Motor bike test need advice.

[robin wood]

Don't know if you are married, kids etc but it is worth looking at the stats. Bikes are 5% of road users and make up over 30% of death and serious injury. Scan these stats and try to avoid getting yourself into the risk categories http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...SNXGo6&sig=AHIEtbQQmJZHYRWlig75RVlGBMdceUN-sA

I comfort myself with the fact that a high proportion of those folk fit the brief
age late 30s-40s
fancied a bike for 20 years recently passed test
riding in group with more experienced riders
28% of bike accidents occur in first year after test.
30% of accidents involve only 1 vehicle (inexperienced biker loses it)
of the rest over 50% are causes by a second vehicle not seeing biker.

Good news is that much of this stuff is avoidable with experience which is why if you make it through the first year you will become safer as you develop the sixth sense for when that rep is going to answer his phone and swerve into your path.

Re which bike, any modern 500-650 twin or 4 will be astonishing performance to a car driver. Don't listen to bike mags that suggest a 500 twin or 600 bandit is an underpowered learner bike, either will sit happily in the fast lane of the motorway all day and take you round Europe as well as a GS1200.

I used to think Harleys were unreliable, underpowered, underbraked and archaic until a mate got an 883 sportster. It really is a surprising bike and if you like VWs you would love one. We recently went to Venice together and whilst I occasionally got the urge to clear off on my SV1000 most of the time we sat together blatting along happily at 80mph. He has been to Marrakech on it and regularly goes to France so I take it back, they are not necessarily unreliable just underpowered, underbraked and archaic.

 

[Squidders]

I have ridden solidly since I was 16 and at school (18 years) and have owned since then...

Suzuki TS50X (sold)
Kawasaki ZZR 250 (Written off)
Kawasaki ZZR 1100 (Written off)
Yamaha Diversion 600 (Sold)
Suzuki Bandit 600 (Written off)
Honda CBR1100 Blackbird (Written off)
Honda CBR1000rr (Sold)
Suzuki SV 650 (Sold)
Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa (Parked outside)

As you can see... Riding in London gets pretty messy and so far, none of my accidents were a) my fault or b) high speed... at high speed you're usually out of your comfort zone and concentrating hard on what's going on... you are very likely to have an accident when someone pulls out of a side road or parking bay on a road you have been down 1000 times before and this is a positive thing as you're more llikely to walk away from it rubbing a body part like Jacky Chan.

From my experience I would say go for it, heed other peoples warnings in the posts here and get yourself something like a Suzuki SV 650 pointy... it's a great bike, nearly impossible to stall, light, cheap and comfortable as well as sounding good and going reasonablly well. Once you are riding around in the summer you'll kick yourself for not doing it earlier.

Spend what you like on clothing... leathers are nice but designed for sliding down a race track, on the streets you're going to smack into something solid and you may as well be wearing jeans and a tshirt as leathers won't dull the pain of the side of a van however much you spend. Invest heavily in your crash helmet, gloves and boots, they are the bits that stick out when you're flying through the air... look after them.

I would wait to buy harley after a few years of dropping your cheaper bike off its side stand hehehe.

 

[Martyn]

Don't know if you are married, kids etc but it is worth looking at the stats. Bikes are 5% of road users and make up over 30% of death and serious injury. Scan these stats and try to avoid getting yourself into the risk categories http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...SNXGo6&sig=AHIEtbQQmJZHYRWlig75RVlGBMdceUN-sA

I comfort myself with the fact that a high proportion of those folk fit the brief
age late 30s-40s
fancied a bike for 20 years recently passed test
riding in group with more experienced riders
28% of bike accidents occur in first year after test.
30% of accidents involve only 1 vehicle (inexperienced biker loses it)
of the rest over 50% are causes by a second vehicle not seeing biker.

Ahhhh, was going to say exactly the same. It's soooooo predictable, we refer to these midlife crisis, born-again bikers as "organ doners" in our ICU.

I used to have a bike, I rode one every day from 16 years old to 20. That was 25 years ago and to be honest, I'd love another, they are great fun. However, I'm not 20 any more, I'm not as fit, my reactions are slower, my eyesight isn't as good and I dont have a lifetime of riding experience to compensate for my decrepitude. Like so many others, I'd be an accident waiting to happen. Also, dont fool yourself, nobody buys a Honda Fireblade because they want an economical commuter, they buy one because they want to do 0-60 in 3 seconds and scrape the pegs at 130. It's a Darwin award waiting to be collected.

 

[Squidders]

"Donorcycles" I like to think of them as

 

[Martyn]

"Donorcycles" I like to think of them as

Indeed.

So please, if you are a middle aged man with a pile of cash and a yearning to feel 20 again, and you do decide to blow it on a crotch rocket, then do your family and the NHS a favour and carry a donor card. It'll make asking your wife and family if we can have your eyes/heart/lungs/liver/kidneys (assuming they are not raspberry jam on the A34) so much less pianful for them.

 

[Fin]

Do it! Do it! Do it!

Then...consider what you want from a motorbike - do you want to go long distance touring with lots of luggage? Do you want to go off road? Do you want a motorway mile muncher? Or do you want to tear around with your a*se on fire?! Motorbike touring is one of life's great pleasures - "getting there" is just as pleasurable as arriving there - in short - every journey is a trip!

Some good advice in this thread - I'll add some pearls of my own:

If your looking at the tree/ ditch/ stone wall/ on coming front bumper - that's where you'll end up!

As has been said - most bikes will out perform most cars - buying a GSXR/ R1/ Fireblade could see you getting a lot quicker to the scene of the accident! Although the modern variants of these bikes are surprisingly easy to ride - with huge low down torque - much easier than the peakier 600 class for example. (I say this as an ex R1 owner)

The bike will, mostly, be more capable than you are - trust it when you experience mid corner doubts!

Be mindful of the stats and avoid group ride outs in your first year or so of biking - peer pressure can definitely be a killer.

Budget for cold/ wet weather gear. Europe's - and especially Britain's weather is too unpredictable - turning pleasure into ordeal in seconds.

My steed!
http://static.blogo.it/motoblog/mot...on-my-2009/big_guzzi_griso_8v_se_my_09_04.jpg

 

[tommy the cat]

OK I guess I cant add alot apart from I passed my test 5 years ago after a long brake from bikes.
Cost £500 which I did it over 6 weeks as couldnt afford it in one go. Round here £50 for a two hour lesson I had four lessons than the theory then test.
I have just been to the outer hebrides last week (will put up some pics) 1700 miles in 6 days was great....although someone tried to kill me by Loch Long.
I am looking at doing a bit of greenlaning so am after something a bit trailie but cant decide what to get?!?
As for bike I have a honda hornet 600 which is in my opinion a good 'starter' bike and its just too good to sell so I need to buy more!
Hope you decide to go for it before they decide to make the test even more difficult by adding a back flip or something to the test. Dave