Suggestions for Short Range Commuter

[MilesB]

Well, I've finally moved house - which is good :) .
BUT, I used to be able to walk to work - a 5-10 minute journey, but now I'm 4 miles away from the office, 2 legs ain't so practical... so I'm gonna go for 2-wheels :rolleyes: .

I'd planned on using a push-bike, but the more I look into it, the more dangerous it appears :eek: , especially now that dark nights and mornings are on the horizon. Round here, cyclists are treated as slow moving targets, and the casulaty rate is not good...

So I have come to the conclusion that I need to get a powered two wheeler.

Suggestions and recommendations greatfully recieved, bearing in mind:
M900 is far too big for a ride of only 4 miles - engine doesn't warm properly / dry clutch / noisy termi's...
50cc a bit too small to keep up with / overtake traffic, so looking at a 125cc.
Minimal maintenance and low running costs wanted.
Reliability must be good.
Practicality is at the top of the list - if I want fun - I've got the Monnie.

So far, Honda are at the top of the list :eek:
(Ooooh the Shame :o )

Miles

[Paranoid Dave]

Monkey Bike :d

[SAMMYE]

This would be perfect for you!!

[CK & AK]

Miles, a bit of help for you:

[MilesB]

Monkey Bike :d
Moving target time again - engine too small too (unless 'tuned' that is).

I DID seriously look at the Sachs MadAss - which has a Monkey Bike engine - but I'll wait for the 125cc version to come out thanks.

[MilesB]

Miles, a bit of help for you:
Commuting 3 :cool: :cool: - somewhere to carry my sandwiches ;)
Filtering might work, as people would swerve out of the way in astonishment :D - unfortunately too big to park at the office - so no advantage.

[Gilps]

Get a car. My old guitar teacher used to buy a Fiesta every year for about £400. Get something with 1 years tax and MOT . At the end of the year when you know its going to fail the MOT you just sell the old one for spares and get another one. £400 for a years motoring aint bad.
I work 12 miles from home with a 7.30 start. There's no traffic at that time so it only takes me 15 minutes in the car. It takes me longer than that to get the bike gear on, get the bike out, then I've got to get changed all over again at work. It's quicker to drive. Not as much fun though.

[MilesB]

Get a car.
I forgot to mention - but nowhere to park a car at the office, and long term car parking is :eek: . But a bike / scoot I can park under the office.

Also, I want to be able to filter - which is a bit challenging in a Ford Fiasco.

Remember "2 wheels good, 4 wheels bad" :lol:

Miles

[MilesB]

Get something with 1 years tax and MOT . At the end of the year when you know its going to fail the MOT you just sell the old one for spares and get another one.
Unfortunately, nowadays you have to pay someone to take a car off of you, as there is a manadatory £50 'environmental charge' on scrapping vehicles.

[CK & AK]

Miles, I live about the same distance as you do from my office.

I got a smart car at the beginning of January.
The commuting & also running about costs me £16 - £20 a month (I also go weekly food shopping, to the stables 7 out at least 2 nights a week)

Fully comp insured at £135.??p for the year, Taxed at £75 - or is it £80 for the year.
Sailed through last MOT in Sept, servicing mucho cheaper than the Ducatis' that are in warranty
Tucks into the corner of the front garden neatly, so still room to get the bikes in & out at w/ends etc.
Big bonus, is your mates can pick you up for a night out, but you cant return the favour :lol:
With the 600cc turbo engine, it isnt a slouch compared with a Fiasco or similar, but IS dog slow compared with my bike.

Tidy waterproof conveyance for work, with the facility to take a mate, have a ciggy & listen to music etc - and as Gilps says, takes longer to get gear on & off for bike than it does to drive to work

C :)

[cheeky monkey]

honda 400 bros got one myself for the bad weather, it really is a good laugh to ride.( and a v twin) :lol:

[Pugi]

Might not be 'convieniant', but how about a Cagiva Mito? 125 cc, Italian, and easily mistaken for a 9xx. When seen in a rear mirror that is...from behind it looks like a moped.
Could be a fun ride though? Haven't tried one myself.

[MotoNik]

How about a supermotard? I used to have a CCM 604 and it was ace! You can get them quite cheap now too. Plus with two sets of wheels you can go green-laning at weekends (excellent winter fun).

Crash proof too - almost indestructable when ridden off-road, and the only damage in a 40mph spill on the road was a broken lever. Perfect.

Only downer is it's best to change the oil fairly often, but that's no biggie.

Nik

[SAMMYE]

http://www.futurehorizons.net/hoverboard.htm

[Phoenix]

I have a gs125 for sale Miles.

[manc skank]

Honda Zoomer; they had a stand at the sprite X-games, awesome little beasties!

http://www.s-nozaki.co.jp/images/nb20030829-22.jpg

[Lost Again]

I have a gs125 for sale Miles.

Hmmmm, how much if you don't mind me asking?
Just taken my bike off the road for its rebuild and I've currently got my eye on a CG125. Boring as hell but for 500 notes I get a bike with a years tax and ticket that'll never break down and does 70MPG. You know it makes sense. (Bloody hell, I'm 21 going on 65)

[Phoenix]

Well it would have a years mot and tax - fully serviced around Feb did a further 300 miles and then Jase passed his test so has used his car ever since.
It's been totally reliable for Jase commuting 40 miles a day on it for a whole year.
He did have an accident on it so has a small dent in tank about the size of a pea and we never replaced the bikini fairing but it's a nice bike and cetainly worth £500 i'd have thought.
It's got a New Motad exhaust on it too.
I'll dig out a photo if you are interested.

[Phoenix]

Here it is - but no fairing on now.

[JamesH]

My Sachs ZZ125 supermoto is still in my garage. Its got a Yam DT125R engine in and is very reliable, it'll be cheap to insure and you can de-restrict it without too much trouble. PM my dad (SimonH) if your interested as i'm at Uni in Newcastle.

James

[Scotty]

in Newcastle :eek: you could b an area rep for a couple of years ;)

[SAMMYE]

Build a hoverboard Milo!! You know you want to!! I bet you could do it as well

[S4 MAD]

i use a little yamaha 125 great for getting througth the heavy traffic
was useing company car for a couple of months took nearly 1 1/2 hours at times to get from red hill to surbition and cost me a fortune in fuel on
little yammy it takes 25 mins of traffic dodgeing and cost about
6 quid in fuel a week rain can be a downer but good water proofs
and the sense of amusement at the people stuck in their cars
going now where fast and all of a sudden you feel much better. :D

[dlloyduk]

Take a Look at a Chinky trailie on e-bay, thought about one my self for over the winter. Going for around £500 notes sometimes.

[JMo]

If you want a cheapie, then the Yammy DT125 is probably your best bet (for a 125) - and you've got some nice trails down your way too... infact any trailie makes a great winter bike - the upright riding position somehow feels much safer on slippery roads, and the bars are high enough to clear car wing mirrors when filtering x...

Just make sure you lock it up, as the Chavs love 'em...

xxx

[JMo]

Take a Look at a Chinky trailie on e-bay, thought about one my self for over the winter. Going for around £500 notes sometimes.

Not wanting to sound disparaging, but those cheapy Chinese bikes are really nasty - they may look like a good deal, but the brakes, suspension and engine internals really aren't up to much... and the build quality is shocking in some cases...

You'd be much better off buying a secondhand DT125 or anything from the big four Japanese manufactures, honestly...

xxx

[A Yerbury]

I am sort of in the market so to speak for similar and was going to echo Jen's thoughts, well, I just have..for that money you will find a jap 125/225.. spares cheap everywhere etc or you could get cg125 effective but not so much fun?

Alex.

ps. (shhh.. I may get a vespa)

[Scotty]

isnt it further to fall though ?

[barnaby]

I am selling a 2004 Yamaha TW125 with 2076 miles.
Like a trailie but a bit comfier for roads.
A bit weird looking but I like it.
It is reliable and cheap to run.
There should be a picture below, but if there isn't PM me and I will send you the pics.

[CraigMac]

Echoing Jens thoughts on those Chinese bikes...don't do it!!
They are total poo.
A freind of mine bought one for his son as a field bike and within 2 months the horrible, nasty, thing was goosed.
They are made out of tin foil and just fall to bits, very quickly....

I would go the route of a Jap 125 trail bike.

Regards

[MilesB]

Ta muchly for all the feedback guys n' gals.

As I said before - a car is definitely out. I work in the centre of Maidstone, which is (as the US Government would put it) a "car rich environment" :rolleyes: , or in plain english - Hell on wheels for congestion :twisted: . Getting in a car, however cheap, just makes it worse - plus I'd have to park the blasted thing miles away from the office. :mad:

No - I want to be one of those smug wotsits who filters down the outside :D . And then gets to park it at the office.

Remember cheap, easy, daily maintenance (ie keeping the thing clean), chain lubing or rubber band?

125cc something is the way to go - Now 2 stroke or 4 stroke... what are the pro's and con's.

[Gilps]

Why go for a 125. There is a lot of competition for them as it is all that the learners are allowed to ride, hence higher prices. Plus, they are all restricted now to 14bhp I think. Most are much less. My son's Virago 125 (his choice, not mine) is only 11 bhp with top speed of 60, on a long straight.
Whereas, something a little bigger will be about the same price with a bit more poke too. The only problem is finding something as most of the manufacturers jump from 125 to 500. Consider an older bike, Yamaha DT175 or 250, Honda XL185 or 250. You may be able to find a recent-ish Yamaha 225 Serow. This is a trailie Japanses import. Usually a few on ebay for around 600-800 quid. More recent ones have leccy start and are quite common so spares should not be a problem.
The depreciation should be quite good too on something a little older.
I've ridden the Virago 125. I had all on not going to sleep.

[MikeG]

If the 900 is to big to commute on, then get a cheap 600, you will already know the pros and cons, and where to go to get advice should it ever fail. I do 30 miles each way, every day on mine and its fine. 45k and still going. Looks a bit tatty mind you. :rolleyes:

[MilesB]

If the 900 is to big to commute on, then get a cheap 600, you will already know the pros and cons, and where to go to get advice should it ever fail. I do 30 miles each way, every day on mine and its fine. 45k and still going. Looks a bit tatty mind you. :rolleyes:
WHAT? :eek:

Pay to tax, insure and service another one...

[CK & AK]

Miles, Bandits are 2 a penny, lots of cheap spares for them too.
As cheap to add to the ins policy as most others.
In fact any jap 400/600 will serve will as a cheap commuter.
Son in Law gets a replacement winter hack every 2 years, costing no more than £500 a time, costs about £30 - 40 to add to policy -and doesnt get too upset at the couple of spills each winter. Travels 450+ miles per week.

C :)