My name is Marco and i´m Portuguese. I´m living in London for the last year and half.
At the moment i´m considering the oportunity to buy a bike, not only for commuting but also to get out of everyday routine and public transportation.
Because i never bought anything like this in the UK i´m having loads of interrogations… i have full motorcycle licence (portuguese) but it´s been like 7 years since i don’t ride any bike.
So one of the thing is that i’m a little scared of is riding in London due to it’s traffic… Another thing is i don´t have a garage so i will have to leave it on the street or driveway.
So… for example i work in several places in London, sometimes in London Bridge or Baker street or for example in St Johns wood. How dificult it is to park in this places?
Do i need to get a park permit?? Do we have to pay congestion charges?
The bike that i’m looking to buy it´s a 125cc (maybe keeway superlight limited) because i want to “learn” again to ride and because the budget is small so i rather invest in something not to expensive and than i have to buy all the protective gear (helmet, gloves, jacket etc) and also security gear!!!
I live in stockwell 5 mins walk from the tube station, do you know a secure place to park the bike overnight in this area?
So this is only just a few of some of my thoughts before i buy… but i have a few more… but i’ll leave them for later…
So… for example i work in several places in London, sometimes in London Bridge or Baker street or for example in St Johns wood. How dificult it is to park in this places? Its not difficult… The are boxes scattered about which will say ‘MC Parking’ which are free most of the time. Some do charge £1.00 in westminster (I think), I’ve never paid for parking. Make sure your wheels are in the box otherwise you’ll get a PCN.
Do i need to get a park permit?? Do we have to pay congestion charges? No permit is needed and you will not need to pay congestion charge.
The bike that i’m looking to buy it´s a 125cc (maybe keeway superlight limited) because i want to “learn” again to ride and because the budget is small so i rather invest in something not to expensive and than i have to buy all the protective gear (helmet, gloves, jacket etc) and also security gear!!! By all means get a 125cc just not one of those cheap chinese makes as they are more hassle than they are worth. Stick to the major players. Eg, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, etc.
I live in stockwell 5 mins walk from the tube station, do you know a secure place to park the bike overnight in this area? Theres nowhere safe in London unless you have your own garage.
Just in front of my house theres a cctv and some place to park in the driveway andbon the road.
Also theres a sign saying that to be able to park we need a parking permit. Where can i get that?!?
About the keeway, i know its not a major brand but for what i know they are quite reliable, and i really like the
style of that bile…
Lambeth council have a few bike parking bays, you can also buy a residents permit for about £50 which allows you to park in residents parking bays.
The rules for parking in other areas vary - In Wandsworth you can park in all bays for free, in Westminstyer you have to pay even if you’re usng a bike bay - so it’s worth checking the rules before you go somewhere new.
http://www.parkingforbikes.com/ is a good start - it shows parking bays & gives general rules. Probably worth checking the council website to make sure the rules are up to date.
Wherever you park, get a good lock and use it.
The traffic isn’t as bad as it seems at first, enjoy
Thanks for all the advices. I will taake a look at that website.
For the parking i contacted Lambeth council and i’m up to date on parking. Also there’s a driveway in front of my flat/estates which i can use and don’t need a parking permit.
Now the other thing that is boring me is that i haven’t been able to find a propper Keeway dealer in LOndon!!!. The ones that prompted answered my questions and that have the bike in the showroom are all outside London, between 80 to 180 miles away:crying:
I don’t mind to go there to see the bike etc, but the problem if i buy the bike is going back for the regular servicing!!! Or in case of any breakdown or any problem that may occur :crying: I mean during the warranty period!
You don’t have to go back to the place where you got it for a service. You can go to any Keeway authorised dealer but double check this with the sales man. Plus its 80 miles of fun
A 12mm diameter chain can be cut with big bolt croppers in seconds with little noise regardless of the quality of steel.
A 14mm chain will be difficult to crop if you keep the chain wrapped tight and off the floor and is a reasonable comprimise for security/portability.
A 16mm chain is better if you can carry it - I have a fair bit of experience using bolt croppers (actually, mostly watching other people do so) on reinforcing bars at work and I don’t think I could get through 16mm even mild steel in an easily accessible position. PJB security do reasonably priced chains up to 19mm which are worth a look and probably cheaper than 12mm chains from the ‘name brands’- i went for the 16mm as 19mm is very heavy.
Almax chains are thick and also use clever heat treating to add strength if you’re willing to pay the extra.
