Why is everything so bloody expensive

[NorthernRaider]

Everyone in the prepper community should be able to ride a horse, bicycle, motorbike, quad, car, van and rigid truck and preferably be able to drive a power boat and handle a small sailing boat with the best getting licences for microlights etc.

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I'm not saying everyone should pass the expensive licencing and tests, but they should be able to operate them.

[bigpaul]

(18 July 2012, 14:28)NorthernRaider Wrote: Everyone in the prepper community should be able to ride a horse, bicycle, motorbike, quad, car, van and rigid truck and preferably be able to drive a power boat and handle a small sailing boat with the best getting licences for microlights etc.

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I'm not saying everyone should pass the expensive licencing and tests, but they should be able to operate them.

i can probably do all the above except the sailing( dont like the sea) and ride a horse.. oh hang on i did ride a horse when i was about 6 or 7 but someone was hanging onto the bridle..does that count?

[00111001]

(18 July 2012, 14:28)NorthernRaider Wrote: Everyone in the prepper community should be able to ride a horse, bicycle, motorbike, quad, car, van and rigid truck and preferably be able to drive a power boat and handle a small sailing boat with the best getting licences for microlights etc.

I can do all of that, apart from the horse thing, and the sailing boat. No chance of getting my in a microlight. I doubt it'd take off with my weight, and even if it did manage to leave the ground, it's have to cruise at about 8 feet as I'm terrified of heights.

Powerboats I'm good with, although I did very nearly sink our speedboat we had. Who knew you could almost tip them over?

[uks]

http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicles...cycles.htm
http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicles...cycles.htm

[00111001]

(18 July 2012, 15:29)uks Wrote: http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicles...cycles.htm
http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicles...cycles.htm

I love that site, but the bikes on there are all well over £1k. I think NR wants something cheap. Better deals on ebay IMO.

Unless you want one of these

[uks]

http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/...3/CCM_.htmhttp://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/...3/CCM_.htm

[00111001]

(18 July 2012, 16:49)uks Wrote: http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/...3/CCM_.htmhttp://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/...3/CCM_.htm

+200 VAT...

[uks]

Still alot less than many others

[Timelord]

It is pretty simple why there are so few cheap 2nd hand bikes about - but I admit, only simple once you have got your head round it. it took me years to getto the idea right and then it was only a couple of years ago I had the answer...

The reason has a few factors. 1 is that the personal transport market has been awash with cheap 2nd hand cars for at least the last decade - probably nearly 2 decades. Combined with the rising standard of living, expressed by the new young drivers coming into the market & with more money to burn than we ever did decades ago - means that the need for a mass of cheap new commuter bikes was mostly negated. Not like in the 70's & early 80's when many young people's first affordable transport was a small capacity bike.

This has a knock on effect over the years of reducing the number of small capacity bikes coming onto the market in the following decades. many committed biker types also progressed rapidly onto the big machines as these were now plentiful and insurance costs had not yet soared to the heady heights of modern rip off Britain. This also meant there were many more big capacity machines available 2nd hand than smaller ones.

The re-introduction of scooters as fashionable transport for young people - usually 16 year olds or less well off individuals meant that there were even less normal type road bikes being brought into the market new. Most of these scooters were not built to last too long (especially with no maintenance by novices) and the thieves often did away with them on a regular basis.

Put all this together with the rising fuel & insurance costs of the last 5 or more years and you can see the desirability of the fewer small capacity road bikes on a definite rise. This led to prices being pushed higher and also led to many people keeping hold of bikes in their garages as a possible future viability, rather than clearing it out at some point. This pushes prices up even further as it also reduces the number available on the open market. One other factor also contributing is the collector/hobbyist inroad made into the limited stock available.

These Chinese clone bikes don't help, as they only last 2 mins before being abandoned or scrapped and it puts many new riders off further bike ownership. that also reduces new registrations of machines that will actually be usable stock 2nd hand.

Hope that helps. TL.

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There are some ok chinese bikes, but a lot of crap. The ok ones I have known people to get decent mileage out of are usually custom cruiser types.