first bike

RapierX

Hi lads,

For the last couple of years I've always wanted to buy a motorcycle. So I've layed off the drinking lately and have a budget of around 5,000 euro for the bike and insurance. I've driven bikes before and dont have any trouble handling them. So I'm hoping to get a sports bike i.e. aprilia RS125, Honda NSR 125 perhaps a Cagiva Mito. Would I be better off buying an older bike i.e. '96 or 97'? or going for one around the '00 01' mark? Oh yeah i heard insurance has gone up on bikes of late? I'm 20 years old and live in the bog. How much would insurance be approx? 1500 - 2000?

bugs

With the NSR/RS, insurance for me with hibernian (23 with 1 years ncb) is 1800 euros. I too live in the bog, well i have a home address there.
Carole nash won't insure you without at least a 1 years ncb and a few more years on your age.
I would guess you'd be done for about 3000 in insurance, thats a guess but i'd say its close enough.

If you just have to have one, buy one thats been crashed, not where too much mechanical damage has been done, find someone whose basically torched the bodywork as OEM fairing for either costs a packet and you might be able to get a 99 or upwards model in relatively perfect working order with wrecked plastics for next to nothing (c. 1000), then go order some third party plastics and you're laughing.

Mito's are bugger hard to find over here (never seen one)
All else fails, you can always get an ns-1, or maybe even a cbr250.

Gmodified

check out the insurance before you buy. I will say 2600yoyo's

batman_oh

livin in the bog should be an advantage alright
i am sellin my rs125 in a month or maybe less
its a mint 01 model in red black silver
id be lookin for a minimal 3300 and it has never been dropped or binned
if youre interested email me at: batman_ohara@hotmail.com if u can get a quote(try carole nash)
bugs will testify to the perfectness of the bike

Spunog UIE

i'm 20 and live in kildare and i was quoted 4000 third party on a provesional licence for an NSR125.

Insurance on a crusier is around 1800 for you. SO my ille baby stuck in the garage for a while, tis a shame she's a lovely '89 and i think looks better than the new ones, half-fairnin.

Buy 2nd hand and save some money. I think a CBR250 was 3000 insurance for me. NSR125's more expensive cos you are able to be licenced on them if ur 16 or 17 as opposed to over 18 for the cbr, they're a nice bike too wish i had gotten one of them ages ago but ya pay more for them to begin wit, quiet popular in ireland.

RapierX

Hi lads, first of all, thanks for the replies/input. I had a funny felling 2000 euro for insurance would be too optimistic. Yes Bugs i was thinking of building one up like you mentioned. However that would take a bit of time something which i dont really have right now. But if I was going to save a load I might be interested and bum lifts for a while longer A cagiva would also be a bad idea as spares, servicing etc wouldnt be easy to find, lovely bikes though and you'd often see em in buy and sell.

Gideon isnt Kildare classified as an A1 area or something like that meaning higher insurance due to more traffic on the roads etc? I was also under the impression motorcyclists under 25 could only drive a 125cc bike?? esp first timers?? unless you had a lot of qualifications under your belt? I wouldnt be interested in a cruiser at all, ive ideas implanted into my head to get one of the affore mentioned bikes although this CBR idea sounds interesting.

RapierX

Batman I'll email you shortly.

Stephen

Once you're over 18 (i think its 18 anyway) you can get an A licence which will cover you on bikes 250cc and higher, but you're limited to bikes with a restricted power output (33bhp or something like that, again i'm not sure) for 2 years after getting your full licence.

A1 licences which you can get at age 16 and above will only cover you on machines up to 125cc.

batman_oh

legally you are restricted to 33bhp for 2 years after u pass your test
they let the cbr250/fzr250 away with it on power to weight (45bhp 160kg)whcih is almost the same as rs125 (33bhp 114kg)
as they perfrom very similarly

bugs

Originally posted by RapierX
Hi lads, first of all, thanks for the replies/input. I had a funny felling 2000 euro for insurance would be too optimistic. Yes Bugs i was thinking of building one up like you mentioned. However that would take a bit of time something which i dont really have right now.

You'd be surprised, its not so much work as ordering some fairing from the UK (i know of a few companies that sell race and road fairing for 125's) and bolting it onto your bike.
Theres quite a few NSR's and RS's out there with just shagged plastics, and you could probably get them for a steal....then again bring someone who knows what the engine of a whiney two stroke is supposed to sound like as theres alot of knackered engines out there too. When i was looking for mine, i saw 2-3 bikes that were mechanically perfect but the fairing was wrecked, and much like you i was kinda uninformed about spares and just took it for granted they cost a packet. Probably the cheapest and easiest way you'll get one in my opinion. Either that or save up for a few more months and buy one in good nick.

Spunog UIE

hey ya might as well just ring up and check for the insurance, like there is only one company doing it. Also the only good thing i could say about buying new is that there's a small chance they will do you an insurance deal like knockin a few quid off it for you or let ya pay them installments with cover of course

RapierX

Jaysus you lot have given me ideas. I've been checking out the CBR lately and i really like the sound of it. Lot of CBR's going in my area lately too. The crashed bike new OEM idea is good too. didnt take the idea seriously at first but after a few google searches, 3rd party oems look good. I've a budget of around 5000euro for the bike and hopefully most of the insurance. My aul lad is inquiring about importing a cagiva mito tommorrow. Reckon it'd be worth it?

batman_oh

u have to pay vrt to the tune of about 800 on top of the cagiva
from what ive heard id avoid cagiva's the company is pretty much gone out of business and you wont get parts for it, plus the are verryyy unreliable
the rs isnt if u take care of it ive had not a single problem and the nsr is relaible too
i dunno, im tryin to flog u a bike and all, for 3500 ill be able to give u a new bike if u want, ill rebuild the engine!
3300ish without

RapierX

Well batman, I just rang hibernian to get a few quotes, very very bad news all round - im 20 soon to be 21 (2 months) its my first provisional, i live out the country.

They said u could only get a group 5 bike or under: the cagiva was group 8, the aprilia RS125 is group 7 as is the nsr, she said something about a suzuki GS250 - being group 5 and it would be 6000 fully comp - im not interested in driving that i replied, 3400 3rd party, WTF!!! why do i see rakes of younger lads than me driving round in nsrs and rs's!!!

I was expecting a quote of 2500ish but none at all!!! FFS, so the sportiest yolk i could drive is a honda nsr 80.........**** that

batman_oh

thats sux
the only thing i could suggest is to try carole nash, they may insure u when u are 21
freephone1800298550

bugs

Jaysus, forgot that you were a first time rider. Yeah hibernian won't insure you on anything higher than a group 5 bike.
Try carole nash, they tend to be a little open for quotes but do have a new policy of only taking riders with at least 1 years no claims bonus.

Spunog UIE

Originally posted by RapierX
why do i see rakes of younger lads than me driving round in nsrs and rs's!!!

ah told ya. i expected the same but ya see i already had my bike, ya try quote for the cbr250, ya should get it for 3000. Mmm.

oh and inregards to those lads,

1. they have been drivin them since last yr or longer and you only noticin now, insurance on my NSR125 last year was 1800irish.

2. they lied to the insurance company and said they had a moped etc' or own a crappy mo-ped and insured it and swapped its licence plate with that of the bigger bike, i know loads that have done this and are drivin around 800'ccs big ****in sporty things. So that covers ya if your stopped by the cops cos the tax disc matches ur bike etc' But your fecked if ya make a claim for obivous reasons or someone against you.

3. There not insured at all.

RapierX

I'll try carole nash tommorrow cant get an online quote due to not having a registration number and bike itself! I'm leaning more towards gidgeons suggestion of a Honda CBR 250, the insurance would be around 3000 which is what 60 euro a week not that bad. Probably have to be early 90's though, expensive yolks they can be. after all it is a group five so hibernian will need a good excuse to keep me off it. There are quite a few of them in buy and sell and in the dealers adds on buy and sell but if anyone knows of anyone selling them/a good place to try please let me know.

Thanks in advance

batman_oh

from a dealer youll prolly pay about 5500 for a 96 cbr250
from a private be careful-youll save loads, but a mate of mine bought a 94 fzr250 a few weeks ago for 2800-a bargain, until it started fallin apart

Kegser

The Honda CBR250 is a great first bike. Cheap to run, bulletproof Honda engine, not as many bitchy rebuilds as a smelly stroker for daily use.

As far as Insurance goes if you purchase your bike from a registered dealer you can get insured through Aon. Aon will insure anyone on any bike provided you have a license, doesn't matter if it's a prov. or full.

Buying privately will get you the best deals but you get no guarantees and insurance may be difficult. At least with a dealer you generally get a three month warranty and they'll sort your insurance out also. Worth thinking about.

My second bike is a CBR250RR, in decent enough condition and I'll probably be selling it in the near future for a reasonable amount. It's a '95 and it has served me well; but I've upgraded now so I don't need it.

Kegser

Oh and Carole Nash won't insure you; they're pretty picky at the moment although they seem to be getting better with the new underwriters... so Hibernian/Aon it is.

RapierX

Thanks again for all the info/advice, very much appreciated. It's all fixating towards a Honda CBR 250 off a dealer type deal really. I'd prefer to buy it 2nd hand off the likes off you kegser but it doesnt look like i have a snowballs chance in hell of getting decent insurance (3,400 euro off hibernian), of course that is assuming AON give me a decent quote on a dealer CBR. Anyone know if it would actually be cheaper? Kegser round about when would be interested in selling? I'll be hitting 21 in a couple of months so i could hold out till then perhaps.

bugs

AON go thru' hibernian bikecare, so the quote won't be all the different to whatever you get from hibernian, maybe 50 quid cheaper, maybe more if the dealer is willing to knock off a bit himself.
NS-1's are alright, no power band, but you'll almostly definetly plant a 125/250 if its your first bike.

batman_oh

aon will not insure you unless u buy the bike from an aon dealer(cotters, planet moto, new gem)
if u buy private u have to go thru hibernian as far as i know, unless u were previously insured by aon(which u werent)
and bugs_as u know i didnt plant the rs
altho i probably am the only person in history not to!

Kegser

http://www.cottermc.com/cat5.htm

Has detailed prices on Group 5 insurance; which is what the CBR250 was the last time I checked.

RapierX

Yeah I actually saw that insurance chart the other day, and going by it would mean i should be paying 1622 euro instead of the 3400 i was quoted for some suzuki 250 bike. Gideon what age are you? you say you were quoted 3000 for a cbr250?

Spunog UIE

20 and ya it was 3000