T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Go for it
First motorbike @ 56 YES/NO
- Thread starter kingrollo
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
What could possibly go wrong.
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
I still have a longing for one after all these years. I must have caused my parents heartache looking back as they brought me up saying motorcycles were "deadly".
The sad thing is now I'm older and over here, there are absolute bargains over here. I've got a hankering to go and do a Cafe Racer on a maggot, and you can pick them up for such short money. For the motorcyclists out there, forgive me, but I've always had a longing for a black CB400N (don't know why, just do -maybe it was because as a teenager it was the best bike I could potentially afford) and I still regret not picking one up a couple of years ago for about 300 quid! I've seen really cheap Gpzs, or cbr600's as well. Mind you, to be honest, I'd never ride a motorcycle where I live, the standard of driving is... too questionable. Perhaps if I lived in the wilds of Maine or Vermont, but not near Boston. If I lived in the UK I really think I'd have one by now.
The sad thing is now I'm older and over here, there are absolute bargains over here. I've got a hankering to go and do a Cafe Racer on a maggot, and you can pick them up for such short money. For the motorcyclists out there, forgive me, but I've always had a longing for a black CB400N (don't know why, just do -maybe it was because as a teenager it was the best bike I could potentially afford) and I still regret not picking one up a couple of years ago for about 300 quid! I've seen really cheap Gpzs, or cbr600's as well. Mind you, to be honest, I'd never ride a motorcycle where I live, the standard of driving is... too questionable. Perhaps if I lived in the wilds of Maine or Vermont, but not near Boston. If I lived in the UK I really think I'd have one by now.
I am in a similar boat , parents said a motorbike was too dangerous and went for a car in the end and for a time had a 50 cc chicken chaser but always wanted a "real " motorbike, now its wife 2 kids etc but deep down i still want one
Landsurfer
Veteran
But my bikes not personalised .... its bog standard .... £4k brand new on the road ... theres a few on here with bicycles that cost that ....
My helmet is a £60 BOX full face ... my jacket is Trespass , £35.
Gloves and trousers are over 15 years old but i can replace the lot for £60 ....
My boots where £200 pound new .... but not to me ... I bought them on ebay for £15
£250 RAPHA bib tights anyone ....
I would say go for it. I have ridden motorbikes for 47 years with only one crash which was my silly fault many years ago.
As a cyclist you already have a large amount of roadcraft so are wise to what can happen.
Modern 125cc scooters will still do 60-70mph top end and are great fun to ride, and are quite economical.
As a cyclist you already have a large amount of roadcraft so are wise to what can happen.
Modern 125cc scooters will still do 60-70mph top end and are great fun to ride, and are quite economical.
sleuthey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
That proves my point, you jave hit the nail on the head. ThanksBut my bikes not personalised .... its bog standard .... £4k brand new on the road ... theres a few on here with bicycles that cost that ....
My helmet is a £60 BOX full face ... my jacket is Trespass , £35.
Gloves and trousers are over 15 years old but i can replace the lot for £60 ....
My boots where £200 pound new .... but not to me ... I bought them on ebay for £15
£250 RAPHA bib tights anyone ....
a.twiddler
Veteran
Yes I would say go for it. I have had bikes since 1968 and ridden most days since then, on bikes big and small. I have a soft spot for smaller bikes myself as they are in the spirit of what I saw in bikes when I was younger -cheap to run, easy to get through traffic, can manoevre on bad surfaces, even do a bit of mild trail riding if you get the urge, light enough to wheel about and park and if it falls over you have a good chance of being able to pick it up (more so if you have a back problem). They don't eat chains and tyres. I have had scooters too which are easy to step through for getting on and off and have built in storage for shopping etc. I just like things on two wheels!
I would say that the advantages of a motor bike are better weight distribution and dynamics, but little storage unless you shell out for a rack and box, also you have to get used to clutch and gears. Scooters are more practical but need more care on bad surfaces and conditions. They generally have better weather protection so you could spend a bit less on riding gear. Most have auto transmission. There is something so satisfying about sitting at the traffic lights then just winding the throttle open and letting the transmission gather itself up and take you away from the lights.
You would need to get through the obstacles of the training and tests on which there is a lot of advice online. If you take the test on a geared bike your licence will cover you for autos too but if you take the test on an auto you will have to take another test to be able to ride a geared bike. An important point, as you might think it's ok just for the present, but if you get the bug you might want to get something different/bigger in the future.
Don't forget, you don't need a 100 horsepower behemoth to go touring. I have toured Scotland with a 125 and a tent, I have done the Elephant Rally at the Nurbugring on a Honda CD175. Like cycling, it is often more pleasant if you choose a less busy route.
There are disadvantages. You can get cold, wet and miserable if you don't have the right riding gear. You will soon find out that as soon as you get on a bike you might as well be wearing Harry Potter's cloak of invisbility. You have to learn to think for other road users to a greater extent than you would on a bicycle and soon find out that they are stupid, or hostile, or inconsiderate. If you assume that they are all out to get you, it would be a good start. SMIDSY is an acronym you will bear in mind at every junction. Developing the right attitude is the most important thing. A lot depends on where you live. I am fortunate to live in Cheshire where drivers are generally well mannered and polite. If you live in other parts of the country eg London from my own experience I have found drivers are much more aggressive.
I don't want to put you off, but balanced with my desire to see more motorcyclists on the road is the equal desire to make them aware of the drawbacks. When you first get out on the road on a powered 2 wheeler it is such a marvellous, magical thing. You are out in the fresh air, you can hear see and smell everything, as if you were enjoying your bicycle but also you are able to enjoy the cornering and get up hills in a totally different way. The road rushing past below, the wind past your helmet, the rhythm of the engine and exhaust. It's still a physical, sensual thing like cycling, but in a different way, If you drove the same route in a car you would feel nothing. It gives you a different viewpoint on life. I would be a duller (or maybe just an even more dull) person if I had never discovered motorbikes, with all the experiences they have opened up to me.
Also, in terms of value for money, or maybe to show what a tightwad I am, I've never paid more than £1450 for a bike, less for my current one, and they are not garage queens either.
Sorry to go on at length, maybe repeating what other posters have said, but it's just reminded me how much I enjoy riding my old Honda whereas now it's sitting in the garage feeling neglected waiting for next week's shopping trip. It's used to being used for something most days.
But I am getting a lot more cycling in!
I would say that the advantages of a motor bike are better weight distribution and dynamics, but little storage unless you shell out for a rack and box, also you have to get used to clutch and gears. Scooters are more practical but need more care on bad surfaces and conditions. They generally have better weather protection so you could spend a bit less on riding gear. Most have auto transmission. There is something so satisfying about sitting at the traffic lights then just winding the throttle open and letting the transmission gather itself up and take you away from the lights.
You would need to get through the obstacles of the training and tests on which there is a lot of advice online. If you take the test on a geared bike your licence will cover you for autos too but if you take the test on an auto you will have to take another test to be able to ride a geared bike. An important point, as you might think it's ok just for the present, but if you get the bug you might want to get something different/bigger in the future.
Don't forget, you don't need a 100 horsepower behemoth to go touring. I have toured Scotland with a 125 and a tent, I have done the Elephant Rally at the Nurbugring on a Honda CD175. Like cycling, it is often more pleasant if you choose a less busy route.
There are disadvantages. You can get cold, wet and miserable if you don't have the right riding gear. You will soon find out that as soon as you get on a bike you might as well be wearing Harry Potter's cloak of invisbility. You have to learn to think for other road users to a greater extent than you would on a bicycle and soon find out that they are stupid, or hostile, or inconsiderate. If you assume that they are all out to get you, it would be a good start. SMIDSY is an acronym you will bear in mind at every junction. Developing the right attitude is the most important thing. A lot depends on where you live. I am fortunate to live in Cheshire where drivers are generally well mannered and polite. If you live in other parts of the country eg London from my own experience I have found drivers are much more aggressive.
I don't want to put you off, but balanced with my desire to see more motorcyclists on the road is the equal desire to make them aware of the drawbacks. When you first get out on the road on a powered 2 wheeler it is such a marvellous, magical thing. You are out in the fresh air, you can hear see and smell everything, as if you were enjoying your bicycle but also you are able to enjoy the cornering and get up hills in a totally different way. The road rushing past below, the wind past your helmet, the rhythm of the engine and exhaust. It's still a physical, sensual thing like cycling, but in a different way, If you drove the same route in a car you would feel nothing. It gives you a different viewpoint on life. I would be a duller (or maybe just an even more dull) person if I had never discovered motorbikes, with all the experiences they have opened up to me.
Also, in terms of value for money, or maybe to show what a tightwad I am, I've never paid more than £1450 for a bike, less for my current one, and they are not garage queens either.
Sorry to go on at length, maybe repeating what other posters have said, but it's just reminded me how much I enjoy riding my old Honda whereas now it's sitting in the garage feeling neglected waiting for next week's shopping trip. It's used to being used for something most days.
But I am getting a lot more cycling in!
Last edited:
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
May have mentioned it but I would highly recommend further education, even just a Bikesafe day (which won't be running currently due to CV19 and it's part classroom theory nature) but also as a stepping stone to advanced riding, whether ROSPA or IAM*
*I happen to be a current member 🏍💨
*I happen to be a current member 🏍💨
The plastic maggot, i had one in the 80's. Although i had the later Eurosport version, they even did a turbo 650 version.
Its surprising that it was the only time the Japs did that transverse v twin engine configuration. I've never understood why they never repeated it.
I nearly bought a 650 Eurosport last year as a project, strangely I really like them
I saw one last year in Weston bike park, must be over 30 years since i last saw one before that. Very rare bike.
The CX500 i owned back in the mid 80's was the only 500cc bike i ever bought and and the only white coloured bike i ever had as well. Finally moved it on a year or two later as 50bhp wasn't enough for me in those days, or all the years that followed.
Then last year i bought a CB500X.... and i ordered it in white as well. So its almost like i've come full circle.
Then last year i bought a CB500X.... and i ordered it in white as well. So its almost like i've come full circle.
