Motorbike - Practicalities

[applepie]

Was thinking of getting a bike to commute to work and was wondering on the praticalities of it.

2 of my colleagues who own bikes are summer riders and werent very positive of riding in the winter/rain/low vis or any form of weather when its not clear skies.

So wanted to get a balanced view (from a forum? )

Nothing fancy probably just the 125cc or below, probably looking at 20-30mins each way to work. Its a normal road and then some smaller country lanes. Wont be cane-ing it so no uber-speeds. probably average 55mph I would guess.

So several Qs:

1) Possible to ride all year round? saves me catching the bus each day.

2) Costs - what kinda of mpg would I expect?

3) Clothing - presumably I will need different all weather clothing? Or can I just layer my existing cold weather (arctic stuff- wool, balaclavas, etc) stuff underneath my leathers? Wont this then mean the leathers will be loose during summer?

4) How much does a 2nd hand bike cost anyway? roughly. Might consider new as well if its worth it.

5) any other costs? besides insurance e.g tools? funny locks?

In short, I wanted to work out the economics (whether it will be cheaper or break even compared to a bus or buying a car) and whether its relatively safe to commute all year round.

The end advice from my mates were, dont get a bike for costs or anything else but the sheer fun.

[hammerheads]

Many Moons ago I worked in the City and used to commute by Train and it was costing me a fortune.

I bought a Vespa ET4 125 some shiny chrome bits and a cheap copy of quadrophenia on DVD. I loved it my travel costs went from £35.00 per week for a rail ticket to £4.00 in fuel. In the summer it was great a true zen moment riding over Tower Bridge.

In the winter just wrap up warm your hands will get cold but i still always enjoyed it.

My bike riding experience did leave me wanting to find the man that always placed manhole covers in the middle of the road in the centre of a bend though, just so i coudl cut his testicles off and feed them to him as in the wet the manhole covers can cause many a moment of the crinkled starfish variety

[Gordon Mackie]

As Edinburgh is a nightmare for parking, I leave my cars at home (in my parking permit zone) and ride my Royal Enfield to work all year round.
Also handy as I can nip through bollarded off roads that cars can't use.

Bike parking is free and plentiful and rain, cold and snow aren't a problem..just buy waterproofs

[Naomi S]

Well just for commuting i'd say get a scooter - dead economical petrol wise, cheap to insure and tax not to mention not ever having to get stuck in queues!

My scooter = £15/year tax, about £70 to insure, £5.65 to fill tank which wil get me to work and back for about 2 weeks.

Get waterproofs and weather isnt an issue - unless it's icy or really cold and that's just no fun.

Good time of year to get one you have all summer to practice before the weather gets really pants.

You need to have twice the amount of wits about you on 2 wheels i think. Just imagine that you are invisible - assume that people will not see you and pull out on you like you are not there. It doesnt matter if you have right of way you have to be prepared to stop cos people just dont see you.

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by applepie

Was thinking of getting a bike to commute to work and was wondering on the praticalities of it.

2 of my colleagues who own bikes are summer riders and werent very positive of riding in the winter/rain/low vis or any form of weather when its not clear skies.

So wanted to get a balanced view (from a forum? )

Nothing fancy probably just the 125cc or below, probably looking at 20-30mins each way to work. Its a normal road and then some smaller country lanes. Wont be cane-ing it so no uber-speeds. probably average 55mph I would guess.

So several Qs:

1) Possible to ride all year round? saves me catching the bus each day.

No its not comfortable and borders on the bloody dangerous when theres ice about

2) Costs - what kinda of mpg would I expect?

Excelent from scooter type macheens 50-90MPG depending on what you get

3) Clothing - presumably I will need different all weather clothing? Or can I just layer my existing cold weather (arctic stuff- wool, balaclavas, etc) stuff underneath my leathers? Wont this then mean the leathers will be loose during summer?

Fat chance. Get the most expensive all weather riding gear you can afford. go for the best. Make sure it has spine reinforcement in it

4) How much does a 2nd hand bike cost anyway? roughly. Might consider new as well if its worth it.

??? which bike? Id say a good bike for comuting would be available for less than £1500

5) any other costs? besides insurance e.g tools? funny locks?

Your life

In short, I wanted to work out the economics (whether it will be cheaper or break even compared to a bus or buying a car) and whether its relatively safe to commute all year round.

Cheep? definatly Convenient? Definatly Economical? Faster than anything else? Definatly Uncomfortalbe on all but warm days? Definatly Bloody Dangrous? Definatly

The end advice from my mates were, dont get a bike for costs or anything else but the sheer fun.

Moterbikes are the best thing this side of drugs or sex with Kyle Minoge when shes blind drunk and feeling very horny.

I gave them up because they were too dangerous

ATB

Mark

[nickb]

How far's the commute?

Mine is 7 miles each way and I cycle. I do it every day, rain or shine, when I don't need a car for some other reason and it takes me 25 minutes. I'd do it even if it was 10 or even 12 miles. Any longer and I'd probably limit the number of days but it's fantastic exercise and takes me no longer than driving.

[dry suit diver]

if its in london get yourself a great big lock and a even bigger heftier chain and make sure you lock it to something immovable.

my mate in work has just had his 3rd bike in as many years go.

it was a limited edition suzuki gsx-r this time, plates ripped off and craned up and onto a ' enforcement' liveried lorry- read pikey HIAB with stripes on it- by the looks of things from the CCTV.

[Prometheus]

It starts off as just wanting to commute , I mean you only need one bike, then you get something with a bit more power 'cos you get fed up being beaten away from the lights , then it would be nice to have something to blat around on at the weekend and impress the mates, and why not one with a big fairing and panniers to go touring, what about a custom paint job or a chop or 60's cafe racer , a vintage sunbeam ..... my name is prometheus and I am a bikeaholic.

[fatboy]

ive always ridden bikes since i was 16, sometimes thats all i had! commuting in summer is so different to winter, ie just some overpants or rainsuit stuffed in your bag in case it chucks it down, but winter is a lot harsher ie black ice, snow, hail, rain and wind all in one ride to work it isnt a picnic but i did it for years.
i still commute to work a lot on my bike its about 18miles.
it always makes me smile ,i just get togged up for it leathers with a decent waterproof jacket over the top and gloves/boots, we have a locked bike shed at work to chain it up in.
if your doing it just for finanacial reasons you could get an old honda c90 like a mate of mine has just done £500 for the bike, £100 for the clothing best fun hes had in years , he reckons 125miles alitre so petrol isnt an issue.

just be aware most car drivers dont even see you

[Odin]

I started on bikes when I was 16 - Yammy FS1E - Candy Gold, now worth 20 times what I paid for mine new!
I use a bike for commuting every day winter and summer, also use it for every day trips into Exeter, Cullompton fills (O2 cylinder in top box), Helston -AP valves, and have managed to get my O/C. kit sans cylinder, when going diving.
Free parking at work and in Exeter city carparks.

Paul
BMW K100LT