[CJhaughey]

Chances are very high that you will drop the bike as a learner.
You would be a lot better off getting a naked bike like a CBR125 or even a 1/4 faired bike, they crash a lot better and if the wind blows them over they won't cost much more than a lever and indicator to repair.
Fully faired bikes are expensive machines to drop, fairings are very pricey and sometimes hard to get for unusual machines.
Those Honda Bros are amazing machines for the price. 1000 will get a good one these days and the build quality of the J-market stuff in the late 80s-early 90s was top notch.

[Wossack]

Originally Posted by CJhaughey

Chances are very high that you will drop the bike as a learner.
You would be a lot better off getting a naked bike like a CBR125 or even a 1/4 faired bike, they crash a lot better and if the wind blows them over they won't cost much more than a lever and indicator to repair.
Fully faired bikes are expensive machines to drop, fairings are very pricey and sometimes hard to get for unusual machines.
Those Honda Bros are amazing machines for the price. 1000 will get a good one these days and the build quality of the J-market stuff in the late 80s-early 90s was top notch.

cbr125 is fully faired - ye might have meant cg125?

[brian plank]

real men ride rs125's

just look at all the cool sh*t you can buy to make it faster...

http://www.pjme.co.uk/acatalog/Aprilia_RS1252.html

as for expensive to repair, don't crash or drop it, its not rocket science.

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/motorbikes/2057989

[Shiroki]

I know that getting a naked machine is a lot more sensible and would work out cheaper but theres something about them that I just really don't like Hopefully I can work something out on the RS125 because that's still my favourite bike I've seen so far.

Does anyone know from experience what a high score in the Quinn assessment would knock of my premium ? It's included for free down in Waterford, and if it means I save then bring it on

Another thing was helmets. There seems to be a very broad price range on them. On adverts.ie alone, I saw helmets from 30 quid up to 600. Should I be spending that much on a helmet or am I paying for brand names and looks ?

Again thanks for this, all the advice is a huge help in getting my head around this

[inchiuvatu]

i wouldn't ever buy a second hand helmet off any site, no matter how many times they write up "not dropped".

alot of places will do you a good deal on helmets but it comes down to your on personal preference, i wouldn't let me GF on the back until she bought a decent lid, all helmets have to pass certain safety standards before they can be sold so even the cheapest helmet is somewhat safe but there is a big difference in comfort and quality of material and finish in the more expensive helmets and just because they all pass the same test doesn't make them equal. personally i would be thinking of spending €200+ on the helmet.. there will be varying opinions on this so it really comes down to your budget and how safe you want to feel while riding.

im out on the bike today and at the moment im sitting in my office in full leathers and and race boots... i only used the bike for 30 minutes in total so far but i dont feel happy on it unless i have cowhide between me and the ground, but there are tonnes of safe gear leather or textile at good prices if you shop aound and try stuff on and remember cash is king if your buying a dectend ammount of gear in one place you should be able to knock a bit off the price or get some small extras free.

As for bike shopping, adverts and donedeal are a good source for pricing bikes, but there is no harm in looking at local bike shops also see if you can get them down on price or up on extras like a better warranty or something for your money. Happy hunting!

[Shiroki]

Hahahahaha I can imagine myself in racing trousers walking around college :L Safety for me is key tbh Ill spend as much money as I need to feel safe

[BlackWizard]

Just put your gear in a gym bag and carry that around college. It's what I do when driving to work. Get changed in a toilet