Get a great bike without finance
I’ve been moved to write to you by the Q&A item in January’s RIDE concerning Yamaha XJ6S at low prices. To me, the post-2010 XJ6/ Diversion looks ideal for your reader’s needs as it was for mine. Some of us have to make choices dictated by mundane reasons involving family and economics.
There is no doubt that PCP is changing bike buying habits, just as it has with cars. I can assure you, however, that as a 76-year-old it is not always as simple as just signing up for that bike you fancy. It seems that the Pcp-plan computers don’t regard me as a good risk for the term of their agreement. So low initial cost does come into play, as well as the bike’s low weight in my case.
The XJ6S that I have now is the smallest-capacity bike I have owned since 1965, but it has genuinely surprised and pleased me. It accelerates very well, brakes and handles well enough, is capable of motorway cruising speeds with ample reserve for overtakes whenever needed, and gets into three figures surprisingly quickly. Fuel consumption is mid-50s ridden briskly and much more if ridden gently. I do have to change gear more often than on a less powerful bike, but that’s no hardship.
My only complaint was that the seat is hard. I resolved this with a Debbonair seat pad from Danmedicasouth (similar to the Airhawk but cheaper).
My main point, though, is that spending just over £3000 got me an immaculate example with only 4681 miles on the clock. Ken Wells
Use your head, BMW
I realise BMW are being deliberately outrageous with their Vision Next 100 (Insider, RIDE, February 2017 issue), but their notion that you won’t need a crash helmet even if they can build an uncrashable bike shows a poor grasp of reality. We’ve all been hit by confused birds or debris flung up from the road, and we’ve all been protected from wind and rain by helmets. Helmets aren’t mostly about crashing, they’re mostly about riding. Sorry for being pedantic. Martin West
Advanced costs
That series of stories about readers getting guidance from ROSPA made it look a lot more interesting than I’d previously thought. But advanced riding tuition can be really expensive, which you didn’t really mention. I’m sure it’s worth it, but it’s another one of those hidden costs – like the price