Honda 50cc. need some serious advice

marshbaboon

Am intending to buy a 50cc honda, or similar, scooter for commuting to work. i have to travel 2 or 3 k and there arednt any busses or anything and taxis are costing a bloody fortune.

id really appreciate any advice on makes and models, insurance, what licence needed etc. im essentially looking for something very cheap, but not a pile of junk.

thanks in advance.

AlienGav

Look for a Honda x8r

They're bomb proof, easy to drive, nice and light, safe, and there's loads of them going around! And to be honest I would'nt buy anything else! Honda make the best bikes, no arguments! Those Aprilia's and Gilera's suck!!

I had an x8r many moons ago, and loved it!

Edit**

They're 49cc, so they're easy to insure and all u need is a provisional A licence to drive one.

Take it outa that! Sucka!
Peace :cool:

marshbaboon

kewl cheers man. just wonderin how much were talkin for insurance (roughly obviously as the ****ers take as much pleasure as the tax man in raping you in the ass for money). and is there any kind of test for it? i presume theres only a theory.

am payin 70 a week at the mo for transport costs so have to get this sorted asap. i should be wastin that money on drink instead!!!

Ratchet

www.hiberniandirect.ie for you insurance needs,

garthv

No way man,dont buy an x8r.
Crappy little mopeds that will clap out within 12 months of continual usage.
What you need is a Honda 50 . I know they might not be the best looking but they will last a lifetime and they are dirt cheap and easy to reapir. Cheap insurance too!

dceire

Im selln my DerbI Atlantis will let you have it for €1000 heres a link to my ad
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=232848

bonzai bob

2 or 3K? just walk ya lazy fúcker:D Either that or get a bicycle, seriously man, cycling 3K is nothing and it's free, apart from buying the bike of course

a_ominous

For 2-3 km, the bicycle should be a serious consideration. There may be other considerations like traffic, roads, extra curricular activities, etc. which might make rule out a bike.
I used to cycle 28km a day, took 30 minutes each way. I wasn't fit before I started but got fit pretty damn quick . There were some shower facilities in the office, but could be busy and took extra time. After a while, when I got to work, I sat and read emails, etc. while cooling down and then after 10-15 minutes got changed. Use a good spray deodourant and shower when you get home.
A half decent bike could be bought for less than 200 euro. Spend at least 50 quid on locks. Could also buy a second hand bike from Garda auctions in Kevin St. Check their web site for details of next auction or phone them.

BTW I use a motorbike now: roads were getting too dangerous for bicycle and job changed so cycling was no longer an option.

bonzai bob

i knew a guy who cycled everyday to work in citywest from BLESSINGTON:eek: that's a fair few miles, i cycled at the time and the wind was unbelievable, i can only imagine what cycling to blessington against the wind would be like, but he did it everyday. crazy mo fo

a_ominous

bonzai bob wrote:

i knew a guy who cycled everyday to work in citywest from BLESSINGTON:eek: that's a fair few miles, i cycled at the time and the wind was unbelievable, i can only imagine what cycling to blessington against the wind would be like, but he did it everyday. crazy mo fo

Lucky bastid: only 2 sets of traffic lights. I had _9_ sets over the 14km And there's lots of shelter from the wind with all those trees on that road. BTW Blessington's only 16km from CityWest. And there's the 65 bus for when things get too bad for cycling. Having been on 2 wheels for 5 years now, I _hate_ taking the bus. 2 wheels are the only way to travel. Saw a quote one time at band camp, "4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul".

marshbaboon

yea slight problem with cyclin is that i work nights in a hotel... so its pitch black when i cycle in, and there are no street lights for 3/4 the way in lol. nearly got hit by a car twice first week i cycled. and ur like a rabbit caught in the headlights when a car comes the opposite way.

heard some good stuff bout the x8rs thou so think ill go for that cheers fer the advice every1.

***EDIT***

and i wouldnt SPIT on a honda 50... theyre ****in manky lookin things lol.

a_ominous

Defo sounds like a bicycle would not be a good idea. When I used a bike, I had a 9-5 job so I was the second fastest thing on the roads, only motorbikes beat me. Had a much higher average speed than buses and cars. And outside the rush hour, bike ride could be, ummm, interesting with some (most?) cars using you for target practice.

Back to the PTW (powered two wheels):

• licence A1 will do. Have to do the theory test (check FAQs and other stickies)
• 50cc moped, group 2 insurance. Cost varies _hugely_ depending on age. I'm not sure if Aon will cover a newbie. Probably will. Many bike shops can organise the insurance for you. They'll give you a quote when you go in anyhoo.
  You can also get an online quote from Hibernian. They're the only online bike quoting facility, just in case anyone thinks I'm trying to push Hib again. :rolleyes:
• Go to shops in your area. Many bike shops close on Mondays. Saturdays tend to be busy. If you're working shifts in the hotel, try to get to a shop on the way home. Lots of scooter shops close to city centre: Jervis St, Usher's Island and all the 'motorcycle' shops.
• For a 2-3km journey. You could buy a 2nd scoot privately for small money, 1000-1500. Shop bought gives you some warranty. New scoots about the 2500 mark.

BTW Honda 50: solid, reliable, bullet-proof. And it has proper gears. If you think you'll be half interested in motorbikes, go for A licence, get a C50 or 90 whatever it is now. Build up the experience, hire a bigger bike for the test and you're done.

PS I'd have a look at Aon if I was a first timer. They'll be offering discounts for people who pass an assessed ride which could save you hundreds and possibly over a thou euro. Some details on the FAQ.

Ratchet

marshbaboon wrote:

yea slight problem with cyclin is that i work nights in a hotel... so its pitch black when i cycle in, and there are no street lights for 3/4 the way in lol........ [QUOTE.]

well, yeah specially when you doing the night rider thing , driving without any light on the bike.

bonzai bob

you can get lights for a bike, i don't mean reflectors either, i mean proper high power lights, friend of mine has then, 2 on front and one on back, they're just as bright as any car lights.. Problem solved.

a_ominous

@marshbaboon, after re-reading your post, I'm thinking you're not in Dublin. No streetlights: there's millions in Dublin!
If you're outside Dublin the insurance should be way cheaper, but you can still reduce it by doing training. Depending on the size of the potholes, a moped mightn't be the best choice. Maybe a 125cc motoX bike

If you go down the route of the hi-beam bicycle lights that I've seen for mountain biking, they tend to be heavy and expensive, IIRC about 100 euro when I last looked a few years ago. But overall the solution might be cheaper that the moped and healthier too.

bonzai bob

it's just the battery that's heavy, just buy youself a lightweight bike to compensate:)

Garibaldi

Gotta agree with the C50/C90 suggestions. There's a reason why they're so popular all over the world. If you're serious about cheap'n'cheerful, they're the way to go. Stay away from LUAS tracks, though.