[Closed] Give me a reason NOT to buy a motorbike

[i]Last bike was an R6 and I had a ZX9R before that. Got rid of R6 as was not using it and wife thought it was dangerous so got rid of it to please her. Now don't have that problem so thinking about getting another. Think I am going to look at the new Fazer 1000 today. I hired a VFR800 and did some touring in the alps a couple of years ago and the comfort persuaded me I don't want another sports bike. [/i]

Bazzer - look at the Triumphs

I commuted for years on a zx9r, then got a Fazer 1000 (which I hated, just unbalanced - too light on the front, too easy to spin the rear 'cos of the EXUP working), then Tiger 1050 and now Sprint GT.

51mpg at whatever speed you do, they are cheaper than the competition now due to currency drops and the triple is a great road engine plus the changes to the GT over ST makes it super stable on my crap/holey 100 mile roundtrip commute.

I would die of pain commuting at slow speeds on the zx9! Its only when i`m up over 50mph-ish that i feel comfy on it.I suppose it would feel similar with any sports bike in town after an hour or so.Having said that,the size and position of that gsxr600 k8 i tried felt so right.
I`m five foot eight.

i had a honda varadero 125 (i would advise one of these rather than a moped) it is a baby version of its big brother, you sit pretty high up and is a bit more beefy than a moped.

anyway...

i sold my car to help save money for when the baby came,

Pro's

£15 road tax
silly MPG
traffic jams dont exist (if you have the guts to slip through them)

Con's

Outlay for helmet, jacket, trousers, gloves, then water proof stuff

When it rained it sucked, not just getting wet but not being able to see jack shit sometimes

I had to setup the back garden to accomodate the bike

The whole shirt and tie affair in work was a pain in the arse.

Did i mention the rain?

You are TOTALLY invisible on a motorbike, you will see the road in a very, very different way and when/if you go back to a car you will appreciate it.

i come form a biking family aswell, they never appealed to me but it was a means to an end.

would i ever get another bike, i doubt it.

just my 5p worth,

Ride and guage yourself. Just like driving you should know how much of a natural or able you are.

Ok?

Ignore all of the above. Your life is in everyone elses hands around you.

I LOVE motorbikes but you have to weigh up the risks.

Remember there's a stw'er who isn't here anymore due to a motorbike accident on the way to work.

If you're anywhere near Newcastle, then we've got more PCXs coming on Tuesday. They are pretty thin on the ground at the moment with demand very strong. They'll do closer to 130mpg too...

If you are local to us, then we've got a Richa clothing package for £365 which is helmet, jacket, gloves, trousers and boots. If you bought the bike from us I'd do you the clothing with a healthy bit of STW discount... If you're not local, then I'd always suggest using a dealer closer to home instead. A bit more info at newcastlemotorcycles.co.uk.

Woody. We might have a plain black RF900 coming in this week for a used ZX10. He wants decent money for it though. I could let you know if it comes in?

/advert over 😉

Cheers

Craig

[i]Remember there's a stw'er who isn't here anymore due to a motorbike accident on the way to work. [/i]

And Rod Hull died trying to sort out the signal on his telly!

Knob.

Road legal quad?

I had one. It was ace

You can ride on a car licence

B r why? This topic reminded me of a stwer. Can you leave it there. Thanks.

Blimey - thanks all for the comments. Certainly a lot to think about.

The A449 is a bit of a rat run, and one I will have to somehow circumnavigate if I cycle in.

iamtheresurrection - thanks for the info - not local at all, I am guessing the PCX is going to sell quick with the current 0% deal on. 130mpg - is that quoted or in reality?

It all kind of depends on the job anyway, so I will have a while to think about it.

At least starting out in summer will allow me to get to grips with riding before winter sets in - although I will obviously try to get practice of night riding before then.

One other question - keeping a bike outside - it'll be secure, but is it recommended (if covered up)? Any possible issues?

Well its not exactly recommended! But obviously you can keep a bike outside. I used to keep mine under a car port and had an Oxford storm cover for it. The cover was lined so as to minimize condensation. It did a good job, but the local cats pissed over it a fair bit! You may also have issues if you need to leave the bike for sometime with battery top up. Insurance will be up

Woody. We might have a plain black RF900 coming in this week for a used ZX10. He wants decent money for it though. I could let you know if it comes in?

I'm part of a motorbike forum, have been for about 8 years. In that time there's at least 1 or 2 RIP threads a year from commuting related incidents.

Not trying to be morbid, just make sure you've got your eyes open, your wits about you and assume that everyone in a car is either on the phone, having a shave, putting on makeup, or half asleep.

On the plus side bikes are frikkin awesome!! (and Trackdays ROCK!!)

The 130mpg thing is reality, our first customer is getting more than that but it's a very light rider and I don't think he's giving it the beans too often... It's always tough to quote a number I suppose.

The 0% deals runs out at the end of the month, being replaced with a low rate finance deal. If the term stays the same, you'll pay a little under £200 in interest on the new scheme.

I think commuting by bike is as safe as you make it. Watch you speed in 30 and 40 zones especially, keep away from the gutter, especially when there are side roads joining and wear bright, safe gear. Odds are you'll be just fine! 🙂

I've got a soft spot for Teneres Woody - good call...

Also, in city centre traffic, is a motorbike actually much quicker?