Questions from a new rider thanks in advance

[Swifty0824]

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

So finally I'm about to start my life as a rider.

Long story short, I got my full A license last November and very tempted to buy a MT-07.

What happened next was my car got rear ended by a lady driver then written off - so I ended up put my money for a new M140i.

About a year later now I found a new job in Canary Wharf and riding to work turns out to be my best option - not only finacially but mentally since I got to avoid taking the tube

I'm still tempted to buy MT-07 but before that I need to get my gears sorted - I guess I don't have the privilage for not coming to work when the weather is bad so any advice for riding in winter?

My mate has recommended Shoei gt air but for other gears like jackets, gloves, etc I have no idea at all.

Also, in terms of security what should I get - a dick lock or a chain maybe?

Would really appreciate your help!

Cheers

[Daniel T]

see if there are any underground car parks- often its free for bikes then just a disc lock should do. or with an MT 07 just ensure you park next to a nicer bike and yours should be safe.

helmet- get a decent make depending on your budget, any shoei helmet is a good helmet.

regarding riding gear- the more you spend the better it will be.

personally i have now invested in a keis heated jacket and can now use my regular jackets as temperature is not an issue.

but to help you out in terms of water proof/ water proof, the more you spend the better it will be .
dainse is a good middle ground budget wise.

anything else just ask.

[Swifty0824]

Daniel T said:

see if there are any underground car parks- often its free for bikes then just a disc lock should do. or with an MT 07 just ensure you park next to a nicer bike and yours should be safe.

helmet- get a decent make depending on your budget, any shoei helmet is a good helmet.

regarding riding gear- the more you spend the better it will be.

personally i have now invested in a keis heated jacket and can now use my regular jackets as temperature is not an issue.

but to help you out in terms of water proof/ water proof, the more you spend the better it will be .
dainse is a good middle ground budget wise.

anything else just ask.

Thank you so much for the reply Daniel - is keis only available via online order? I'm going to find a accessories shop and try different helmets, jackets etc mainly to find the right size.

Parking a bike in canary wharf costs £2.9 - it's still cheaper than single trip tube ticket in peak hour tho!

[kiethton]

Biggest thing - as a new rider, with a car accident on record (need to be declared to bike insurers), living in close proximity to/within London check the insurance costs before you buy a bike, especially one that you will need to insure fully comprehensive like an MT-07.

I'm out in the suburbs, leave the car in a garage and in the office underground car park during the day and my cheapest fully-comp insurance quotes (on a 2003 Honda worth £1,500 at the time!) were £4k, with a £1k theft excess.....

I then decided to just get third party only (still £400 in the beginning) and make sure that any bike bought was cheap, undesirable to thieves and looked like st (less likely to be stolen).

Gear I'd echo the guys above - I'm doing it on the cheap given other financial priorities so have the sttiest gear (ex. Helmet) so get soaked whenever it rains and cold in the winter.

[dibblecorse]

There are a few commuters here, go post the question in the Commuting Highlights thread as well, you'll get loads of good advice.

Where are you starting your journey as the road mix may dictate the MT-07's suitability and are you looking for a bike to commute on or one to commute and have weekend fun on, again might help your decision

Regards kit ....

Set a budget and buy the best you can afford, stick to the major brands and you can't go far wrong, maybe get yourself out to the Bike Show at the NEC and have a haggle, failing that the Excel Bike Show in Feb.

Helmets, there is just one rule, fit, fit and fit, don't get hung up on other peoples views as some have Arai shaped heads others Shoei etc so get yourself to a decent bike shop or large dealer and try a load on, I personally fit Shoei / Shark / AGV but have never found an Arai / Suomy and others that fit right.

Riding in deepest winter you will want Goretex boots, I have the Alpinestars SMX's and wear them summer and winter, feet never wet yet, again, try different brands as they are different fits / widths. You will want bar muffs if its below 5 degrees when you leave home, ideally heated gloves if budget stretches ..... I've never needed heated clothing and I do Reading to Paddington.

Get a jacket and trouser combo that zip together and ideally with removal liners, you can then wear them all year

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk are awesome

Good luck

PS, what do you make of the M140i ? I'm tempted by one ....

[Swifty0824]

kiethton said:

Biggest thing - as a new rider, with a car accident on record (need to be declared to bike insurers), living in close proximity to/within London check the insurance costs before you buy a bike, especially one that you will need to insure fully comprehensive like an MT-07.

I'm out in the suburbs, leave the car in a garage and in the office underground car park during the day and my cheapest fully-comp insurance quotes (on a 2003 Honda worth £1,500 at the time!) were £4k, with a £1k theft excess.....

I then decided to just get third party only (still £400 in the beginning) and make sure that any bike bought was cheap, undesirable to thieves and looked like st (less likely to be stolen).

Gear I'd echo the guys above - I'm doing it on the cheap given other financial priorities so have the sttiest gear (ex. Helmet) so get soaked whenever it rains and cold in the winter.

Thanks a lot I genuinely don't know I need to declare that for my bike insurance.

Is MT-07 easy to be nicked tho?

[Swifty0824]

dibblecorse said:

There are a few commuters here, go post the question in the Commuting Highlights thread as well, you'll get loads of good advice.

Where are you starting your journey as the road mix may dictate the MT-07's suitability and are you looking for a bike to commute on or one to commute and have weekend fun on, again might help your decision

Regards kit ....

Set a budget and buy the best you can afford, stick to the major brands and you can't go far wrong, maybe get yourself out to the Bike Show at the NEC and have a haggle, failing that the Excel Bike Show in Feb.

Helmets, there is just one rule, fit, fit and fit, don't get hung up on other peoples views as some have Arai shaped heads others Shoei etc so get yourself to a decent bike shop or large dealer and try a load on, I personally fit Shoei / Shark / AGV but have never found an Arai / Suomy and others that fit right.

Riding in deepest winter you will want Goretex boots, I have the Alpinestars SMX's and wear them summer and winter, feet never wet yet, again, try different brands as they are different fits / widths. You will want bar muffs if its below 5 degrees when you leave home, ideally heated gloves if budget stretches ..... I've never needed heated clothing and I do Reading to Paddington.

Get a jacket and trouser combo that zip together and ideally with removal liners, you can then wear them all year

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk are awesome

Good luck

PS, what do you make of the M140i ? I'm tempted by one ....

So I decide to use MT-07 as my first bike, to commute and to have fun Not sure if this is the best choice really, if my budget is about £5,000?

I learnt my full A with Suzuki Gladiator 650 (hope I got this right?) and found this bike feels nothing special really - but the feeling of riding a motorbike is just addictive.

In terms of M140i - last generation of 6 pots RWD hot hatch, the sound is very nice, and it's relatively cheap.

I daily it I did 21k miles in 13 months with the car completely stock - all I can say is it's brillant to drive and practical as well.

If you want to know more about it just ask

[kiethton]

Swifty0824 said:

Is MT-07 easy to be nicked tho?

Yep unfortunately so. The steering lock can be snapped in a second or 2, they'll put it in neutral and another scrote on an XMAX etal will push it away. MT's are pretty desirable so will be somewhere up there - especially if it looks smart

Ideally you'd want a good disc lock (or two) plus a good chain or 2 - I have an Almax after my old bike was nicked and then joyridden, thankfully soon abandoned and recovered with relatively little damage. I had a £100 Oxford chain which they got through with croppers very easily.....they tried the replacement Almax on 3 separate occasions, cant get through it with anything but a grinder so failed - still snapped my steering lock out of spite on two of the occasions though :/ - £200 a pop....

[black-k1]

Swifty0824 said:

Also, in terms of security what should I get - a dick lock or a chain maybe?

Are you sure you're on the right forum?

A disc lock may be a good idea!

[Krikkit]

For buying a helmet get down to a proper old-school shop and find someone to fit one for you - they're not really a web purchase.

Otherwise good luck, and take it easy out there.

[Pothole]

There are lots of waterproof boots which don't have Goretex. My Alt Bergs are great in the depths of winter https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/roadrunner/

Do you have a J&S accessories near you? Their stores have a big range of gear from lots of different manufacturers and the staff are usually pretty knowledgeable.

[Swifty0824]

kiethton said:

Yep unfortunately so. The steering lock can be snapped in a second or 2, they'll put it in neutral and another scrote on an XMAX etal will push it away. MT's are pretty desirable so will be somewhere up there - especially if it looks smart

Ideally you'd want a good disc lock (or two) plus a good chain or 2 - I have an Almax after my old bike was nicked and then joyridden, thankfully soon abandoned and recovered with relatively little damage. I had a £100 Oxford chain which they got through with croppers very easily.....they tried the replacement Almax on 3 separate occasions, cant get through it with anything but a grinder so failed - still snapped my steering lock out of spite on two of the occasions though :/ - £200 a pop....

I'm after the Nite Fluro color for which I think looks fantastic, but then I guess I need a bag full of locks...really sad and put me off a bit.

[Swifty0824]

black-k1 said:

Are you sure you're on the right forum?

A disc lock may be a good idea!

Oops that's for another famous PH site I guess

[Swifty0824]

Pothole said:

There are lots of waterproof boots which don't have Goretex. My Alt Bergs are great in the depths of winter https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/roadrunner/

Do you have a J&S accessories near you? Their stores have a big range of gear from lots of different manufacturers and the staff are usually pretty knowledgeable.

Thanks for the website mate, I'm heading to a J&S in Leyton tomorrow, hopefully I can get all gears sorted

[Pravus1]

For year round, if you can fit in the budget, you want goretex proshell kit.

Its the only thing thats really going to keep you warm when its cold and wet.