Recommendations for a solid and dependable bike for commuting

lawred2

Hi,

Thinking of maybe getting a scooter/moped/three wheel for commuting in and out to work.

Anyone got any good recommendations?

I'm not a seasoned bike rider. I did use scooters in Thailand and loved the experience however I would imagine that commuting mid winter would be a whole other ballgame.

What sort of money would be reasonable for a good quality second hand?

frozenfrozen

how long is the commute and what kind of roads, any motorway etc. Are you over 24 and how many days a week would you be doing it


do you have the full license already or would the budget have to include that process. It cost me probably 3 grand on top of the price of the bike to get going this year

second hand bike prices are high at the moment but someone who knows more than me would be able to tell you what would be good if you answered those things

lawred2

frozenfrozen wrote: »

how long is the commute and what kind of roads, any motorway etc. Are you over 24 and how many days a week would you be doing it


do you have the full license already or would the budget have to include that process. It cost me probably 3 grand on top of the price of the bike to get going this year

second hand bike prices are high at the moment but someone who knows more than me would be able to tell you what would be good if you answered those things

It's about 10km down the Malahide Road into DCC. Definitely no motorways.

Yes I'm over 24

And I have a full licence for a car.

GBX

lawred2 wrote: »

It's about 10km down the Malahide Road into DCC. Definitely no motorways.

Yes I'm over 24

And I have a full licence for a car.

You'll have to do IBT. The car license has no bearing on what bike you can ride.

lawred2

GBX wrote: »

You'll have to do IBT. The car license has no bearing on what bike you can ride.

Not sure that's the case but I could be wrong - I got my licence in 2001. Almost sure that means I'm entitled to ride tricycles & mopeds.

But I'm not sure what that means for a scooter. I think I'm ok for scooters under 50cc. Is that true?

Not that going through that process wouldn't be in my interest and other road user's interests. How much does the licencing process cost?

By the way - I don't want a moped.

gerrowadat

You can ride a 3 wheeler (piaggio mp3 or the like) on a car license. Not a good idea though, riding a bike is completely different than a car in terms of roadcraft and what to look out for.

If you have AM on your license you can drive a moped up to 50cc and less than 45kmh. Best of luck finding one :-)

listermint

dont get a 3 wheeler it is pointless for what you want, ( i assume is to avoid the traffic)

current option would be moped 50cc. Not many out there.


or IBT, id go with IBT and in the long run youll get better choice experience and just because.

stewygriffin

IBT and 11-16 hours practice,then test.

Then you can pick what you like.

Hotblack Desiato

6 month wait for test though...

Lumen

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

6 month wait for test though...

Yeah, but you can ride the bike normally through that period, apart from motorways and pillion passengers.

Bohrio

Lumen wrote: »

Yeah, but you can ride the bike normally through that period, apart from motorways and pillion passengers.

This is pretty unbelievable lol

Is this only in Ireland or also in the UK?

Dont get me wrong I am also puzzled with car Learners (L) being able to drive before their test (with a qualified driver)

Obviously this all comes down to having to wait 6 months for a test...

frozenfrozen

Bohrio wrote: »

This is pretty unbelievable lol

Is this only in Ireland or also in the UK?

Dont get me wrong I am also puzzled with car Learners (L) being able to drive before their test (with a qualified driver)

Obviously this all comes down to having to wait 6 months for a test...

What part is unbelievable? Being able to ride a bike on a learner permit after you've completed the 16/18 hours IBT?

Bohrio

frozenfrozen wrote: »

What part is unbelievable? Being able to ride a bike on a learner permit after you've completed the 16/18 hours IBT?

Sorry I thought it was a 6 month wait for IBT that makes more sense, not that 16 hours of a mix of practical and theory classes would make you much of a driver but it is certainly better than nothing,

When I did it, I had to go through a theory test and then some practice around a track, but the practice (same as the test) consisted in doing a few tight turns, going over a bar and emergency braking (more or less). After that I was allowed to drive a motorbike.

I remember when I passed my test years ago right after I finished it, I didnt drive a bike for over 8 years, and then I went straight into a 1200 bandit... I suppose it would be hard to do a type of driving test similar to a car, so in a way, in Ireland you get more training than in other countries since you do have to do another IBT test to apply for the next "bigger" bike test, where when I did it it was only a track test

RHJ

This post has been deleted.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Malahide Road to DCC ~ cycle!.

From the Hilton Hotel into DCC you've a pretty decent cycle lane.

Or a three wheeler like another poster has suggested as you've a QBC from the Hilton into the city centre.

You don't sound like you want to get into a biking lifestyle, and most of those three wheelers get brilliant reviews.. Plus the added bonus of avoiding the IBT, decent weather protection, low fuel economy, decent luggage carrying capacity and they can stretch their legs on the motorways too.

The likes of Maxi scooters like the Suzuki Bergman (to name but one) would be great too, but then you're back into IBT training.

If you want two wheels I'd avoid those little 50cc mopeds, they really don't last pissing time.

Or if you want to be completely different, Honda Cub 90 or a Vespa PX200.

TheArtOfNoise

Consider a Vespa px125 or LML px125, cheap fun commuter in classic style and make new friends. Talk to Mark or Colin in Scooter Island on the quays for more advice...

colm_c

TheArtOfNoise wrote: »

Consider a Vespa px125 or LML px125, cheap fun commuter in classic style and make new friends. Talk to Mark or Colin in Scooter Island on the quays for more advice...

Yep, very fun alright, still have to do IBT though.

Bohrio

colm_c wrote: »

Yep, very fun alright, still have to do IBT though.

I was thinking

What about a BMW c1, they go for nothing nowadays, weirdest bike I have ever driven lol