NSC Motorcyclists...

[JBizzleBeard]

I would imagine the Ducati is gonna be pricey though...

 

[JBizzleBeard]

I had a Z750 as a hire bike and really didn't like it. You really had to wring its neck to get any power out of it.

If I was to go between the two would definitely recommend a Bandit.

That being said if you know the Z750 has been looked after could be a good bet. If you do get one definitely fit an after market exhaust as the standard one on the Z sounds absolutely rubbish

Do you reckon I could get myself sorted with a decent 500/600 for around a £1500 or am I waaaaaaaay out?

 

[Uncle C]

It didn't break down mate, it was reversed into by a bloody coach! Bollock only knows what it was doing reversing in the first place. Luckilly the stewards were on hand, saw it all and their insurance coughed up to get it fixed so all good.


As for your foray into motorcycling, welcome to the gang mate. You will never look back once you get onto two wheels. I commute from Portsmouth all over the place on mine (Chiswick, Oxford, Central London, The Amex ) and there is no greater feeling than approaching the back of a traffic jam knowing that you can filter through and be out of it in minutes, rather than hours that the car drivers get stuck for.

I would definitely NOT recommend going for a 125 and working your way up. As soon as you pass and ride a 125 you will want something quicker and a bit more stable straight away. If you take a direct access course, you can jump straight onto any bike. A few years ago I did a 3 day direct access course. 2 days of lessons and then the test on your final day. You can do longer courses if you like, but I already knew how to ride a bike just needed to pass my test so 3 days was plenty. If you can drive a car then you already have the road sense, so just need to get comfortable on the bike. 3-4 days direct access should be fine. You will need to do a Motorcycle theory test before this, so make sure to get that booked and passed ASAP.

Find a decent riding school, and then get the direct access booked. Some of them offer guaranteed pass schemes, so if you are not to confident go for one of those. Once you have passed then it is time to choose your bike.

For short commutes you probably want a 600 I would say. Plenty of power, but not too much that you can get into trouble. Assuming you don't have much motorway in your commute then you would be OK with a naked bike (no fairing) or a half faired job (like a Fazer or SV650 as I have mentioned). If I were you I would go with a naked bike for my first one though. Much less to get scratched if you come off (which you may well do in your first year or so) and they are fun to ride too. A cheap and decent option would be a Bandit, or maybe a Ducati Monster if you want something a bit less common.

Best advice I can give is to go for something not too costly for your first bike. You will probably drop it a couple of times at slow speed, as lots of people who first pass do this. Definitely get some crash bungs fitted at this will save the frame from getting damaged (it saved my bike when it got reversed into by the coach). Again the Bandit is a good option as there are tonnes of them knocking about, spares are dirt cheap, you can get some wicked sounding exhausts for them (if that is your sort of thing) and they are easy to ride.

Last thing to consider is safety gear. Make sure to buy a decent helmet (you cant go wrong with an Arai or a Shoei) and good trousers, jacket, boots and gloves. You can go for textile or leather, just make sure they are comfortable for your commute. If you are going to ride all year round go for some waterproof textile gear with removable thermal lining, as you can use this in the summer too. This summer I have been using my winter gear right through due to the rubbish weather. The safety gear will save your life if you crash, so spend as much money as you can afford. There are countless stories of people coming off without the proper gear and getting hurt. There are also countless of people having massive crashes with the proper gear and walking away unharmed.

To give you an idea of cost when I first got started, I have listed out what I spent below.

Theory Test - £40 (I think)
Direct Access course including test - £380
Suzuki Bandit 600 (T reg - unfaired model) - £1000
Helmet - £300
Leathers and boots - £300
Gloves - £100


Also don't be put of buy all the talk of crashing. I have ridden for years and never had a crash. Its all about riding within your limits, having good "bike eyes" so you can predict what the other road using idiots are going to do, and remembering that as soon as you get on your motorbike you become invisible to all other road uses, so to ride defensively!

Sorry if this is a monster reply, but I am excited to welcome another brother onto 2 wheels. You will never look back. Motorbiking is amazing, and most importantly you look cool and girls love it!

Any questions just shout.

James

Great reply, but I would like to add two things.

If you can drive a car then you already have the road sense, I dont think this is actually the case. In a car you can ride a great deal less defensively as you have the bodywork to protect you. I would agree that once you can ride a bike you make a much better car driver.

Regarding invisiblity on a bike, I would say that fitting a good pair of bright daytime running lights is a very good investment.

 

[somerset]

The Monster 600 would be a good choice.

The 900 or Foggy versions would probably be a bit much tho I agree.

Foggy There are 3 variants 696, 796 and 1100

 

[00snook]

I would imagine the Ducati is gonna be pricey though...

Not necessarily mate.

Quick search found a few between £1,000 and £2,500

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/bikes/ducati/monster/postcode/po49aj/radius/100/cc-to/600cc/quicksearch/true

 

[jfs]

In case it wasn't obvious, I meant the Ducati M600 Monster.
I thought it would be obvious because the other 3 bikes I mentioned were around this size engine.

 

[00snook]

Ducati Monster S4 Fogarty.

Only 300 ever made I think. Had the Ducati 1198 engine in it.

Looks like a real MONSTER!

http://raresportbikesforsale.com/2002-ducati-monster-s4-fogarty-edition-with-only-2400-miles/

Foggy

 

[Doc Lynam]

Honda CBR S 500 used to be a courier in London with it great bike. So good it had or still does, its own CBR Championship. Cheap to run, very reliable and rides really well no twitching etc. But if i was buying again after riding for a few years i would get the R6.

Not me in picture. CBR S 500

R6

 

[Muzzy]

[MENTION=7801]00snook[/MENTION] talks a lot of sense... I advise you to take onboard all his advice.

My two penneth FWIW... Check out the regs regarding the size of bike that you can ride if you pass on anything lower than a 500cc (33bhp). For example, if you pass on a 125cc I think that you will be on a restricted licence for 2 years!

A 600 bandit would serve you very well!
SV650 although a good bike, they hold their value well and are a bit pricey to insure! For that reason I would also steer clear of any sports/super sports bikes until you have built up plenty of NCB!

I'm in the process of restoring and customising a 1978 Suzuki GS750 hopefully in time for next summer. Maybe we could arrange an NSC bike meet sometime?

 

[somerset]

Do you reckon I could get myself sorted with a decent 500/600 for around a £1500 or am I waaaaaaaay out?

Yes.... Bandit every time

 

[00snook]

Do you reckon I could get myself sorted with a decent 500/600 for around a £1500 or am I waaaaaaaay out?

Yeah absolutely thats plenty of money.

You have to remember that bikes are massively cheaper than cars in the first place, so there are tonnes of good ones around for about £1500

Check out this beauty.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/bikes/suzuki/postcode/po49aj/radius/100/cc-to/600cc/variant/bandit/sort/default

Already got engine guards fitted, has been pimped up a bit and looks like a nice loud exhaust. Just the ticket

 

[00snook]

Yeah absolutely thats plenty of money.

You have to remember that bikes are massively cheaper than cars in the first place, so there are tonnes of good ones around for about £1500

Check out this beauty.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/bikes/suzuki/postcode/po49aj/radius/100/cc-to/600cc/variant/bandit/sort/default

Already got engine guards fitted, has been pimped up a bit and looks like a nice loud exhaust. Just the ticket

3rd one down on that link BTW

 

[00snook]

Honda CBR S 500 used to be a courier in London with it great bike. So good it had or still does, its own CBR Championship, at tracks around the country. Cheap to run very reliable and ride really well no twitching etc. But if i was buying again after riding for a few years i would get the R6.

Not me in picture. CBR S 500

R6

I had an R6 for a bit.

Absolutely sexual bit of kit.

 

[00snook]

[MENTION=7801]00snook[/MENTION] talks a lot of sense... I advise you to take onboard all his advice.

My two penneth FWIW... Check out the regs regarding the size of bike that you can ride if you pass on anything lower than a 500cc (33bhp). For example, if you pass on a 125cc I think that you will be on a restricted licence for 2 years!

A 600 bandit would serve you very well!
SV650 although a good bike, they hold their value well and are a bit pricey to insure! For that reason I would also steer clear of any sports/super sports bikes until you have built up plenty of NCB!

I'm in the process of restoring and customising a 1978 Suzuki GS750 hopefully in time for next summer. Maybe we could arrange an NSC bike meet sometime?

NSC bike meet is an awesome idea. Perhaps we should start another thread for that and see who is interested.

As long as you pass your direct access on a 500 (which you will as most riding centres use these) then you will be fine.

If you pass on a 125 then you are restricted to under 33bhp for the first 2 years thats quite right.

Most riding schools use ER-5 Kawazakis which are awful bikes but easy to pass on.

All this bike talk makes me want to go outside and rag mine round a bit.

 

[JBizzleBeard]

Yeah absolutely thats plenty of money.

You have to remember that bikes are massively cheaper than cars in the first place, so there are tonnes of good ones around for about £1500

Check out this beauty.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/bikes/suzuki/postcode/po49aj/radius/100/cc-to/600cc/variant/bandit/sort/default

Already got engine guards fitted, has been pimped up a bit and looks like a nice loud exhaust. Just the ticket

Oh my days, I think I'm falling in love with the Bandit. That one is a beauty. I can't believe the price either! Superb.

 

[00snook]

This is my bike I have at the mo.

Absolutely LOVE it

 

[somerset]

In case it wasn't obvious, I meant the Ducati M600 Monster.
I thought it would be obvious because the other 3 bikes I mentioned were around this size engine.

OK, but then you get into the realms of a time when educate electrics were hit and miss, they were sorted from about 2005 onwards,, no problems now..... but still a bit meaty for a beginner.

Sorry to bleat on, but safe riding and safe riders are as you all have said, key to survival.

Match the bike to the rider, Bandit perfect for those just passed.

 

[JBizzleBeard]

This is my bike I have at the mo.

Absolutely LOVE it

 

[JBizzleBeard]

OK, but then you get into the realms of a time when educate electrics were hit and miss, they were sorted from about 2005 onwards,, no problems now..... but still a bit meaty for a beginner.

Sorry to bleat on, but safe riding and safe riders are as you all have said, key to survival.

Match the bike to the rider, Bandit perfect for those just passed.

I'm certainly loving the recommendation of the Bandit. Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[00snook]

OK, but then you get into the realms of a time when educate electrics were hit and miss, they were sorted from about 2005 onwards,, no problems now..... but still a bit meaty for a beginner.

Sorry to bleat on, but safe riding and safe riders are as you all have said, key to survival.

Match the bike to the rider, Bandit perfect for those just passed.

Agree the bandit is perfect to learn on.

Plus the wheelie schools around the country use them too, so they must be good!!!!!