What A road commuter bike? A few criteria.
Discussion
Benbay001 said:
On alot of this insurance becomes a factor. I was 17 when i passed my bike test. im still only 22. And because i havnt ridden for just over 3 years my NCB are well and truely gone.
A burgman 400 is £350 fully comp. A Deauville is £550. Everything else 600cc is about £6-700.
Who are you using? I only passed in April this year at age of 24, I managed to insure the Thundercat for £300 this wasn't the cheapest either i just wanted more cover. my lowest quotes where around £220. A burgman 400 is £350 fully comp. A Deauville is £550. Everything else 600cc is about £6-700.
Benbay001 said:
Getting good insurance prices on GPZ500s.
Anyone got any experience of them?
Given up on FI bikes.
A friend of mine had a GPZ500s.. in fact he had two. Anyone got any experience of them?
Given up on FI bikes.
You WILL get used to rebuliding the front brakes as afaik they don't like salt/grit so not the best for a winter commuter.
However he'll tell you they can be fun and massively economical but on the whole simple and reliable.
I'll second thebikeinsurer.co.uk (I think) always gives surprisingly good quotes especially for my age and experience (22 had my licence less than 2 years).
Gimme a shout when you've got one and we'll go for a run!
For a winter commuter I'd say go for a big BMW. Something like a K100 or K75 with full fairing and heated grips.
Easily in budget and tend to be looked after relatively well.
kingb said:
Might as well buy a reva g-whizz..I have moved from sports bikes to large maxi scooters for commuting and there is no comparison. These things are made for going to and from work day in, day out. Range on a tank is normally around the 200 mile mark before you have to think about filling up, weather protection is amazing, if you are moving the only real issue is the rain dripping off your helmet on to your trousers ( makes it look like you have wet yourself with everything else dry.
Tonnes for storage on them, cheap to run, but the best thing is the CVT drive, makes filtering and nipping about a piece of piss. Power is linear, not peaky, faster than cars to accelerate out of trouble up to 70, but not enough to get you into trouble like can happen when you are in the wrong gear and give it beans and come of the gas or get bogged down in traffic. Also most have linked brakes and using both hands to modulate the pressure on the brakes is much easier than just front and using your foot on the rear.
I started with a X9 250 and that was fine for journeys with short motorway section, comfortable cruising at 70, pushed at 80. I went two up on it a few times but she was running out of puff on a motorway.
I now have a majesty 400 and I don't think I could get something better for a every day journey. Will happily cruise at 80-90mph and will top out around 110 but gets a bit wallowly above 100. I get 60-67mpg depending on the cruising speed on the motorway and it is great for slipping through the traffic on cold wet days.
Main thing I will say is change the belts and roller when you get a bike, I have snapped 3 belts on different scooters thinking I will do in next week and twice it has shagged the seal to the transmission costing a packet. Dead easy to do yourself, loads of video online explaining how it work and what to do.
Only thing is sunday warriors don't see you as a real biker and won't nod, but most bikers realise you are a automatic motorbike rather than a vespa swerving about when you push on a bit. I still love riding geared bikes and have a few custom bikes in various states in the shed that get ridden on sunny days, but for getting to work every day of the year, maxi scooters are the way.
PM me if you have any questions or are near Surrey and want to test on out.
Tonnes for storage on them, cheap to run, but the best thing is the CVT drive, makes filtering and nipping about a piece of piss. Power is linear, not peaky, faster than cars to accelerate out of trouble up to 70, but not enough to get you into trouble like can happen when you are in the wrong gear and give it beans and come of the gas or get bogged down in traffic. Also most have linked brakes and using both hands to modulate the pressure on the brakes is much easier than just front and using your foot on the rear.
I started with a X9 250 and that was fine for journeys with short motorway section, comfortable cruising at 70, pushed at 80. I went two up on it a few times but she was running out of puff on a motorway.
I now have a majesty 400 and I don't think I could get something better for a every day journey. Will happily cruise at 80-90mph and will top out around 110 but gets a bit wallowly above 100. I get 60-67mpg depending on the cruising speed on the motorway and it is great for slipping through the traffic on cold wet days.
Main thing I will say is change the belts and roller when you get a bike, I have snapped 3 belts on different scooters thinking I will do in next week and twice it has shagged the seal to the transmission costing a packet. Dead easy to do yourself, loads of video online explaining how it work and what to do.
Only thing is sunday warriors don't see you as a real biker and won't nod, but most bikers realise you are a automatic motorbike rather than a vespa swerving about when you push on a bit. I still love riding geared bikes and have a few custom bikes in various states in the shed that get ridden on sunny days, but for getting to work every day of the year, maxi scooters are the way.
PM me if you have any questions or are near Surrey and want to test on out.
kingb said:
Wasn't this generally received as dangerously slow, even for a 125cc? 
As for the maxi scooter post. Doing everything day in day out on a big bike, i couldn't agree more. The Maxi scooter just is the better tool for the job. Getting a 1L bike to commute to work is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It's needlessly expensive, hard to wield and dangerous in comparison.
I still do it on the bike, mind you.
As much as I dislike scooters in general, commuting shortish distances to work is exactly the kind of job they were designed to do and they are much better fit for this kind of thing than 'normal' bikes.
TBH, unless you have to use motorway then a 125 would be perfectly sufficient for a 5 mile trip. They have a pretty decent amount of acceleration with the auto transmission even if they don't have much top end. You can look forward to ~100mpg fuel economy as well.
TBH, unless you have to use motorway then a 125 would be perfectly sufficient for a 5 mile trip. They have a pretty decent amount of acceleration with the auto transmission even if they don't have much top end. You can look forward to ~100mpg fuel economy as well.
Spoke to MCE earlier. Apparently my 3 years NCB expired on the 23rd of last month 
That could have saved me a packet and allowed me to have pretty much any bike.
In other news.. im viewing a burgman 400 tomorrow.
The one here (half way down) http://www.motorcyclemaniafrome.co.uk/
That could have saved me a packet and allowed me to have pretty much any bike.In other news.. im viewing a burgman 400 tomorrow.
The one here (half way down) http://www.motorcyclemaniafrome.co.uk/
5 miles?
-Bicycle or scooter.
Carbs are fine:
My old Foxeye Fazer 600 started instantly, did 50+ mpg, even when used fairly enthusiastically, 200+ miles to a tank (pity my Street Triple doesn't), never went wrong and coped with razzing around the IOM TT course and anywhere I took it.
OP, Strange criteria....
-Bicycle or scooter.
Carbs are fine:
My old Foxeye Fazer 600 started instantly, did 50+ mpg, even when used fairly enthusiastically, 200+ miles to a tank (pity my Street Triple doesn't), never went wrong and coped with razzing around the IOM TT course and anywhere I took it.
OP, Strange criteria....
Edited by MC Bodge on Saturday 25th October 18:09
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