Lets buy a bike?

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Acros

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So I've been looking at tons of threads, bikes, options and I'm kind of in a situation soon where I can only see a motorcycle being the outcome.

This is not mainly about saving fuel or costs but rather we need a second vechicle and I could benefit from a bike because my car use around 11-12L/100km.

First of my wife is pregnant and we only have one car.

Currently I drive through 25km and back (50km) a day to work. Bellville to Stellenbosch. I usually drive through Kuilsriver so I get some traffic there then over Polkadraai Rd. Very seldom I take Bottelary Rd because of the location of my workplace. Therefor I must drive through traffic and for about 1/3 of the road probably at 100kmph.

Once the baby is born and my wife goes back to work she will need the car for obvious reasons.

Options:
1.) Get an old car for around R20 000?
2.) Get a bicycle and get fit and cycle since it is do-able but I assume 2hours+ traveling may not be that nice and during rain, Illness I doub't I can keep it up?
3.) Get a cheap commuter bike?

Due to obvious reasons I aim more towards option 3. Let me know if you feel different.

So I'm 1.62m tall, about 65kg and I am good enough with my hands to fix/service cars so assume maintenance on a bike should be do-able?

Obviously there is one choice and it is a Honda NC700 however it is out of my price range.
I am leaning mostly to a Honda CBX 250 Twister. . I am also looking at the Yamaha YBR250, Yamaha SR250 and/or Suzuki GN250. I like th GN and SR mainly for the Cafe racer look but the CBX and YBR is probably the better choices?
I probably won't do breakfast runs or even if I want to own a 1000cc death machine I will not buy one for the next 20 years that I have children obviously.

Looking at around R15000 with at the most 30k km and depending on service history and condition. Note I must still get the gear and learners. Gear obviously will set me back R5k+.

Any advice or should I try go for the bicycle instead?^^ I do feel its wrong to want a bike now that I will become a father but I'm slightly more responsible than I was back at 21 when I knew I should never own a bike
 
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So my obvious question is (and I say obvious as it was the first hurdle I had to overcome) - will your wife be OK with you getting a bike?
I kinda agree with your line of thinking. We have two cars and this means two sets of baby seats, yet we really mostly use the one vehicle for transporting everyone around.
Getting a bike also means you get to get home a bit earlier, leave home a bit later, which is important for a new dad.

In emergencies two cars can come in handy - say your wife is at work and the kid is sick and you need to take them to a doctor you'd be in a bit of a bind but then you've got Uber/ Taxify as potential options.
As a cost-effective option yeah I think it'll work.
 
@ SlinkyMike: Definitely not. I have been on the back of a few years ago but only gravel and can say with all honestly I am not experienced. I am good at observing everything around me in a car and can drive good and act quick when I'm about to make and accident so it helps a bit but will even consider doing a training course or something.
 
[MENTION=169093]Sepeng[/MENTION]: In my head two cars makes more sense if one breaks down you have another backseat but honestly I'm not buying a car if I cannot buy one cash and at the moment The baby will most likely be close to home and my wife's work in Brackenfell/Bellville. So if anything happens and she cannot do it I will have to drive through to get the car and then the baby anyway. I assume I would get there faster than with a car most likely and since my wife should then be at home or work I will have to get the car.

My wife loves bikes and me but not me on them. She have said before I should never get a bike but I mean if it makes sense it makes sense.
 
Acros said:
@ SlinkyMike: Definitely not. I have been on the back of a few years ago but only gravel and can say with all honestly I am not experienced. I am good at observing everything around me in a car and can drive good and act quick when I'm about to make and accident so it helps a bit but will even consider doing a training course or something.
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Then you need to do some rider training before you even start shopping for a bike...otherwise you will end up in hospital.

Being able to drive a car has absolutely zero correlation to riding a bike outside of knowing what the road signs mean.

Acting quickly is exactly why people crash and needing to. The trick is not getting in a situation you need to avoid in the first place...that's how bikers stay alive.

Do the training first and then decide if it's still for you. Most make the mistake of buying a bike first and then "making it work".
 
Acros said:
[MENTION=169093]Sepeng[/MENTION]: In my head two cars makes more sense if one breaks down you have another backseat but honestly I'm not buying a car if I cannot buy one cash and at the moment The baby will most likely be close to home and my wife's work in Brackenfell/Bellville. So if anything happens and she cannot do it I will have to drive through to get the car and then the baby anyway. I assume I would get there faster than with a car most likely and since my wife should then be at home or work I will have to get the car.

My wife loves bikes and me but not me on them. She have said before I should never get a bike but I mean if it makes sense it makes sense.
Click to expand...

In my opinion the most terrible idea is to buy a bike and be forced to ride it.

And I speak from experience when my ex wrote off her car and decided to buy a bike instead as we had a car between the two of us.

If she put 500km on that bike I would be surprised, then she borrowed my car the rest of the time and I put a few thousand on the clock.

The reality is something is going to happen to you...not to her and then it's going to be a cluster**** of note.

I would implore you to get a car instead and a bike as third vehicle down the line.

Then once you are at the point of biking being muscle memory (2+ years) without any silly stuff happening then you can look at getting rid of the car.

In this case it doesn't actually make sense, you are just convincing yourself that it does.

The odds are stacked against you.


I don't say this to be nasty or to shoot you down. I would love to see everyone on bikes but after 15+ years of riding I've seen people do this many many times and it's pretty much never worked out how they imagined it would.
 
Acros said:
@ SlinkyMike: Definitely not. I have been on the back of a few years ago but only gravel and can say with all honestly I am not experienced. I am good at observing everything around me in a car and can drive good and act quick when I'm about to make and accident so it helps a bit but will even consider doing a training course or something.
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It's totally possible to get a big bike (anything 600 and up in general there exists plenty of debate and nuance on this topic so please accept that I am speaking generally) and not come to some kind of grief.

The data show that it is much more likely that you’ll have a bad time.

You should start with a small bike, the Twister is a good option as Honda has a reputation for reliability and definitely do a beginners course.

Starting on something like and NC700, regardless of how tuned for commuting it is may not be a good way to go. Plenty of people will disagree with me but when it comes to bikes I’m a cautious mofo.

If you you’ll forgive my getting somewhat personal… most riders I know ride because they are passionate about motorcycles. In my opinion you should weigh the fuel and time savings against the possibility that your family grows up without you.

Motorcycling is dangerous. Riders accept the risk mostly because they believe it is worth it based on their passion. I would personally have a hard time justifying it against fuel savings. I actually don't commute by bike very often and rather ride as a hobby over the weekends.
 
SlinkyMike said:
If you you’ll forgive my getting somewhat personal… most riders I know ride because they are passionate about motorcycles. In my opinion you should weigh the fuel and time savings against the possibility that your family grows up without you.
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Fuel savings are almost completely negated by more frequent servicing and tyre changes that are as a whole also more expensive.

Granted the smaller they are the cheaper they run, but I'm also of the opinion that too small (as in these examples) is dangerous and will just get you in trouble. More so when the bike wants to be bought as cheaply as possible and shortcuts are taken.

NC700 wouldn't be impossible power wise in general but with OP being rather short it's probably going to be a very bad idea.

When it comes to value for motorcycles over cars it's purely about time in my book.

I'd also never recommend any bike without ABS to any beginner any more (anyone for that matter). It's just not worth the risk.

Same goes for cars really.

At least OP is sensible enough not to want to start on a litre superbike. :)
 
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I agree but I know I will like riding a bike and I do disagree about driving a car does not influence driving a bike. I'm a considerate driver towards situations and people around me and acting beforehand like I mentioned I usually see and assume the worst what people would do and evade it. If you drive a car like a **** then you will most likely drive bike like **** as well. The lack of experience on the road in a car is the reason teenagers usually die on bikes imo.

For now I must first decide 100% if a bike is the option. Then will do the rest. I still have 6 months to sort out the gear, training and then bike.

Regarding being passion-able about having a bike. I was about to buy a bike as my first car but eventually later bought a corsa. I always wanted a bike and my father used to have a bike as well so being passionate bout it is definitely no problem. I watch biker movies, series. Love it in fact but I know my wife didn't really want me to have one and I respected that

I buy a car for R20000 I can tell you from experience I will stand next to the road most likely. I will have to spend another 5k and another 5k ect on the repairs and I can garuntee it cause I've been through it with my Corsa and that was a R45k vehicle. The Figo I have now is at least somewhat newer and accident free.

As for a new car or installments. Me and my wife's salaries cannot afford an installment of R1000 for something else. Everything I buy I buy cash and I'm not buying a car just to pay tons of interest on it. Not liking a bike or being passionate is my last problem.. The reason Iwant a 250 only is obviously i dont need to go faster than 120kmph. I can only afford a 250 and even if after two years I really want a nc700 or a bigger bike I will most likely not do it cause I know my wife did not want me on a bike at first. This 250 must be for commuting and buying milk at the store quickly over weekends.

The other problem is why the hell would I want to buy a bike and car if my wife is pregnant and I know I will need around R50k probably just to get through 9 months and deliver a baby and I must assume worst case scenario that maybe the hospital plan do not cover most expenses. That will be very irresponsible.

Lastly (also another small issue) My Figo is parked on the street already. The tikkoppe loves to steal anything on the street but luckily no one steals Ford anymore. An older toyota or honda will probably be gone the next day. The Bike I could park inside the back yard or behind the small gate in front.

To show how passionate I am about some bikes. You know why I want that SR or Gn 250's. just look at this nice one.
https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-motorcy...racer-+-urgent-sale/1002377539920910001646509
Nice Cafe racer look. I think if I wasn't passionate about bikes I would probably aim for a scooter. lol. I know I'll love bikes I'm just scared I'll like it too much against my wife's consent so I will stick to a 250
 
If you are thinking 250 - also look at the Honda Twister. Easy to maintain and very economical to use daily. I had that and my current 1200 - but I travel more highway, so the 250 was just standing so I reluctantly got rid of it last year. If you find that you need to upgrade, you will have no issues with resale on these
 
SauRoNZA said:
Fuel savings are almost completely negated by more frequent servicing and tyre changes that are as a whole also more expensive.

Granted the smaller they are the cheaper they run, but I'm also of the opinion that too small (as in these examples) is dangerous and will just get you in trouble. More so when the bike wants to be bought as cheaply as possible and shortcuts are taken.

NC700 wouldn't be impossible power wise in general but with OP being rather short it's probably going to be a very bad idea.

When it comes to value for motorcycles over cars it's purely about time in my book.

I'd also never recommend any bike without ABS to any beginner any more (anyone for that matter). It's just not worth the risk.

Same goes for cars really.

At least OP is sensible enough not to want to start on a litre superbike. :)
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Yea, good points. ABS especially.
 
TheFriendlyGhost said:
If you are thinking 250 - also look at the Honda Twister. Easy to maintain and very economical to use daily. I had that and my current 1200 - but I travel more highway, so the 250 was just standing so I reluctantly got rid of it last year. If you find that you need to upgrade, you will have no issues with resale on these
Click to expand...

Thanks man. Yeah I see tons of them for sale but its a pity (and somehow a good quality) that lots of them have 90k km or 80k km on the clock and still looks decent. I just don't see to many for that price in western Cape though.

Apart from that where is the best places to buy gear? I would check online but assume for bike gear it will be bets to try on. Then lastly places that do accredited bike training without you having a bike? that is my one concern. People say go do training but most places wants you to come with your bike.
 
Acros said:
I agree but I know I will like riding a bike and I do disagree about driving a car does not influence driving a bike. I'm a considerate driver towards situations and people around me and acting beforehand like I mentioned I usually see and assume the worst what people would do and evade it. If you drive a car like a **** then you will most likely drive bike like **** as well. The lack of experience on the road in a car is the reason teenagers usually die on bikes imo.

For now I must first decide 100% if a bike is the option. Then will do the rest. I still have 6 months to sort out the gear, training and then bike.

Regarding being passion-able about having a bike. I was about to buy a bike as my first car but eventually later bought a corsa. I always wanted a bike and my father used to have a bike as well so being passionate bout it is definitely no problem. I watch biker movies, series. Love it in fact but I know my wife didn't really want me to have one and I respected that

I buy a car for R20000 I can tell you from experience I will stand next to the road most likely. I will have to spend another 5k and another 5k ect on the repairs and I can garuntee it cause I've been through it with my Corsa and that was a R45k vehicle. The Figo I have now is at least somewhat newer and accident free.

As for a new car or installments. Me and my wife's salaries cannot afford an installment of R1000 for something else. Everything I buy I buy cash and I'm not buying a car just to pay tons of interest on it. Not liking a bike or being passionate is my last problem.. The reason Iwant a 250 only is obviously i dont need to go faster than 120kmph. I can only afford a 250 and even if after two years I really want a nc700 or a bigger bike I will most likely not do it cause I know my wife did not want me on a bike at first. This 250 must be for commuting and buying milk at the store quickly over weekends.

The other problem is why the hell would I want to buy a bike and car if my wife is pregnant and I know I will need around R50k probably just to get through 9 months and deliver a baby and I must assume worst case scenario that maybe the hospital plan do not cover most expenses. That will be very irresponsible.

Lastly (also another small issue) My Figo is parked on the street already. The tikkoppe loves to steal anything on the street but luckily no one steals Ford anymore. An older toyota or honda will probably be gone the next day. The Bike I could park inside the back yard or behind the small gate in front.

To show how passionate I am about some bikes. You know why I want that SR or Gn 250's. just look at this nice one.
https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-motorcy...racer-+-urgent-sale/1002377539920910001646509
Nice Cafe racer look. I think if I wasn't passionate about bikes I would probably aim for a scooter. lol. I know I'll love bikes I'm just scared I'll like it too much against my wife's consent so I will stick to a 250
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I assume you have medical aid?

If not just for the bike factor at least for the baby on the way.
 
Acros said:
Thanks man. Yeah I see tons of them for sale but its a pity (and somehow a good quality) that lots of them have 90k km or 80k km on the clock and still looks decent. I just don't see to many for that price in western Cape though.

Apart from that where is the best places to buy gear? I would check online but assume for bike gear it will be bets to try on. Then lastly places that do accredited bike training without you having a bike? that is my one concern. People say go do training but most places wants you to come with your bike.
Click to expand...

Trac-Mac is a good bet (in Bellville).

You are fortunate at least that your commute is on lesser used roads and skipping the highways.

Most places actually don't expect you rock up on your own bike for basic training...anyone who does is failing at basic training.

Billy de Beer is in your neighbourhood - http://motorcycletraining.co.za/

Further out is http://www.bikerbasics.co.za/

I've not dealt with either in many years.
 
SauRoNZA said:
I assume you have medical aid?

If not just for the bike factor at least for the baby on the way.
Click to expand...

Yeah at discovery but it's the Hopsital plan only. So paying the extras cash but saved up for that luckily
 
Acros said:
ABS is a problem because then I guess only entry level bikes I can quickly find with ABS is
Bajaj Pulsar RS200
Honda CBR250R
KTM 390 Duke
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And I wouldn't recommend anything less to most people.

A KTM 390 is the minimum I would recommend for an adult.

Too little power is as dangerous as too much power.


That being said it's lesser applicable to you as you won't do highways on the daily...but it's also unlikely you'll never ever do highways.

You want something that can easily maintain 120 AND also has pulling power if you open it up to overtake at that speed. Bikes below the 390-class don't really offer that.

But of course it's more money.

Tricky balance between safety and price.


Pay much less and have much higher risk of failure and possible complete loss. Or pay more and have lower risk of failure and less chance of complete loss so more money saved overall.
 
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SauRoNZA said:
Trac-Mac is a good bet (in Bellville).

You are fortunate at least that your commute is on lesser used roads and skipping the highways.

Most places actually don't expect you rock up on your own bike for basic training...anyone who does is failing at basic training.

Billy de Beer is in your neighbourhood - http://motorcycletraining.co.za/

Further out is http://www.bikerbasics.co.za/

I've not dealt with either in many years.
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Thanks man.. yeah if I had to drive highway I would have re-considered strongly a 250. On both roads usually most people tend to drive 80-100 at the most. My uncle use a Honda E-storm 125 on that same road but I'm somewhat skeptical of a 125 at 100kmph. If i twas only town traffic driving then sure.
 
Acros said:
Yeah at discovery but it's the Hopsital plan only. So paying the extras cash but saved up for that luckily
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Nothing wrong with that just had a baby with the Discovery Coastal Core plan.

However I have GAP cover which paid R12,000 odd out at the end of they mostly for my wife's choice of obstetrician. If she went without one within the approved rate it would have been covered almost fully.

Bear in mind you can claim against their maternity visit for every time you go to the doctor since 2018. Even if you don't have an MSA.
 
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