Suggestion for 160 mile commute and the steps to reach cheap
Discussion
hi all,
I have a two days commute from woking to pokesdown and currently doing in train.. with the cost of train fares going up. it will be around 280 -320 per month now.. initially advanced ticket were like 120-150 ..
i have got car licence since two years - so as i understood i need cbt and then final License ..
which bikes can i use with cbt and any of them worth the commute of 160 miles twice a week ?
guidelines suggestion help welcome..
thanks in advance
I have a two days commute from woking to pokesdown and currently doing in train.. with the cost of train fares going up. it will be around 280 -320 per month now.. initially advanced ticket were like 120-150 ..
i have got car licence since two years - so as i understood i need cbt and then final License ..
which bikes can i use with cbt and any of them worth the commute of 160 miles twice a week ?
guidelines suggestion help welcome..
thanks in advance
Biker9090 said:
That'll be a f
king st commute on a 125
Yeah I'd agree. I've recently acquired a 125 and any open road is a bit of a chore. Great around the town though. king st commute on a 125If you must, I'd ignore a bike and get a scooter. Something like this will do 60mph, have way better wind protection and be easier to ride.
I normally do 140 total every day from Kent into London all year/weather - the vast majority of it is motorway riding which is boring but generally quick and takes about 90mins each way. That distance is totally doable with the right bike, kit, and attitude but definitely not something most would undertake for commuting.
In terms of your potential commute - if you are going there and back on two days a week I'd say just use the car or stick with the train; if its down one morning then back two days later in the afternoon/ evening it is more doable. For me I'd say absolutely sod doing that on a 125cc for a number of reasons:
1. it is illegal for you to go on the motorway so you're limited to A roads etc. - looking at the route most would be on the A31
2. 125's are generally a bit crap on all fronts with poor brakes, acceleration, wind protection etc.
3. 125s are not speedy things and generally suffer when held at high revs/speeds for too long.
4. You're looking at about 3 hours each direction so factor in doing that before a working day and then again afterwards.
5. Riding through the new forest is a great experience, but when it is wet there is a LOT of flooding around there, and when it is windy it is very exposed and miserable, and when it is nice there are lots of cyclists/caravans/walkers that slow evertying down to a crawl.
If it were me I'd ask myself a few questions:
Will you use the bike at other times or is it purely for a commute?
Have you factored in the costs of the CBT, bike, insurance, and buying decent gear? Then what you think you'll need for maintenance (and in reality for high mileage - double that cost?)
Have you got bike experience already? If not, what draws you to thinking about a 125?
Do you have the intention to go onto a 'big boy bike' in the future?
I'm definitely not saying don't go for it, the more people on motorcycles the better, but defintiely know why you are doing it and what the pros/cons are for you before you start anything as being motivated to save some money isn't necessarily going to work out cheaper on a bike in financial or time terms.
In terms of your potential commute - if you are going there and back on two days a week I'd say just use the car or stick with the train; if its down one morning then back two days later in the afternoon/ evening it is more doable. For me I'd say absolutely sod doing that on a 125cc for a number of reasons:
1. it is illegal for you to go on the motorway so you're limited to A roads etc. - looking at the route most would be on the A31
2. 125's are generally a bit crap on all fronts with poor brakes, acceleration, wind protection etc.
3. 125s are not speedy things and generally suffer when held at high revs/speeds for too long.
4. You're looking at about 3 hours each direction so factor in doing that before a working day and then again afterwards.
5. Riding through the new forest is a great experience, but when it is wet there is a LOT of flooding around there, and when it is windy it is very exposed and miserable, and when it is nice there are lots of cyclists/caravans/walkers that slow evertying down to a crawl.
If it were me I'd ask myself a few questions:
Will you use the bike at other times or is it purely for a commute?
Have you factored in the costs of the CBT, bike, insurance, and buying decent gear? Then what you think you'll need for maintenance (and in reality for high mileage - double that cost?)
Have you got bike experience already? If not, what draws you to thinking about a 125?
Do you have the intention to go onto a 'big boy bike' in the future?
I'm definitely not saying don't go for it, the more people on motorcycles the better, but defintiely know why you are doing it and what the pros/cons are for you before you start anything as being motivated to save some money isn't necessarily going to work out cheaper on a bike in financial or time terms.
thanks for the reply..
to answer few
Will you use the bike at other times or is it purely for a commute?
- Mostly commute.. nothing for local stuff
Have you factored in the costs of the CBT, bike, insurance, and buying decent gear? Then what you think you'll need for maintenance (and in reality for high mileage - double that cost?)
- yes in range - of 200 cbt + bike (1500 for 125) + 1000 towards gear/insurance (assuming here have no idea abt gears)
Have you got bike experience already? If not, what draws you to thinking about a 125?
- drove around for 10-15 years back in home country on yahama rx100 ...
Do you have the intention to go onto a 'big boy bike' in the future?
- yes thats the aim to get bigger bikes
hope the above assumptions are fine..I am aware of the a roads and the commute.. it will be pain during bad weather..
so should i wait for big boy licence or start with scooter 125 in cbt and then bigger bike
..
to answer few
Will you use the bike at other times or is it purely for a commute?
- Mostly commute.. nothing for local stuff
Have you factored in the costs of the CBT, bike, insurance, and buying decent gear? Then what you think you'll need for maintenance (and in reality for high mileage - double that cost?)
- yes in range - of 200 cbt + bike (1500 for 125) + 1000 towards gear/insurance (assuming here have no idea abt gears)
Have you got bike experience already? If not, what draws you to thinking about a 125?
- drove around for 10-15 years back in home country on yahama rx100 ...
Do you have the intention to go onto a 'big boy bike' in the future?
- yes thats the aim to get bigger bikes
hope the above assumptions are fine..I am aware of the a roads and the commute.. it will be pain during bad weather..
so should i wait for big boy licence or start with scooter 125 in cbt and then bigger bike
..
karan99 said:
Do you have the intention to go onto a 'big boy bike' in the future?
- yes thats the aim to get bigger bike
In that case, I'd sod the CBT and do direct access, provided you have the budget.- yes thats the aim to get bigger bike
The cost is obviously more, but something like a £700 GS500 is way more usable than a 125. Decent gear can be had cheap so dont worry too much. Unless you strongly believe you'll really fail to get along with bikes, I'd just go straight in. I don't think it'll cost all that much more in the long run, 125cc bikes, at least decent ones are fairly expensive.
Pebbles167 said:
In that case, I'd sod the CBT and do direct access, provided you have the budget.
The cost is obviously more, but something like a £700 GS500 is way more usable than a 125. Decent gear can be had cheap so dont worry too much. Unless you strongly believe you'll really fail to get along with bikes, I'd just go straight in. I don't think it'll cost all that much more in the long run, 125cc bikes, at least decent ones are fairly expensive.
Oh ok.. how much is the cost for direct access ? i tried searching but various price points. The cost is obviously more, but something like a £700 GS500 is way more usable than a 125. Decent gear can be had cheap so dont worry too much. Unless you strongly believe you'll really fail to get along with bikes, I'd just go straight in. I don't think it'll cost all that much more in the long run, 125cc bikes, at least decent ones are fairly expensive.
so first provisional licence, cbt , theory and then training and practical.. i am not sure how much training is needed as i have 10-15 years of bike riding.. or can we go direct to book practical with minimum/no training ?
karan99 said:
Oh ok.. how much is the cost for direct access ? i tried searching but various price points.
so first provisional licence, cbt , theory and then training and practical.. i am not sure how much training is needed as i have 10-15 years of bike riding.. or can we go direct to book practical with minimum/no training ?
It cost me around £850 to go from nothing to full licence in 2013 (CBT, around five days of lessons and MOD1/MOD2 fees. Theory was separate). so first provisional licence, cbt , theory and then training and practical.. i am not sure how much training is needed as i have 10-15 years of bike riding.. or can we go direct to book practical with minimum/no training ?
Speak to a local school to do your CBT and they'll be able to give you an idea on how long you'll need.
Gear wise...get the best you can afford. Make sure its comfy and waterproof if you will be riding in the rain. Decent lid (check fit...cheaper but a good fit is better than a expensive lid that is too big). I'd also pay more for gloves/boots as I hate having cold hands/wet feet.
Gear-wise buy a new pair of waterproof boots, gloves and a decent lid (with sun visor and MIPS) - trousers/jacket get 2nd hand from FB marketplace. Stuff is seriously cheap 2nd-hand!
Most of the time though I think I'd rather be in a car than ride that commute... What's the traffic like? £1000 gets you a usable shed car which is warm and comfy all year round.
Most of the time though I think I'd rather be in a car than ride that commute... What's the traffic like? £1000 gets you a usable shed car which is warm and comfy all year round.
How about something like...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155411581553?hash=item2...
You can ride it on your car licence to get away from the train, it's easily quick enough to keep up with traffic, weather protection is good, and you'll be able to see if riding is something you want to take further.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155411581553?hash=item2...
You can ride it on your car licence to get away from the train, it's easily quick enough to keep up with traffic, weather protection is good, and you'll be able to see if riding is something you want to take further.
Moulder said:
How about something like...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155411581553?hash=item2...
You can ride it on your car licence to get away from the train, it's easily quick enough to keep up with traffic, weather protection is good, and you'll be able to see if riding is something you want to take further.
Wow. Every day is a learning day. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155411581553?hash=item2...
You can ride it on your car licence to get away from the train, it's easily quick enough to keep up with traffic, weather protection is good, and you'll be able to see if riding is something you want to take further.
I think that's the best way to not enjoy a bike.
Japanese 4 strokes 125 tend to be reliable, I wouldn't be too worried about high revs for a long time (the cylinder is very small, so linear speed is also limited) but they will also be vey slow. Picture yourself riding 80 miles with headwinds and pouring rain...
So if you really insist with the bike idea, definately aim for something bigger and with a shaft drive (but not too big to limit the fuel bill). A Deauville for instance :
And then factor some budget for the gear, now that I have experienced a heated vest I wouldn't consider riding in the winter without. But really, in the end even if you manage to make it all work, I'm pretty sure it will spoil all the enjoyment you can have from riding bikes and that you won't use it in the week-ends even if the weather is nice.
Can't you find somebody with a car instead, and share the costs ?
Japanese 4 strokes 125 tend to be reliable, I wouldn't be too worried about high revs for a long time (the cylinder is very small, so linear speed is also limited) but they will also be vey slow. Picture yourself riding 80 miles with headwinds and pouring rain...
So if you really insist with the bike idea, definately aim for something bigger and with a shaft drive (but not too big to limit the fuel bill). A Deauville for instance :
And then factor some budget for the gear, now that I have experienced a heated vest I wouldn't consider riding in the winter without. But really, in the end even if you manage to make it all work, I'm pretty sure it will spoil all the enjoyment you can have from riding bikes and that you won't use it in the week-ends even if the weather is nice.
Can't you find somebody with a car instead, and share the costs ?
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