Renewed Investor Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 So I know a few on here are into their bikes and as a newbie to the hobby I thought I would ask some questions. So last week I did my CBT and now I'm looking to do the Direct access course to ride a big bike. I've been looking at several models that I may get once I have my license but I'm struggling to decide. The models I am interested in are the Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R, Triumph Bonneville (any model), Honda CBR600 and the Yamaha R6. If any of you have any experience with any of these models I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on them. Now comes insurance, which has come as a real shock. My mate has a 1200cc Harley, is the same age as me (26) and pays £130 a year for full comp with pillion cover. As such I expected to pay something similar, but I've ran comparisons on all the bikes mentioned above and the cheapest quote is £740 (the Bonneville). All the Sports bikes came in at between £1700 - £1900 per year for full comp. Those quotes are with top of the line security devices, kept in a locked garage with identity markers on them. I shared the quotes with my mate and his jaw hit the floor, it just makes no sense to either of us. He has a 2007, 1200cc Harley Sportster which is highly customised and kept outside on the street in arguably the roughest part of town and he only pays £130. His first year of riding was only £340. WTF is going on? I even tried quotes from his insurer and they were still insanely pricey (£2900 on the Ninja!!!). I gotta say I'm kinda put off a little because of these quotes, they are more expensive than what I paid as an 18 year old with a hot hatch car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Is your mate a lot older than you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travisher Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Back in 1974/5 I bought a Honda 500T new for £599. It cost me £130 to insure the first year and £499 the second year with a year's no claims. Given my age and experience that was about par for the course. Everyone's premium went up to account for the high death toll. You have little experience and the bikes you are looking at like the Ninja are 'looney' bikes. Given the number of our local bike club that have been scraped into a black plastic bag in the last decade, I am not surprised at the quotes. Did you see your mate's invoice? I suspect he may be winding you up or hiding something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renewed Investor Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Is your mate a lot older than you? We're the same age, about 5 months apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renewed Investor Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Back in 1974/5 I bought a Honda 500T new for £599. It cost me £130 to insure the first year and £499 the second year with a year's no claims. Given my age and experience that was about par for the course. Everyone's premium went up to account for the high death toll. You have little experience and the bikes you are looking at like the Ninja are 'looney' bikes. Given the number of our local bike club that have been scraped into a black plastic bag in the last decade, I am not surprised at the quotes. Did you see your mate's invoice? I suspect he may be winding you up or hiding something. I've seen my mates insurance papers adn the price he paid, all legit. I'm starting to wonder if it is just Insurers looking to take advantage of people in supposedly better off parts of town? Perhaps they assume since people round my way live in a safer area that we have more money to spend on such things? I dunno, but I'm quite annoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I`m 56 (need I go on?) Got 93 quid per year with gocompare fully comp and that`s with no no claims bonus. Years a ago I used to pick my lines but now (I have a new sv650) I`ve found that however I ride I`ll just come out the other side !! Handling is sublime ! I`m just like a kid again....just having fun ! Please enjoy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 ...btw I`m a council dweller....there`s a hint in my name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renewed Investor Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Just ran some more quotes. Seems 600cc sports bikes are too far out of my price range. When I planned all this I set myself a budget of £5000. I planned to spend: £600 on getting the license (quote from my instructor) £500 on pants, jacket, helmet, gloves, boots Up to £500 on insurance £3000 on a bike £400 left over for unexpected costs The only bike that still fits this budget is the Triumph Bonneville although it is rare that one comes up for sale around the £3000 mark around here, most are about £4000 - £4500 for one in good nick. I could pay that much but I am reluctant because I know more than likely I will come off my first bike and/or drop it by accident. I ideally wanted something 10 - 15 years old that I wouldn't mind causing slight damage to. Another alternative would be one of the newish 300cc sports bikes like the Ninja 300 or the Yamaha R3. Insurance costs are about the same as the Triumph and these bikes come with ABS. Downside obviously is that they may struggle to keep up with the bigger bikes (I plan to go to Bike meetups, part of why I am getting into this is to meet new people). I am starting to wonder if I should just get the license this year then save up over the winter and buy a bike in Spring with a higher budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilf Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I suspect there is something you are either not telling us, or your mate is not telling you not suggesting you are being dishonest, just his premium seems very suspicious. I had a ZX7R when I was about 28 or so, cost me £3,000 the first year for insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilf Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Another alternative would be one of the newish 300cc sports bikes like the Ninja 300 or the Yamaha R3. Insurance costs are about the same as the Triumph and these bikes come with ABS. Downside obviously is that they may struggle to keep up with the bigger bikes (I plan to go to Bike meetups, part of why I am getting into this is to meet new people). I am starting to wonder if I should just get the license this year then save up over the winter and buy a bike in Spring with a higher budget? No bad thing IMO. The way many ride is in my opinion suicidal. Those 300cc bikes will be well fast enough. However having said that, you probably won't be taken seriously at bike meet ups with a bike like that, but that's a separate issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitevanman Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Probably not what you want to hear but stay away from sportsbikes if you want cheap insurance. There's a reason they're expensive to insure. A cruiser or commuter will be a fraction of the price to run and much more rider friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battenberg Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Is part of it down to experience if you've only just done the CBT. My son has just done his and bought a CBF125. We shopped around for insurance and some was as much as £950. We managed to get it down to £650 with Allianz, I think. He is young, so I guess that goes against him and also having not built up previous insurance or no claims won't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I`m with whitevanman.... My Suzuki 650 is very easy to ride, I can change into 1st second and third from a traffic light and the go straight into 6th at 30mph. On the other hand 75bhp will get me past anything on the open road without the need to change down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgul Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 The Kawasaki, Honda and Yamaha are all bonkers for a first bike. Bonneville is vaguely sensible. (my first proper bike was a GSXR400, which I'd accept was a bad choice, but even that was way too fast for me straight off a 125) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hail the Tripod Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 So I know a few on here are into their bikes and as a newbie to the hobby I thought I would ask some questions. So last week I did my CBT and now I'm looking to do the Direct access course to ride a big bike. I've been looking at several models that I may get once I have my license but I'm struggling to decide. The models I am interested in are the Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R, Triumph Bonneville (any model), Honda CBR600 and the Yamaha R6. If any of you have any experience with any of these models I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on them. Now comes insurance, which has come as a real shock. My mate has a 1200cc Harley, is the same age as me (26) and pays £130 a year for full comp with pillion cover. As such I expected to pay something similar, but I've ran comparisons on all the bikes mentioned above and the cheapest quote is £740 (the Bonneville). All the Sports bikes came in at between £1700 - £1900 per year for full comp. Those quotes are with top of the line security devices, kept in a locked garage with identity markers on them. I shared the quotes with my mate and his jaw hit the floor, it just makes no sense to either of us. He has a 2007, 1200cc Harley Sportster which is highly customised and kept outside on the street in arguably the roughest part of town and he only pays £130. His first year of riding was only £340. WTF is going on? I even tried quotes from his insurer and they were still insanely pricey (£2900 on the Ninja!!!). I gotta say I'm kinda put off a little because of these quotes, they are more expensive than what I paid as an 18 year old with a hot hatch car! Harley's are bikes middle aged men use for cruising around "looking cool". Racers are bikes young men use for smashing into things at 120mph. The insurance differential simply reflects this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynezilla Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I'd love to get back on two wheels. Sold my bike after getting married and settling down with kids. Once you get the bug you can never shake it off, though. It genuinely saddens me to think I may never ride a bike again... I got a 600 Suzuki bandit brand new on the day I passed my direct access in 1998, upgrading to a CBR600 around 2001, before selling around 2007. One thing I could never shake off was how utterly mentally fast bikes are. They deserve a lot of respect if you are to stay safe on the road. You need patience, zen-like calmness (no place for road rage) and the hawk-like alertness, but the feeling of freedom on a sunny day is like nothing else. I currently lust after a Triumph Tiger 800, but would probably get a cheapo Bandit to get back into the swing again, probably around £2k. I think my sports bike days are well behind me. I've got a few insurance quotes, and with no no-claims, they come in around £150 I think. Then again, I am 44... EDIT: Homeowner, married, kids, bike garaged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Oh yes, as was mentioned by `gilf`.... Do you have many years no claims as a car driver? This all counts you know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I'd love to get back on two wheels. Sold my bike after getting married and settling down with kids. Once you get the bug you can never shake it off, though. It genuinely saddens me to think I may never ride a bike again... I got a 600 Suzuki bandit brand new on the day I passed my direct access in 1998, upgrading to a CBR600 around 2001, before selling around 2007. One thing I could never shake off was how utterly mentally fast bikes are. They deserve a lot of respect if you are to stay safe on the road. You need patience, zen-like calmness (no place for road rage) and the hawk-like alertness, but the feeling of freedom on a sunny day is like nothing else. I currently lust after a Triumph Tiger 800, but would probably get a cheapo Bandit to get back into the swing again, probably around £2k. I think my sports bike days are well behind me. I've got a few insurance quotes, and with no no-claims, they come in around £150 I think. Then again, I am 44... EDIT: Homeowner, married, kids, bike garaged. Cant you just go out and rent a bike for a track day now and again to keep your bike bug in check ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I`ve got some tips for any old married men who are thinking of getting back into biking. First...don`t talk to her for more than 6 months. Next....two days before the bike arrives ask her to give you a hand getting it off the van. Worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynezilla Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Cant you just go out and rent a bike for a track day now and again to keep your bike bug in check ? That is something I'd consider. I did a few track days on my CBR and it took a good few days for the grin to disappear. Sometimes I do think that I just need one more ride... It would only take a few trackdays with bike hire to cost the same as a cheap 2nd hand bike though.. I do like the though of owning a bike again, just to get on and ride when I like, when the weather suits. I know that in all likelihood, any bike I own now would spend most of its life stationary in the garage. There's this romantic idea and then there's reality... My bucket list includes a ride to the Nordkapp. Plenty of time for that to become a reality.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloomMonger Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Forget about a sports bike for your first big bike. Get a Fazer, Bandit or ER6. Great bikes, easy to ride, plenty fast enough and available from £1k upwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Yep. 70 to 80 bhp will do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renewed Investor Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Forget about a sports bike for your first big bike. Get a Fazer, Bandit or ER6. Great bikes, easy to ride, plenty fast enough and available from £1k upwards. Yeah I'm looking at those now. The ER6 is what I'd be learning on for the Direct Access and the instructor said its a great bike. My mate with the Harley just got back to me after he got a quote for a 2007 Ninja - £450. I just don't understand it. Sur he has 2 years experience, but he has 2 claims (first was the day after he passed his test, crashed his Harley doing 80mph in the twisties). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notMyName Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I will be applying for my theory test for the 4th time shortly, but this time I will use it to get my DAS before the thing runs out. I used to have bikes on a CBT in my early 20's but since then I have been a car driver, but never lost the bug. My biggest issue has been having no where to keep a bike really, so it put me off, and having kids etc put a dampener on things. But now I have the space, and money, so this time next year I hope to have my very own steed again. I'm thinking of getting a cheap Bandit 600 first, as I always wanted one since they first came out and everyone started turning them into streetfighters etc. My dream bike would be a CB1300 though, or the Suzuki/Kwak/Yamaha equivalent. I love a big naked muscle bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renewed Investor Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 I am looking at Bandits now too, there is a 2007 Bandit 650 for sale near me for £2500. Just ran an insurance quote comparison and can get full comp for just £600. Looks like this is the model I will be going with once I get my license assuming no better deals come along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.