sparky370z Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 its gonna be a few months yet but i like to do a bit of research before these things. i will have paid the zed off soon and when i do, i will prob either get a 370 roadster or a bike. at present i havent got a bike licence so need to get one. i have looked into it and it seems to be coming down in price alot for an intensive coarse jobby. i will need a bike that can take the mrs, but is fun to ride solo. not too worried what it is as i dont know much about bikes. i have the Zed and love her to pieces, dont need a family car, have a Qashqai for bigger things and have always thought about getting a bike, however i love the 370z roadster. its a toss up between the two. the question is what would you do? get rid of the 350 and get a 370 roadster..... or keep the 350 and get a bike. cheers Sparky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamN Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Keep the 350 and get a bike! All day long The 350 is an awesome car so no real need to upgrade to a 370 and spend more, when you've already paid it off. You could run a bike and a 350 together, for similar amount to just running a 370 and bikes are amazing fun. You can just do a direct access course to get you onto the bike All IMO, and slightly biased being that I have a bike (Suzuki SV650S) and am looking to buy a 350 lol. Really think it's worth doing though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Id say keep the 350 and get a bike, at least for this year. Much cheaper option too, then you have all bases covered. Plus if you still feel the need for a 370 after you can still do that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy78 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 370 > Bike But 350 + Bike > 370 IMHO of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky370z Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 this is what im thinking....... the cost of the bike and the 350z will be less than a 370z on a lease hire agreement. however the Zed is getting on a bit now. hopefully she wont need too much doing over the next couple of years. plus i can start wearing leathers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff-r Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I couldn't make up my mind so I have an R6 and a 370 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky370z Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 lucky sod!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I couldn't make up my mind so I have an R6 and a 370 Have to applaud your taste. My favourite bike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH 370z Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Depends on your confidence levels but what a bout an Aprilla 125 to start with you should be able to get a nice one for £1500 and they are plenty fast for a novice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke0549 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 This is what I've done; Bought a 350z and doing my bike licence in a few months (intensive course) and getting a track bike. Bikes on the road are far too dangerous. And for the price of a speeding ticket and a lot less hassle, ild rather get on a track, be able to go as fast as I can push myself and not have to worry about a granny in a Micra pulling out in front of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Ive got a 350 roadster and 3 sport motorbikes, incl an R1. I had a bit of a look earlier in the week and motorbikes are mega cheap now. You can get a 2000 / 2001 R1 or Fireblade for around £2500. I saw a lovely 1999 Bandit 1200 the other week for just £900. All would easily take you & a missus for nice rides out, as well as being fun if you get out on them on your own. A new R1 these days is in the region of 12grand, so you are getting a very good bike for a faction of the price! Insurance wise, ive been riding for a while, but my R1 just cost me £65 to renew the insurance for this next 12 months!!! Personally you cant beat the buzz of a ride out on the motorbike. Its very relaxing, fun, thrill giving and ive not come close to experiencing that sort of experience in anything else. The 350z roadster is fun, but compared to a bike it doesnt come close. I love having a ride out into the middle of nowhere on roads i dont know, without a care in the world. Sometimes you can just park up down a country lane and everything is quiet. - it really destresses you! Ive done track days before on the bike and just hate them. For a while I actually worked at Rockingham with the California Superbike school, training riders up on how to ride properly! One big thing I learnt was that you are more likely to have someone run into you than crash yourself on a track day! With regards to safety on a bike. You are certainly more vunerable, and you soon learn that you have to be 200% alert and predict what other drivers will do. The skills ive learnt as a biker have made me a much safer car driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamN Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 ^^ Couldn't agree more! Also when riding on a bike, just go carefully with the thought that everyone might pull out on you and that no one has seen you. Yes they can go insanely quick, but doesn't mean they have to on your every day roads Because bikes are so cheap now (for what they are) it's worth going into it with all the correct safety gear. Obviously all you legally have to wear is a helmet. Most people wear at least a helmet, protective gloves and protective jacket. IMO wearing bike boots and protective trousers are just as important. I personally have spent a lot of money on bike gear and it's the best place you can spend your money to start with. Another tip, get to the motorcycle live bike show at the NEC in Birmingham (usually held around November) if you can. It's an awesome show and there are loads of great bargains available! I got my Shoei XR1100 Helmet (brand new range just out at the time) for £275 including 2 visors. This package retailed at £445. I also got my Arlen Ness 2-piece leather suit for £240 which retailed at £600. These products are still at these prices in the shops now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I couldn't make up my mind so I have an R6 and a 370 Oh snap IMO if you want to go out with the missus or mates, then 370z all day long over a bike, but if you want to get out for blasts on your own when the weather is nice, get the bike and keep the 350z. Also (not offence meant here) the 350z is now here near "just as good" as a 370z, just read up on all the people who have made the change, the difference is more than you can appreciate in a test drive. Its a lovely place to be, really nice to be able to take the missus places and get out and about but have the power to have some fun too. So glad I chopped my 350z in for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Because bikes are so cheap now (for what they are) it's worth going into it with all the correct safety gear. Obviously all you legally have to wear is a helmet. Most people wear at least a helmet, protective gloves and protective jacket. IMO wearing bike boots and protective trousers are just as important. I personally have spent a lot of money on bike gear and it's the best place you can spend your money to start with. Thats a very very good point which a lot of people who decide to get a motorbike forget about. You must factor in the cost of the gear too. Ive got 2 sets of Dianese leathers, each cost around a grand new. Boots cost around £180, gloves £40, helmet £440. Sure, you can get cheaper stuff, but either way, you are typically looking at a good outlay for decent protective wear. On the plus side, they will last you a long time (unless you put on weight! ahem!) Dont be tempted with cheapie leathers. You want decent stuff with proper protection in them. You can get some good reasonably priced stuff these days from Hein Gerrike and such places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Definitely keep the 350 and get a bike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky370z Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 ohh yes, safety is a massive factor. my mate runs 3 bikes and has really good leathers and kit. he said its a must. i have factored that in too. looking at about 7k all in i think. dont really want to get something that mental, just something that will give me a blast when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 ohh yes, safety is a massive factor. my mate runs 3 bikes and has really good leathers and kit. he said its a must. i have factored that in too. looking at about 7k all in i think. dont really want to get something that mental, just something that will give me a blast when needed. £7k is a very good budget and you should be able to get a decent bike for that. Id workout first what sort of riding you will be doing, and what sort of riding position you like. Do you prefer the sports bike, a unfaired bike like a hornet or bandit, or something in between like a sports tourer which looks sporty but has a more relaxed riding position. A sports tourer also has a bigger fuel tank, so ideal for those longer runs. Id then check out the insurance. No point in buying a bike if the insurance will kill you. Bare in mind you`ll have no no claims bonus to use on it and as a new rider the premium will be higher as most people crash in the first year of riding. It sounds like your mate may know a thing or 2 about bikes if he has 3 of them, so id rope him in and be asking him loads of advice on what he recommends. If your taking your missus out on the back then she may not feel comfortable on a sports bike. Get her to sit on one and see. All my girlfriends have been fine over the years on my R1 & other sports bikes, but some people find it akin to sitting on a slippery plank of wood whilst having a gale force wind blasting at you as you are perched quite high up. Bikes like my vfr750 are more pillion friendly and designed to cover long distances comfortably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Good that you're looking at good protective gear. Never ceased to amaze me some of the muppets that used to come into work, when I still worked in the industry, who'd only had minimal protective gear or cheap protective gear on. All I can say is cheese grater, as that's what it looks like when flesh meets the tarmac. Not nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I sold my Ducati 749 to buy the 350Z this year, and now that the sunny weather is coming in I really wish I still had the Duc! So if I was in your shoes with £7k budget, i'd be keeping the 350 and buying a bike, specifically a Ducati. I''ve done the whole Jap bike thing and they are greg, very fast, but there is nothing like the sound of Ducati's L-Twins ringing in your ear as you pull hard out of a corner. Plus the clutch grabs so fast and the gear changes are so positive due to the dry clutch set up. For your 7k you could pick up a real minter of a 3 year old rice rocket or a year or 2 older Ducati 1098 with low miles. There is one for sale close to me for £7,700, 2700 miles 2007 with Termi pipes which are an extra costing nearly £1500! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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