Need help!

[jdo59]

I want to buy a sport bike, and have a few questions.

1. Do I need to have my own bike before I go for the basic skill test?

2. I am based in CHCH. Please recommend reputable motorbike dealers.

3. Do you recommend buying a bike off Trademe from other cities?

Thank you in advance!

[HenryDorsetCase]

I want to buy a sport bike, and have a few questions.

1. Do I need to have my own bike before I go for the basic skill test?

2. I am based in CHCH. Please recommend reputable motorbike dealers.

3. Do you recommend buying a bike off Trademe from other cities?

Thank you in advance!

welcome.

1. Dunno. its been many years for me.

2. the Manchester Street ones are good in my experience.

3. Not for a complete noob. Even then its risky.

If you ask nicely, some of the nice people on here might go look at secondhand bikes with you.

If you can swing it, I would be buying one of those Honda CBF250's: Honda have a hell finance deal going on at present, and if you go in there swinging a bucket of cash, you will get a deal. 250's should hold their value, and its a Honda = reliable. Talk to Rob. Top bloke.

If you know more experienced people, take them with you.

Dont forget you need not only a bike but also good gear: Helmet that fits, gloves, boots, Jacket with back protector, pants,

[Supermac Jr]

I didn't need my own bike for BHS.

was in Auckl though...

[jdo59]

welcome.

1. Dunno. its been many years for me.

2. the Manchester Street ones are good in my experience.

3. Not for a complete noob. Even then its risky.

If you ask nicely, some of the nice people on here might go look at secondhand bikes with you.

If you can swing it, I would be buying one of those Honda CBF250's: Honda have a hell finance deal going on at present, and if you go in there swinging a bucket of cash, you will get a deal. 250's should hold their value, and its a Honda = reliable. Talk to Rob. Top bloke.

If you know more experienced people, take them with you.

Dont forget you need not only a bike but also good gear: Helmet that fits, gloves, boots, Jacket with back protector, pants,

Thanks for the recommendation of the dealers as well as the motorbike.
Have googled Honda CBF250, but it does not look very cool. I was thinking about Hyosung GT250 or Kawasaki ninja 250.

[marine0089]

I am in the same boat as you bud.

Have been keeping my eye on trademe and also whats available from dealerships.

I have learnt A LOT about different bikes over the past couple of weeks.

Don't just go for looks, research is key.

[humphrt]

1-no you dont need your own bike they have several there(depending on where you go)
2-as the man said anywhere on manchester, also hampton honda in hornby are pretty good
3-you tend to pay less on tardme or similar but its more risky

welcome to the dark side

oh and my first bike was f**kin awesome, go the mighty Honda VTR250

[xww10]

1 - I did my BHS with Mainland Driving School (5 Vulcan Place, Chch). They provide two bike types for the BHS (GN250 and CT110 postie bike).

2 - Hampton Honda in Hornby is excellent, so is Pit Lane Motorcycles on Manchester. Casbolts is well known for poor customer service. I can personally attest to that. Street and Sport next door are good, and I find Norjo on Main South Road also pretty good in terms of service.

3 - I bought my bike from a classified off Trademe. I personally wouldn't buy something I didn't at least have a play with wherever you buy it from TM or a dealer.

Your username sounds like a Uni of Canterbury email username (so is mine!!!). Just got my L myself and have been riding for a month or so. Before that I rode a Honda C50 stepthru for 3 years. Its great riding a proper motorcycle. Can't think of going back, especially since they have raised the regos on mopeds!

[HenryDorsetCase]

Thanks for the recommendation of the dealers as well as the motorbike.
Have googled Honda CBF250, but it does not look very cool. I was thinking about Hyosung GT250 or Kawasaki ninja 250.

I would take th Kwaka over the Hyosung ANY day.

the issue is that being fully faired, when it hits the deck... (and being a first road bike the odds are stunningly high of that happening) that it is more expensive to repair than a non-faired bike. I always recommend a simple single cylinder with a minimum of breakables on it to new riders for that reason. My personal favourite always used to be the Honda CB250RS. Sure, you say you want a sprotsbike (and nothing wrong with that) but remember that all the 4 cyl 250 four strokes are now OLD and have been generally ridden by very enthusiastic, inexperienced riders. 250 two strokes are sublime sports bikes, but expensive to buy, maintenance intensive, and not so practical.

Given you will be on a learner/restricted for a year, my advice is buy something cheap, cheerful, learn to ride good (take courses...) spend good money for good gear, and then buy a sprots bike. Also bear in mind if you are young and financing stuff that young person + sprots bike = hell expensive insurance which is mandatory if you are financing the bike.

I get that you want a sports bike, I really do, but I am just suggesting some of the practical things you might not consider. Also bear in mind that even the bikes I am suggesting will be much better bikes than you are a rider at present, so any bike will feel like a sports bike to you.

[Cheshire Cat]

I want to buy a sport bike, and have a few questions.

1. Do I need to have my own bike before I go for the basic skill test?

2. I am based in CHCH. Please recommend reputable motorbike dealers.

3. Do you recommend buying a bike off Trademe from other cities?

Thank you in advance!

If you have little or no experience, DONT get a brand spanking new fully fiared bike, eg. ninja. You will drop it. LOL

[HenryDorsetCase]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-235451754.htm

OK this needs work but I like these VT250's: You would need to have it carefully checked, but its cheap enough. if its got broken levers only, they should be $25 each... dont worry about the battle scars you will likely add to them.

stuff to check is the stuff you would check on any secondhand bike.... but its only $2500 and its local....

this is the sort of thing I was thinking of anyway.

shit, here's another

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-235169709.htm


now I want one......

[MyGSXF:Me]

Check out these websites for lots of good info too..

http://www.rideforever.co.nz/ride_smart/law.html

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/roadcode/abo...ces/index.html

[hospitalfood]

you are an accident waiting to happen!

if I were you I would try to borrow a mates bike so you don't crash your own.

remember :- crash like you mean it to help get it out of your system, better one big one than lots of small ones.

write a will........

best of luck.

[HenryDorsetCase]

one final thing about the buying off tardme thing: you have to get it from where it is to where you are. A bike Auckland to chur chur last time I did it was IIRC $400 plus GST, basically anywhere in the NI is expensive. if it is Sth Island you can go pick it up with a trailer or get a lift/ride back but it still costs you, and its a hassle. I bought my last bike in Wellington and went up and got it and it came in at less than $50 different than shipping it (didnt get cheap plane tix up)m but it was a days outing so that is OK.

[aaronninja]

ya dont need a bike to do the test, all is provided, and yeh the manchester bike shops are all good but the prices are considerably dare compared to bikes on trademe, i have bought all my bikes privately and never had a problem with any of them

[boman]

Buy a naked bike for your first bike. They are cheaper to fix when you drop them. They give you a sense of going alot faster than you are, due to the wind hitting your body. Something along the lines of a Suzuki Bandit, or a Honda Hornet.