Best first bike?
A common question from students on their DAS course is “what do you recommend as my first bike?” They might also mention that their friends have said XYZ model / brand is a great first bike. And it might be totally unsuitable / disappointing to another rider’s needs. My own answer is to buy the bike that matches what you want to do and makes you happy. A bit of a broad statement, mainly because there are so many variables that you can get lost in, but the main considerations really come down to these:
- It is hard to buy a bad bike these days. Rider forums are always full of people who have issues because they are trying to find answers, so it biases those forums to make it look like “this bike has problems” And there will always be that unhelpful person who just posts “I had loads of problems with my [fill in any bike model here]”.
- What’s the budget? That might dictate new or 2nd hand.
- The 2nd hand market is always awash with really clean, low mileage choices. Get the mileage right and someone else has probably just paid for the last service. Loose too many hours over at MCN or BikeTrader.
- Think about why you will ride. Commuting? Touring? Fair weather pleasure only? A mix? Work out what bikes will do the job(s) best.
- Yes, you need to consider insurance. How a bike is classed (sports, tourer, adventure), how much damage it would sustain in an accident (e.g amount of plastic), where you will keep it and how “desirable to the undesirables in your postcode” it is will affect insurance premiums.
- Economy. This is not such a big variable as with cars. Nearly every bike I have owned in 30 years has been capable of 50mpg. It’s directly proportional to the right wrist. However, in the last couple of years efficiency is getting even better and some bikes are easily achieving 70mpg+
- Do you fit the bike? Unless you have a certain build then going straight for that big adventure bike might be unwise. You need to be able to push it, use the stands and keep it balanced when stationary. It might take a bit of time to build your skills and confidence before stepping up to a physically large bike. Dropping a first bike can be a bit demoralising.
- Are you nearby a suitable dealer / garage who can service it. Unlike car garages, motorbike garages are a bit fewer and far between. My KTM requires a round trip of nearly 100 miles and a (nice) day out, to get to the dealer.
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