Bike advice

[Andrew001]

Howdy folks, so I've wanting to get a bike for yearssssss and am finally do. Some of the main reasons are the cost benefit and the free feeling.
I jphave a few questions as I have a very little knowledge of the bike life.

First off, I quite like thr Honda xr 150. I'm quite tall and the budget suitesme. I found a second hand 2018 at a dealership with 400km. The salesman there first said it would be 29, then dropped it to 26k when I told him my budget. Is this a decent price? It's got a brand new engine as the old blew up. Apparently Honda gave the previous owner a brand new one, hence this one is available now. The salesman did say it comes with the remaining 1,5yr warranty. I should be covered right should anything go wrong?

What type of helmet do I get? Are the open face ones ok? Does your head cook in summer? Can I lock the helmet to the bike?

I'm a very cautious car driver. How important is bike insurance? Theft etc?

Do I need to lock my bike up with a chain everywhere I go? I live in hout bay in Cape town and will mainly using it around here and town occasionally. Are disc locks any decent?

Any other advice or tips would be greatly appreciated

 

[Hamster]

• Full face helmet with pinlock
• Jacket, gloves etc (ATGATT)
• Rider training course
• XR is a great bike.

This 150 is great. It's a good bike, cheap and you'll be able to get your full license in it. And when you outgrow it within a year you can either keep it as a run around or sell it without losing a lot of money.

 

[Andrew001]

• Full face helmet with pinlock
• Jacket, gloves etc (ATGATT)
• Rider training course
• XR is a great bike.

This 150 is great. It's a good bike, cheap and you'll be able to get your full license in it. And when you outgrow it within a year you can either keep it as a run around or sell it without losing a lot of money.

Awesome thanks for the info

 

[bromster]

^This

An open face helmet will shred your face of you fall off. Wait until you have at least 5 years under your belt.

+1 on a pinlock helmet. It allows you to put 2 visors begins each other kinda like an aircraft window, so the visor doesn't fog up in the mornings.

Buy the right size helmet. If it's new, it should be almost uncomfortably tight on your cheeks to start with. The shop assistant will help you choose. When I first tried my helmet on, I could bite the inside of my cheek as a reference.

Buy gloves that are long enough to overlap your long sleeved jacket. You probably don't need the Kevlar knuckles at that speed, but they are always great to have anyway.

As you are learning at low speed, always keep in mind that if you panic and start to lose control of the bike, LET GO OF THE THROTTLE! I have seen lots of new riders panic, brain freeze, full throttle, bang! Also, never snatch the front brake. That's an immediate crash on loose stones even at low speed. Apply gently for the first 0.5 sec. This will push much more weigh down onto the front suspension. Once your weight is properly loaded onto the front, you can brake 10 times harder without locking the front. It's just that initial braking force which is very dangerous.

Once you are comfortable with the weight of the bike, turn characteristics, changing gears smoothly, basic braking etc. , go onto a quiet road and get a feel for it. Remember to turn off your indicators after a corner. If you have the presence of mind to do this consistently, go for a few lessons and they can teach you about proper braking, body positioning etc. This is well worth the money.

When, and only when, you are done with your lessons and 100% comfortable on the bike, should you consider lane splitting.

Good luck!

 

[bromster]

https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/index.php?threads/1050566

Subscribe to this thread too. There are many experienced riders on here to answer who are very knowledgeable and willing to share experience.

 

[Andrew001]

^This

An open face helmet will shred your face of you fall off. Wait until you have at least 5 years under your belt.

+1 on a pinlock helmet. It allows you to put 2 visors begins each other kinda like an aircraft window, so the visor doesn't fog up in the mornings.

Buy the right size helmet. If it's new, it should be almost uncomfortably tight on your cheeks to start with. The shop assistant will help you choose. When I first tried my helmet on, I could bite the inside of my cheek as a reference.

Buy gloves that are long enough to overlap your long sleeved jacket. You probably don't need the Kevlar knuckles at that speed, but they are always great to have anyway.

As you are learning at low speed, always keep in mind that if you panic and start to lose control of the bike, LET GO OF THE THROTTLE! I have seen lots of new riders panic, brain freeze, full throttle, bang! Also, never snatch the front brake. That's an immediate crash on loose stones even at low speed. Apply gently for the first 0.5 sec. This will push much more weigh down onto the front suspension. Once your weight is properly loaded onto the front, you can brake 10 times harder without locking the front. It's just that initial braking force which is very dangerous.

Once you are comfortable with the weight of the bike, turn characteristics, changing gears smoothly, basic braking etc. , go onto a quiet road and get a feel for it. Remember to turn off your indicators after a corner. If you have the presence of mind to do this consistently, go for a few lessons and they can teach you about proper braking, body positioning etc. This is well worth the money.

When, and only when, you are done with your lessons and 100% comfortable on the bike, should you consider lane splitting.

Good luck!

Thank you that was super helpful. Do you wear jacket and gloves even on short trips to the shops etc?
I'm definitely going for lessons, just gotta find something I can afford.
Thanks for the heads up about lane splitting. I was watching these guys on the M3 yesterday. Swear they had death wishes.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Thank you that was super helpful. Do you wear jacket and gloves even on short trips to the shops etc?
I'm definitely going for lessons, just gotta find something I can afford.
Thanks for the heads up about lane splitting. I was watching these guys on the M3 yesterday. Swear they had death wishes.

You wear your kit when you ride. You can't pick when you're going to have an off.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

i always buy Honda, very reliable
ATTGAT All The Gear All The Time
only time i dont wear everything is when i go to Pick n Pay as it is on the same block as where i live so i barely make it past 3rd gear

 

[MEIOT]

Should lane splitting be encouraged considering it may be outlawed (from what I've heard)?
And before riders lose their shite and get all worked up - I'm a rider, not a commuter, just a rider.
That being said I commute in a car and abhor lane splitters in traffic.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Should lane splitting be encouraged considering it may be outlawed (from what I've heard)?
And before riders lose their shite and get all worked up - I'm a rider, not a commuter, just a rider.
That being said I commute in a car and abhor lane splitters in traffic.

Only in CT. And if the traffic is deadlocked enough for me to lane split, good luck catching me in a car anyway.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Should lane splitting be encouraged considering it may be outlawed (from what I've heard)?
And before riders lose their shite and get all worked up - I'm a rider, not a commuter, just a rider.
That being said I commute in a car and abhor lane splitters in traffic.

i lane split every single day, round trip to work and back is 96km
if it gets banned i will quit my job

my rule of thumb is never lane split >20km/h than the cars next to me, you need time to react and you need to allow drivers to see you in time. Nothing worse than driving along and all of a sudden a biker zooms past at 160km/h, i hate sharting myself

 

[MEIOT]

Only in CT. And if the traffic is deadlocked enough for me to lane split, good luck catching me in a car anyway.

Yes - OP is in CT. No? Why do I have the impression he is

Commuting on a bike in this country is just asking for shite IMO. Seen way too many riders in traffic sprawled on the road. Self-safety only goes so far, it's everybody else a rider has to be constantly vigilant of. Throwing lane splitting in to that is just amplifying the risk tenfold I reckon.
I regularly attempt lane changing in my cage only to have to, at the very last second, abandon my attempt because some dumb fukk rider is coming down the middle at an insane pace. If I, or another motorist misses that last second of awareness, there's another rider sprawled on the road.

Truth is, the majority of the riders in traffic, just have limited sense and awareness and think motorists should give way. That's not bravado, that stupidity.

OP - the absolute best advice when commuting on a bike you can ever stick to, every single time, is ATGATT. You will inevitably fall, and most likely through no fault of your own, but at least you can prepare for the worst. Minimize your risk of major injury.

 

[bromster]

Thank you that was super helpful. Do you wear jacket and gloves even on short trips to the shops etc?
I'm definitely going for lessons, just gotta find something I can afford.
Thanks for the heads up about lane splitting. I was watching these guys on the M3 yesterday. Swear they had death wishes.

I have been riding for 18 years, so I trust myself in adverse situations and tight spaces.

That being said, I'd go to the shops or to a friend's place in shorts and a t-shirt, but nothing more than say 5km, avoiding main roads or highways, and never with flip flops. Shorts is a dumb idea, but I do it anyway. I have been knocked off twice within 2 minutes of my house, and it hurt like a bitxh for over a week afterwards. Bleeding legs, bruises etc. It's just a tradeoff I was willing to make.

Suburbs are more dangerous than highways in my opinion.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Yes - OP is in CT

Commuting on a bike in this country is just asking for shite IMO. Seen way too many riders in traffic sprawled on the road. Self-safety only goes so far, it's everybody else a rider has to be constantly vigilant of. Throwing lane splitting in to that is just amplifying the risk tenfold I reckon.
I regularly attempt lane changing in my cage only to have to, at the very last second, abandon my attempt because some dumb fukk rider is coming down the middle at an insane pace. If I, or another motorist misses that last second of awareness, there's another rider sprawled on the road.

Truth is, the majority of the riders in traffic, just have limited sense and awareness and think motorists should give way. That's not bravado, that stupidity.

OP - the absolute best advice when commuting on a bike you can ever stick to, every single time, is ATGATT. You will inevitably fall, and most likely through no fault of your own, but at least you can prepare for the worst. Minimize your risk of major injury.

My bad. My ADD kicked in before that part of his post

As to the safety aspect, it is interesting that people will almost always come to threads like these and highlight the dangers, yet in the pizza thread people won't highlight the risk of heart attacks and diabetes.

One day you'll die. We all do. Might as well have some fun whilst you're living.

 

[MEIOT]

I have been riding for 18 years, so I trust myself in adverse situations and tight spaces.

That being said, I'd go to the shops or to a friend's place in shorts and a t-shirt, but nothing more than say 5km, avoiding main roads or highways, and never with flip flops. Shorts is a dumb idea, but I do it anyway. I have been knocked off twice within 2 minutes of my house, and it hurt like a bitxh for over a week afterwards. Bleeding legs, bruises etc. It's just a tradeoff I was willing to make.

Suburbs are more dangerous than highways in my opinion.

That seems a silly tradeoff. yeah - takes some time getting all the gear on - but, sure beats the pain those 2 times.

Bikers wearing shorts and t-shirts are idiots. Your post is case in point. I see these clowns all the time, usually in the trailer park areas. Sad indeed when people lack critical thinking skills.

no novice or wannabe rider should take advice from the likes of you IMO

 

[nazmo]

following. thinking of getting a scooter for when I need to do alot more running around, especially inner city. dont plan on doing much highway or peak riding

 

[MEIOT]

My bad. My ADD kicked in before that part of his post

As to the safety aspect, it is interesting that people will almost always come to threads like these and highlight the dangers, yet in the pizza thread people won't highlight the risk of heart attacks and diabetes.

One day you'll die. We all do. Might as well have some fun whilst you're living.

Well made point.


Just always nice to see things from as many angles as possible so a novice can get a more holistic view.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Well made point.


Just always nice to see things from as many angles as possible so a novice can get a more holistic view.

I've started making the same point in person when people inevitably mention:"You ride a motorcycle? In JHB? Aren't you scared?"

Lady, you weigh like 150kg and wheeze when you look at steps - I rate my chances of seeing next year higher than yours.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Well made point.


Just always nice to see things from as many angles as possible so a novice can get a more holistic view.

Or the people that are most "scared" of motorcycles are the ones typing on twitter whilst doing 140km on the highway. They don't realise that their daily activities is just as dangerous.

 

[SykomantiS]

Yes - OP is in CT. No? Why do I have the impression he is

Commuting on a bike in this country is just asking for shite IMO. Seen way too many riders in traffic sprawled on the road. Self-safety only goes so far, it's everybody else a rider has to be constantly vigilant of. Throwing lane splitting in to that is just amplifying the risk tenfold I reckon.
I regularly attempt lane changing in my cage only to have to, at the very last second, abandon my attempt because some dumb fukk rider is coming down the middle at an insane pace. If I, or another motorist misses that last second of awareness, there's another rider sprawled on the road.

Truth is, the majority of the riders in traffic, just have limited sense and awareness and think motorists should give way. That's not bravado, that stupidity.

OP - the absolute best advice when commuting on a bike you can ever stick to, every single time, is ATGATT. You will inevitably fall, and most likely through no fault of your own, but at least you can prepare for the worst. Minimize your risk of major injury.

And in doing so, you basically cause longer delays for everyone behind you in both lanes. People need to learn that in grid-locked traffic changing lanes is not gonna help help you save time. Because 100m down the road some other dumb **** is doing the exact same thing and again you find yourself in the "slow" lane wanting to change. It's a knock-on effect that only gets worse. Pick a lane and stick to it- and try picking the lane you need to be in when you have to turn 4 or 5 blocks down the road. And I say this as someone who commutes both by car and bike.

Grievances aside, some good advice in this thread. ATGATT, get some proper rider training, learn to think for other people bacause you'll quickly find that they can't think for themselves.