Getting started with biking?

[beginner_biker]

Hi all,

Got a few questions now after doing lots of reading and I've got my CBT booked for a week's time from now. My reason for getting a bike is avoiding the bus for my daily commute (4 miles each way on 30-40mph roads). I've been driving cars for nearly 5 years, so am reasonably familiar with the road.

Firstly, I've been looking at gear and how much I'd be spending on it:

Helmet - Does a £50ish SHARP 4/5 rated one sound sensible?

Jacket - One of the triumph outlet ones with all the armour for around £100

Trousers - I'm not sure whether Kevlar jeans or overtrousers/textiles over the top of my usual jeans would be the safer/better bet

Gloves - Are they simply a case of finding those which are comfortable with adequate protection?

Boots - Do I need boots, or will sturdy leather boots suffice?

Secondly, comes getting a bike.

I don't need or want anything too fancy, it's solely to get me from A to B and I'm comfortable working on straightforward jobs.

The narrower the bike the better though, as it'd mean I'd be able to park it behind my Uni house instead of in front. (The alley is 72cm wide at it's narrowest)

I was thinking something along the lines of a CG 125 or YBR125 or similar commuter. Maybe one of the enduro style bikes. My budget for a bike is around £700. Will I find anything around that money?

Am I correct in thinking that the Chinese stuff is most likely to be rubbish not worth bothering with?

When it comes to buying the bike, what's the best way of getting it home? Will I need to tax it before I can ride it? I assume I'll need to insure it online or over the phone before I can ride it away.

Are there particular things to look for when buying a second-hand bike? I know oil changes and valve adjustments seem to be fairly vital on the small 125 engines.

Finally, theft prevention/deterrence, what is worth investing in?

Are disc locks with motion detection any use, or should a solid chain around something be good enough?

Apologies for all the questions in one thread, and in advance if I'm in the wrong forum. I have searched around, but these are the ones I've been left mixed thoughts on.

[bonio]

Oh a million questions. Most of them have answers already on the site somewhere, but here goes with some ready-packaged (and condensed) ones.

Helmet. The important thing isn't how much money or how many sharp stars, but how well it fits. Try some on in a shop and ask advice from the guys who work there. £50-80 should sort you out.

Jacket, trousers. Textiles are going to be most flexible for year-round commuting: they have detachable linings that can be removed in summer, and will be reasonably waterproof. You can wear textile trousers over normal jeans (just make sure they're not a snug fit). Kevlar jeans on their own are too cold for winter; mine stay unused until May.The stuff from Triumph outlet is good, but I think you don't need to spend as much as £100. There are usually plenty secondhand on ebay.

Gloves. Basically yes. Just don't get summer, racing or motorcross gloves - they will be too cold (and motorcross won't give much protection).

Boots. Motorcycle boots that come half way up the shin are ideal. They will give better grip and offer better ankle protection than most casual boots.

What bike? To be honest, for a 4 mile commute on 30/40 mph, I'd be on a push bike, but I guess that's not an option. A CG125 or a YBR would be great. But for £700? I think you might find a bike that needs a bit of work at that price, but then you'll need to spend time and money sorting it out. A 50cc would fit the budget, but mightn't be what you're looking for although it would do the commute fine. I won't give you an opinion on Chinese bikes; others here will.

[Phooey]

I would agree with bonio on everything here.

New helmets are going to be safe even at the bottom price range £50 - £80. I wouldn't risk second hand. Once you get into the £300 + price bracket it's more about weight and sound proofing. If it is a noisy road I'd consider earplugs.

Personally I prefer leather trousers, I dont find them cold but I feel better protected. Try fleabay!

The most important question you asked is the boots ... for me DEFINITELY motorcycle boots. It would wouldn't take muck to smash your ankle to bits in a collision!

As for which bike, ... you'll probably get as many answers as you get people answering! It is a very personal thing. Get what you like and feel comfortable on.

Chinese? 'cough cough ... ' Personally, I'd nuke the factories that make chinese bikes but, if you like fiddling with them and keeping them running with seemingly constant repairs then go ahead and get one. Definitely cheaper but not necessarily more cost effective.

[Phooey]

Hi all,

When it comes to buying the bike, what's the best way of getting it home? Will I need to tax it before I can ride it? I assume I'll need to insure it online or over the phone before I can ride it away.

 

YES or risk getting done for no insurance. Tax you'll pay from 1st of the month anyway but technically should be taxed before you take it on the public road.

 

Are there particular things to look for when buying a second-hand bike? I know oil changes and valve adjustments seem to be fairly vital on the small 125 engines.

 

I'm not an expert on this but for me it's the obvious things like general condition. Is it clean or dirty? Do all the lights work? Don't be conned by 'Oh it's a bulb gone' it could be more! Fork seal ... is there any oil on the forks? If so the fork seals could be gone. Brakes ... do the stop the bike. Usual sort checks I'd make buying my bikes.

 

Finally, theft prevention/deterrence, what is worth investing in?

Are disc locks with motion detection any use, or should a solid chain around something be good enough?

 

I like disc locks. Others may not. A nice fat chain and chain it to something solid and fixed like a tree ot lamp post! All of these devises no matter how much you spend are only deterants and there is nothing on the market that will guarantee it not being stolen. Apart from wiring up to a 240v supply, which is currently illegal

[secretagentmole]

Shop around. I have a new old stock Duchinni helmet that is SHARP rated 4*, got it from Numberworth on ebay (who is the online arm of a little known company - irony there - called Fowlers in Bristol, only going since 19:29 ad not 19:29pm). Next day delivery included saw me with change from £20!

I know my head size so knew I needed the large helmet size. It also has a drop down sun visor so very top gun like!

You can also pick up other end of line stuff from various retailers for loads of cash off rrp. Just be prepared to wear last years colours/styles. Hell tarmac won't care what colour you are wearing, just if the stuff is good enough. I picked up a bike jacket for £30 and bike trousers for £20, with Knox armour in...

Getting a bike, yesterday I travelled to Essex to pick up a bike with no MOT, I took it for an MOT (it passed miraculously enough), rode it home. We had agreed a few days previously (Saturday) to buy the machine, this gave me time to sort out insurance, getting an MOT close to the seller, then buying road tax online on the mobile phone, then riding it 120 miles home! Great fun.

[secretagentmole]

Bikes, it depends where you are as to what £700 will buy you, what is £200 in some places is worth over £400 in others. For instance, the wife picked up a Zontes Monster in Norwich for £300, a year old so 2 years before it needs an MOT, £300. Round here someone is selling a 4 year old Zontes Monster that has been on it's side at least once for £700! So she is looking at a £400 profit easily on her bike.

YBR are now Chinese made, so really you are no better off buying a YBR than you are a Zontes, just paying more for a Yamaha name (like Webley air rifles and Hatsan air rifles, pay more for Webley but same damned mechaism).

CGs are now made somewhere in South America I believe, look at what training schools use. Many use the humble old SR125, a barrel of laughs in a comfy cruiser style package, plenty around and start from £400 upwards for those in need of a little attention. Invest in a Haynes and a socket set and get to know the bike!

[pitintheuk]

On the equipment list: maybe consider getting yourself a back protector. Can make the difference between jumping back straight on the bike and a wheelchair for life.

The back is super useful and super fragile. Like the head.

pit

[Fizzy]

Chinese? 'cough cough ... ' Personally, I'd nuke the factories that make chinese bikes but,

 

Although they'd then be a shortage of new 125 Yamahas

The YBR is made my a company called Jianshe in China, who also produce bikes under their own name. Their JS 125-6F should look very familiar

Jacket/trousers, as suggested, try eBay, you can probably get a jacket for about £25 with the armour. I dropped lucky and bought an IXON jacket for 99p!

Will you get something like a YBR for £700? Well yes, I think so, and not necessarily one with loads of issues either. I was recently in the same boat, with a similar budget. Looked at YBRs and CBFs. Went with the YBR in the end as it was a little lower to the ground (I'm 174cm) and was thinner. The seat on the CBF felt like it was stretching my legs too much, YBR felt much more comfy.

2 bikes I narrowed it down to was a 2009 stolen/recovered CBF which was only a couple of miles from me, for sale on eBay. Had 8 months MOT and was decent enough, finally sold for £640, but I went for a 2007 YBR with 13k on it. No MOT, so took a bit of a punt, but other than needing new fork seals and the front brake cleaning, it went through the MOT. Paid £500 for the bike and £165 for the work, which included an oil change and the MOT cost.

[beginner_biker]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

So, I'll go to a shop and get a helmet that fits properly. A second-hand helmet, I'm almost taken aback that anyone would buy one second hand really.

I'll definitely spend the money on boots as well, I wasn't sure if normal ones would suffice and I think it's worth the extra spent to be a bit safer.

Thanks for the tip secretagentmole on the eBay seller, they've some decent gear on there that seems really well priced.

I don't mind doing bits of work on a bike if it means I can get a better bike out of it at the end. I've worked on cars and lawnmowers before, but never bikes.

I think I'll avoid Chinese unless I find something half decent, I've had cars of similar build quality and it gets boring with constantly having to fix things here and there.

I've seen some Hondas/Yamahas/Suzukis around for £600-£900 in the North. Would it be of concern if a bike has been sat for a few months? Seems like the owner fell off, had it fixed and hasn't ridden it since.

[Fizzy]

Would it be of concern if a bike has been sat for a few months? Seems like the owner fell off, had it fixed and hasn't ridden it since.

 

Hard to say, depends on the reason it's sat. Mine had been sat a while, hence needing the front brake and fork seals doing. You do see some bikes that have been parked up because the owner can't afford to run it, that to me rings alarm bells, because it means it probably hasn't been maintained properly

[someone]

The YBR is made my a company called Jianshe in China, who also produce bikes under their own name. Their JS 125-6F should look very familiar

 

Well, technically the Chongqing Jianshe Yamaha Motor Company which is a joint venture between Jianshe and Yamaha.

But the problem with the "Chinese bikes" is not that they are made in China, unlike what others may say, but just that that is where certain companies build bikes to a very low price point. And with that obviously comes a corresponding lower standard of components and quality control. So it obviously does not apply to Yamaha who are not selling the YBR 125 that way or wanting to risk their own company's reputation

Anyway, the only thing I would add is on security, get both a chain and an alarmed disc lock. No security is infallible so the more inconvenient you can make it to deter opportunistic thieves the better. And the two complement each other well without being too onerous to put on and off that you will not bother with them. But also get a cover. Useful in its own right to protect from rain, but another little thing to deter anyone opportunistic.

[mckellar]

I bought a YBR 125 after i passed my CBT. Bought all the correct gear, no point spending a grand on a bike and £300 on the stuff that keeps you safe.

I got my YBR 17k miles, years MOT, just had £480 spent on it. Crash and drop free. Ive done around 300 miles so far on it and i love it

£880 all in i paid.

They go for around £900-1000 up in scotland so hopefully with a wee bit of cleaning and a fresh MOT i will get my £880 back when i go for my big bike test.