Uni bike commuting

[GDOBSSOR]

Hi, I am a uni student and I want to get my motorbike learner's this summer. I also have my restricted car license. I really want to learn how to ride a motorbike with the aim of getting my full as soon as I can. The thing is, it will be my only form of transport, meaning that I would be riding it in the winter as well as in the summer. I have also read that, although motorbikes are significantly cheaper than cars in terms of day to day costs such as parking and petrol, they do have a lot of hidden costs such as oil changes, chains and tyres wear out, and not to mention insurance. Is a 250cc bike realistically cheaper than a hatchback, and realistically is a motorbike an affordable option for a uni student? If it is, how much should I spend on a bike so that it is cheap enough, but won't break down and end up costing a ton of money?

[Cam_Valk]

I use my bike as my only form of transport.
Mostly for uni and work.
Well worth it in my opinion, no parking costs, theres always a parking spot.

Downsides? Having to carry/wear your gear around at uni.

Cam

[Robbie_]

Hi, I am a uni student and I want to get my motorbike learner's this summer. I also have my restricted car license. I really want to learn how to ride a motorbike with the aim of getting my full as soon as I can. The thing is, it will be my only form of transport, meaning that I would be riding it in the winter as well as in the summer. I have also read that, although motorbikes are significantly cheaper than cars in terms of day to day costs such as parking and petrol, they do have a lot of hidden costs such as oil changes, chains and tyres wear out, and not to mention insurance. Is a 250cc bike realistically cheaper than a hatchback, and realistically is a motorbike an affordable option for a uni student? If it is, how much should I spend on a bike so that it is cheap enough, but won't break down and end up costing a ton of money?

Realistically depending on a few factors they can and often are cheaper than a car to use as a run about. Generally, I have found that Servicing costs are cheaper/ on par with a car. Can you do any maintainance your self? It'll pay to learn and you will save yourself a fair bit of money.

What Bikes are you looking at? Your best bet is to ring up and find quotes for your bike. I, along with others couldn't recommend kiwibike enough for insurance. When I was on both L's for my Bike and car my bike insurance was almost half the price than for a little corolla.
There are really no "Hidden costs" with bikes, it's part of regular maintenance to make sure your bike is in good shape and to check on things like chains, tyres & sprockets regularly for signs of wear.
Probably apart from that, just remember about the Rego costs which is almost twice what a car is.

Have you got a preference in style of bike, i.e sport, cruiser, adventure.. What would your max budget be? Then we can give you recommendations. But you should be able to pick up a good example for 2k-3k. If you look after it, it will look after you, and will usually be much more reliable than a car in that sort of price range.

And welcome to the world of bikes

[Milts]

If you take Roadsafe's basic maintenance course then a bike should work out much cheaper than a car.

I've used a bike as my only form of transport from half way through second year, now into my masters and I'm still happy with my choice. Easy free parking, shorter commute, cheaper (well, until I bought the street triple....) - easy choice.

The only time it is a pain is when you're wanting to do a road trip with friends over summer. Fortunately some of my friends had cars - problem solved.

[kave]

A heavy, high powered bike will burn through tyres and chains leading to high servicing costs. Chains and tyres on a 250cc bike (used for road riding, not track) seem to last forever, meaning small capacity bikes are very cheap to run (considerably cheaper than a car). If costs are a concern I would aim for a single cylinder or twin, as fewer cylinders mean fewer plugs. Also a four-stroke will be cheaper to run than a two-stroke.

[BurningPlastic]

In Wellington a bike commute to Uni is a hell of a lot simpler than by car - especially when it comes to finding somewhere to park when you get in... The time/money saved by either not having to pay for parking, or having to move a car every 2 hours is worth the slight hassles of having to put on waterproofs for the ride every now and then...

[GDOBSSOR]

I have a budget of $2500 approx for a bike. I am currently looking at GN250s, as they seem to be quite popular and most other 250cc models are either high mileage or way too expensive. The average price for these seems to be around 2k. I have also been looking at older model toyota corollas on trademe, which are priced between $1500 and 2k. Is a GN250 a good learner's bike to have? Some of my university friends said I would be better off getting a motorbike as it would work out cheaper, but my boyfriend says I would be better off getting the corolla. His argument is that I don't know how to maintain a motorbike (although I would take the Roadsafe basic maintenance course). He also seems to be concerned about the number of chain and oil changes needed, and the price of insurance for a learner biker, and he said if the engine gave out and needed to be rebuilt, I'd be fucked.

[bogan]

A GN would be ok if you aren't commuting through the motorway (otherwise a bit slow), also make sure it has decent tyres on it, and potentially look into getting better brake pads (brakes are shit). For 2.5k you should be able to get a good condition GN250, new tyres (if required), and HH pads (if they are likely to make a difference).

You also need a gear budget, 1k is a good figure, if it's only 50k riding you might be able to get away with shoes and jeans, instead of leathers and boots, but go with decent helmet, gloves, and jacket in either case.

Running costs on a GN will be a less than a corrola, and depending on congestion quicker commutes if you split or filter as well (but wait till you learn good skills first). Higher insurance and rego may outweigh fuel/parking savings depending on commute distance/frequency, will be fuel economy figures online somewhere so you can work out what to expect.

[BuzzardNZ]

I agree with the GN suggestions. I did all my commuting to Vic on a GB400. Low maintenance + good fuel economy. I was paying less to commute on that than I would have the bus, much less a car!

[Ender EnZed]

Some people have the idea that all bikes are cheaper to run than all cars. Obviously, this is a fiction. Many motorcycles in NZ are purely recreational machines and as recreational activities go, motorcycling is pretty damn expensive.

However, there are plenty of bikes that are as cheap to run compared to a big sports bike as a Corolla is to a Ferrari.

The Yamaha Scorpio is a good learner bike, cheap to run compared to anything, and will be much more reliable than any car of the same value. Here are a couple of late model, low km ones in Wellington:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-411526974.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-413913052.htm

At the end of the day though, the main reason I ride is because I enjoy it. I don't know anyone who rides that thinks differently.

[Milts]

+1 on the Yamaha scorpio or something like this:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-412937787.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-413934680.htm

High milage can mean a bike due for replacement or a well looked after bike which will go forever - get some expert(ish) opinions before buying.

Your boyfriend hasn't taken into account the fact that you will enjoy life so much more on a bike than in a Toyota. Does wonders for your stress levels.

You will probably find yourself spending more than you expect on bikes, gear + petrol - but by then you'll be too addicted to care. Thus is the life of a motorcyclist.


EDIT: I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that soon 'learner legal' bikes will be defined by power rather than CC, which could open up something like this:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-404503776.htm

[racefactory]

I would highly recommend a 450 supermotard for commuting. I'm finding it quite addictive for the uni run.

[Hanne]

Yep riding can be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper, especially when you take parking into account.
You can pick up an ax100 for around $800, tyres cost next to nothing, needs 2 stroke oil every month or so, but they are good to go.
I have saved enough for several trips to Germany thanks to this form of commuting!

Lots more uni commuters posting in the SMC (Auckland Scooter and Motorcycle Club) forum here

[GDOBSSOR]

Also, I have never got on a bike before. So, how do I go about learning to ride? Do I get some professional lessons, and if yes, how many? Do I find someone to teach me? Or will I be ok with the basic skills handling course if I don't go above 50kph for a while?

[Oblivion]

Here's what I did when I first learnt how to ride,I was in the same situation as you when I started as well.

First thing that you would want to get down is clutch control, Learn where the friction zone is. You cant tell where it is because the bike will want to pull forward. When you think you found it, apply a small amount of throttle, enough to get you going, then stop. Do this over and over again. Its an easy way to learn how to use the clutch.

Next thing would probably be the slow ride, This is pretty much just throttle & clutch control in one. Maybe balance too?, Anyway, best thing to do is to set up some cones or something similar in a straight line, and using throttle to keep the engine alive, and the clutch in the friction zone, try to travel in that straight line as slow as you can without stalling, or putting you feet on the ground. Maybe even set up a course to practice going around.

After that, the thing that I would recommend would be the slalom, set up cones in a line with all of them a certain distance apart, you can change this distance as you get better at it. A hint for this as I was told by my BHS instructor was to always keep you eyes on the cone that was 2? away from you. (I think) This should be the basics of turning at slow speeds and what not. Use the rear brake, not the throttle to regulate speed.

Lets see.... The next thing should be emergency braking. Get the bike up to 20ks, and by using both brakes, try to stop the bike in as little distance as possible. Don't worry about the engine stalling at this point. Skids happen but try to avoid doing them.(I think he said that there's less traction to stop the bike when you skid) This is something that every biker should know how to do, so try to practice it regularly. When you get better, try to make you way through the gears, and manage to stop in first with the engine running.

Next thing on my list would be the U turn. Took me a long while to get this right unfortunately, So, set up in a U shape some cones. Start with a large radius, and as you get better, make it smaller, if you stuff up, make it a bit bigger then try again. As you enter the turn shift your head towards the outside exit of the turn. E.g; Look where you want to go and the bike will follow. Head position is very important here, If you don't look, the bike wont go around the turn.

Changing gears is a simple thing to do, and should become second nature in no time. Clutch in, gear up/down, clutch out. Blipping the throttle is optional, and people will bitch about me saying to do it.

However, riding on the road and around traffic is something that people cannot tell you about as each thing is different, but when riding on the road, Don't trust anything that cars do. If they look like they'll change lanes, they probably will. More so without indicating. If they look like they are going to overtake, they probably will.

I would highly recommend taking a basic maintenance course and a safety course as well. They are great for learners and the instructors are usually motorcyclists themselves, so you will be in good hands.

Lastly, enjoy yourself and have fun

Other guys and gals, feel free to add anything that you think that I have done wrong, or have missed. I know in no way is this perfect, But I tried my best to help