instructors bike cbf250 for the lesson and the day of the test cost me €230 and i found the test quite easy i really followed everything the instructor told me.

the only advantage i had was i have my car licence and i drive alot so i only needed to learn the proper controls of the bike and apply then to familiar situations.. if your first time on the road is on a bike it might be a bit harder but it isn't a monumental test build up the confidence and you will sail through.

legend365

Yea have my full drivers licence but might just do what you did.

Who would you recommend for lessons?

inchiuvatu

when i went looking for bike training i was under a bit of pressure (because i thought i could do my A test on a 125, with less than two weeks to go until the test) so i was calling around asking about renting bikes and i pretty much went with the first person i called who sounded alright and who was reasonably priced. i went with this guy David Lyons from http://www.motorbiketraining.net .. if you ask on boards or biker.ie you will get alot of suggestions/experience of different people with different instructors.

i found Dave to be patient and constructive with his critic, and i made alot of mistakes on the pretest but i sailed through the bike test by applying everything he suggested.

this is probably stating the obvious but make sure you bring someone who know about bikes to look at ones your interested in, most bike for sale are way over valued.

JustLen

Lads does a NCB bonus earned on a car transfer over to a bike policy?

And have any of ye got quotes or taken out a six-wheel policy before? are they reasonable in general? or not?

Alkers

No, they don't count to each other at all.
Some companies offer discounts if you insure both bike and car with them at the same time but the discounts aren't that great.

gipi

inchiuvatu wrote: »

Just incase you hadn't considered the option, you could always get any cheap bike to learn on, then do a pretest and rent the instructors bike for the day of your test.

i got my provisional 15 sept,had never been on a bike before and learned on a cbr125 then rented a cbf250 and passed my test the 11th of november to get my full A licence

As a matter of interest, how did you get around the 6 month restriction - where you can't sit a test for 6 months after you get your first learner permit?

inchiuvatu

When i was 18 i got my car provisional and i ticked the bike box aswell (with romantic visions of me buying one with absolutely no chance of affording it), i got a second car provisional after i got back from australia which gave me a second bike provisional... when i actually wanted to get biking i had to apply for my 3rd provisional which ment i had to apply for my bike test before they would give me the licence.

gipi

Ah, so while it was your first time on a bike, it wasn't your first bike licence!

All makes sense now!

Crasp

€800-€100 for gear (I spent €300 on Shoei XR1000 helmet, ~€225 on Richa fury leather jacket, ~€130 on Richa monsoon textile pants, €125 on CX boots and €50 on Spada gloves). Good quality gear is essential.




tbh if you're emigrating in 6 moths I wouldn't buy a bike at all. I'd get a helmet and just get 10 or so lessons with an instructor. The bike test isn't hard, it's the same as driving a car, but your road position is different and you need the technical checks and there are a few bike-specific test manoeuvers.

C@non

I have a ducti monster red 400cc restricted for learners for sale. and its 2005 with 23,000km on it! was perfect for me and now im moving away so have to sell it

Merch

C@non wrote: »

I have a ducti monster red 400cc restricted for learners for sale. and its 2005 with 23,000km on it! was perfect for me and now im moving away so have to sell it

Pic, price?

grumpybore

Hi .It pointless trying to sell second hand gear ,you are better off spending the money ,renting the bike for the test ,passing the test (1st time hopefully) ,and then storing the gear for when you return.....it wont go out of fashion . I have the same bike jacket for 10 years now ,constant use ,bit dirty ,but does the job....although it was never probably fashionable.

While we are on the subject , what is the youngest age that you can get a provisional licence (16 year old son wants to ride his mothers Vespa) ,and does anyone know if you can get named driver policies ....I very much doubt it .

P.C.

C@non wrote: »

I have a ducti monster red 400cc restricted for learners for sale. and its 2005 with 23,000km on it! was perfect for me and now im moving away so have to sell it

Put it up on www.adverts.ie