Driving a motorbike

After riding around in the back of a motorbike on the islands and riding a moped in Thailand I've decided that when I get home I want to learn how to ride a motorbike, especially for when I start university in summer.

I'm thinking of getting a good second hand ninja 250 or something along those lines. Could anyone tell me their experience on what sort of costs I should be expecting in terms of getting the bike, Insurance, fuel, maintenance etc?

Thanks!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1

gbduo

Driving a motorbike?

Get out.

How old are you? Depending on your age you can do direct access up to fully unlimited licence or not. Insurance, fuel are cheap. Maintenance as with anything depends on how much you want to spend!

Reply 2

Sebpanas

I meant riding haha but clicked post before I could change! I'm 19 at the moment. Cool, does your no claims bonus transfer to bikes as well? That's true! Thanks.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 3

gbduo

Nope! Ncb is seperate for cars and bikes.

Reply 4

Limpopo

The most important things about motorcycling is skill observation and safety. I have held a bikers licence for more than 30 years and never had an accident. Fortunately standards of training and regulation are far higher now but when i did my test ,you were limited up to a 250cc as a learner. You did a bike test which was pretty basic and with that bit of paper you could go buy a yamaha musclebike if you liked.

Its very easy to get killed or seriously injured on a bike.

My best advice to you is to get good training upto and after your test. Always wear a high vis vest, be very careful overtaking and filtering in traffic, always keep your headlight on if only dimmed,read and absorb the police motorcylists training manual.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorcycle-Roadcraft-Police-Handbook-Motorcycling/dp/011341143X

Reply 5

Maccees

Bathwiggle put a load of information together in this thread for just such an occasion.

Reply 6

Sebpanas

Thanks for there replies. That's annoying about the ncb, makes sense though I suppose.

I'm definitely not going to skimp on learning properly, don't think my parents would even allow it haha.

I'll take a look at that book, thanks.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

Maccees

Original post by gbduo

Nope! Ncb is seperate for cars and bikes.

Bikesure told me they would let me use my car ncb (wasn't being used) on my bike and turn it into a 'bike ncb', never spoken to any others that would do that though.

Reply 8

gbduo

Oh right, that's good! I guess because you don't have a car as well you can, you can't use a ncb twice normally.

Reply 9

Sebpanas

I have a car but once I learn I'll pretty much only use that, plus I'm not the policy holder for the car, my bro is. With that in mind I'd have to get insured with the same company if I wanted ncb..,

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 10

Juno

Ninja

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

Coffinman

Original post by Limpopo

I would hardly call being subjected to the increasingly contrived farce of motorbike regulations,fortunate.
The only good thing they've introduced was the CBT but they screwed that up by limiting it to 2 years.

Reply 12

Bathwiggle

Original post by Sebpanas

I meant riding haha but clicked post before I could change! I'm 19 at the moment. Cool, does your no claims bonus transfer to bikes as well? That's true! Thanks.

Posted from TSR Mobile

If it isn't being used on another vehicle then yes. But not everyone accepts it, so you'll have to shop around.

Reply 13

Sebpanas

Original post by Bathwiggle

If it isn't being used on another vehicle then yes. But not everyone accepts it, so you'll have to shop around.

Cool, thanks. It isn't my insurance policy, it's my brother's, so I'll probably have to just get a new one in my name.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 14

Limpopo

Original post by Coffinman

But when i took my test, you could ride upto a 250cc for as long as you liked on L plates and you needed no test,training or experience.

The test from memory involved a guy observing me riding round the road outside the local park.

Having got my bit of paper i could then go buy myself a beast such as a Honda CBX..a megabike of my era

Reply 15

Coffinman

Original post by Limpopo

But when i took my test, you could ride upto a 250cc for as long as you liked on L plates and you needed no test,training or experience.

That sounds great and what we should have today.

Instead we have this.
https://www.gov.uk/ride-motorcycle-moped/bike-categories-ages-and-licence-requirements

Which means a whole new theory test and the moaned about hazard perception test even if you've already done it for a car and either staggered practical tests or having to wait until your 24 to do it direct if you want a full license.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 16

Limpopo

Well to be fair,the reason why they tightened up on training and testing was that bikers were being slaughtered wholesale in that era due to lack of training.