Advice for bike

[fabianau]

Hi,

 

I'm not sure whether i posted this at the correct section of the forum. I'm actually interested buy second hand bike. I'm now starting to take my bike lessons. Would like to get some advice from all of you here.

 

However, I do not have much budget. Would like to ask advice for any second hand bikes that are cheap.

 

Thanks.

[Stoned]

Generally small bikes are pretty cheap and a 4-5 year old japanese specimen like a spark or wave in decent condition can usually be had for about 1k+.

 

Is that considered cheap by your standards? You weren't very specific.

 

You can also try older 8-9 year old specimens which can probably be had for just a few hundred dollars. Your insurance will likely cost more. However, getting such an old bike may result in a case of being penny wise and pound foolish, given that small bikes are not often showered with the same loving care as larger bikes, since they are primarily transport tools.

 

Get an experienced rider to go with you to assess the condition of the bike when viewing, regardless if it's an old or new bike. And as always, caveat emptor.

[exige]

A general question can only bring about a general answer.

 

Perhaps you could share your budget range ($1k-2K? or $5k-6k?, etc), your preferences and needs? (Only go to school/work, or how far do you travel each day, prefer sports bike, or use only as transport bike, etc) or anything cheap also ok, so long as got 2 wheels?

[fabianau]

Hi,

 

I would set my budget around 1k - 2k range. I will use my bike for going to camp after my bmt ends. I actually also prefer cruisers bikes.

 

Let's say if I were to get a 2nd hand Honda Phantom, 5 - 6 years bike, roughly how much would it cost? What are the other fees included like how much is the insurance, road tax etc?

 

Thanks )

[Blahhh]

U should ask the phantom knights. Heck maybe u might find a good deal there as well: http://www.singaporebikes.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=27

[fabianau]

Are there any more recommendation for crusier bikes?

[Stoned]

Hi,

 

I would set my budget around 1k - 2k range. I will use my bike for going to camp after my bmt ends. I actually also prefer cruisers bikes.

 

Let's say if I were to get a 2nd hand Honda Phantom, 5 - 6 years bike, roughly how much would it cost? What are the other fees included like how much is the insurance, road tax etc?

 

Thanks )

 

That's quite an alright budget for a 5-6 year old 2b cruiser. A phantom is probably the cheapest because it's the most common, but you could also look for an old kawasaki eliminator or other offerings by daelim.

 

Insurance will depend on which company you choose, but if you get 3rd party it should only be a few hundred dollars. Road tax is practically negligible for a small bike.

[fabianau]

Thank you so much for your advice

 

CHEERS!

[blazeman]

Choose phantom better lo , phantom got two type which is 150cc and 200cc. Fc also low good for going to camp .

[CCharles]

Choose Vespa, comfortable, easy to handle, cheap, and helmet can be stored under seat!

[fabianau]

@blazeman what's fc?

 

@Stoned how much does a new and second hand vespa cost?

 

Anyway, how about DAELIM MAGMA? Cheaper or more expensive?

Edited May 15, 2010 by fabianau

[blazeman]

@blazeman what's fc?

 

@Stoned how much does a new and second hand vespa cost?

 

Anyway, how about DAELIM MAGMA? Cheaper or more expensive?

 

fuel comsumption.

[fabianau]

oh ok... i saw some review on honda phantom easily skid?

[STEP_KANG]

oh ok... i saw some review on honda phantom easily skid?

 

actually it depends alot on the rider. even the best tires, reckless rider will also skid... for the phantom easier skid is becoz the weight distribution is not very good, the rear is heavier, so easy to wheel lock when u apply too much rear brake resulting in skid...

 

if u really like cruisers type n wan to get a phantom, just get it... since u know y it skid easily, u can reduce the chance of it happening greatly... front brake more, use more engine braking and easy on rear brake... try asking those riding phantom on how they handle their rides...

[blazeman]

actually it depends alot on the rider. even the best tires, reckless rider will also skid... for the phantom easier skid is becoz the weight distribution is not very good, the rear is heavier, so easy to wheel lock when u apply too much rear brake resulting in skid...

 

if u really like cruisers type n wan to get a phantom, just get it... since u know y it skid easily, u can reduce the chance of it happening greatly... front brake more, use more engine braking and easy on rear brake... try asking those riding phantom on how they handle their rides...

 

agree, for newbie cruiser type example phantom when riding for cornering will be not used to it lo.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Phantom is quite a forgiving machine, contrary to the skidding reputation. Just keep in mind the weight transfer issue, load the front brakes more and note that engine braking on a Phantom may not be the best idea on slippery surfaces. The compression is surprisingly strong and with your rear brakes applied as well, may cause wheel lock.

 

The front brakes are very good in my opinion, so make use of them. Always brake in a straight line (a good practise in all vehicles).

 

Another issue is momentum - think of what you want to do in advance. Heavy bike does not respond as 'instantly' as a kup.

 

Once you do a few slow circuits around some deserted housing estate, you'll find the Phantom pretty much drives itself. Slow speed maneuvering can be tricky for beginners (such as tight U turns) but that's what practise rounds are for. Just be gentle and don't "throw" the bike into the turn. Use physics to your advantage.

 

Be gentle on the throttle in the wet, because there's enough torque to let you play Tokyo Drift around relatively large sweeping corners.

 

Like I always say, it's good practise for a 2A.

 

There are old gentlemen who ride Phantoms at 130kph and cut through traffic jams like Malaysian cubs. Phantom is made in Thailand so it must be agile enough to maneuver in the city, anyway, so don't think a cruiser is a sitting duck.

[fabianau]

Thank you so much for all your advice

 

Any more tips if i were to get a phantom?

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

If you were to get a Phantom it may make more sense to source from private buyers. They come really cheap when their COE is expiring.

 

If you insist on new, there are maybe one or two Fire Editions in some obscure shop somewhere in Singapore, those cost about 7.5K each.

 

Your next best option is do what I did and spot some about to be scrapped Phantom and get the shop to do her back up like new! 3.6k for mine (once insurance etc was settled) and as far as I'm concerned it's perfect.

 

Without insisting on all corrosion gone and everything chromed, your machine price should be something like sub $2000. Private sellers can quote you less - sometimes even as low as $600 but be sure to inspect the machine well.

 

I don't doubt Honda reliability, I've witnessed Phantoms still running when the owner doesn't know what a 'full service' is and was just riding it for about 6+ years and still fine.

 

Best tip - approach the Phantom with an open mind. Its out of production, it's old, it's not as easy to handle or efficient as a "modern" 21st Century bike but it's light on the wallet, fun to ride and best of all you can make many improvements to the bike yourself.

 

I do recommend that once you purchase a veteran bike, send it for a top overhaul at least at your favourite motorshop. Should cost you about $380 at Planet Motor for just the engine alone. Run it in yourself.

 

But even before that, inspect, haggle, inspect more, test ride BEFORE you buy. Make sure the thing doesn't fall apart once you reach the expressway. The engine is NOT slow and delivers some potent torque on the low and midrange. If it can't hit 90kph it's a fail (or polite term - ill maintained) bike

[mU]

when you're not confident with phantom, go slower.allow yourself more time for reaction then u'll be able to prevent skidding. sofar 3 yrs riding a phantom, i've skidded once cos i was following too closely to the vehicle in front and had to jam brake, the screeching was a horrible sound.

 

cornering wise, i find no problem because i know im not in motogp.

[fabianau]

Hm... good advice gain from you all.

 

I think a second hand bike is a wiser choice ba.

 

Also, what are the other choices of second hand 2b bikes that cost around 1k - 2k? Need not be cruisers, any kind also can.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

That kind of price? You can get almost any good cub (as in the more powerful ones like Yamaha Spark) in good to great condition less than 2 years old. Scout around first until you see something you really like.

 

If scooters are your thing then there were some folks selling race modded Runners in garage sales some time back for as low as $600. Those are really fast things but you may have problems passing inspection as they have a lot of aftermarket accessories on them.

 

If you have a great sense of humor you can also buy a BRAND NEW "senior" bike like Suzuki GN125 at $1200 or so. Which is quite a good deal as it's a reliable workhorse, decent quality and in this time and age of plastic moped racing (for 2B), unbeatable uniqueness lol.

[mU]

i may be wrong but generally,more common bikes(such as phantom kups rzk/z) with less than 5 yrs of coe left cost about that price.

one suggestion here, you may want to go to the PK sales thread and take a look at the "market rate" of used phantoms. and of course the various bikes' pages to look at theirs.

 

and then compare it with how much the bike shops sell their usedbikes. you can do so by finding the forum pages of various bike shops which had set up a thread here.

[fabianau]

ok. meantime i'll go and check it out. thanks yeah.

[fabianau]

and oh yes. people what are the choices of tourers bike are there for 2b?

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

In two words: Not much.

 

2B bikes usually don't have enough horsepower to run the speed and distances required of a thoroughbred tourer. However you can tune and generally optimise any bike for fast, efficient cruising but don't expect anything much more than 100-120kph sustained.

 

Okay I had a Yamaha that runs best at 140kph all day but there's a price to pay for such performance! Namely, reliability.

 

There are approximately two choices for a baby tourer - Get something with big torque and a comfortable suspension geometry like a Phantom. No issue with comfort or cargo capacity here. Decent torque, so get a smaller rear sprocket for distance work. Windscreen to improve aerodynamics or you'll be the primary source of air resistance sitting straight up.

 

Problem is unless you know a bit of DIY mechanic stuff it'll likely require a bit of TLC before it runs perfectly in the long term. New Phantoms are rare.

 

Or go lightweight and max efficiency and get something like a CBR150. You'll be surprised at how comfortable it is. Mount saddlebags or small panniers for the look of a little sports tourer.

 

This is the best choice for a little tourer because the CBR150 is powerful enough to get you anywhere (it can cruise at up to 130kph) and economical enough to cover a great distance (up to 490km last time I checked).

 

Once again, optimise the sprocket ratios for higher cruise at lower RPMs to save fuel and engine wear in the long term.