The Moped Spot

Buying your first bike of any kind is a daunting task. In fact in a very large and competitive sea of various makes, models and styles we sometimes feel like extremely small fish indeed. Never forget though, that *you* are the buyer. So however small you may currently feel you still wield the power. Even though it may not seem like it.

In an effort to simplify this momentous task I’m going to try and break it down into segments.

Decide on your budget.

Firstly and most importantly, ask yourself what is your budget? There’s no point getting fixated on a certain style or specific model if you have limited funds available. All that will do force you into making rash decisions or impulse buying and that is where you lose your power. So set your budget first. Then stick to it.

See what‘s available for that budget.

Once you’ve established how much money you have to spend (don’t forget about the cost of insurance, road tax/licence/fund and training all of which are specific to the country in which you live) it’s time to do some research. Take a look at some shops that sell mopeds and scooters. Check out their prices and compare them to your budget. Don’t get too focused on what looks cool, what will fit you better or any of that. All you need to know at this point is what you can get for your money.

Take notes. Check many different places. Get a real good picture of what’s out there. Some brand new models are cheaper than 4 year old models. It’s a wildly diverse and competitive market. Remember to make a note of web addresses and/or telephone numbers while you’re there.

Make a list of the pros & cons of each bike.

The next thing to do is make a list of the bikes available in your price range. So go ahead and write them down. Then next to each one it’s probably a good idea to write down what you think are the best points or advantages it offers to *you*. Do this for each one and put down as many point as you can think of, then go right back and do it all over again but this time make note of the negatives in a second list on the page.

In part 2 of this article I will go more into depth on some of the differences between the different types of moped you could buy but for now one of the simple things to consider would be the style of machine that suits your need. If you’re very tall a scooter could be rather uncomfortable. It’s no fun bashing your knees every time you want to go around a bend or if you intend to regularly ride long distances a Cruiser might be the ideal thing. Maybe the converse is true and you’re vertically challenged in which case a Super Motad style or Motocross bike would be a mistake. Obviously how it looks is important too, so is the country of manufacture – European restrictions are a couple of mph slower than the Japanese models too so bare that in mind.

Analysis & Research

Once your list is complete look at it objectively. Does one model stand out with more positives than negatives? Does the model your best mate recommends actually have a tonne of negatives next to it? Remember objectivity is the key. The results should speak for themselves but before you rush out and buy just do one last thing. Take a deep breath and do some more research. Check out the second part of my post and look out further afield. You should by now have a fairly good idea what make and model you’re probably after so the search is much easier but google it and see what people have to say before you spend your money.

Hope that helps 

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 25th, 2009 at 7:56 pm and is filed under Choosing the right bike for you. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.