Buying a motorbike - questions

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 14:39

Hi,

I intend to buy a Honda CG125 bike, after I take my CBT in a few weeks.

I wanted to know at what point I should get the insurance. Right now, I'm thinking along the following lines:

1. choose bike from private seller.
2. make sure bike has MOT and Road Tax (if no Road Tax, give the seller £15 to buy 1 and stick on the bike, for when I collect it).
3. pay a desposit for the bike.
4. get the details of the bike and organise insurance for it.
5. after insurance has come through, pay for the bike, go and pick it up, along with MOT cert and V5 cert.

Does that sound alright?

Also, if I wish to have a test ride on the bike before purchase, what is the insurance arrangement - i.e. do I need insurance and if so, how can organise insurance for test rides on bikes I have few details for?

Thanks

SKILL · 27 Mar 2009 at 15:09

It's unlikely you'll be able to get insurance to get a test ride from a private seller, also depending who you get insurance through it might be possible to organise that over the phone, then once you've decided to buy it's just a phone call and you can ride away (assuming it's got mot and tax obviously).

Nebzor · 27 Mar 2009 at 15:38

SKILL has it pretty much covered.

The only way you can be covered for a private test ride is to take out short-term insurance (if it exists for motorbikes?) or to take out one of Devitt's 'ride other bikes' policies.

Test rides from dealers are almost always covered by the dealer's own insurance rather than your own.

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 15:57

OK.

So, I wont be able to take the bike for a test ride, unless I get it from a dealer, who will cover my insurance for that ride.

Also, I've seen the V5 DOCUMENT mentioned a lot. Exactly what is this and do I need this as a motorbike owner?

Mr.E. · 27 Mar 2009 at 15:59

V5 is your ownership certificate.

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 16:21

Mr.E. said:
V5 is your ownership certificate.

Gotcha.

Rilot · 27 Mar 2009 at 16:22

If the owner has lost the V5 or can't produce it to you when asked, walk away.

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 16:23

Rilot said:
If the owner has lost the V5 or can't produce it to you when asked, walk away.

Gotcha.

helpimcrap · 27 Mar 2009 at 16:30

you'll have to go pillion on it, you won't be insured. last time i sold a roadbike i took a woman out pillion on it as even if she was insured i didn't want the hassle. with a car you can't fall off it, with a bike you can.

Fireskull · 27 Mar 2009 at 17:05

haha did you scare her?

m4rshmul3 · 27 Mar 2009 at 17:11

Buy an Aprilia RS 125 nuff said, then again if you want to use it more than you fix it get a CBR 125.

Mucky_Pup · 27 Mar 2009 at 17:17

Think a few places are doing free insurance on new 125's, if you could afford it. They will come taxed and you dont have to worry about an MOT aswell.

sean · 27 Mar 2009 at 22:23

Mucky_Pup said:
Think a few places are doing free insurance on new 125's, if you could afford it. They will come taxed and you dont have to worry about an MOT aswell.

Depending on age that might work out. Insurance can be all over the place for L-platers.
I don't know what depreciation on a new 125 is like but if you pick up a decent nick used CG 125 you could probably get back almost as much as you paid for it once you upgrade. If you do go for a used bike take a checklist and look for standard wear and tear. Ideally you want to minimse the number of wear items you need to replace before selling it

Edit: I picked up my 2nd bike the other day. After paying for it I gave the insurers a quick ring on the mobile and had insurance sorted within 10 minutes. Dead easy.

helpimcrap · 27 Mar 2009 at 22:27

Fireskull said:
haha did you scare her?

erm.... my friend who she was with was a racer who i knew. she apparently didn't want a bike so quick (was only a 600). i was short shifting and only hit 150mph a few times.

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 22:33

m4rshmul3 said:
Buy an Aprilia RS 125 nuff said, then again if you want to use it more than you fix it get a CBR 125.

As this will be my first bike and shall be used in and around London, I dont want to spend too much on it. I fully expect it to get battered/scratched and quite possibly stolen.

CG125 is less desirable and cheaper than the CBR125, which is why I'm going for the CG125, i.e. to reduce the chances of it getting stolen.

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 22:33

helpimcrap said:
i was short shifting and only hit 150mph a few times.

150mph with a pillion.
Isn't that unbelievably dangerous?

helpimcrap · 27 Mar 2009 at 22:36

sunama said:
150mph with a pillion.
Isn't that unbelievably dangerous?

it is if she let go.

i've taken a friend 170mph but he about got blown off back by wind when his coat caught wrong.

sunama · 27 Mar 2009 at 22:36

sean said:
Edit: I picked up my 2nd bike the other day. After paying for it I gave the insurers a quick ring on the mobile and had insurance sorted within 10 minutes. Dead easy.

When you got insurance for the 2nd bike, do you not need to send in any paperwork, before the bike is insured?

Fireskull · 28 Mar 2009 at 08:53

helpimcrap said:
it is if she let go.

i've taken a friend 170mph but he about got blown off back by wind when his coat caught wrong.

haha!

Naa its not as dangerous as it sounds, have done 150 on back on a hayabusa, its only the acceleration for a few seconds that pulls you a bit but once you are doing high speed you dont even need to hold on

helpimcrap · 28 Mar 2009 at 09:00

Fireskull said:
haha!

Naa its not as dangerous as it sounds, have done 150 on back on a hayabusa, its only the acceleration for a few seconds that pulls you a bit but once you are doing high speed you dont even need to hold on

absolutely, i remember going on the back of a friends bike and he was an exracer so thought nothing of getting his knee down with a pillion.