Costs involved in being a rider.

Hi all, I am thinking of going for my motorcycle L's here in canberra,

I am trying to get a rundown of what its going to cost me all up. Keeping in
mind i have no experience and no equipment already.

the training is like $180 here, then i will be looking for a bike which i
can legally ride so pretty much a 250 i spose, i dont want something that
looks like a postie, i would be riding it around canberra city. a flash
sports road bike would be good but i dont think i will get something that
good for under about 5000. I want something reliable and safe that will last
me a couple of years while i go through my L's and P's. do bikes devalue a
lot? some you see with like 5000km on them and othes have like 30000 which
are the same year old...its very different.

I am 6 foot tall, and will probably be riding a long distance trip of 220km
each way (so 440km) every fortnight. can someone give me some model names
and stuff that are worthwhile to investigate into.

Because i am only 18, comprehensive insurance probably isn't an option,
because they jack the premiums up so much. so i would probably only be
looking at third party property and fire etc. but i want it to be covered if
it gets stolen.

how much does a helmet cost? (lower range but not so cheap its going to end
up killing me or injuring me).
what other equipment do i need? would i need gloves for in winter and a
jacket? do you just wear jeans when you ride to work or are there special
pants i would need? i am very concerned about protective clothing because i
am aware that motocycles are very dangerous because other motorists dont see
them.

is there anything else i have forgotten about? how much do they cost to
maintain? more than cars?? what are services likely to cost me?

my main reasons for wanting a bike are: A new challenge, something to get
good at and enjoy doing. Cheaper to run - cars use heaps of fuel. Parking,
as i go to a course in the city centre parking for cars is about $10 a day
but motorcycles park for free. and the adrenaline of riding a bike appeals
to me.

any general help or advice on starting to get into motorcycles would be
good.

 

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Look at learner approved motorcycles (LAMS). The ACT Government website
should have a list of LAMS that can be downloaded. I have a Suzuki GS500
that is learner legal. You will probably be more comfortable on a larger
machine as you are about 15cm taller than I am. Do not be persuaded by fuel
costs alone. My Suzuki consumes about 4 litres per 100 Km while my wife's
Honda Jazz consumes about 5.5 litres per 100 Km. That is not a big
difference and it will not buy you very much at the end of the year.
Larger cars will of course consume more fuel. Parking fees are much larger
costs. Note that ACTION monthly tickets cost about $82 while parking for 20
days at $10 per day relieves you of $200 every four weeks.

Motorcycle clothing and equipment is expensive. Helmets are about $300 to
start and you must wear an approved helmet. While you can ride without
gloves, boots and an appropriate jacket and jeans, you are facing big stakes
if you fall off at any speed. Winter weight clothing is essential if you
wish to ride in Canberra's winter.

John Dwyer.

 

Don't think, do. You won't regret it.

Less than a car or public transport. That's all you need to know

All helmet are rquired to pass safety tests. A cheap full face costs about
$180.

Start with gloves. Can you imagine what it would be like having gravel
embedded into your palms?
If you want to keep warm a jacket is also a good investment.

Start with Jeans. You can buy some $300 riding pants later.

Good call.

How long is a peice of string?

Probably best if you just do it and learn along the way.
A GPX 250 is generally considered the best allround learner bike. It's
cheap, it works, there are plenty of them around, it's quick enough.
I bought mine for $3k, new Helmet for $180.
Rego was $350 all up.
Minor Service $80
Petrol about $7/week
For about $3000 + 600/year you're laughing. My car ego costs that alone. But
now I get to work in half the time, plus I park for free in the city, plus
I'm allowed in transit lanes, plus it feels great.
Some mugs pay more than that to have the priveledge of waiting for the bus
each day. Can you beleive it?

 

firstly sleepybeast dont buy a flash sports bike to learn on because you
will inevitable thow it down the road & the pain of watching all that
expensive equipment breaking off & the deep gouges that will be left in the
plastic fairing will hurt the hip pocket even more than any physical
injuries that you will sustain
it may look dorky but the honda 110 step through postie bike will serve as a
good training base & they dont cost that much to repair (or bodge i've seen
plenty of bikes that are held together with duct tape)
i've been riding for nearly 25 years & the honda 90 i owned when i started
served me well it taught me just how far you can push before you fall off &
when i did i just picked her up realigned the mirrors and off i went again
with that said lets move onto the nitty gritty
helmet: go a cheap one first i think AGV are pretty good around $300 i
think, once confident go a shoei (with flash graphics) expect to pay $800+
clothing: a good jacket is a must all weather dririder $300+ pants: jeans
under yellow plastic wet weather pants a bit sweaty but you will be seen
gloves $150+ unless you like to spend nights picking bits of rock out of the
heals of your palms & believe me hard rain hurts when travelling at 110k's
down the freeway without gloves on
boots: dont skimp on the boots rubber soled leather $200+ if you lose a toe
you will have to learn to walk again
so in conclusion $3000 will get you started save the other $2000 & after
twelve months & all the experience you will have gained you will have
confidence & a healthy deposit on that flash suzi gsx-r 750
welcome to the biking fraternity (and dont forget to nod at other riders as
you pass)
best wishes
tez

 

As a rough estimate, try to allow around $1,000 for riding apparel. Around
$400 for a helmet, the same for a jacket, and the balance for gloves and
dririder pants for winter.

Check out the VTR Honda for a great little first bike... big enough for your
tall frame, and quite grunty for a 250 - no need to rev the tits off the
thing just to stay ahead of traffic.

Good hunting

Sprint

 

You really think so? A 5.7l SS Commodore will get better fuel economy on a
freeway at 110kph than my 1.2L Kawasaki.. even with a tailwind. $2000 worth
of car will get you more than $2000 worth of bike.. plus it has a roof,
probably a heater, and maybe even aircon if you're lucky. You're probably
looking at a minimum of $1000 worth of helmet, jacket, boots, wet weather
stuff, so that's $3000 worth of car you could buy. A bit of money to be saved
on rego/insurance compared to the car, but you'll probably spend that money
upgrading your helmet/gloves/wets every few years anyhow that probably negates
any cost saving there. Fuel/rubber costs are probably less if you're riding a
250cc but anything above that and the running costs are going to start evening
out.. and once you get past 600cc you can kiss goodbye any perceived savings
in this area. In Melbourne you could factor in the savings of riding into the
city compared to driving with tolls and parking and savings would be up to
$100 per week.. but in Canberra I don't think this would be the case...
someone else mentioned something about paying $10 per day to park a bike...
Yikes !!

GPX250

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

I'm buggered if I can even afford evenings out.

 

Probably not such a good idea getting a 1200cc first off

 

each way (so 440km) every fortnight. can someone give me some model names

GPX250
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2459662323
;-)

 

went into MCA this week and busketloads of helmets at
$150 or less

full leathers are around at under
$400

wets
$50

Boots
$100

gloves
$50

so $750 will get you there

 

You'll get a GPX or an older ZZR for $5K. It won't be flash, but
it will be a sports bike. Across or an import CBRRR would probably
happen for about the same money.

Then maybe VTR/Spada might be a better fit, or one of those
new VTR-like Suzuki things, can't remember what they're called,
about 500cc, a SCM salesman tried to sell me one.

All them bikes will handle that OK methinks. My ZZR250 (2003
model, almost new, $6400) happily does 100-120Km/h without
any complaint at all... good for about 20-40Km/h more than
that in short bursts, apparently. (Contrary to popular
belief, there is no speed limiter in my L plates!!!)

I thought "stolen" == "comprehensive", no? Or can you get
insurance that covers for theft but not your own fuckups?

There's two types of helmets, ones with Australian Standards
stickers on them, and ones that you're not allowed to use on
a public street. It's easy really.

There are some real cheapies, but I found that realistic
bottom of the line was $320-ish. I paid $349 for an HJC CL14.
You can't walk into the shop expecting to buy the cheapest
thing on display. If the cheapest one fits your head, then
you're lucky. For me, none of the real cheapies fitted. You
won't know exactly how much you're going to spend until
you find what fits. Helmets can go up to a thousand bucks
or more. Hope you have a relatively inexpensive shaped head!

Gloves are an absolute screaming *must* (unless, as Unkie
Bully said, the idea of having gravel embedded in your
palms works for you). Gloves from $70.00-ish

The other stuff, we'll, they're not a *must*, you only need
to be mentally deficient to not wear all the other safety gear.

Jacket: Leather starts at $350 for cheapies, 'plastic' at
around $250-$300 (for light summer stuff with some armour).

They look like jeans, they're actually kevlar lined. Look
at 'Draggin Jeans' (www.dragginjeans.com or similar) and
a similar product from 'Spidi'. Expect to spend $190.

When buying the leather jacket, look for something that can
be zipped to the back of the leather pants you'll buy a bit
later on. The zip holds the two together, so they don't come
apart and scrape your bum or your back then you have a get off.

Boots. Don't wear steel capped work boots. Look for something
calf length, with ankle (and maybe shin) protection. From $200.

Disc lock and "remove before flight" reminder cable - about $50

Can of chain lube, about $15, and 5 mins of your time every
few hundred Km.

About $27.00 so far (3700Km on the clock, did my own first
service, oil, filter, chain lube) (chain lube is *far* more
often than just service intervals - every week or so)

Less than cars. Nothing if you do them yourself.


HTH,

G

 

In Civic, there is free bike parking in several places: the alley beside
Sanity (access via Bunda St, near Tutu Tango), and the carpark in the middle
of the block that houses the govt. shopfront on one side, and the ADF
recruitment office on the other (access via Alinga St, I think). There are
also bike spots in both London Cct carparks adjacent to Northbourne Ave, as
well as the one next to the Canberra Club, but I don't know if you still
need to buy a ticket for these three or not. In Woden, there is free bike
parking next the govt shopfront (at the back of the post office), and even
though the carpark opposite Hoyts is technically pay-parking, bikes can get
in and out no charge if you choose your exit with care, or you can just park
on the concrete on the carpark side of the street. Tuggeranong also has a
number of good spots for bikes, which even with the introduction of
pay-parking should still be free for bikes. I'm not so familiar with parking
in Belconnen, as I lived close enough to the mall to walk (it was/is free,
but like Tuggeranong will soon have pay-parking).

As you can see, there are plenty of options for parking in Canberra that
need not cost you a cent - and if you're spending $10 a day, you are
obviously parking in the wrong spots!

And if you are not sure, just park there anyway and don't buy a ticket. If
you happen to get booked, just write in and say that you had paid, but
someone must have come along and taken your ticket for use in their car, as
there is no way of securing a ticket on a bike. They will then write back to
you saying that you don't have to pay the fine, and will even give you a
useless flimsy piece of plastic in which to put your ticket in future.

Damien
GPX250 (stolen) -> CBR600

 

`

a GPX or ZZR for $5K should be like new

 

*snip good argument*

He said $10/day to park a car. that is pretty average for Canberra, bikes=free.
On that note half the reason i have a bike in sydney is so i have free (or
significantly cheaper) parking. but then again, the parking costs in Sydney
are freaking rediculous anyway. i was used to paying 20cents/hour in Woden
centre's carpark ffs!

Mike.S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 12 Feb 2004 08:53:10 GMT

No Oz approved helmet is much better than another in the
bonce-protection stakes. THe more expensive ones tend to last longer
than the cheaper ones and be a bit more comfortable.

As it's your first lid, get one of the Korean cheapies, such as HJC,
wear it for a year, and then use what you like and don't like about it
to pick another lid. Should be about $150.

if the bike you get does not have good hand protection, that is it
doesn't have a bit of fairing between you and the elements, then you
will need good heavy gloves for winter. Or you get a pair of trailbike
hand protectors and attach them to your bike. Budget around $70 or so
for winter gloves. Be sure they aren't too thick/bulky as that can
interfere with your control. Instead, buy a medium weight pair and a
pair of cotton or silk inners. (you can get thermals from Damart, buy
them first, then the gloves to go over 'em) I can do Canberra in
not-quite-depths-of-winter with a lined goretex lightweight glove, but I
have good hand protectoin on the bike. And lots of experience with cold
hands!

You will need some variety of waterproof overtrousers. A simple unlined
pair is fine, although lined is warmer. Cordura and armour is nice, but
you don't need it. Other than getting wet, just wear jeans. If you are
commuting, you won't be sliding much. SOme kind of kevlar or armour is
nice, means you won't lose skin if you make the classing "2 palms and a
knee" forced landing, but it's not essential.

As they will tell you in class, it is your job to learn to ride so it
doesn't *matter* if they don't see you, they can't hit you because you
have enough room to get out of the way, and your brain is in gear so you
see them doing stupid things.

Don't go out thinking "I will get hurt" that's a self fulfilling
prophecy. And it ruins your fun.

Instead go out thinking "I am an intelligent human being, I will ride
with my brain in gear, I will keep good buffer zones and I'll learn how
to read traffic." Be active in traffic, don't be like a dopey car driver
and just ride on auto. Riding is *fun* and that includes the commute.
You'll find you are alive and focused when on the bike, so use that focus.

You should wear something solid on your feet. Don't need bike boots,
but you do need more than sneakers or dress shoes. Hiking boots work
well, as do industrial boots. Don't use elastic sided, whatever you
choose should have leather (and perhaps padding) between your anklebones
and the cold hard world.

Depends a lot on the bike. A simple aircooled 250 twin won't cost much,
but tyres can be more expensive than cars. You can save money by doing
your own basic maintenance - oil changes and chain maintenance.

When you get tyres, tell the bod you are mostly commuting, and want a
long wearing tyre.

Zebee

 

A helmet would have to come with a 12 month supply of blowjobs from a
supermodel with no teeth for me to pay $800+ for one.

A $150 helmet will be fine. The most I've paid is about $250. If you
follow the practise of replacing helmets that have been in a stack, it gets
real expensive. A thermoplastic helmet won't fall apart in a stack any
more than a carbon fibre helmet. If it did, then you'd still be just as
stuffed with carbon fibre as the impact would have to be so massive
that the padding would do nothing to help you. You'll simply look better
on the slab. Let's face it, you're not going to be going fast enough for
a thermoplastic helmet to wear a hole in it from sliding down the road.

What I found to be good in cold weather are the horseriding jeans.
They're basically denim jeans that have the leather look vinyl stiched
over the top.The vinyl covers three quarters around the leg from the
outside seam around the inside of the leg to the back of the leg. The
crotch and arse are also covered with vinyl. Looks like you're wearing
rodeo chaps over your jeans.

They keep the wind out reasonably well and keeps light rain off too.
Saves you having to pull plastic pants on and off all the time. The vinyl
also makes them tougher than just denim in the event of a step off.

The vinyl in the crotch also make the jeans longer wearing as I found that
while riding the XJ and GPz 9, that the broad seat shape would cause the
crotch of denim jeans to eventually wear out as they stretched the denim
and wore it thin. I also had a pair of dri-rider pants go in the crotch not long
after I brought them thanks to those seats.

I just picked up a pair of gloves for $49.95 that are all leather on the outside,
with Hipora, Kevlar and Cordura layers inside. Also has grippy surfaces on the
palm and the index and middle finger tips to prevent slippage in the wet. Most I've ever
paid was $90 for a pair of Italian leather gauntlets thinking they'd be better then
the cheapo's I'd had up until then. Boy, was I disappointed. They were no warmer,
no more waterproof and no better wearing than the usual $50 gloves I'd had before them.

 

better off in a 1.2 litre car instead you think?

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

can i have it with ZX12 power

 

*should*, yes. In practice, not a hope in hell :-(

G

 

Where are all these $150 helmets? I couldn't find
anything anywhere near that price in my travels!

I figure I'm lucky that I have an HJC shaped head
methinks. That way I can afford to buy a new helmet
fairly regularly. I tried everything, Shoei, Arai,
Bell, you name it... the only thing that came close
to fitting was HJC. Really really wanted Arai, but
there was just no way any of them would fit me. I
guess I've got a wierd head.

G