Looking at buying a bike !

MannyFagnet

Hi guys,

Im 19 years old and looking to get a motorbike.
Im in college and I think it would be handy for travelling everyday through the city to college.
I havnt done much research yet but I like the look of the honda cbr250s or the kawasaki ninja 250s for a starter bike. Im looking for a sports bike type. I've never been on a motorbike and dont know a whole lot about them and what makes are good/reliable etc. but Ive always been interested in them.

The massive put off for me is the potential cost to buy a bike, do the IBT, theory, get insurance etc.

I have about a grand saved up and could possibly get work for the summer but other than that is it unrealistic for me to want to get a bike with regards to price it will cost etc. ? And then theres the price of keeping it insured ... ?

Is it really that expensive or are there any alternative cheaper ways to start ?

Thanks!

goodlad

MannyFagnet wrote: »

Hi guys,

Im 19 years old and looking to get a motorbike.
Im in college and I think it would be handy for travelling everyday through the city to college.
I havnt done much research yet but I like the look of the honda cbr250s or the kawasaki ninja 250s for a starter bike. Im looking for a sports bike type. I've never been on a motorbike and dont know a whole lot about them and what makes are good/reliable etc. but Ive always been interested in them.

The massive put off for me is the potential cost to buy a bike, do the IBT, theory, get insurance etc.

I have about a grand saved up and could possibly get work for the summer but other than that is it unrealistic for me to want to get a bike with regards to price it will cost etc. ? And then theres the price of keeping it insured ... ?

Is it really that expensive or are there any alternative cheaper ways to start ?

Thanks!

It really is pretty expensive to start off tbh.
1k really won get you there. Imo for bike, insurance, ibt, gear, tests etc.. your looking at around 2.5k - 3k and thats if you buy a relatively cheap bike.

steveone

rite this is not your direction but read on anyway,,

I think harley are doing starter deals on the iron sportster, its learner legal 883cc and for a learner bike plenty lively... they can probably do something on your insurance because they're in bed with carol nash, as for the IBT I can't understand any of it so I can't comment,but as for the bike the gear etc look to the dealers for deals like the harley one , or you'll pick up a bike and the gear cheap enough. if you're a learner and strange to bikes I'd advise going with one from a dealer you have some recourse if its a pup or you find yourself in the rain on the hard shoulder looking clueless ( been there done that)
a grand will get you going but you won't go far- insurance will gut you. but it might be a deposit.
good luck!

MannyFagnet

Ya I know the 1k wont get me there but it would be a starter if I used that and then worked a bit over the summer to get another 2k.
The question is will that be enough then to cover all costs and is it worth saving up for someone my age ?

And what would be the cheapest insurance I would get for maybe a cbr250 or ninja250 given my age, learner driver etc. ?

MannyFagnet

Hi steveone just saw your comment after I posted. I wouldn't be gone on the cruiser type bike that you suggested Id be more aiming to buy a sports bike !
What do you mean by the insurance might be a deposit ? Sorry if its a stupid question but I have no experience with paying insurance.

KingIsabella

For a grand...at your age i dont think a cbr or ninja 250 will be easy to get insured on...I could be wrong but from people ive heard of these bikes are difficult to get insured first time on...open to be proven wrong there!!

I made the choice a year ago to get back on a bike full time....sold the car and thought itd be cheap to start on,.....huuuge misconception....


bike:1400 (restricted bandit 6)
all new (cheap) gear: 500 for helmet jacket pants and boots....
IBT: 550.....
insurance first time: eight hundred and something....

Yeah tax is cheap and petrol is cheap...but to start up your talkin a fine chunk of change...


One thing that will work in your favour and this is my way o lookin at it!!


If you pay 500 for IBT and get an assessment included in it...you could be lookin at 25-35% off your insurance premium with certain companies....for a young rider like you and me....that could equate to a fair few hundred over the first 2-3years premiums....so in that respect the IBT pays for itself....??

Good luck!

KingIsabella

MannyFagnet wrote: »

Hi steveone just saw your comment after I posted. I wouldn't be gone on the cruiser type bike that you suggested Id be more aiming to buy a sports bike !
What do you mean by the insurance might be a deposit ? Sorry if its a stupid question but I have no experience with paying insurance.

Think he means that if your insurance is 1000...you could be paying say 200 the first month and 100 for eight months after that....something along those lines!

steveone

no bother, ye I know you're not into cruisers I was just hi lighting the package type deal. (there are some wouldn't call sportsters crusiers lol! but thats a whole new thread !)
with your money you might get a bike (tho I shudder to think of its condition- as will the engine), helmets are cheap and you might be able to get your insurance by the week or month, which means if you're cute with the money whats left after your bike will be a deposit..ie, insurance 100E upfront and x amount per month....
have you seen a bike on donedeal thats in your budget? the two you mention tend to be the highly sought ones..you're kinda going in at the deep end if you don't mind me saying so.
best of luck..

Peanut2011

OP, with a grand to start with is not enough. You need at least 3 times that for bike, gear, int and insurance. Than with that the bike you can get will likely need things changed. After a year I needed to change tyres, chain and sprockets, brake disks and pads... All ware and tare stuff and it set me back €900..

Day to day running is cheap, fun and convenient but not as cheap as you may think.

MannyFagnet

Ya theres definately plenty of nice bikes on donedeal in the 1k - 1600 range but isnt there factors there to take into account like the engine size and the age of the bike / condition.
Wont they all effect the insurance cost ? In other words a new enough ninja 250 at 3k might be as good value as a 1200e 1999 600 cc suzuki in the long run on insurance .. ?

MannyFagnet

Ya as I said Id be looking at saving up to about 3k but even then it seems theres alot more costs in the long run to maintain the bike/insurance etc.
Its looking less likely by the sounds of it that Ill be biking unless theres some amazing deal out there for starters

LookBehindYou

Insurance cost will be a deciding factor on what your budget would be for starting out.
Go for a lower grouping bike than the 2 you were thinking about.
Think about why you need a bike, and that would help in narrowing down your search for a bike
Ninjas, and anything with an R in the name are usually very high on insurance cost for young lads starting out.

steveone

well you'd do well to get a nice example of either of your 250s for small money. they'll need work and work costs . If it was me I'd be looking at a restricted 600 bandit (actually I'd have the harley but for the sake of the thread.....) in good condition very popular versatile good strong bike. You will grow tired of the 250. I don't know if there would be a difference in insurance, the bandit's big but the small 250's can be quite potent.you're premium will be calculated on your age and restriction. where you live and theapprox value of the bike bare in mind whatever you paid for it might not match their book value so let them tell you how much its worth. I reckon your money won't put you onto the bike you want..KingIsabella and peanut outlined the costs- they look dead on.

MannyFagnet

Ya I agree with you steveone by the looks of it Ill have to put it off for a few years until I get a good job and can afford the costs ! Thanks for all the advice !

Doylers

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=82716794&postcount=11

soccerbreaker

I suggest you CBR 25R can be better for you

professore

I know a sportsbike is what you think you want, it's what I thought I wanted too when I started.

If you've never been on a bike, you will be scared of your wits with any sort of sports bike starting out, and very likely to kill yourself, or at the very least wreck the plastic fairings that will set you back a grand or more if you drop the bike.

You'd be better off with a nice CB400 or Bros 400. these are great craic, bulletproof reliable, cheap now since they are old, and plenty fast to keep you going (100+ mph top end) for a good while and learner legal, not choked off bigger bikes.

There ya go, http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/motorbikes/4584075 €1200 for the bike and gear thrown in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_fLReunQEM

Here's a review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx7up9syaEk

Don't mind him about the front forks - you can easily sort this out with stiffer springs or heavier fork oil - probably whoever had the bike before has done this already.