At a glance
Want to alternate between driving a car and riding a motorbike? Here are a few criteria to help you choose your first motorbike.
Many people who want to buy their first motorbike often do so on a whim. But is that the best approach?
Serge, Redion's traffic biker, gives us his advice.
Riding a motorbike is becoming more and more popular. A motorbike lets you filter through traffic and avoid the increasingly frequent hassle caused by traffic jams. In good weather, it also lets you enjoy the sunshine and go for a ride.
Buying a first motorbike: the criteria to consider
Buying a first motorbike shouldn't be done lightly and should take certain criteria into account. Here are 5 of the most important:
1. Budget
The first criterion is obviously budget. There's no point dreaming of a superb €30,000 Harley Davidson if you only have €10,000 to spend. As with cars, the price range is very wide. Take the time to compare and choose reliable dealers.
Also estimate the insurance premiums, taxes, fuel and maintenance costs you'll be facing.
2. Size and weight
When sitting on the motorbike, it's important to be able to "touch the ground", meaning both feet should touch the ground, ideally flat, with heels on the floor. If you're on the shorter side, there's often a way to shave down the seat or adjust the shocks to lower it.
Also watch out for weight. For many people, picking up a motorbike weighing more than 200 kg that has fallen over is very difficult, if not impossible, to do alone.
3. Power
If you're a beginner, I'd strongly advise against choosing a "hyper-sport" style motorbike. Even if you're an exceptional beginner who passed your test first time with flying colours, you don't yet have the necessary experience, and the temptation to "open the throttle" is likely to be too strong. Don't forget that accidents often happen during the first two or three years after passing your test.
What's more, there's no real need to choose an overly "sporty" motorbike if you're only using it for your daily commute on congested roads. Being able to reach speeds of 200 to 250 km/h or more is only useful if you want to train on a track, after specific training.
That said, don't choose a motorbike that's not powerful enough either. You'll quickly get tired of a 125cc, and on top of that, overtaking is very difficult, sometimes even impossible, with that kind of machine.
4. Falling in love with it
As with buying any vehicle (or clothes or other items), you need to actually like what you're buying. The motorbike needs to suit you, both in terms of comfort and looks.
Note: whether or not you find it aesthetically pleasing, don't lose sight of the fact that a windscreen will protect you from various debris and insects hitting you.
5. Why not a second-hand motorbike?
Although risky, buying a second-hand motorbike seems reasonable to me if you lack experience. If you clumsily drop it and it gets damaged, you'll be less upset than if it were a brand-new bike. And that happens often! I myself once paid the price for this kind of slip-up. I'd parked my motorbike on a slope and forgotten to put it in first gear. So it fell over after a few moments. It was two months old. Cost: a good thousand euros to make it like new again!
Don't forget that anything to do with motorbikes, directly or indirectly, is expensive.
If you go for a second-hand one, make sure it's in good condition. First, check its general condition: you can tell straight away if a motorbike has been maintained properly and regularly. Check the condition of the tyres, the chain (no noise or play on the sprocket), the brake pads, the engine and the suspension. Ask to ride it a few metres to make sure the clutch isn't slipping.
And finally: if you haven't just passed your driving test, don't hesitate to brush up on your knowledge of the highway code and take a few riding lessons… so you can manoeuvre without any trouble and stay fully in control of your machine.
Safe riding.
Serge
Also read the articles and tips from our "Bikers" series
