Discussion
I’m going to be taking my test at 31. It will be a weekend bike so no commuting. Was set on a 675 street triple. Having read a fair few of these post where the OP is was advised to get the bike they want not the bike they think they should get. It got me looking into newer bikes cbr600rr and 675 Daytona but the insurance difference is crazy (£400 675 street £2000 675 Daytona) is there a trick to the insurance? Or recommendations for new passes? Thanks
Always a contstant trade off between what you want, want you can insure and not getting anything that's too much bike.
Street triple would be a great starting point though. Anything from 80hp-120hp is ample.
My first bike wasn't exactly what I wanted, I just made sure it was somehting I could easily move on once the insurance dropped. Not tied up with finance either.
Street triple would be a great starting point though. Anything from 80hp-120hp is ample.
My first bike wasn't exactly what I wanted, I just made sure it was somehting I could easily move on once the insurance dropped. Not tied up with finance either.
I got a street triple 675, 2013, Gen 2 as a first bike about 10 months ago, whilst i have nothing to compare it too, i have to say its a very capable bike. I use mine for commuting to work (15miles each way) and very occcasional pleasure ride, aside from a flat battery once, it hasn't let me down yet, seems very agile and is plenty quick enough for me at the minute with 105hp.
I think this would be a great first bike for you, i'm a bit older than you (45), but the insurance was £390 fully comp for 6K miles and locked garage overnight which seemed pretty fair to me.
I think this would be a great first bike for you, i'm a bit older than you (45), but the insurance was £390 fully comp for 6K miles and locked garage overnight which seemed pretty fair to me.
There's nothing wrong with going with a first bike that you fully intend on selling after a year and it's not like the Street Triple is a slow bike that is going to bore you after a few weeks. Also, after a year of riding you'll have more experience and a better understanding of what you are and are not after in your next bike.
I have 2 Daytona 675s and owned a Street Triple. The street triple is by far a better first bike and much more suited to the road. It's pretty much the only bike I regret selling and I'd sooner have a street triple than the 790 I've got just now.
I'm not sure what year you're going for but if your thinking a 06-12 the R version is very stiff for the roads but upgraded brakes are nice. Owners of the standard found it a bit soft but I loved riding my dads. It's one of the few bikes I've jumped on and felt I at ease with straight away without dicking about changing stuff.
I'm not sure what year you're going for but if your thinking a 06-12 the R version is very stiff for the roads but upgraded brakes are nice. Owners of the standard found it a bit soft but I loved riding my dads. It's one of the few bikes I've jumped on and felt I at ease with straight away without dicking about changing stuff.
I don't really know of any tips or tricks for insurance, but I'd always expect it to be excessive on a faired supersport type bike. OEM Fairings are eye wateringly expensive.
I don't think you can really 'Buy the bike you want' for your first bike if it returns insurance premiums like that, the Street Triple is an excellent bike and you'll love it for long enough that insurance on what you actually want becomes reasonable.
I don't think you can really 'Buy the bike you want' for your first bike if it returns insurance premiums like that, the Street Triple is an excellent bike and you'll love it for long enough that insurance on what you actually want becomes reasonable.
I learned at a similar age, I got a GSX-R crashed it, after 9 months (non-fault). I got a Z750 as a hire bike (with 2 miles on the clock) and riding a more upright bike was the best thing I could have done. The visibility and handling was way better for commuting and learning to ride on, it was more comfortable and the engine was much better than a rev-monster 600.
No tricks to insurance really, once you've been through the usual comparison sites and phoned people like BeMoto
Nothing wrong with the Triple 675 - hired this one in Tenerife last year and thrashed it mercilessly. Not very torquey but plenty fast enough once wound up, very novice friendly!
Nothing wrong with the Triple 675 - hired this one in Tenerife last year and thrashed it mercilessly. Not very torquey but plenty fast enough once wound up, very novice friendly!
I got a new Street Triple as my first bike at 40, still have it 15 years later on 98k miles.
I have other bikes, but that is my “goto” if i just want a fun blast around.
Its extremely capable, and will easily help you get 2 or 3 years NCD to make a sports bike easier to insure later.
You are almost certainly going to drop it at some point, and its far cheaper than a faired bike to put right.
I have other bikes, but that is my “goto” if i just want a fun blast around.
Its extremely capable, and will easily help you get 2 or 3 years NCD to make a sports bike easier to insure later.
You are almost certainly going to drop it at some point, and its far cheaper than a faired bike to put right.
If you can justify the cost then get the bike you want.
I returned to biking this year and I couldn't justify the insurance for a nearly new V-strom 1050 or V85TT, so went for a 2017 V-strom 650. The insurance was quarter and half of the other two bikes respectively and I also (as mentioned above) reasoned I'd drop it in the carpark due to wobbly inexperience and would rather drop a bike I don't love.
Apart from awkward looks I actually do love this bike now.
I returned to biking this year and I couldn't justify the insurance for a nearly new V-strom 1050 or V85TT, so went for a 2017 V-strom 650. The insurance was quarter and half of the other two bikes respectively and I also (as mentioned above) reasoned I'd drop it in the carpark due to wobbly inexperience and would rather drop a bike I don't love.
Apart from awkward looks I actually do love this bike now.
From the man who's first bike was a Blackbird, buy the bike you want that is affordable. If you can't afford the bike you really want, a couple of years careful riding and learning road craft will make everything easier and more affordable, then trade up.
I was fortunate that the bike i wanted was inexpensive to buy, run and insure
I was fortunate that the bike i wanted was inexpensive to buy, run and insure
Thanks for all the replies. I guess I am lucky I can insure a street triple as a first bike, I could afford the others with a small loan but if the insurance won’t budget then I simply can’t justify giving them 2k with no return. Case closed I think (will keep you updated on my progress) theory in July 🤞🏻
Edited by Saltedpanda on Tuesday 10th June 18:31
Im coming up to a year since i passed at the age of 34. I went for a Triumph Trident 660 after lots of praise as a great first bike on youtube reviews.
I cant fault it, really easy to ride as a newbie, small famed bike so nice and light to manoeuvre but has plenty of torque so it pulls well and doesnt get boring too quickly, has all the modern systems to save you when you have an inexperienced moment, looks great with some mods and brilliant value.
Insurance renewal has gone from around £400 to £180 after one year with all styling mods declared.
Iv just got back from the TT on it and again it gave me confidence to be flat out over the mountain wet or dry as you could change ride modes and cost buttons to fill up while i was there, modern touches like the heated grips were a lifesaver!
Im now thinking of swapping to a bmw r12ninet as fancy something a bit bigger that my wife will fit on the back of comfortably for rides out into the dales and always had an itch for one but cant recommend a trident enough for a first bike.
My baja orange one might be for sale soon if your near Yorkshire
I cant fault it, really easy to ride as a newbie, small famed bike so nice and light to manoeuvre but has plenty of torque so it pulls well and doesnt get boring too quickly, has all the modern systems to save you when you have an inexperienced moment, looks great with some mods and brilliant value.
Insurance renewal has gone from around £400 to £180 after one year with all styling mods declared.
Iv just got back from the TT on it and again it gave me confidence to be flat out over the mountain wet or dry as you could change ride modes and cost buttons to fill up while i was there, modern touches like the heated grips were a lifesaver!
Im now thinking of swapping to a bmw r12ninet as fancy something a bit bigger that my wife will fit on the back of comfortably for rides out into the dales and always had an itch for one but cant recommend a trident enough for a first bike.
My baja orange one might be for sale soon if your near Yorkshire
Saltedpanda said:
Thanks for all the replies. I guess I am lucky I can insure a street triple as a first bike, I could afford the others with a small loan but if the insurance won t budget then I simply can t justify giving them 2k with no return. Case closed I think (will keep you updated on my progress) theory in July ??
It was always the insurance that kills it for me, like you say it's dead money with no return.Edited by Saltedpanda on Tuesday 10th June 18:31
Best of luck on your theory test.
Jester86 said:
If you can, buy the bike you want, I followed this in Feb when I bought a Ducati Monster 1200S as my first bike.
Everyone is different... I had enough close shaves on my KTM 690 Duke I bought a 990 Duke as my third bike and promptly sold it as it was just too fast for my ability
Some people can moderate the throttle...
Others can only moderate what they buy
It's why I always push people towards slower bikes if possible because you also learn quicker. In hindsight - for me - I should have stayed in my 690 for longer and probably started on a 390
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