New to Motorcycles 3K to have it all, unreasonable?

Meloco said:
One theme that seems to be very common is that no matter what bike I may buy, to keep it locked up for the winter? Corrosion during this time will de-value any bike and possible ruin it, racking up a sizeable bill ?
Click to expand...

Complete rubbish & I should know as I had a 125 Chinese chopper with more chrome on it than anything else for 13 months.
I use FS365 & build up a good coat of it on the bike & keep using it throughout the year.
My F650 gets the same treatment now & it's a 96 & gets used in all weathers. The beauty of FS365 is you can apply it when the bike is wet or dry, The water in it evaporates leaving a silicone coating to protect the chrome/metal etc.

The only thing I'd say is start with a decent well looked after bike not something where the rust has already set in.
 
What about leaving the bike outside with nothing but a cover on top? Or at a minimal step up, shed with no insulating?

Would the condensation cause severe rust? Or for example leaving the bike in an open underground car park all day, to then be started up to come home?
 
I think as long as you buy the bike on the understanding that cosmetically it wont be perfect forever, bolts, calipers etc will fur up from oxidation, steel will rust. Keep your chain well oiled, avoid those stupid sprays, engine oil is where it at.

acf-50 and fs 365 are similar products that disperse water and leave a coating behind that protects against corrosion.

Bikes can live outside without suddenly exploding or rusting into a complete heap like some people might believe, but it will of course take its toll.

But at your price range i wouldn't be overly worried.
 
£3,000 will cover you for kit and a bike.

You can get kit for £500 obviously you can pay more or you could pay less depending what you buy. You could spend £3,000 on kit!

Helmet - £100, Jacket - £100, Gloves - £40, Pants - £100, Boots - £100

A nice bike for £2.4k and £100 on some tools and lube, ACF50, WD etc
 
MonkeykingZX said:
CBR600F might be worth considering aswell as there are lots of them about under 2k.
Click to expand...

Just reading throguh looking for ideas for when I've done my full test - the CBR600F certainly does look and sound the part. Thanks for the heads up!

Is it usual to ride a bike on a test drive before purchasing?
 
I have a bit of a dilemma at the moment. A lot of websites seem to be selling gear at a very good price/rate. I am thinking about buying at least a jacket/boots/gloves (maybe trousers) online and the Helmet in shop.

The only issue is... Am I being a bit too eager at buying kit first because it seems like a good deal? I understand you should try it in the shop etc, but good returns policies on the websites negates that. However, would a shop I buy a motorcycle from give me a better deal on kit? Or is that a dream to high in this economic time.....
 
Get the bike first, not the kit, because some times you get folk selling up to put the money towards a house, or emigrating, or having a family/what ever, & you wind up with a bunch of free kit with your bike.
 
wazza300 said:
itll get even cheaper come christmas or january as they will be selling last season/old stock off
Click to expand...

Part of me is holding off for that exact reason as well...

I have been desperately trying to convince myself that I can make a bike work this coming winter. But after going over and over with friends and the internet, I just don't see the cost benefit of getting a bike this side of 2012...

It would seem as though I would more than likely store the bike from December until March/April. At which point the maintenance factor of restoring the bike to being road worthy, and the maintenance to keep it in a garage is not cost effective for one months riding. I know the same problem will crop up next year, but at least I would have ridden the bike for 9 months.

The other problem is keeping the bike outside from March onwards, as taking it out of storage would mean it could only be outside my house (no garage). Will this be just as harmful and prone to condensation as the winter months? Would a cover suffice, as the bike will be used almost daily.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom