buying my first bike... things to look out for??? i need advice

Help & Advice
1

ok well… im new to this all so i have no idea what to do…
well im doing my CBT tomorrow and i should be buying a bike in a few weeks…
BUT WHAT DO I LOOK OUT FOR??? lol im confused
i know with sketchy looking bikes i should HPI it…
but i dont know much about bikes and non of my friends like bikes (damn cagers)

its just i dont want to end up buying a bike and getting ripped off.
someone please help me!!! lol
anyone up for coming with me to buy a bike?
ideally i want something small cause im only 5’7" ish (short ass)
i had my eye on the cbr125 or the van van

but yeah i need some advice
thanks in advance guys
pyro:)

2

I used these as a guide :slight_smile:

When you get your 125er, maybe we can meet up for a ride about :slight_smile: I’ve been riding for about 1 month.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/BIKES/buy/top_10_tips.jsp

Some people say don’t use eBay, but I used it with extreme caution and got a pretty cheap bike from a very helpful chap, so I think it can be fine.

Perhaps post here about specific bikes and see what people think?

3

If you buy from a dealer you have consumer rights and you will get a warranty. If you buy privately you get jack sh1t and it’s guaranteed to the end of the sellers drive. Unless you know what you are doing or have a friend who is a mechanic I’d recommend buying from a dealer.

If you are looking at a cbr125 consider Honda finance. They can offer 0% over three years so for a CBR125 that’d be less than 100 pounds a month for a bike with a comprehensive warranty. If you can afford that it’s worth considering and more fun than fixing some old nail every time it goes wrong or a long list of parts that wear out one by one.

4

If you buy privately just make sure it has ideal mileage so below 30,000 miles on a 4-stroke. If it has the right service history its worth going for it.
If its from a dealer still check the service history. I didnt and I didnt see the guy derestricted my old RS50 without changing the carbs. 3 months down the line it blew its crank case seals as there was too much pressure. Not enough fuel.

5

just done the cbt, and ride about sonds great mate! i look forward to it!!!
should be getting the bike 2nd week of january!

6

thanks for the advice guys… ill be sure to look at history and stuff!

hopefully see you guys at the meet

pyro

7

Congrats on the CBT and enjoy blowing your student loan on a bike! :smiley:
See you then :wink:

8

i’m 5’7, I learnt on the CBR125R, bloody brilliant learner bike. I progressed onto a CBR600RR when i did the DAS. Easy transfer too, same bike, bigger engine. :smiley:

9

if you worried about getting ripped off use this website it gives you a guied to how much bikes are worth www.parkers.co.uk

i use it alot and its pretty good.

10

sweet! i was looking at the CBR600 but then saw the Hornet600 and fell in love lol!

11

cheers mate… main thing im worried about is buying the bike then on the way home, 5 miles down the road it falls to pieces
:ermm:

12

I guess in theory if it is MOTed and serviced it can’t be that bad, but perhaps more expereienced bike buyers on the forum would say differently.

13

Noooo, CBR600RR is the way to go, i’ve got the hannspree one, just so you know to avoid me :smiley:

14

anyone up for bike shopping with me in jan? lol