New rider at the age of 35?

Heathen

Hi all,

I had been toying with the idea of picking up a 250cc to begin.. I have been a fully licensed car driver for 18 years and now i am thinking of getting a bike for getting to and from work as the road tax is extremely cheap and would use a lot less fuel than a 2 tonne car everyday... And also because i have always likes bikes but just never actually got around to owning one.

My question is, as a brand new rider on a prov bike license, will i be screwed on the insurance even though i am 35 years old? or will my age and previous experience as a road user be taken into consideration? I have tried a few online quote things but they never actually work, after i fill out the page they just say sorry we cannot complete your quote please call us.. Or they look for number plates etc.. i dont own a bike yet, i am just sizing up costs at the moment so its hard to get an online quote..

Im just looking for a ball park figure for first time insurance at my age..

any help would be great on this...

Thanks
H

serious3

i'm 42 and paying 360 a year for a 900cc triumph on a provisional:cool:

Heathen

serious3 wrote: »

i'm 42 and paying 360 a year for a 900cc triumph on a provisional:cool:

Cheers for the reply...

How many years experience have you for that quote?

Richard tea

I was 31 when i got my 400cc bike. Insurance was 500

Cionn

I was 35 when I bought a 650cc bike (never had been on a bike before). Great solution for commuting. Insurance was 650 and is now less than 300 fully comp.

nigs

Im similar to yourself. im 32,just starting out and only on the road this past month. I paid 540 euro on a 600cc Honda hornet. and am absolutely loving it. cant get off the bloody thing. even a breaking trips to Tesco,s into 2 trips just so I can take the bike......... do it you wont regret it.

Wonda-Boy

Yep in a similar position myself when I started, 33 and never on a bike before. Its one of those times that age is a plus for you. Just make sure you pick the right bike and you will/should be okay on the insurance front.

BlackWizard

My Dad is in his late 50's. Only started driving last year. Once every two weeks or so. The IBT was hard for him because it was a long day on a bike.

serious3

Heathen wrote: »

Cheers for the reply...

How many years experience have you for that quote?

off bikes for 20yrs so no exp in the eyes of the ins co's

RosieJoe

I think my insurance was just over €500 fully comp when I got my bike. I was 33 getting it. This was with a Grade 4 assessment on a Factory Restricted Bandit. ( Which so happens to be for sale )

Just note that your previous driving experience will have no bearing on your insurance quote. Just road awareness from all those years driving will count towards keeping you a bit safer on the road.

Heathen

Thanks for the replies guys, all looking positive so far!! Finally old age is good for something

H

Heathen

One more question.. what is the CC limit for novice rider? is it 250cc? or if i wanted a 400 or 600 could i get one as a brand new rider? is there a certain amount of time you must prove yourself on a certain CC before you proceed? The reason i ask is because i would really like to get an offroad/onroad dual sport type touring bike along the lines of the Kawasaki KLE 500, but they all seem to have larger engines..

Thanks again

H

RosieJoe

Seeing as you are over 24 you can avail of the Direct Access route to get your licence. In theory this means you can buy any bike but in practise you will find it very hard to get insurance on it.

Myself, and many others, have started on 600/650cc bikes that are either Factory Restricted or Restricted. This was pre Direct Access where you were not allowed get a full powered large CC bike.

Most Insurance companies will insure you on a restricted 600 bike but AON will recognise the Factory Restricted model with a lower premium.

Check here for the RSA video information on the Direct Access route
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=84737399&postcount=440