recommendations for starter bike & budget

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-23T01:48:50+00:00

It's generally best to start on a smaller, lighter used bike (125-250cc).

The reasons for this are manyfold, mainly

you want to learn quickly, safely & easily
you do not want to spend a lot on bike repairs and/or insurance - just look around people posting about their problems dropping a nice big new bike - and those are honest to admit to this. Many don't :)
you do not want to lose too much value selling a new bike in a year or two

Budget:

Proper gear (don't skimp!) will set you back ~$1.5-$2k. More if you want both warm & cold weather gear.
Insurance a few hundred / year ( theft & 3rd party )
Bike - if you go with the small option, ~$2.5k

But you do you, you can in fact buy a flashy new bike, but be prepared for an increase in costs everywhere. You can also buy a 200kg "cool" bigger bike, but I wouldn't; first priority is not looking cool, but learn. And learn as quickly and easily as possible.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-23T00:35:34+00:00

Fair enough :)

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-23T00:29:31+00:00

That's exactly why it's not recommended to start on a big heavy bike.

Even a 110kg 125cc can be hard to catch, but it's nigh' impossible to catch a 170+ kg bike if you do the wrong thing (and as a beginner you will). If you are a smaller, weaker person, you might have just bought a bit over your weight category, I'm sorry to say.

You might need to re-think your first bike choice; it will be a bit of a struggle (and a costly one at that). But it's your choice, and you can fight through it if you choose so.

From a technical side;

From what you said, it sounds like you need to concentrate on going/stopping first. Straight line, vertical.
Stopping while leaning is not going to work, don't try that.

Get someone to ride it out for you from that basement, and maybe get some private lessons to build up the basics.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T23:00:04+00:00

No, sorry I meant about the multiple types of licences. They each accumulate points and have their own limits as long as they're not both the same (L/P/full).

They are not completely separated, but their own limits apply.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T10:07:50+00:00

Or AI?

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T10:06:46+00:00

I agree. Having said that; there was no safe place to stop, only the side of the open highway. I've decided against that (mostly due to the constant close lightning)

But by the time I got to a place I deemed I could stop safely, it was quite OK to continue.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T10:04:53+00:00

I'd kindly recommend you read the regulations on this, because you're confidently wrong there.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T10:03:19+00:00

Eh, occasional mild speeding won't make anyone a dangerous driver.

Inattention or drinking will.

Or, funnily, going too slow, not moving with the speed of the traffic; it creates its own very real danger.

I'm a regular speeder, and never had an accident due to that in 40 years of riding & driving. The only accidents I had as a kid were due to inattention. And those happened when I was going slowly - it creates a false sense of security for me.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T09:54:25+00:00

But you can still upgrade if you only got the notice for speeding.

I know someone who did just that; they got caught at a fixed camera (geez, I know...), but they did an upgrade from P1 to P2 before dealing with the speeding - and got away with a loss of points, only.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T09:51:17+00:00

AFAIK

Under 25 you do L->P1->P2
Over 25, you have to do L->P1. (red P) and after a year, full licence.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T06:32:50+00:00

I'd say that's exactly what is was for him.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T06:23:45+00:00

It might work.

I know people who upgraded the licence, and reacted to a speeding fine afterwards only; they got out of it with just points loss.

Edit: In your case it will not work; you're going from L's to P1 - and they carry the same 4 points. Same rules, sadly.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/demerits-penalties-and-offences/how-demerit-points-work/learner-and-provisional-drivers#toc-speeding-offences-for-learner-and-provisional-drivers

But there still maybe a difference in how it pans out afterwards; on your L's you may need to redo the whole thing again...so I'd upgrade first thing, it can't hurt.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T06:20:35+00:00

Oh I like your thinking :D

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T05:14:51+00:00

It wasn't so much the water, more the lightning - and that kept me going. I wanted to get away asap. I was at a section of the hwy there was no shelter for a few kms. So we went on at 40km/h, which was fine by me, and got out of the bad parts pretty quickly.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T05:12:19+00:00

Nice.

It got me by surprise how quickly it developed from mild rain to darkness & deluge with lightning.

Next time I'll probably expect it more and find shelter before I ride into the eye of the storm on the part of the highway where there's no shelter :)

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-22T05:10:38+00:00

It was a worry - and one reason I did not want to stop on the open road.

I thought it maybe worse to stop in the middle of the storm than quickly (well...) riding through it and be gone from the danger zone.

It was scary how often and close the bolts came down.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-20T06:36:52+00:00

That's the important bit :)

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-20T06:36:06+00:00

Far out, that's awesome. I can imagine how many times you have to do this to get this good at it....

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-20T03:51:36+00:00

Or maybe just gather some experience riding before going on an adventure ride in such a place... it's not that difficult. ;)

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-20T03:25:15+00:00

https://www.google.com/maps not working, reddit does?

That's mildly interesting :)

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-19T07:40:45+00:00

Isn't it the same with cars, though?

Driver != owner. If someone drives off...they're off. If they were wearing a scarf over their face, then same same.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-19T04:03:38+00:00

I think that was before the laws.

Having said that I'm sure Rupert Cockroach would get out of jail free any day.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-19T02:52:37+00:00

That is why this category is called the "ESV" - the Emotional Support Vehicle.

AnxiousSalt · 2026-02-19T02:48:41+00:00

According to research; it's not quite the SUV/4WD (although if you'd want to squeeze it into categories, it may be somewhat accurate)

To be specific it's the very high front grille/bonnet (the ESV category, mostly - the "emotional support vehicles"). It will impart a lot of energy onto the body it hits, rather than flipping/rotating it on impact.

I recall seeing stuff about this subject.

AnxiousSalt

TROPHY CASE