New commuting rider - loads of questions!
Discussion
I have what must amount to a couple of grands worth of kit left over from my 'real' bike days but I still use it all despite only being on a Vespa at the mo.
Dianese textile winter waterproof jacket as well as Furygan race leather top and bottoms, Furygan mesh summer jacket and textile trousers, all armoured.
Various gloves, boots and helmets.
And my commute is only 20 minutes
Dianese textile winter waterproof jacket as well as Furygan race leather top and bottoms, Furygan mesh summer jacket and textile trousers, all armoured.
Various gloves, boots and helmets.
And my commute is only 20 minutes
I got into biking just under two years ago, it was only to keep me sane as the commute in the car is 1 1/2 hours vs 30 to 40 minutes on the bike. I ride all year in all weathers.
I did some research into clothing when I started and plumped with expensive rather than multiple cheap items.
Due to a cock up by the supplier my drop liner trousers were accidentally upgraded to goretex laminate. The jacket sadly was not and remains a drop liner. I did offer to return the laminate trousers but was told to keep them.
If you can afford laminate, do it. My drop liner jacket although I stay dry, the outer fabric gets wet and clings to you so you feel cold. The laminate does not cling.
I wear this gear daily when riding, its the only bike gear I have. It’s stood up well and isn’t leaking yet.
Richa if you’ve got this far.
Oh and the bike is a Yamaha Tracer 700. It doesn’t like the salt and is rusting in places. It’s covered 22000 miles in 18 months and is still going well.
I did some research into clothing when I started and plumped with expensive rather than multiple cheap items.
Due to a cock up by the supplier my drop liner trousers were accidentally upgraded to goretex laminate. The jacket sadly was not and remains a drop liner. I did offer to return the laminate trousers but was told to keep them.
If you can afford laminate, do it. My drop liner jacket although I stay dry, the outer fabric gets wet and clings to you so you feel cold. The laminate does not cling.
I wear this gear daily when riding, its the only bike gear I have. It’s stood up well and isn’t leaking yet.
Richa if you’ve got this far.
Oh and the bike is a Yamaha Tracer 700. It doesn’t like the salt and is rusting in places. It’s covered 22000 miles in 18 months and is still going well.
Sway said:
I'll be honest - I'm wary of a faired, more expensive bike.
Couple of reasons - I'm going to drop it. Secondly, looks like my piece will get reamed on insurance. Third, I'm adding 50% to the cost of the bike...
No, you're not. Couple of reasons - I'm going to drop it. Secondly, looks like my piece will get reamed on insurance. Third, I'm adding 50% to the cost of the bike...
Deauville seems to be the way to go then, utterly undesirable must surely equal a lower premium.
Sway said:
I'll be honest - I'm wary of a faired, more expensive bike.
Couple of reasons - I'm going to drop it. Secondly, looks like my piece will get reamed on insurance. Third, I'm adding 50% to the cost of the bike...
Faired or half-faired or naked is very rider dependant, we all like different things.Couple of reasons - I'm going to drop it. Secondly, looks like my piece will get reamed on insurance. Third, I'm adding 50% to the cost of the bike...
I will say that if you are doing any dual carriageway or motorway routes on your commute then the fairing will take a lot of wind blast and weather rather than you.
Road 5's are a very good all season / weather tyre.
I bought what I could afford to begin with and have slowly upgraded over time and now have a Klim Badlands jacket and trousers which I think are great.
Dakkon said:
Sway said:
I'll be honest - I'm wary of a faired, more expensive bike.
Couple of reasons - I'm going to drop it. Secondly, looks like my piece will get reamed on insurance. Third, I'm adding 50% to the cost of the bike...
Faired or half-faired or naked is very rider dependant, we all like different things.Couple of reasons - I'm going to drop it. Secondly, looks like my piece will get reamed on insurance. Third, I'm adding 50% to the cost of the bike...
I will say that if you are doing any dual carriageway or motorway routes on your commute then the fairing will take a lot of wind blast and weather rather than you.
Road 5's are a very good all season / weather tyre.
I bought what I could afford to begin with and have slowly upgraded over time and now have a Klim Badlands jacket and trousers which I think are great.
I commute to two main locations from Chichester - mostly north on lovely flowing A Roads to Crawley via Pulborough over the Downs, or a quicker blat along the A/M 27 to the outskirts of Southampton. I'm expecting the motorway trip to be around 45 minutes.
Surely with my new bad boy Rukka gear I'll be alright without a fairing for that? I'd definitely add a screen to the naked type bikes.
Pothole said:
No, you're not.
Deauville seems to be the way to go then, utterly undesirable must surely equal a lower premium.
I'm set on new - partly emotional (never had a brand spanking new vehicle) and partly as then I get full warranty/service plan/cheap finance - letting me put my capital into better quality kit.Deauville seems to be the way to go then, utterly undesirable must surely equal a lower premium.
For example, any of the Honda 500s works out at £130 a month, including servicing, no deposit and I own it outright in three years.
Anything I get will be "worthless" in three years, so the way I see it is that after three years I'll still have a capable "free" bike to use...
As said at the beginning - aiming to save dosh (which I can do even buying a bloody desmo v4 compared to today!), but there is a level of desire/emotion as well...
croyde said:
So £4600 gets you a new 500cc Honda with all servicing chucked in.
Last time I was at P&H I didn't see any deals close to that
Am I missing out the bit with the big deposit?
£500 for doing my training with an approved Honda riding school. Last time I was at P&H I didn't see any deals close to that
Am I missing out the bit with the big deposit?
£500 Honda deposit contribution.
Then based on the finance calc, the monthly set aside to cover the balloon, and the service plans available - and I come to the monthly figures...
Hey, I'm currently spending £550 a month on fuel - plus a chunky insurance and (self) servicing/parts replacement spend...
Here is my input. I have done a few hundred thousand miles in the past few years commuting in all weathers from blazing heat to snow.
Bike Wise:
You wont go wrong with a CB500x or at a guess the F, which i believe is a similar bike. The X with a touring screen offered the most protection. I did 85,000 miles on one in a few years and it was bullet proof. That included 2 up touring for weeks in europe. It would sit at 90mph (albeit revving a lot) all day with no drama. If you go slower the fuel economy was staggering. They are also thin, so if commuting in a city i would seriously add some priority to this point. Also, buy urbano tucano muffs for the winter and get heated grips, the big sets wrap nicely around the standard hand guards so they dont move anywhere. I don't care what i look like in the winter it is about being warm, nobody looks cool.
Gear Wise:
Go balls out on the best gear straight away, no messing. Get it on 0 percent over 2 years with sportsbikeshop if you cannot afford it upfront. I waited years before forking out on top end gear and wish i had just done it straight away. My commuting kit consists of:
HJC Flip up Lid with Scala q3 attached - flip up is nice for when its hot in the city. I wear this lid with Ear plugs
2 pairs of gloves - Rukka Viriums and Cheaper Alpinestars mesh summer gloves. I normally carry both as its sometimes cold in the morning
2 piece Gore Tex Pro kit with removable lining. I use Dane but will probably use Rukka or Klim next
Keis heated long sleeve jacket for the winter - this is an absolute must in the winter.
TCX Goretex Boots - will couple with some thicker socks in the winter.
This kit has seen me through the hottest and coldest weather. The jacket is the cherry on top in the winter. Nobody wants to get out of a warm bed onto a cold bike. This thing on full wack keeps me nice and cosy.
Bike Wise:
You wont go wrong with a CB500x or at a guess the F, which i believe is a similar bike. The X with a touring screen offered the most protection. I did 85,000 miles on one in a few years and it was bullet proof. That included 2 up touring for weeks in europe. It would sit at 90mph (albeit revving a lot) all day with no drama. If you go slower the fuel economy was staggering. They are also thin, so if commuting in a city i would seriously add some priority to this point. Also, buy urbano tucano muffs for the winter and get heated grips, the big sets wrap nicely around the standard hand guards so they dont move anywhere. I don't care what i look like in the winter it is about being warm, nobody looks cool.
Gear Wise:
Go balls out on the best gear straight away, no messing. Get it on 0 percent over 2 years with sportsbikeshop if you cannot afford it upfront. I waited years before forking out on top end gear and wish i had just done it straight away. My commuting kit consists of:
HJC Flip up Lid with Scala q3 attached - flip up is nice for when its hot in the city. I wear this lid with Ear plugs
2 pairs of gloves - Rukka Viriums and Cheaper Alpinestars mesh summer gloves. I normally carry both as its sometimes cold in the morning
2 piece Gore Tex Pro kit with removable lining. I use Dane but will probably use Rukka or Klim next
Keis heated long sleeve jacket for the winter - this is an absolute must in the winter.
TCX Goretex Boots - will couple with some thicker socks in the winter.
This kit has seen me through the hottest and coldest weather. The jacket is the cherry on top in the winter. Nobody wants to get out of a warm bed onto a cold bike. This thing on full wack keeps me nice and cosy.
supercommuter said:
Here is my input. I have done a few hundred thousand miles in the past few years commuting in all weathers from blazing heat to snow.
Bike Wise:
You wont go wrong with a CB500x or at a guess the F, which i believe is a similar bike. The X with a touring screen offered the most protection. I did 85,000 miles on one in a few years and it was bullet proof. That included 2 up touring for weeks in europe. It would sit at 90mph (albeit revving a lot) all day with no drama. If you go slower the fuel economy was staggering. They are also thin, so if commuting in a city i would seriously add some priority to this point. Also, buy urbano tucano muffs for the winter and get heated grips, the big sets wrap nicely around the standard hand guards so they dont move anywhere. I don't care what i look like in the winter it is about being warm, nobody looks cool.
Gear Wise:
Go balls out on the best gear straight away, no messing. Get it on 0 percent over 2 years with sportsbikeshop if you cannot afford it upfront. I waited years before forking out on top end gear and wish i had just done it straight away. My commuting kit consists of:
HJC Flip up Lid with Scala q3 attached - flip up is nice for when its hot in the city. I wear this lid with Ear plugs
2 pairs of gloves - Rukka Viriums and Cheaper Alpinestars mesh summer gloves. I normally carry both as its sometimes cold in the morning
2 piece Gore Tex Pro kit with removable lining. I use Dane but will probably use Rukka or Klim next
Keis heated long sleeve jacket for the winter - this is an absolute must in the winter.
TCX Goretex Boots - will couple with some thicker socks in the winter.
This kit has seen me through the hottest and coldest weather. The jacket is the cherry on top in the winter. Nobody wants to get out of a warm bed onto a cold bike. This thing on full wack keeps me nice and cosy.
Really, really appreciated - especially as you've reinforced many of the (loose) conclusions I've drawn. Bike Wise:
You wont go wrong with a CB500x or at a guess the F, which i believe is a similar bike. The X with a touring screen offered the most protection. I did 85,000 miles on one in a few years and it was bullet proof. That included 2 up touring for weeks in europe. It would sit at 90mph (albeit revving a lot) all day with no drama. If you go slower the fuel economy was staggering. They are also thin, so if commuting in a city i would seriously add some priority to this point. Also, buy urbano tucano muffs for the winter and get heated grips, the big sets wrap nicely around the standard hand guards so they dont move anywhere. I don't care what i look like in the winter it is about being warm, nobody looks cool.
Gear Wise:
Go balls out on the best gear straight away, no messing. Get it on 0 percent over 2 years with sportsbikeshop if you cannot afford it upfront. I waited years before forking out on top end gear and wish i had just done it straight away. My commuting kit consists of:
HJC Flip up Lid with Scala q3 attached - flip up is nice for when its hot in the city. I wear this lid with Ear plugs
2 pairs of gloves - Rukka Viriums and Cheaper Alpinestars mesh summer gloves. I normally carry both as its sometimes cold in the morning
2 piece Gore Tex Pro kit with removable lining. I use Dane but will probably use Rukka or Klim next
Keis heated long sleeve jacket for the winter - this is an absolute must in the winter.
TCX Goretex Boots - will couple with some thicker socks in the winter.
This kit has seen me through the hottest and coldest weather. The jacket is the cherry on top in the winter. Nobody wants to get out of a warm bed onto a cold bike. This thing on full wack keeps me nice and cosy.
Already bought some Rukka that felt like it'd not only survive a nuclear winter, but I'd be warm as it does so!
500 chat is really useful - especially as many people are suggesting bigger bikes I'm a little intimidated by.
Appreciate some of the other kit recommendations too.
Sway said:
supercommuter said:
Here is my input. I have done a few hundred thousand miles in the past few years commuting in all weathers from blazing heat to snow.
Bike Wise:
You wont go wrong with a CB500x or at a guess the F, which i believe is a similar bike. The X with a touring screen offered the most protection. I did 85,000 miles on one in a few years and it was bullet proof. That included 2 up touring for weeks in europe. It would sit at 90mph (albeit revving a lot) all day with no drama. If you go slower the fuel economy was staggering. They are also thin, so if commuting in a city i would seriously add some priority to this point. Also, buy urbano tucano muffs for the winter and get heated grips, the big sets wrap nicely around the standard hand guards so they dont move anywhere. I don't care what i look like in the winter it is about being warm, nobody looks cool.
Gear Wise:
Go balls out on the best gear straight away, no messing. Get it on 0 percent over 2 years with sportsbikeshop if you cannot afford it upfront. I waited years before forking out on top end gear and wish i had just done it straight away. My commuting kit consists of:
HJC Flip up Lid with Scala q3 attached - flip up is nice for when its hot in the city. I wear this lid with Ear plugs
2 pairs of gloves - Rukka Viriums and Cheaper Alpinestars mesh summer gloves. I normally carry both as its sometimes cold in the morning
2 piece Gore Tex Pro kit with removable lining. I use Dane but will probably use Rukka or Klim next
Keis heated long sleeve jacket for the winter - this is an absolute must in the winter.
TCX Goretex Boots - will couple with some thicker socks in the winter.
This kit has seen me through the hottest and coldest weather. The jacket is the cherry on top in the winter. Nobody wants to get out of a warm bed onto a cold bike. This thing on full wack keeps me nice and cosy.
Really, really appreciated - especially as you've reinforced many of the (loose) conclusions I've drawn. Bike Wise:
You wont go wrong with a CB500x or at a guess the F, which i believe is a similar bike. The X with a touring screen offered the most protection. I did 85,000 miles on one in a few years and it was bullet proof. That included 2 up touring for weeks in europe. It would sit at 90mph (albeit revving a lot) all day with no drama. If you go slower the fuel economy was staggering. They are also thin, so if commuting in a city i would seriously add some priority to this point. Also, buy urbano tucano muffs for the winter and get heated grips, the big sets wrap nicely around the standard hand guards so they dont move anywhere. I don't care what i look like in the winter it is about being warm, nobody looks cool.
Gear Wise:
Go balls out on the best gear straight away, no messing. Get it on 0 percent over 2 years with sportsbikeshop if you cannot afford it upfront. I waited years before forking out on top end gear and wish i had just done it straight away. My commuting kit consists of:
HJC Flip up Lid with Scala q3 attached - flip up is nice for when its hot in the city. I wear this lid with Ear plugs
2 pairs of gloves - Rukka Viriums and Cheaper Alpinestars mesh summer gloves. I normally carry both as its sometimes cold in the morning
2 piece Gore Tex Pro kit with removable lining. I use Dane but will probably use Rukka or Klim next
Keis heated long sleeve jacket for the winter - this is an absolute must in the winter.
TCX Goretex Boots - will couple with some thicker socks in the winter.
This kit has seen me through the hottest and coldest weather. The jacket is the cherry on top in the winter. Nobody wants to get out of a warm bed onto a cold bike. This thing on full wack keeps me nice and cosy.
Already bought some Rukka that felt like it'd not only survive a nuclear winter, but I'd be warm as it does so!
500 chat is really useful - especially as many people are suggesting bigger bikes I'm a little intimidated by.
Appreciate some of the other kit recommendations too.
I now use an Africa Twin which is a great bike and much more wafty with its DCT box. But the CB500x was a brilliant bit of kit no question.
Make it as convenient as possible for you for maximum time gains for example:
- Make sure your new Rukka gear is not super tight so you get slip in and out easy fully clothed
- Get a top Box for your day bag - laptop, hair stuff, deodrant etc and lock - then helmet once you get off. Get a slider rack to remove the top box in seconds for days when you arent commuting / want to look less like a pizza delivery rider
- Make sure you have a luggage frame / pannier frame on the bike with some bungees always attached for carrying items home from the office
- Buy a set of shoes/boots for the office. So annoying taking them home.
- Save the Honda Care number on your phone
- get a big D lock instead of a chain which gets your hands minging trying to pull it through the wheel every day. More of an issue on spoked wheels
- Get some cheap Heed zip bags to attach to crashbars or side of bike to carry chain tightening tools, tyre weld and bike cover for dodgy areas
- Take a few pairs of ear plugs in a tank bag and ALWAYS wear them
Sway said:
croyde said:
So £4600 gets you a new 500cc Honda with all servicing chucked in.
Last time I was at P&H I didn't see any deals close to that
Am I missing out the bit with the big deposit?
£500 for doing my training with an approved Honda riding school. Last time I was at P&H I didn't see any deals close to that
Am I missing out the bit with the big deposit?
£500 Honda deposit contribution.
Then based on the finance calc, the monthly set aside to cover the balloon, and the service plans available - and I come to the monthly figures...
Hey, I'm currently spending £550 a month on fuel - plus a chunky insurance and (self) servicing/parts replacement spend...
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