Newbie not quite an owner yet !!

[Gas Man]

Hi all, as the subject says I'm not quite an owner YET  ;)
The short story so far is as follows: I've been a 4 wheels man till only last year when I decided I wanted to get my bike licence to fit in with the long term plans of moving abroad in the not so distant future (Turkey  8-)  )  So the show car got sold and I took the quick access and passed 1st time :D . As a 46yr old 6ft 17st bloke whos other half has always been into bikes so would be out with me a lot of the time I went straight for a bigish bike and after a bit of discussion we decided on a VN900 ( Mrs is a Harly Gal)  :roll:  Its been nearly a year now and I've decided the VN is just not for me, great if your gona poodle along @ 60 on relativly straight roads but I wanna do some serious touring and the plan is to take her to Turkey so its got to be 1400GTR.

Now this is where it gets serious coz after much research and a lot of it on here I now am not so sure what year to get  :roll:  I've been till now looking at the brand new 2011 but after reading all your comments I'm a bit confused as to which is the best value for ££, also a bit nervous as to if I'm running before I can walk and going for a lot of bike against the experience   :|  I'm sure I'll be fine after a week of getting used to her but she is a lot of bike!

The other bit of help I would like to ask for from your good selves is where to go for insurance :?:  My current Ins is with Aviva via Motorcycle direct and after a call they tell me aviva wont look at me till Ive got 2yrs no claims, so after a call to Carol Nash Ive got a quote for just over 500 quid with 1yr NCB ( is that good?) .  My 1st yr ins wont be up till end of May so I cant get my new baby till then, bit of a bummer as once I've made my mind up I like to get the ball rolling but I suppose 8 weeks aint a ages. I'm gona keep calling around to see if there is anybody who will give me the 1yr NCB before the end of May, impatient I know but if I can get her sooner   ;)

Anyway I've waffled enough for now but look forward to all your replys and suggestions :D
Del

[Rusty]

Hello and Welcome Mr Gas Man ...
I was here for about 10 months before I got my GTR although I have been riding for a while ! Chopped im my CBR1300 for a new 11 plate just a few weeks ago.
Everyone here will help you on your way ... The GTR will get you to Turkey no problem at all, sounds like a great idea ! As for a new bike it very much depends on your long term plans ... if you are going to get a new bike and keep it for years and years then you will get your money out of it, equally there are those that will say save a few ££££ and buy one just 18 months old etc that is run in and ready to go ... the bike is just lovely and VERY quick for a big old girl.
For me insurance wise I go through Bennetts, very much like Carol Nash, full no claims, garaged, 47 years old and some acceptable bike qualifications I have paid £320 .. that's on a brand new bike with legal aid, European cover, RAC etc ... I thought that was good.. less than £1 a day for fully comp insurance .... so your £500 I would think is ok considering you have only been riding a year and the GTR is Group 17.
Stand by and wait for all the other replies .... there will be plenty !!!  Good luck !

[ChrisB]

Hi Gasman and welcome. I bought a GTR at christmas and I am just about getting out a bit now the weather is better. Anyhow Lord Rusty is right, it is verfy quick for a big bus. At first I thought the wind noise was unacceptable for such a bike doing 50 mph, then realised I was doin g much more than 50. Happened a couple of times before I got used to it, so keep an eye on the speedo is my advice, as the GTR is deceptively quick and so smooth with it. The other tghing to get used to is its length. Seems like a canal barge compared to my GSF1200 Bandit, and my sons SV650. But its just a case of getting used to it. mY WIFE LOVES IT, so thats a bonus.

[fatharry]

Hi gas man, can only echo Lord Rusty's comments......I pay £360 on 5yrs NCB so I reckon £500 is a goer...although dont know if any insurer would offer 1yrs NCB before your time was up so to speak

If you're the kind o chap that is likely to change bikes relatively often (2 years or less) then I'd go for a preowned model...if you're happy to lose the depreciation or intend on long term ownership then I'd go for the 11 model.....technically it's better than the 09... Traction control and some other improvements from the original. Yes it's a bike old bike...ESP at low speed and takes some hefting around in town...but anything over 20 mph and it's like riding a much lighter bike ;D (this is common to pretty much all big bikes)....that being said.....the gtr is a step up in handling full stop from the vn900


Let us know how you get on

[Kwikasfuki]

It's so easy to not realise what speed the bike is doing. You think its 50 and its actually 80.

The late 07 - 09 models are a good buy but if buying now, I'd probably opt the the new model specifically because of the additional safety package.  As for insurance, get some quotes online. I think thebikeinsurer is a good one to start off with as it does most of the donkey work for you. £500 isn't bad with 1 years NCB.

[Gas Man]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys :) After a few more calls its seems I've only got 4 weeks to wait till im within the 30 days before my policy endsand can get a new policy with docs so my dealer in Kempston nr Bedford can get my 11 plate Registered  ;D Then its just another 4 weeks before I can legally get out there on her  ;D ;D ;D

I think my nervousness bout the size will be gone very quickly seeing as the VN ive been on for the past year isnt that much different in weight.
Just cant wait to get out there and meet up with a few of you guys.

[Lonewolf]

Gas Man, howdy. I'm a bit late at replying to this cause I've just got in from work. Welcome to the forum.  ;D
I think I currently pay about £350ish with 4 yrs no claims at 47 yrs of age. I'm hoping it'll go down a few more quid when my policy is up for renewal in June, I'm currently with Bennets. Not necessarily the cheapest insurers but they do their job and serve a purpose.

On the topic of buying a new GTR, I'm a tight wad and I'd resent having to pay 20% of £11500+ approx in VAT. But on the other hand I can obviously see the attraction of everthing being new and shiny too. Personally I've always bought low mileage used bikes, it works for me, but its always going to be personal choice.

I cant see whereabouts you are based, can you tell us?

The GTR is a large beast and possibly a tad cumbersome at really slow speeds but you get used to it and soon realise what its comfortable doing and what its not. It comes into its own on motorways and that sort of environment. Not just because of the bikes ability to travel at speed, more so the fact that that is where in my opinion it excels. Its a comfortable bike to travel on, hour after hour and deceptively quick as has been mentioned, you have been warned!!

[partyarty]

welcome gasman and health to ride with your new gtr1400 ps 500 quid not bad for 1yrs ncb  iam payin 200 fullycomp with 7yrs under me belt  keep her between the hedges! frm arty. ::)

[pembsgtr]

The gtr may be a long beast but she loves the twisting as well plenty of grunt to get you round those alpine hairpins. I'm fully comp five years ncb 350 quid with footman James. Been with them last 2 years though will llook around when policy due for renewal in a month.

[routemaster]

Hi

The GTR is an easy bike to ride and it is quite forgiving. It really does love the twisties as well as long distance touring.  :) :) It is okay at slow speed manoeuvring but it is a bit of heavy bike if you manhandling ie pushing it around.

You said you were a bit nervous about whether you were running before you can walk - which is understandable as the bike is fairly powerful beast.

You said you had your license about 12 months and while the DAS training/test is adequate in terms of teaching the basic riding skills you should consider doing some Advanced Riding Training ie IAM or RosPA. The training they offer is about fine tuning/improving you skills and abilities you already have, improving your enjoyment of motorcycling and most importantly helping to keep you safe.

An Advanced Riding qualification will also help reduce your insurance premiums as most companies offer a reasonable discount. In terms of policies it would be worth looking at e-bike insurance - http://www.ebikeinsurance.co.uk/

Kind regards

Steven

[Lonewolf]

Out of curiosity I thought I'd just try a quote with e-bike..... :o :o

I have class 1 business use on the GTR at the moment through Bennets which costs me £350approx.

E-bike quoted me £925!!!!
If I removed the business cover and just went for SDP inc commuting it took it down to £650!!

Thats a lot of cash.  >:(

[Kwikasfuki]

E bike premiums have shot up recently for both bike and car

[Gas Man]

Thanks again for all the heads up guys, you all seem a friendly bunch  8)

Lonewolf: it is on my profile but just for the record im in Leighton Buzzard which is just below Milton Keynes  ;)

Routemaster: Good suggestion with the advance training which I will look into and probably do for both ins purposes and for myself  ;) ;D

I phoned Carol Nash direct for my quote and found them very helpful once you barter them down ;) ;)
at the same time i went on go compare and used their best quote to barter CN   :)
Due to my trade as a self employed Plumber/Heating Eng I like to work a few companies against eachother to get the best price,   ;) :D I was also advised to fit a ground anchor in the garage which would help

[Andy]

Hi

There are still a few unsold 2010 models out there (same bike, better colours IMHO)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kawasaki-GTR1400-CAF-2010-model-/270710768924?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3f079e851c

This one has been pre-reg'd I got mine on a "11" for £11.5k from a Kawasaki Dealer

Here's another;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KAWASAKI-GTR1400-MAGNESIUM-GREY-TOURER-NEW-MOTORCYCLE-/170619512529?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item27b9b726d1

Here's a few training links on Rapid Training's Website (I've only been on their trackdays but they're a friendly bunch!)

http://www.rapidtraining.co.uk/links.html

[Rusty]

Just to echo a couple of those inputs ... a ground anchor, big lock etc .. anything that is recognised by an Insurance Company is worth buying ( ask them )... think of it as an investment, likewise, the ROSPA/Advanced Riding ... it may all seem a bit much to start with .. no one is telling you to sit exams and takes tests too early but if you went out a few times to get the idea and then build on that ... especially with the warmer weather coming in it would be a good time to crack on !  Anyway, let us all know what you decide and keep us posted.