So 4 months in and i am enjoying my PCX with its limited 11BHP LOL. Its got great acceleration in town at 0-40, but has no guts above that so and cruising at 50 its just about okay. So I am looking to maybe bring forward getting my DAS so i can have a little extra power of safe cruising at 60/70.
The only issue with all these bikes theft in london is the insurance is lubing me up big time.
Some examples I’m getting, I’ve tried many variants of 500/600/650cc plus ages of up to 10 years
2008 CBF600 £2500 ono/ £1500 TPFT or £2500 FC
2016 CB500 £4000 ono/ £2000 TPFT or £2700FC
2017 Z300 £4300 ono/ £1010 FC
2017 J300 or Forza 300 £4400ono / £800FC
2017 MT125 £4300 ono/ £800 FC
2017 Honda Forza 125 £4400 ono/ £800 FC
Its seems what ever quote I ask for above 300cc it comes up with a min of £1500 TPFT regardless of age or price, even adding a year or 2 NCB makes not a jot of difference.
I have no option but to park on the street (yes i know) so not really wanting to pay in excess of £1000 per year when the odds are stacked against me with the risk of theft.
Would you say a maxi 300 scooter or a the Z300 bike would be more at risk of theft as it seems these are the only larger CC that i could justify paying for, unless i got a premium full 14.7BHP 125cc machine,
Buy something old, scruffy but usable like a cb500 or ER5 for under a grand. Put a decent lock & chain on it & insure it TPO. It’s unlikely to be nicked & even if it is, with the excess & increase in future premiums for making a claim, it won’t be worth claiming anyway. You’ll gain some big bike riding experience & no claims bonus. You could even learn maintenance skills by doing your own spannering down at the OMC.
Hence why I’m very dubious about getting a maxi scooter. TBH the new xmax 300 would suit me perfectly but I can’t see it hanging around long.
Those were just a few examples of the many dozen that I’ve tried. I’ve looked at old bikes 10 years (cb500,650,sv650,er6 etc) all seem to start at £1500 TPFT. Even adding a year or 2 NCB makes no difference.
I’m as much use as a spanner monkey so can’t get a real shit heap as I need something that is reliable and won’t need much or any work.
I could probably live with a 300. Running cost not too much compared to a 125 but just a little extra power when needed.
It’s just crazy. I’ll keep trying and looking but it’s doing my nut in.
SV is pretty low in insurance group. I’m TPO and it’s £240 this year and to give context to that figure: driving licence 5 years, mbike licence 2 1/2 years, 21, bike crash (fault) last 5 years - write-off and cost to insurers as was fully comp, don’t live in London (40 miles out) but study there. Can I ask where you are getting the quotes? I’ve personally found that comparison sites won’t give you the best deal if that’s where you are looking.
That said, this time round (only renewed insurance this week) my best quote came from ‘ASDA money’ comparison site so maybe they’re getting better. Does it make a difference when adding things like an alarm?
I’m looking to sell my 2001 Fazer 600 in the next couple of months- was my first big bike and cost £660 to insure TPFT in January with zero no claims in SW18 (one of the worst areas in London for bike theft). I switched to TP Only in April and that’s got it down to £475 with 1 year NCB. I had the same problem as you when looking at newer stuff and still am now to be honest, but I’m itching for something a little more modern. Would be asking for £1500 for that with 19000 miles on it.
The Fazer starts every time so no spanner skills required. I changed the air filter with the help of a Haynes manual a couple of months ago, which was a piece of cake. I reckon older bikes are easier to tinker with anyway.
If you just want a 125, I’m selling my 2016 CBR125R. It was stolen in Sept last year and recovered in January 2017. Not claimed for, so not Cat C/D. Replaced ignition barrel, locks, petrol tank and damaged body panels. All of that work done by professionals and I got it running with a battery charge yesterday so it’s starting on the button again. I paid £3700 brand new 13 months ago and am looking for £2k for a fast sale. 2300 miles on the clock.
I guess you’re running on a CBT at the moment - what are you putting in the licence option of the website to generate those quotes?
The way the quotes have come in looks like it’s the risk of you crashing that’s costing rather than the risk of it being nicked - the 9 year old CBF600 must be far less of a theft risk than a brand new Forza 300.
I got my first big bike immediately after passing my DAS but got brand new with free first years insurance (I just had to upgrade from TPO to TPFT, which I seem to recall was under £100). I certainly wasn’t paying anything like those prices in the second year though (south London, on street parking) - think it was around £500.
Is there any merit in getting uncommon bikes? I was looking at quotes on a new 701 for when I pass, they were coming up cheaper FC than my current WR125X with no no-claims. And I live in Tottenham!
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And watch out for ULEZ of you're going to get an older bike :/
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banman
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Alex is wondering why his chips have suddenly gone all soggy and have a funny smell to them…
Pat
Don't worry that's only the Fazer out of the running. The incredibly powerful CBR is still in the hunt for a new owner! Did I mention it's incredibly powerful?
