Oh no  :'( Glad to hear you and the bike are both mainly ok though. Was you still braking as you turned into the road? Like you say, best time and situation for it to happen, if there is such a thing. In the couple of weeks I've been riding I've realised just how important tyres are on bikes, it's well worth sticking some decent tread on there. I'm the same thinking as you, I'd rather replace my tyres more often but know I've got plenty of grip under me. It's all a big long learning curve though tbh, take the positives from it and get right back on. 

 

Last night was my first time out in the rain, I was pretty nervous about it but just tried to relax as much as I could. I had visions of me leaning 5 degrees and just sliding off but once I was going I felt pretty good tbh, only one slight slip on a manhole cover in London but nothing aside from that. Done my first bit of filtering in a city, fml what a ball ache. My mate was on his fireblade but use to courier in London so knew the deal and had some practice. It's basically dog eat dog lol, you cant be polite at all, just smash your way through. Cant say I'd want to do it everyday but it was an experience, lots of 0-30mph sprints off the lights was fun   I think we'll go later next time to avoid some of the traffic. 

The Chen Sh*te stock tyres are dreadful, I should have said! I had them too, they were swiftly ripped off my YBR shortly after buying it and replaced with a pair of Michelin Pilot Streets, these are the replacement for Pilot Sportys which are apparently discontinued as i struggled to find a pair for under £120.

 

Picked up the Pilot Streets for £72 the pair. 2k miles brown-trouser-moment free.   Tyreleader was the site I got them from IIRC.

 

Have just been looking at the Michelin Pilot Streets, they look very promising

 

Oh no  :'( Glad to hear you and the bike are both mainly ok though. Was you still braking as you turned into the road? Like you say, best time and situation for it to happen, if there is such a thing. In the couple of weeks I've been riding I've realised just how important tyres are on bikes, it's well worth sticking some decent tread on there. I'm the same thinking as you, I'd rather replace my tyres more often but know I've got plenty of grip under me. It's all a big long learning curve though tbh, take the positives from it and get right back on. 

 

Last night was my first time out in the rain, I was pretty nervous about it but just tried to relax as much as I could. I had visions of me leaning 5 degrees and just sliding off but once I was going I felt pretty good tbh, only one slight slip on a manhole cover in London but nothing aside from that. Done my first bit of filtering in a city, fml what a ball ache. My mate was on his fireblade but use to courier in London so knew the deal and had some practice. It's basically dog eat dog lol, you cant be polite at all, just smash your way through. Cant say I'd want to do it everyday but it was an experience, lots of 0-30mph sprints off the lights was fun   I think we'll go later next time to avoid some of the traffic. 

 

I hadn't started to turn, it was a straight line wheel lockup on a blockpaved section at a set of traffic lights just before the turning :( , I always use the engine for braking especially when there isn't anyone around as I don't see the need to rush around, l only pulled the brake lever slightly to iluminate the brake light (should have used the back brake instead)

Oh sod it, hope you're okay Matt. 

My first off was a long time ago and a bit more violent than yours so don't be

hard on yourself. I had a car full of yoofs ignore a give way line and I went directly

front wheel first into the driver door, over the handlebars and head first through

the closed drivers window, my legs were tangled up with the handlebars and keeping

the bike upright when I wriggled out the whole lot fell over onto me.

The rather young looking driver said he was going to knock on someones door to get a pen

and paper to swap details and he and his mates legged it. Stolen car.

I had badly bent forks and general cuts and bruises but no broken bones.

It was an old CG125 I'd bought for about 150 quid so I got rid and chalked it up to experience.

Another time I had my leg crushed between my bike and a black cab.

 

Thankfully though, they were big enough incidents to teach me something but not so bad 

as to put me off of biking or injure me seriously, My worst bike related injury wasn't even suffered on  

my bike but attempting to protect it from attack.(This is the short version of that fun encounter)

I was working as a pizza delivery moped rider, some lads came and started kicking the bikes over 

outside the shop, then they kicked my bike over, I ran out of the shop and flattened the first with a very big 

punch then the second and was grappling with the 3rd, didn't know there was a 4th out of sight who  

waited til my back was to him and  jumped me from behind and set about me with 

a motorbike chain of all things. I was doing well till that knt took a swipe at me with the chain, I tripped

backward over the smashed bike already on the floor and all four of them put the boot in BIG TIME!!

It was a month before I could turn my head after being kicked in it so many times. I got my revenge

years later on one of them but that's a story for another day and definitely not for a public forum

 

So far so good on the bigger bike but I only ride for fun so avoid wet weather and

will lay the bike up for the winter. I don't care if that makes me a fair weather biker, that suits me fine.

But in my time I've been known to ride to work on snow with

both feet as stabilisers.  Not sure I'd try that now :p

Hope you are okay anyway, did your lid hit the floor?

Check it carefully for damage, they are a single use item and if there's any scuffs or other damage

you may need to consider buying another.  

I hadn't started to turn, it was a straight line wheel lockup on a blockpaved section at a set of traffic lights just before the turning :( , I always use the engine for braking especially when there isn't anyone around as I don't see the need to rush around, l only pulled the brake lever slightly to iluminate the brake light (should have used the back brake instead)

 

Ah, just a combo of bad luck and naff tyres then I guess.   Onwards and upwards, at least it's minimal damage. A mate went to collect a little Sym XS125 (YBR copy kinda thing) for a mate yesterday, he said it was a lovely little bike except for the tyres. He reckoned they just didnt heat up and for the price of £80 for a set the new owner is gonna replace them, although they'll last forever they're just rubbish. 

So.... on the whole, coming from someone who's only experience on a bike is from a Get On free ride..



Is it worth it? The expense and the danger?

This question is to everyone.

So.... on the whole, coming from someone who's only experience on a bike is from a Get On free ride..

Is it worth it? The expense and the danger?

This question is to everyone.

Thats one of them questions. Depends who you ask. There is no one answer to this.

For me. I love it. You're out in the open, get a real feeling for the speed (driving with the windows open doesnt even half cut it).

Freedom, youll never get stuck in a line of traffic again. You can go where you want, when you want, at the speed you pull the throttle.

Speed? Ahh iv only been in one thing faster, n thats a nissan GTR. Thst doesnt have the same feeling of freedom, and it averaged 2mpg, tyres are £800 a corner if you buy off nissan etc etc, i cant afford that anyway.

Even the smallest opertunity can be an overtake on a bike. 0-60 in 3. Something seconds. You can overtake normal cars without even knowing if theye flooring it or not. Etc etc.

A bike will do around 50mpg (deprnds on the bike and how its ridden if course. I get 55mpg most tanks on my sv)

Insurance is overall pretty cheap. £200 fully comp for me and im 21.

It costs about the same amount to run my Sv as my 2013 fabia 1.2 htp on fuel. And my god is soo much more fun.

So.... on the whole, coming from someone who's only experience on a bike is from a Get On free ride..

Is it worth it? The expense and the danger?

This question is to everyone.

 

I started at 16 with an auto 50cc scooter and moved on to 50cc geared, 125cc, 125cc sports, 250, 300, 600, 1100, 1150, 1200 and then had a break, bought a Chinese 125 then a 500cc commuter scooter and I've done 200,000m++ in all weathers.

 

At 16 it was the only choice and I loved the freedom, the increase in power was a boon at 17 but having a car to take girls (out) in won the argument until I could have a car and a bike.

 

Having a bike is a good way of having a bit of "me" time and can be great for socialising or being included in a group with invites to stuff, but on the flip side can be very lonely.

It's also a PITA trying to chat to fellow riders when on a ride out and can be frustrating when your motives or going for a ride differ-some are spectacularly hopeless at riding and faff making progress irritating, some are stupid and aggressive and you want to keep away, some want to race, so it can be hard to find a group that you want to ride with that actually makes it enjoyable.  I find divisions in the scene more than ever now; where every rider used to acknowledge (head tilt or wave) to other riders, now sports riders acknowledge no-one, GS riders acknowledge their own, Harley riders their own only, etc-some of the old camaraderie is lost, sadly.  It was always nice to feel part of a group who would altruistically help you if in trouble, knowing they will at some time need others help, but I guess machine reliability and weekend riders have watered that down.

 

Cost wise, unless you opt for something classic or cheap commuter type bike, there's no saving over driving a car, especially if you ride with your partner rather than going in the car.

Insurance may be sensible for some, but can be costly, gear is pricey and wears out, same with boots and gloves, tyres wear in months and if you choose a fashionable type bike you can lose thousands in a season when the next model arrives on scene.

If you ride a CG125 in basic gear or an old 600 classic and take it easy, it's going to be cheaper than a car, ride a new sports bike with all the gear, a car will seem like a cheap option.

Fuel economy of 40s is normal on most faster stuff, so most modern cars are better on fuel, which was a surprise for me-plus the frequency of tyre changes if you ride positively can surprise too.  I'd get less than 1500 miles out of a rear on my Bandit 1200, maybe 5000 on my BMW R1200RT.

 

Danger is a big factor and what makes it enjoyable for many who are bored by daily life and the old maxim of treating everyone like an idiot holds true, but I see so many bikers ride so badly that they put themselves in great danger, not by speeding, but by poor road positioning so they are not visible, poor clothing and protection and so on.

 

As I've got older and more experienced, other factors have changed too which affect bikers:

1/ Car have better sound insulation and safety protection, but thicker A and B pillars mean more blind spots so you are harder to see and hear on a bike

2/ In-car tech, such as touch-screens, I-music, nav, on screen texts, bluetooth etc have created more and more distractions for drivers

3/ There are far less traffic police on the road

4/ There are far more camera and speed traps-especially average speed traps and also continuous CCTV filming

5/ Road maintenance has deteriorated

6/ Traffic levels have increased

7/ Far more lower speed limits have been imposed

 

As it is now, I have sold my bikes and do not want to return to biking for many reasons, briefly; there is no cost benefit over a car, the gear is a damned nuisance, there's no point having a decent bike due to the camera worries, the roads are appalling and often have lethal potholes debris, diesel etc which used to be dealt with, drivers are more than ever unaware of your presence due to car design and their own tech agenda and the risk of gaining life changing injuries is all too real for experienced bikers, let alone novices.

 

As said above, I've earned my stripes on bikes, but unless you have a commute that would be transformed by a bike and have a load of similarly skilled/motivated mates on bikes with a similar mindset, I would think carefully.  What do you want the bike to do for you?  Get you from A-B?  Give you an image boost?  Improve your social circle?  Give you a taste of adrenaline?

 

I've had some wonderful adventures on bikes, mostly in the early days when it meant freedom unobtainable any other way, but too many negatives have swayed me away from going back now-even though my two mates have bought bikes and keep popping round on them.  If I had to, it would be on a simple MZ Saxon 500 Rotax with all the touring gear and decent tyres or maybe a new Royal Enfield Woodsman with the same.  Spending over £15k on the BMW and £2k on the gear was a step too far-I wish I'd bought the Alfa 147GTa I looked at instead which now lives in the next street 

 

Even on the best bikes I've had, point to point a car does not lose out much if you take into account dressing/helmet/gloves/booting up and the reverse, the too-frequent fuel stops and having to stick to the same limits everywhere.  The cost of fuel, insurance, tyres, kit etc adds up and makes it pricey too unless you find a cheap way around it, but is that what you want?  Wandering round a new place was always tainted by having to wear all the gear and having any kind of drink was out of the question too.

 

For me times have changed and the novelty has worn off, but my priorities will differ from yours, so as above, work out what you want out of it and go from there!

 

Who knows, the warm smell of the countryside passing by, the feeling of freedom and being at one with a machine and a group of bikers may be for you-I've certainly had my share of fun over the years.

 

What's your plan?

Cant really comment a bike is cheaper or more expensive than a car IMO, without stating what the two are.

A cg125 is cheaper to run than a ferrari f430 for example, but a gsxr 1000 might cost you more than a citigo in fuel.

'Bike is cheaper than car' or vice versa is just too vague IMO.

Cant really comment a bike is cheaper or more expensive than a car IMO, without stating what the two are.

A cg125 is cheaper to run than a ferrari f430 for example, but a gsxr 1000 might cost you more than a citigo in fuel.

'Bike is cheaper than car' or vice versa is just too vague IMO.

As said above; a cheap commuter will be cheaper than a big bike, there's a range of costs-need to know what's being compared, for what use and mileage.

 

However, it's not just fuel-

Fuel, tax, insurance, storage/garage cost, depreciation, servicing/MOT, tyres, consumables, repairs if accident damaged, cost of leathers, boots, gloves, helmet, visors, clothes, lock and so on to take into account.

 

People expect bikes to do 2,000-3,000 miles pa instead of 10,000pa and they get whacked with depreciation if "high" milers-a big consideration if you buy a £12k tourer and do the same miles as in your car.

 

From my own experience, doing 15k pa in an average newish car will end up costing similarly to the average newish 600cc bike if you allow for depreciation, fuel, maintenance (service every 4-6k not 15-20k on cars now), wearing out your kit, helmet etc.  The car loses more £ than %value, which the bike eats up with running costs.

 

Depends on what the biker wants?

Oh sod it, hope you're okay Matt. 

My first off was a long time ago and a bit more violent than yours so don't be

hard on yourself. I had a car full of yoofs ignore a give way line and I went directly

front wheel first into the driver door, over the handlebars and head first through

the closed drivers window, my legs were tangled up with the handlebars and keeping

the bike upright when I wriggled out the whole lot fell over onto me.

The rather young looking driver said he was going to knock on someones door to get a pen

and paper to swap details and he and his mates legged it. Stolen car.

I had badly bent forks and general cuts and bruises but no broken bones.

It was an old CG125 I'd bought for about 150 quid so I got rid and chalked it up to experience.

Another time I had my leg crushed between my bike and a black cab.

 

Thankfully though, they were big enough incidents to teach me something but not so bad 

as to put me off of biking or injure me seriously, My worst bike related injury wasn't even suffered on  

my bike but attempting to protect it from attack.(This is the short version of that fun encounter)

I was working as a pizza delivery moped rider, some lads came and started kicking the bikes over 

outside the shop, then they kicked my bike over, I ran out of the shop and flattened the first with a very big 

punch then the second and was grappling with the 3rd, didn't know there was a 4th out of sight who  

waited til my back was to him and  jumped me from behind and set about me with 

a motorbike chain of all things. I was doing well till that knt took a swipe at me with the chain, I tripped

backward over the smashed bike already on the floor and all four of them put the boot in BIG TIME!!

It was a month before I could turn my head after being kicked in it so many times. I got my revenge

years later on one of them but that's a story for another day and definitely not for a public forum

 

So far so good on the bigger bike but I only ride for fun so avoid wet weather and

will lay the bike up for the winter. I don't care if that makes me a fair weather biker, that suits me fine.

But in my time I've been known to ride to work on snow with

both feet as stabilisers.  Not sure I'd try that now :p

Hope you are okay anyway, did your lid hit the floor?

Check it carefully for damage, they are a single use item and if there's any scuffs or other damage

you may need to consider buying another.  

My head never touched the floor & only a light mark on my jacket  .  I actually really like this bike and think I'll keep it even after I've completed my license as its a great little bike for commuting on (and it seems to be built like a tank )

 

Ah, just a combo of bad luck and naff tyres then I guess.   Onwards and upwards, at least it's minimal damage. A mate went to collect a little Sym XS125 (YBR copy kinda thing) for a mate yesterday, he said it was a lovely little bike except for the tyres. He reckoned they just didnt heat up and for the price of £80 for a set the new owner is gonna replace them, although they'll last forever they're just rubbish. 

Yeah, I knew it would happen at some point & now it has I can look forward. I'll be ordering some new tyres at some point over the next couple of weeks.

 

So.... on the whole, coming from someone who's only experience on a bike is from a Get On free ride..

Is it worth it? The expense and the danger?

This question is to everyone.

 

In my opinion, only you can answer that.

 

My reasoning behind getting a motorbike is to commute on & have the odd ride out on a day off, however, for me the motorbike doesn't offer the thrill that I thought it would and I still much prefer to cycle (possibly down to the weedy 10bhp engine ).  Having said that, my journey time has been cut down over taking the car to work as I'm able to filter through the stationary traffic on the dual carriageway in Sheffield & I'm already starting to feel the health benefits of getting more sleep rather than getting up at 4:00-4:30 to cycle the 17miles to work through the edge of the Peak District (most of my route is on the same route as stage 2 of Le Tour de Yorkshire from Woodhead to Bradfield).

 

Is it worth the expense/danger?   Expense wise, I worked out that in just over 1year of commuting I will have broken even financially buying the motorbike/clothing/helmet/insurance/VED/servicing etc over driving my SMAX to work and paying for parking, but as I said, my motivation was commuting so in the long run a motorbike will be much cheaper.  Danger, you could get knocked down crossing a road! I personally don't feel any less safe on the road on a motorbike than I do in a car, I do feel safer on the motorbike than I do when cycling to work as I'm able to keep up with traffic better on the motorbike & it's much easier to hold the correct road position, so long as you ride to the best of your ability and look out for the dangers you should be able to keep safe.

 

I signed up for the Get On free ride but I'm still waiting to hear when a local centre could take me on, so I went and booked my CBT and just got on with it.  If you find a good training centre I think you would be able to make an educated decision as to if a motorbike suits your needs and if you feel comfortable enough taking it to the next stage.  Apart from that, the cost of a CBT makes for a great day out :)

 

Matthew

So.... on the whole, coming from someone who's only experience on a bike is from a Get On free ride..

Is it worth it? The expense and the danger?

This question is to everyone.

 

Good question, like Matt says, it's really hard to answer for someone else. There is no denying that riding a motorcycle is the riskiest form of transport statistically speaking and more often than not when you talk to a group of bikers that'll know at least one who has died on a bike. Saying that though it is like anything, your own attitude towards riding will have the biggest effect on if you stay shiny side up or not. Ride round like you're on a qualifying lap for Moto GP all the time and you'll soon smash yourself up in a hedge. Ride round like you're invincible and white van man will soon knock you off. Ride round in a daze half asleep and someone will pull out and knock you off. When we returned the other evening after a nice ride, my mate nearly got knocked off by someone exiting a parking space without looking & 30 seconds later a bike went to do a U turn in front of me. We were both prepared luckily, you have to treat everyone like they are trying to or about to try and kill you, you'll give yourself a much better chance of staying on the bike. Dont take it for granted anyone has seen you, anyone will give way to you etc. There are people out there who have ridden for 30, 40, 50 years and never had an accident. Ride in the correct way and minimise the amount of risk you're exposed to. 

 

For some people it's too much, either in their mind they are constantly worrying about being knocked off/coming off OR they just cant enjoy riding while having to process everything at the same time. For me, I love it. As I said at the start of the thread, I have a lot of family who ride so knew the dangers and effort it takes to start with but as Taylor says it offers freedom like no other. I dont have a fast bike but it's so much fun, nippy acceleration and feeling the speed you're doing makes it such and event every time you twist the throttle. Some will hate the whole idea of it but I'd give it a try if you think you might like it to see either way. 

 

As for being 'lonely', if I'm going out for a ride for the sake of a ride I much rather be with my mates than on my own, unless I'm after some quiet time. In groups it's a right laugh, breaks along the ride to stretch out and have a quick natter along with brief chats at lights etc. For some rides we are considering investing in a intercom to be able to talk to each other without stopping.

 

As for finding the right group, I guess I'm lucky that because I have a couple of mates and family that ride I can go with them. A couple of them like to go for very 'brisk' rides with other groups of bikers but when we go out together we just go at the pace we are comfortable. We dont all have to stay together all the time, if a couple want to go ahead a little they can do, no issue there. When we went to London they'd hoon off for a bit then ease up a bit for the others to catch up but I think most of us find it enjoyable whatever speed we ride. Although fairly new I cant say I've noticed any 'divisions' anywhere, been to a couple of bike haunts and out on the road, everyone is friendly, nod and wave etc. In London it's kamakzi and no one acknowledges each other but then thats London for you.

 

Cost wise you need to compare like for like, obviously everyone will be slightly different. A cheap car VS a YBR125 or something, YBR is going to be £1000 to buy, £100-200 to insure, 100mpg and £30 to tax. I cant think of anything that would be that cheep to run car wise tbh, yeah you'd need to factor in some kit but less than £500 and you'll be clothed and chained up. Through winter no doubt I'd rather be in a car but then through summer it's far nicer on a bike.

 

A sports 600-1000cc bike will obviously cost more, for me as a new rider I was looking at about £4500 to buy a clean 5 year old bike, £600 to insure and return anywhere around 20-40mpg depending on how you ride. Tax is about £50 a year iirc. But what can you compare a sports bike to car wise? You need to be looking at R8's, Astons & Porsches for something comparable. 

 

To a certain extent it does come down to use I guess, for trips to ikea, wickes & tesco a bike will be useless. For a tool to get around cheap and have a lot of fun or as a out and out toy I think bikes are good value. I can see my garage being filled with a different bike for each occasion soon enough  For people who like a bit of speed, a sports bike offers performance otherwise unattainable for most people in a car.

 

Yeah either way you need to kit up, but I've bought all new gear for about £400, Garry has got some bargains on here too, it need not cost a fortune. I'll agree it is a huge faff kitting up for a ride, trousers, boots, jacket, gloves, helmet etc etc. If I'm going to tesco on the bike I'll admit I'll just wear jeans and bike jacket but it's a 3 min trip at 25mph everywhere so I balance up the risk vs time it takes to kit up. In reality my bike is a toy for me so dont use it for little trips often but I will invest in some decent motorcycle jeans that are a little more comfortable for walking about it. 

 

The speed camera thing, I didnt get the bike to ride like a loon on, I can ride round, have fun and stay well within the limits, country road on a bike at the speed limit is far far more fun than the same road at 60mph in a car. 

 

I'd say go and do a CBT and see how you feel, even in this day and age bikes still have a huge amount to give but for the right person. 

 

/walloftext

Agreed about the CBT. It can't hurt to do that and see how it goes.


I was asking the question because I'm looking for jobs and some stuff might come up thats a little hard to get to with the car. The idea of filtering appeals to me. Mostly for commuting in the end, though I do have a mate who's been riding for a little while on a 600cc Honda after doing the DAS.

Filtering is bloody dangerous though. Youve really got to watch out.

Makes me cringe when people fly past cars at silly speeds.

Only takes somebody to open a door, or turn around cos they got fed up of waiting, or to i expectantly turn right

A lot of car drivers dont check their mirrors, and dont signal. Its a thing you realise even more when you're on a bike.

I did some filtering on the M25 on my way back from my test. I was glad my instructor was with me to give me some tips tbh! It was enjoyable but hard work, you just have to be very very alert to everything, looking in every mirror, look at where every wheel is pointing etc etc. Single lane filtering is slightly easier as there is one less line of traffic to kill you Like anything though, as you do it more you'll get better at it, develop a 6th sense. 

Filtering is bloody dangerous though. Youve really got to watch out.

Makes me cringe when people fly past cars at silly speeds.

Only takes somebody to open a door, or turn around cos they got fed up of waiting, or to i expectantly turn right

A lot of car drivers dont check their mirrors, and dont signal. Its a thing you realise even more when you're on a bike.

In town, I agree that hypervigilance is necessary. No doors being opened on a motorway, I hope.

You're right though, the lane changers and the mirrors are dangerous.

No doors being opened on a motorway, I hope.

 

When I was about 14 on the back of my dads bandit we were going to London. M1, solid traffic and we were slowly filtering along until a couple decide to swap drivers in the outside lane of the motorway. Cue a 2 up stoppie from us and a very surprised little asian woman. I think my dad was so amazed he didnt even say anything.

.....No doors being opened on a motorway i hope.

If its a complete stand still, then yeah. Iv seen people get out of their cars.

Iv been tail gated many times when filtering and had car drivers try to get back up the inside of me when im waiting for an opertunity to get past a wider vehicle.

Iv even had somebody bump into the back of my bike at low speed, on purpose. He also gave me various hand signals.

When i got out and gave him an absolutely monumental *******ing, he soon shut up. He claimed i was 'being dangerous by overtakin, and its very illegal'. I explained in a very angry way what filtering was, and erm, may of even offered him out of the car haha. He didnt fancy that though.

Funny though. He left about 3 miles of space after that.

I dont usually get bad road rage, i usually laugh it off. I dont take to being rammed though haha.

So.... on the whole, coming from someone who's only experience on a bike is from a Get On free ride..

Is it worth it? The expense and the danger?

This question is to everyone.

 

Already various answers but thought I'd add my views.

 

Biking is not really a cheap alternative to a car.  My commutes have generally been shorter point to point with the bike but by the time I take into account getting geared up, getting the bike out of the garage, then having to get changed at the other end then the car is the quicker in reality.  Add in as has been said the cost of running a bike and the safety gear it actually makes quite an outlay.

 

Yes you can get phenomenal performance for not a great deal of money (compared to cars) but many people have come off badly as a result of this which has meant the test has become harder and there are limitations on power output.

 

My personal reason for the bike is that I enjoy it and class it as my hobby, so am willing to pay the servicing and for the gear so that I can go for a ride which starts at my house and ends at my house with little in the middle other than riding and a few tea breaks.  I have been out with various groups which can be good but some are nutters who just want to fly everywhere and others are ultra conservative so I am actually yet to find a group in my new area which I can ride with, but doesn't stop me from getting out and riding for me.

 

Danger wise, yes there is more risk but I have balanced that by doing additional training (IAM) and not being a complete idiot.  There will always be risk, it is a case of balancing the possibility of something happening, the consequences of it and what you gain from actually doing it.

 

Agreed about the CBT. It can't hurt to do that and see how it goes.

I was asking the question because I'm looking for jobs and some stuff might come up thats a little hard to get to with the car. The idea of filtering appeals to me. Mostly for commuting in the end, though I do have a mate who's been riding for a little while on a 600cc Honda after doing the DAS.

 

Filtering is a great benefit of biking but is a contentious area. Insurers have been reported by the biking press to automatically attribute a degree of blame to the filtering biker in an accident whatever the circumstance.  The police riders I have been out with are wary of it but the will do it.  General guidance I have been given is don't filter past traffic going at a reasonable speed and don't filter past them at a silly speed difference.  Sorry but there is no hard and fast rule.  I have worked on the principle that filtering past people doing more than 30 is too much and I don't go past them at more than 10 mph difference so that I can keep a very close eye on their movements.  When it comes to lorries be extra careful!

 

I have seen bikers refuse to filter and I have seen others do it at extreme speeds.  You have to do what you feel comfortable with and could justify in the event of an accident or being stopped by the police.

I've only tried filtering twice, luckily most of my commutes will be before/after rush hour and I won't filter if the traffic is moving (even at 1st gear speed as that is the perfect time to practice slow speed contol ). 

 

I got my jacket/trousers for £99, reduced from £250, they have an inner waterproof & an inner thermal liner (both removable), the jacket & trousers have elbow/knee/shoulder/hip/back padding/plates and are very comfortable, my helmet was about £170 and comes with a 5* Sharp safety rating, gloves were £60 and I've not bought any boots yet (still wearing my hiking boots).

 

I paid £1800 for my YBR125, I decided to spend more than the £1000 budget I set as I could then get something newer/better condition/lower milage & more chance of having a service history, this became important to me as I wanted to make sure I had the best I could to learn on and know its straight & looked after, especially as I'll probably be doing around 400miles per month on it and it should be very cheap to run.  If I wasn't looking for it as a commuter bike I would have spent less money on it and looked to change it sooner for a bigger bike.

Depends of you plan to commute in winter mate.

The road salt soon turns a bike of lovely condition into a bag of rust.

Acf50 is brilliant stuff mind.

Depends of you plan to commute in winter mate.

The road salt soon turns a bike of lovely condition into a bag of rust.

Acf50 is brilliant stuff mind.

I do indeed, I plan to commute as much as possible, upto now I've been commuting every shift by push bike for the last 3years, no matter what the weather which can make for a very long commute in the snow/wind/rain/hail with 17mile journey each way.

 

I just need to get myself some better tyres

I do indeed, I plan to commute as much as possible, upto now I've been commuting every shift by push bike for the last 3years, no matter what the weather which can make for a very long commute in the snow/wind/rain/hail with 17mile journey each way.

I just need to get myself some better tyres

Good effort .

Yeah defo look into acf50 when the time comes. There isnt another product which compares.

It creates a layer over the parts (spray most the bike with it, esp engine) which protects against corrosion and neutralises road salt.

Then just wash it off whenever and admire how good your bike still looks .

I do indeed, I plan to commute as much as possible, upto now I've been commuting every shift by push bike for the last 3years, no matter what the weather which can make for a very long commute in the snow/wind/rain/hail with 17mile journey each way.

 

I just need to get myself some better tyres

 

Tyres can make a difference but just be aware that changes in road surface affect a bike considerably.  A bit of diesel is treacherous, several dry days then some rain give a coating which can be very slimy, drain covers and road markings are awful.

Good effort .

Yeah defo look into acf50 when the time comes. There isnt another product which compares.

It creates a layer over the parts (spray most the bike with it, esp engine) which protects against corrosion and neutralises road salt.

Then just wash it off whenever and admire how good your bike still looks .

I'll have to look at ACF50, probably seen it in the shops before but never used it as generally a 2-3 season biker

Tyres can make a difference but just be aware that changes in road surface affect a bike considerably.  A bit of diesel is treacherous, several dry days then some rain give a coating which can be very slimy, drain covers and road markings are awful.

 

Yes, my bike used to slide when the temperatures/weather conditions used to change, I was caught a little by supprise with the extra weight of the motorbike though, nevermind, live and learn