I just got to the hardest part of my Motorcycle test!

Drangueos

Drangueos

Drangueos

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Joined
27 Apr 2012
Posts
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Location
London
Which is the hardest?
Which Bike to buy, because I live in Central London, I work in Central London and I don't have a Garage.

My dream of owning a CBR 600 RR Leyla's edition is not going to happen, as it would last less than a week parked on the street, same would happen with any sports bike.

So what to get? I would like something:
1) that is not a thief's target
2) at least 500cc engine (600 or more would be ideal)
3) 2010 or newer (I would consider 2005+ if it is well maintained and low mileage)
4) "low" insurance cost (don't need to be really cheap, but nothing that costs a big % of the bike)
5) has a pillion seat (so some classics are out)
6) Japanese
7) unfaired (unfortunately as faired falls on 1)
8) Not using for commuting, I will keep my scooter for it (so basically weekends and travelling)
9) Preferable Honda, Suzuki ,Kawasaki and Yamaha (in this order, but I'm open to new ideas)
10) Suitable for 5'7 user (1,71m)

I just want to have some fun and travel on my spare time, but I don't want to lose my sleep thinking if my bike is still safe.

I thought about parking in a secure car/bike park but it will cost a fortune and the quotes I did on insurance will be almost the same as parking on the street. (I really don't understand how)

I'm even thinking about moving out of Central London to get a place with a garage :(
 
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That's a pretty wide selection of requirements - it basically covers every single 500cc/600cc/750cc naked/tourer/commuter bike since 2010, twins, triples, IL4's. Pretty much every single bike (apart from some of the retro bikes) has a pillion seat or an option for one, even the super sport litre 200bhp bikes.

You might need to narrow it down a bit - faired/unfaired (naked/unfaired will be a lot cheaper to insure), type of riding (weekend/sunny rides/commuting through central london) and so-on.
 
growse said:
Live in London
Newish bike
Low insurance cost.

Pick 2 - you can't have all three.
Click to expand...

Is it that bad for any new bikes in London? I presumed that a cheap commuter bike like the new CB500F (or whatever it's called) would reasonable to insure, but then I suppose they will go missing more often than a 15 year old battered CBF500 :p
 
growse said:
Live in London
Newish bike
Low insurance cost.

Pick 2 - you can't have all three.
Click to expand...

well,
I'm not moving now, so London stays :)
I wouldn't mind if it is a good, well maintained, low mileage and less than 10 years old.
Low insurance cost for me would be less than 15% of the bike's value.


TallPaul_S said:
That's a pretty wide selection of requirements - it basically covers every single 500cc/600cc/750cc naked/tourer/commuter bike since 2010, twins, triples, IL4's. Pretty much every single bike (apart from some of the retro bikes) has a pillion seat or an option for one, even the super sport litre 200bhp bikes.

You might need to narrow it down a bit - faired/unfaired (naked/unfaired will be a lot cheaper to insure), type of riding (weekend/sunny rides/commuting through central london) and so-on.
Click to expand...

Needs to be Japanese, unfaired, weekends/long journeys, weather you never know when you live in UK, not using for commuting (I will keep my scooter for this)

I'm probably more inclined to: Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki (in this order)
 
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wazza300 said:
Er6n or Suzuki sv650

Chain it up to something,all makes models of bikes get nicked even scooters
Click to expand...

The ER6N is one to consider, I will have a look on the Suzuki.
Where I park there are some ground anchors, I know they would take anything, I'm just trying to lower the chances :)
 
Best thing to do would be to go on biketrader, put in the following:

less than 5 years old
min 500cc max 900cc
60 mile radius

this should bring back a few hundred results, have a browse and anything that takes your fancy, do a insurance quote through a comparison site. That will either rule it out completely or add it to your list of possibles. Once you have a lost of 5 or 6 bikes, narrow it down/get test rides. That's what I did when looking for my first bike. Ignore the fact that I bough something completley different :p I do now know what I like in a bike though (Italian, v-twin, noise!! :D ), instead of the Aprilia Shiver I was looking at I'll be looking at a Tuono as my next bike.
 
TallPaul_S said:
Best thing to do would be to go on biketrader, put in the following:

less than 5 years old
min 500cc max 900cc
60 mile radius

this should bring back a few hundred results, have a browse and anything that takes your fancy, do a insurance quote through a comparison site. That will either rule it out completely or add it to your list of possibles. Once you have a lost of 5 or 6 bikes, narrow it down/get test rides. That's what I did when looking for my first bike. Ignore the fact that I bough something completley different :p I do now know what I like in a bike though (Italian, v-twin, noise!! :D ), instead of the Aprilia Shiver I was looking at I'll be looking at a Tuono as my next bike.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did this yesteday, even the quotes.
I posted here because I would like new ideas as well
 
TallPaul_S said:
Is it that bad for any new bikes in London? I presumed that a cheap commuter bike like the new CB500F (or whatever it's called) would reasonable to insure, but then I suppose they will go missing more often than a 15 year old battered CBF500 :p
Click to expand...

Drangueos said:
well,
I'm not moving now, so London stays :)
I wouldn't mind if it is a good, well maintained, low mileage and less than 10 years old.
Low insurance cost for me would be less than 15% of the bike's value.
Click to expand...

When I first started riding (2011?), I had an 08 F800S (£6500) which cost me £600 to insure TPFT. I wasn't even living in a 'dodgy' part of London. I guess that's less than 15% of the bike's value, so your definition of 'low' may not be the same as mine :)

I live in the commuter belt and now pay £300 fully comp on a speed triple, and that's only because I leave it outside. Garaged, it would be significantly less.

I guess insurers care about the likelihood of it being nicked, and then their liability if it is. Newer bikes are more expensive, so are more expensive to insure. Couple that with London pinch rates, and you've got an expensive premium.

If I were starting again, I'd pick something like an ER6f, or a CB500 (or even an older Hornet). Something cheap that I'm not attached to, so that when it gets nicked, or dropped, it's not the end of the world. SV650 is also a good shout, quite like them. Personal preference would be the older hornet though :)
 
Thanks for the tips.
I don't think that 15% is low, but on the quotes I made the lowest ones were around 15%... I think it is a lot, but most were around 25% and some almost 50%, so that's how I got that 15% is "low". Ideally 5% would be great.
 
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Talking of insurance a few years back I was talking to a work colleague about the insurance on my bike and the fact I had just got my renewal. He doesn't ride a bike but had a Golf of some sort. I told him my insurance was something like £120 and he said yeah I play that a month as well. I pointed out that was for the year and he couldn't believe it :D
 
I'm about to move to South London (Balham area) and my bike insurance is gonna set me back £700ish. That's for an '08 GSX 650F worth about £3k with 1y NCD, kept in a private car park but not garaged.
What's worse, my car insurance is gonna be about the same...
 
Every decent bike is interesting to a thief. So I'd drop this consideration and get what you want and just make sure you spend a lot on security. But it will probably get nicked still...
 
ElliorR said:
Talking of insurance a few years back I was talking to a work colleague about the insurance on my bike and the fact I had just got my renewal. He doesn't ride a bike but had a Golf of some sort. I told him my insurance was something like £120 and he said yeah I play that a month as well. I pointed out that was for the year and he couldn't believe it :D
Click to expand...

£96 a year TPFT for my CB400, not garaged, doing 10k a year inc commuting :D

When I moved house a few weeks ago it cost £14 extra to change... that's including their £30 admin fee!!! So it's now about £75 for the year :D

Licence held for a under a year, 0 NCB, no security etc. too.
 
TallPaul_S said:
£96 a year TPFT for my CB400, not garaged, doing 10k a year inc commuting :D

When I moved house a few weeks ago it cost £14 extra to change... that's including their £30 admin fee!!! So it's now about £75 for the year :D

Licence held for a under a year, 0 NCB, no security etc. too.
Click to expand...

I thought I was doing good with £82 for a 125 cc bike :D
 
Why Japenese? A Ducati Monster is built like a tank and fills all your requirements. Cheap as chips to buy these days as well.
 
Probably better off just getting a hornet. Still a decent bike to ride, If anything goes wrong there are plenty of parts around.
 
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