Coming to UK - need biking advice please. (slightly long)

Hello everyone!
This is my first post to this group (or any Usenet group for that),
and I'm hoping that some of you could help me out by answering my
questions. Sorry if this mail is a little long (don't you just love
oxymorons I appreciate your time and patience.

I'm 23 years old and I'll be coming to UK to do my postgrad (MS) in
the Univ of Strathclyde, Glasgow towards the end of Sept. A bit of
background information on me (hopefully it'll help you answer my
queries): Basically since early age I've been fascinated by
motorcycles, although I've lived most of my childhood life in a
Middle-east country where they were virtually non-existent (although
that situation has improved albeit very slightly over the past few
years). I spent the last four+ years in Bangalore, India (I'm Indian
by origin) doing my BS, and it was there about 1 1/2 years ago that I
learnt to ride and bought my first bike (and only one so far), an '89
Yamaha RX-100 of Japanese make. (I don't know how familiar you guys
are with it, but this 100cc, 14 bhp 2-stroker is counted among the
more powerful bikes there(!)) For most people in India, two-wheeler
conveyence is more of an economic necessity than a passion, although
the situation is slightly better in Bangalore, where a bit of "bike
culture" exists among the youth.

Anyway, enough of my "autobikeraphy" and on to the questions:

1) *Motorbike driving license* I've read in a few places that for a
one-year duration I can use my country's license (I have an Indian
license) to drive in the UK. Question: Does this hold for motorcycles
(my license permits me to drive both geared motorcycle and car) and
how do I go about validating my home-country license for use there? If
not, how can I go about acquiring a license in the shortest time
possible? (Hypothetically speaking ;>, what happens if I get caught
riding without a license?)

2) *Which motorbike?* Basically my budget (for the bike purchase) is
set around a 1000 pounds (give or take 200 pounds). Due to my
affection for 2-strokes, I'm inclined towards something like an
RD350LC or an RD500 (I've already started browsing ebay.com et al.
I'd prefer something powerful (esp something with good acceleration),
sporty (but not too flashy), requiring low maintainence, but I'm open
to any possibility since I really don't know what's good. I don't have
any intention (at the moment at least) of indulging in racing and
such, and I expect I'll be too busy with studies to get much time to
ride on weekdays (except possibly to-and-fro between classes and
residence which shouldn't be much as the residence is in the univ
campus). Any recommendations (general or specific)?

3) *Total initial cost* Approximately how much will be the additional
cost to get the bike (with me on it on the road? i.e. insurance,
bike gear, etc.? I'll go the second-hand way where I can.

4) ...to be continued

There's a lot more I'd like to ask, but for starters this is it... I
wait with baited breath (really) for some helpful advice.

Thanks in advance

Akiel

 

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm

Paul

 

Hello & welcome, Akiel.

The following might be useful but I don't know if it specifically mentions
motorcycle licences...

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm

Good luck.

 

Using the patented Mavis Bacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Akiel

Good luck! I have *no* clue on the licence question, but I have an
observation. I hope you'll take it in the spirit it's intended.

I've been to Bangalore. Please, if you learned to ride there, then get
some local training *before* you take to the roads in the UK, even if
your licence allows you to skip it.

If you try to ride Bangalore-style in Glasgow I'd give you 100 yards, or
three seconds, whichever is soonest. ;^)
--
Nigel
WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20

ZZR1100 and Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner" (No , I'm
not sure how that happened either).

 

<snip>

Thanks for all the answers, guys. The website link all of you
referred me to pretty much covered it.

<snip>

Okay, since everyone refrained from commenting on this (except Mr.
Lozzo, who responded with a cryptic (at least to me) "oh dear oh dear"
- incidently what did you mean by that?) and I don't want to start any
rows, I'll change my approach slightly...
Question: would any of you advise me *NOT* to get an in-good-condition
RD350LC? I think it's pertinent to mention here that I really don't
know anything (yet) about motorcycle tuning, maintainence or repair
(more on that in the next question) so basically even if I hanker for
a cheap but powerful bike, since I can't afford to spend too much I'm
willing to sacrifice power for something that won't break down/apart
on me.
And can I elicit some comments on the following bikes: Yamaha XJ600,
Honda CBR600? (Some old make which would fit in my budget?)

Q: Like I said, I don't know much about bikes in the technical sense,
but I would like to learn. Any practical suggestions as to how I can
go about doing it in UK, if I'm able to find some free time from
studies - at least to be able to minimally tune/maintain my own bike?
(In India, it was a quick trip to the mechanic every time I crashed my
bike/needed to get a servicing - sadly, that's the way things work
over there, including (but not limited to) owning a bike... the
"do-it-yourself" concept is pretty rare. )

 

Why ever do you say that? Use the universal answer to those
troublesome two-stroke problems ... CyloSeal. Simply remove a spark
plug, screw in the conveniently flexible nozzle and let go a good
squirt - no more blowing up for you: and even if it does blow up, the
near-magical properties of CyloSeal will prevent you from ever knowing
that it's gone bang.

For even greater protection, top up your oil tank with it too.

 

Pip fascinated us all by saying...

Consider your account toasted, spamming ****.

--
Lozzo
ZZR1100D, GPZ500S, CB250RS
BOTAFOT#57/70a, BOTAFOF#57, two#49, MIB#22, TCP#7, BONY#9,
ANORAK#9, DIAABTCOD#14, UKRMT5BB, IBW#013, MIRTTH#15a/16,
BotToS#8, GP#2, SBS#10, SH#3.
Url for ukrm newbies : http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html
www.mjkleathers.com

 

Wassamarrer? Won't it work?

 

Jeez. The 350 has been out of production for a decade and most examples
are very, very tiured by now. Good ones will cost you more than your
thousand quid. As for the 500, you'd need to double your budget to get
an excellent one.

Then you don't want a two-stroke. Routine maintenance is simple, but
when the rings wear out, the bores wear out, the big ends start
knocking, the main bearings rumble (and they do and will), then you're
into a lot of work. And twice as much if you buy the 500.

Get a decent used 500 twin or (if you can scrape together a couple of
hundred quid more) a 600 Bandit.

 

Well, if you're implying that Bangalorean motorists drive like a pack
of mules on motorised wheels (or whatever)... I'd say you were pretty
much correct. :> And as far as motorcyclists are concerned, the worst
offenders tend to be the two-strokers (Yamaha RX100ers being at the
top of the list), with absolutely no regard for traffic rules, always
squeezing their little bikes in whatever (just) big enough gap in the
road they find. (I personally get this little feeling that all this is
a bit rich coming from me However, I have lived in better countries
(better in this respect at least) so I have a good idea of what
constitutes good "road etiquette" so I'll simply go with old adage
"While in Scotland, drive as the Scottish do." Of course, if you meant
something else by what you called "Bangalore-style" riding, then I
don't know what you meant(?) One small problem I do figure while
driving in UK is getting used to wearing a safety helmet... So how's
the traffic in Glasgow?

 

<snip>

Yeah, I guess I know what you mean... I owned an 89 RX-100 (Yamaha
2-stroker now out of production) in Bangalore, India and although it
could take a good amount of use & abuse, things just tend to go
unexpectedly. However spare parts, good mechanics and cheap servicing
abound for that particular stroker in Bangalore (I could get a
complete servicing done for the equivalent of 4 pounds and still have
money left over for a shoe shine). But I guess the situation isn't as
glorious for old discontinued strokers over there in UK.

By "500 twin" are you referring to any particular make? And any
specific two-strokers you'd recommend? (yeah, I know I'm probably
being stupid about my inordinate liking for two-strokers, but I won't
waste your time by ranting and raving about my reasons)

 

Using the patented Mavis Bacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Akiel

Oh dear... :^)

Seriously, get some training. Any country has a "traffic culture", and
the UK's is very different to India, or indeed that of the Middle East
(which is where, IIRC, you said you'd also lived).

Wet mostly ;^) You'll need some *good* wet weather gear (others will
advise). There's nothing worse for the concentration than being cold and
wet. Both are avoidable.

You *may* also find that it's a *lot* faster than in India. Whilst
Bangalore traffic is (IMHO) chaotic and fun, it's also not that fast. A
real white knuckle ride with a GPS in an auto-rickshaw one day revealed
that we never got above 26MPH. You're going to be going a *lot* quicker
than that in Glasgow. There are urban motorways where at less than
70MPH, you're going to be a mobile chicane.
--
Nigel
WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20

ZZR1100 and Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner" (No , I'm
not sure how that happened either).

 

Kawasaki GPZ500, Suzuki GS500 (basic and not as quick, but cheapand
reliable).

 

Well,just let me add up everything here: bike, insurance, taxes,
training (I think I'll take your advice , helmet, gear for wet
weather, possibly numerous other sundry items => probably the first
thing I'll have to look for is a part-time job so I can pay for all of
it. :/

Well, I can hardly wait. In fact, 70 MPH (110-ish kmph)is just
about the fastest my bike could ever do (and that too, right after a
good servicing!), and there's really only one road in the city where
you can sustain that sort of speed (I bet that got a laugh from you
lot!) for a stretch of around 3 1/2 kms - luckily I got to do it
nearly everyday as I had to use that road during my daily commuting.
The only time I ever got to drive faster was this memorable when I got
my hands on an RD350 (a rare gem once produced in India) when I
touched 150 kmph. Yeah, and I actually choked on a mouthful of air.

 

Don't go on the German autobahns then. BTW, dogs, tend to stay off the
roads in the UK

 

He's a fan of RD's and has much experience with them.

As such, I think he's implying (and from my own knowledge, I'd agree with
him) that it's not /really/ an appropriate machine for a newbie, even a
newbie who has experience on smaller, less powerful two-wheelers in an
altogether different environment to the UK...

Heh, trust me on this; this is UKRM, rows are a house specialty.
;-)

Ok, then. Definitely not an RD for you then, me lad. It /will/ go
"bang!" at some point and, given it's not a current (or even recent)
production model, will be (relatively) expensive to find a good one,
likewise for parts and then you've got your limited student funds combined
with your limited maintenance skills.

Not A Good Idea (tm).

Then there's something of a question-mark over the driving licence issue;
I'm sure Someone Who Knows will be along, presently, however in their
absence, I'd guess that you'll need to pass your UK test like anyone else
and that means CBT, first.

http://www.ukrm.net/faq/index.html

Is our FFAQ where you can read more about the licensing (www.dsa.gov.uk
will have more on the test, also).

To begin with, nothing of this ilk. Get used to British roads and their
selfish drivers, first. Get something small, reliable, cheap to run and
easy to maintain. Honda's CG-125 [1] is almost certainly the thing to go
for, initially.

HTH.

[1] Makes Sign of the Holy Push-Rods

 

Well, thanks for the response but, erm, you sorta replied to the wrong
post (but it was informative, nevertheless!), because the lovely
people of UKRM had pretty much covered those questions when I first
posted them. Now - if you please - take a gander at the questions in
my Sept 12th posting, any and all help is appreciated.

(Coincidently, based on all advice I got, I'd been thinking along the
same lines as your advice about going for a CG-125 or similar as a
"first"[1] bike - so basically now I'm looking for a bike that won't
cost me more than a thousand quid, MOT, insurance, safety helmet, etc.
included. So - if the CG-125 is what I should go for - can I expect to
get a reasonably in-condition bike for the aforementioned price, and
how new a model can I aim for?

Thanks,
Akiel

[1] For a UK bike, that is

 

Akiel wrote

Not unless you have a brother known as TOG and not very.