Under 21 buying a bike

[bcjj]

I am 17 turning 18, waitin to register for my class 2b course and wondering if I can buy a bike just by myself or do I need guarantors above 21? And can any kind soul advice me on any nice sport or street bike, fuel efficient. Or any 2b bikes cheap but nice to intro? And, what will th learning process be like and how much do I need to save up for both learning and buying a bike Thanks a lot!!

[Fried Rice]

if you are buying from shop and taking a loan, you will need guarantor. if you are buying from private sellers and is not taking a loan for it, you don't need a guarantor.

[deathmaster]

I am 17 turning 18, waitin to register for my class 2b course and wondering if I can buy a bike just by myself or do I need guarantors above 21? And can any kind soul advice me on any nice sport or street bike, fuel efficient. Or any 2b bikes cheap but nice to intro? And, what will th learning process be like and how much do I need to save up for both learning and buying a bike Thanks a lot!!

 

Learning - Assuming you repeat some lessons but pass 1st time round. $700. 2nd time extra $200.

 

Bike can be cheap or ex. depending on your expectations. First hand can cost anything from $5k-$8k.

 

2nd hand, rule of the thumb, at least $500 for each year of COE remaining.

 

Or you can look for last minute sale, 10yr old bikes, ranging from free to a couple of hundreds, and renew 10yr COE. (Around $1900 currently)

 

Depending on the previous owner and the quality of the bike, a 2nd hand bike might be good as new, or be full of problems (which is costly, especially when you are still schooling and have no income.)

 

For 2b bikes, mileage range from 20++km/l for sports bikes, scooters and scramblers, to 30,40km/l for commuter bikes, kups. Petrol cost around $1.90/l. Do your math.

 

Season parking is $15/month for open air, $17/mnth for multistorey.

 

Road tax $64/yr.

 

For a cheap bike, running cost is around $90/mnth, inclusive of petrol, parking and regular maintenance such as spark plugs and oil change.

 

The most expensive part about owning a bike nowadays is coping with insurance. The cheapest insurance (3rd party) cost around $1000+/year for male riders below 21. Should you get into an accident, it does not cover your medical cost, nor repair cost for your bike.

 

Major maintenance, such as tyre change, batteries, wiring etc can burn around $500/yr.

 

Excluding the price of the bike, it will cost $200/month to keep your bike running.

 

Can you afford that?

 

Unless you really have a need, or a stable income, I would advise you to learn riding, but take public transport. It is slower, but also cheaper and safer.

 

ALL riders will be involved in some kind of accident, big or small. It is only a matter of when. The lucky ones escape with minor injuries after years of riding, while the unfortunate ones can die in an accident minutes after collecting their first bike.

 

Stay safe always.

[bcjj]

if you are buying from shop and taking a loan, you will need guarantor. if you are buying from private sellers and is not taking a loan for it, you don't need a guarantor.

So you meant that buying from private seller is easier? But there will still be disadvantages like bikes with alot of problems?

[bcjj]

WOW. So total, the first month when i buy my bike it will be like close to 10k or so..

 

And, can you reckon me any websites i can go to to see second or first hand bikes in sg?

 

The maintenance and other aspects really suck up alot of money eh.

 

Do you have any bike to reckon to me too?

 

How much did you spend in learning a bike?

Thanks so much for your specific details death master!

[Fried Rice]

So you meant that buying from private seller is easier? But there will still be disadvantages like bikes with alot of problems?

 

No matter where you buy from, be it private sellers or motor shops, there is still a chance of the bike having a lot of problems.

[bcjj]

No matter where you buy from, be it private sellers or motor shops, there is still a chance of the bike having a lot of problems.

oh, but buying from direct owner have to do transfer of ownership procedures right? How much will that cost? Thanks!

[Fried Rice]

The transfer fee is $11 at lta.

[RaidoN]

WOW. So total, the first month when i buy my bike it will be like close to 10k or so..

 

And, can you reckon me any websites i can go to to see second or first hand bikes in sg?

 

The maintenance and other aspects really suck up alot of money eh.

 

Do you have any bike to reckon to me too?

 

How much did you spend in learning a bike?

Thanks so much for your specific details death master!

 

Pass your 2B and save up first. Spent 400+ for my 2B.

[deathmaster]

WOW. So total, the first month when i buy my bike it will be like close to 10k or so..

 

And, can you reckon me any websites i can go to to see second or first hand bikes in sg?

 

The maintenance and other aspects really suck up alot of money eh.

 

Do you have any bike to reckon to me too?

 

How much did you spend in learning a bike?

Thanks so much for your specific details death master!

 

Sorry that I took SO LONG to reply. Totally forgotten about this thread. Have you got your license yet?

 

Yes, if you are planning to buy first hand bike, it would cost around $10k, more or less, depending on the type of bike you getting. Sportbikes (CBR, R15) will obviously cost more (both the bike and the insurance). A new Honda Tiger 200 will cost $10-11k on the road. Heard that Yamaha FZ150i around $9k. Cubs around $7k.

 

DO NOT BUY A FIRST HAND BIKE AS FIRST BIKE. You will regret it. As a newbie, you will 100% fall or drop your bike, and new bikes devalue very fast. You would want something that is cheap to buy, cheap and easy to maintain, easy and convenient to ride. Safety is very important too.

 

Someone mentioned that among the 3 qualities of bikes: Cheap, Good and Fast, you can only choose 2.

 

2-strokes Sportsbike (Kawasaki KRR and Honda SP150) are cheap ($1-2k) and fast (Can hit 160kmh), but not good. Insurance is very high, since they have very high accident rates. 2-stroke engines operate at faster rate than 4-stroke engines, thus wear out twice as fast too. Engine repairs are NOT CHEAP. Also, previous owners are more than likely to abuse the bike. 2-stroke exhausts usually have alot of smoke, and vehicle inspection might be a problem.

 

4-stroke Sportsbike. Good and Fast. E.g. Yamaha R15. Can hit 150kmh. Generally reliable machines. But again, nothing is cheap for sportsbikes.

 

European bikes: Aprilia RS125 (old 2-stroke), Aprilia RS4 125 (new 4-stroke), KTM Duke 125, are all very fast performance class 2b machines. Not cheap at all. They also need more frequent maintenance = $$$.

 

I shall now focus on the Good and Cheap bikes:

 

1) Bikes that have 2-3years of COE left. (try not to buy those with 1yr or less COE left, since most likely you will want to take class 2A)

 

2) Go for Honda and Yamaha. They are bulletproof. Much more durable and can take abuse.

 

3) Go take a tour of your carparks. Look for the most common bike. These are the "universal bikes" that all motorshops will be able to repair, with readily available parts.

 

I would not recommend cubs (and vespa-like scooters), despite their popularity and low pricing. They have extremely small fuel tanks (4l only), need regular trips to petrol kiosk, and are TOO LIGHT. Your bike will sway from the turbulence of passing heavy vehicles. Smaller tires = less grip on the ground. I have observed that many motorcycle accidents involve such bikes.

 

Try to avoid spoke-tires as well. A puncture will cause immediate loss of pressure, causing you to fall. A kickstarter is very convenient, especially when your battery is flat, and the place is unsuitable for pushstarts.

 

A box is VERY USEFUL, and it is not worth it to sacrifice practicality for looks. A bike without box may look sleek, but when you need to carry stuff, or when it rains, they might not seem so cool after all. You can use it as a locker, to keep your raincoat, helmets and laptop (which is definitely not waterproof).

 

Bikes that I would recommend, that look good with box, and available on the 2nd-hand market:

 

1) Yamaha FZ16. Made in India. 4-stroke. 150cc. Looks aggressive. Relatively large tires. Has kickstarter.

 

2) Yamaha FZ150i. Made in M'sia. 4-stroke. 150cc. Not as 'fierce' as FZ16. Has kickstarter. Parts are cheap and plentiful across the causeway.

 

3) Yamaha RXZ 135. 2-stroke 135cc bike. Popular bike in M'sia. Very durable. Kickstarter. You will probably remember it as the noisy bike which emits alot of white smoke. Parts are cheap.

 

4) Honda CBF150. 4-stoke. 150cc. Very quiet. Large tank. Cheap and easy to maintain. No kickstarter. Good fuel economy too.

 

5) Yamaha YBR 125. 4-stroke. 125cc. Cheap and easy to maintain. Average bike, but rather under-powered.

 

6) Honda Phantom 200. 4-stroke, 200cc. Cheap and easy to maintain. Large rear tire. Front and rear disc brakes. 30-35km/l fuel consumption. No kickstarter. Might be heavy for some. Out of production, but there's still plenty on the road. Very popular in Singapore, since it's one of the few bikes that max out the 2b license's limit of 200cc.

 

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Scooters. I know nuts about them. Just that they are automatics, and have faster acceleration than most bikes.

 

Popular scooters:

Gilera Runner 200. Very fast and speedy.

Piaggio X9 and X8, 180-200cc. Cheap, and built like boats, with extremely large underseat storage space.

SYM, KYMCO (taiwanese scooters). Large and spacious. Good performance. But I have no idea about durability.

 

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I spent around $800 (2 attempts) at BBDC for my class 2b.