Motorcycle courier job?

**SMOKEU** · 7th May 2014, 12:50

Has anyone here done that for a job? What's it like?

The bike will probably be a CT110. Is it hard changing from a "normal" gear shift pattern to the postie bike gear pattern back and forth all the time? Is it hard getting used to no clutch, and then having a clutch again, or is it easy like going from a manual to an auto car?

**scott411** · 7th May 2014, 12:55

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Has anyone here done that for a job? What's it like?

The bike will probably be a CT110. Is it hard changing from a "normal" gear shift pattern to the postie bike gear pattern back and forth all the time? Is it hard getting used to no clutch, and then having a clutch again, or is it easy like going from a manual to an auto car?

having got on and off bikes, quads, scooters etc for a long time, you get used to it pretty quick,

**ellipsis** · 7th May 2014, 13:26

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Is it hard changing from a "normal" gear shift pattern to the postie bike gear pattern back and forth all the time? Is it hard getting used to no clutch, and then having a clutch again, or is it easy like going from a manual to an auto car?

...should I have toast for lunch with marmite, and will I be able to eat it properly if I butter one side and put the marmite on the other side...?

**gjm** · 7th May 2014, 18:45

I as a courier in London, bike and motorbike, back in the late 80s. I rode a Suzuki GS550.

You'll need all the usual biking awareness skills, in spades. And (depending on where you are riding) body armour.

Camaraderie between riders is generally superb, but for some reason drivers see a courier and see a target. More so than with regular motorcyclists!

I enjoyed it.

**Madness** · 7th May 2014, 18:50

Originally Posted by ellipsis

...should I have toast for lunch with marmite, and will I be able to eat it properly if I butter one side and put the marmite on the other side...?

Dunno mate. I think I might do a poo.

**skippa1** · 7th May 2014, 18:54

Originally Posted by Madness

Dunno mate. I think I might do a poo.

Yeah....first thing every morning

**jim.cox** · 7th May 2014, 19:13

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Has anyone here done that for a job? What's it like?

A: Yes

B: Dangerous

As GJM the Scooterboy says you are going to need ALL your riding skills. You are out in all weathers and at all hours. Most couriers dont last that long, but it is an experience that will colour the rest of your life - If you live, that is

With this city's fucked up streets, winter coming on and a shit heap bike I reccon you'll last a month or two or at most

I'd also suggest you should lay off the green stuff - you need to be awake and aware to avoid being just another statistic

Like GJM I enjoyed my stint at it - although I suspect it does seem better in retrospect than it did at the time

Just my $0.02

**SMOKEU** · 7th May 2014, 19:32

Originally Posted by jim.cox

A: Yes

B: Dangerous

As GJM the Scooterboy says you are going to need ALL your riding skills. You are out in all weathers and at all hours. Most couriers dont last that long, but it is an experience that will colour the rest of your life - If you live, that is

With this city's fucked up streets, winter coming on and a shit heap bike I reccon you'll last a month or two or at most

I'd also suggest you should lay off the green stuff - you need to be awake and aware to avoid being just another statistic

Like GJM I enjoyed my stint at it - although I suspect it does seem better in retrospect than it did at the time

Just my $0.02

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like a pretty hardcore job then.

So instead of the green stuff, you reckon I should stick to speed so I can focus more?

**jim.cox** · 7th May 2014, 21:22

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like a pretty hardcore job then.

So instead of the green stuff, you reckon I should stick to speed so I can focus more?

I'm hardly likely to advocate illegal chemicals on a public forum frequented by members of the constabulary, but I do know that too much coffee also isn't such a great idea

**Gremlin** · 7th May 2014, 23:13

Why don't you try being a bicycle courier. You espouse the awesomeness of bicycles, and they're a whole lot cheaper to maintain.

**awa355** · 8th May 2014, 07:51

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Why don't you try being a bicycle courier. You espouse the awesomeness of bicycles, and they're a whole lot cheaper to maintain.

You can get heaps more on a pushbike than a motorbike. I suspect the water tanks may be empty.

**F5 Dave** · 8th May 2014, 15:36

they went out of using bikes years ago. there's a good reason, several really.

I would suspect the end result is that you are destined to leave the job having made no real money, have no transferable skills to add to your CV, exposed yourself to lots of risk & lose the joy of riding motorcycles. Couriers seem to enter the job thinking they are making good money and bragging excessively about it & exit a few years later knowing the awful truth.

**SMOKEU** · 8th May 2014, 15:40

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Why don't you try being a bicycle courier. You espouse the awesomeness of bicycles, and they're a whole lot cheaper to maintain.

Well they supply the motorbike, so the running costs are not for me to worry about.

But from all the negative feedback I've been hearing, I won't apply for the job after all. I thought it would be a fairly cruisy job, but it seems like I was wrong.

I don't want to do it just to end up hating motorcycling and then not getting much enjoyment from my own bike, so I'll choose to keep motorcycling as a hobby and not as a job. Thanks everyone!

**Gremlin** · 8th May 2014, 15:42

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

I don't want to do it just to end up hating motorcycling and then not getting much enjoyment from my own bike, so I'll choose to keep motorcycling as a hobby and not as a job. Thanks everyone!

A mate once said, never make your hobby / passion your job, otherwise it's no longer your hobby / passion.

Makes sense to me...