New to the site and never rode before. Need advice please.

I

iPinky81

Active member
Hello everyone!

I'm new here and would like to give my introduction :) I'm on the fence deciding if I want to get a bike or not. Figured a place like this with people that have way more experience then I do. Considering I have zero experience owning a bike, or even riding one, this might be one of the best places to start for advice. So here is the short form of why I want a bike....

#1 reason is my love for bikes. My head always turns when I see a gorgeous bike and hear the vroooooooom of the engine as it whizzes by me! Like c'mon....whats NOT to LOVE!! They are amazing!

Second is I need a smaller more fuel efficient way to get to and from work. I currently drive a 2010 caravan, and put around 3300kms a month on it. I am a single mom with 3 children, I need the mini van and It was a gift, so I cant trade it in. I don't have the expense of the insurance (yet), just the wear & tear and gas. There is a 100,000km/ 5year maintenance/warranty plan on it, which is quickly coming to a end with all the kms being put on it. I'm currently at 85,000.

I'm looking into a riding school at Georgian collage before I go buy a bike. I'm considering a ninja 250 or CBR125. Being a woman (32) and only needing it for transportation to work and back, no highway riding just country roads or city roads. I figured that size of bike would be plenty for me. And its cheaper on insurance. I do not want to buy new yet. Maybe when I upgrade I will buy a new.

So question is, am I being realistic in my view on saving with my commute to work by using a bike vs. the mini van? Understanding that my first year will be more expensive because of all the initial expense in first owning a bike. licencing, schooling, purchase of a bike, gear, insurance, etc...

ANY advice would be great and much appreciated!

Thanks
iPinky81
 
Okay, I'm a new rider but can maybe make some rough estimates for you.

First of all, I'm not sure how many of those 3300km are spent just commuting to/from work. I'll just assume 2000km.

If you replaced those 2000km with (say) a CBR125R, you'd save about $230 in gas per month (very roughly, based on EPA estimates, price of gas, etc....).

Price to get started:
Bike ~ $1500-2000
Gear ~ $500+ (unless you can get some stuff cheap used)
Insurance ~ $700/yr (guessing)
Course/licensing ~ $400-500 (maybe more? not sure the cost of the course for you)

My gut feeling is that it is not cheaper in the short term, but if you consistently commute via bike for 2+ years you might save money. I would get a bike because you want to, not to save money. My 2 cents.
 
The best advice you can ever get is do the course, and then shop for insurance. If both go well, pull the trigger.

There are lots of people who commute via bike, but keep in mind that it is not fun in the rain or cold, and you can't necessarily haul a lot of stuff with you. But you will sure as hell have a lot more fun in your free time
 
Welcome!!
Wheelie.gif
 
tricky said:
The best advice you can ever get is do the course, and then shop for insurance. If both go well, pull the trigger.

There are lots of people who commute via bike, but keep in mind that it is not fun in the rain or cold, and you can't necessarily haul a lot of stuff with you. But you will sure as hell have a lot more fun in your free time
Click to expand...

+100000 best advice yet... Get the course done first.... And try a school with different types of bikes instead on just one model... That way u can try more of them and find what truly suits your needs. Its one thing to like a shiny bike passing by and another thing to own and ride..

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
I'd get it if you truly want it, however i wouldn't use commuting as a reason to get one.

I use my bike to get out of the city and enjoy it on my spare time, commuting in the city i'll take the car. People in this city have zero respect for anyone else, even less if you're on a bike.
 
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