I've just come back from a shopping trip to a Honda dealer this morning. I went to look at a nearly-new bike...which had been sold, and for a test ride…which I couldn't have, the dealer informed me the previous night (dealer's insurance company said no- I have a CBT certificate not a full licence and they'd recently had a couple of prangs with other CBT riders). That was the bad news. The good news was I got a great deal on a new PCX instead! Deposit paid for an in-stock bike, and I'll be back to pick it up on Friday. Oh, and it's a different colour too- the nearly-new one was Carbonium Grey (which I did really like the look of, but it seemed to be a dirt magnet, and they didn't have that colour in stock anyway) but mine will be red, and it looked even better. I'm getting the 29l top box and Honda screen fitted- I knew I'd want those (or third-party versions) anyway, as I won't be trading in my current 50cc bike taking some extras gave a bit more scope for a good deal.
Possibly overlong background info follows
The whole reason for getting a CBT and then a scooter in the first place is that my commute (I work in a mail sorting office) has just gone from five miles a day, which I cycled, to twenty-one or so. I'll probably cycle that once or twice a week when the weather's right, but not really an option for five days a week, every week. And I'm on a late shift, finishing 9.30 each night, so I wouldn't get home till eleven or so. The office move has been a while in the planning, though it was pretty much on the cards as soon as the review was announced- the old building just doesn't do the job anymore. Trains are expensive, would take me an hour door-to-door, and no direct services (so extra opportunity to be late). I don't drive a car, never had so much as a lesson, and have no particular interest in getting one and spending ££££ commuting in a metal box. The idea of getting a scooter came to mind pretty quickly- and I didn't even have to buy the 50cc one I have now, as I won it in a competition! Did the CBT after hearing that good news (I had to so I could actually take the bike) back in November 2013, the bike eventually got delivered in February. And I (with the benefit of hindsight, wrongly), absolutely hated it. Power delivery was horribly jerky (engine not warmed up, and not run in), it felt so cumbersome compared to my bicycles, and a five-mile commute on it was more expense and bother than it was worth. So, with less than 50km (yes, the odometer reads in km, not miles), it went in the garage for a year. I didn't like riding it and I didn't need to as the work changes dragged on and on (the office review started in November 2012, closure announced July 2014, and staff have been moving only for the last few weeks). No point doing anything with it till I needed to...
I finally heard for sure I'd get transferred to the new place in January, and I got less than two weeks notice of the actual moving date (last Monday). Fortunately I had a week off work to get things sorted out- got the 50cc dusted off and serviced (even with my dislike of it, it was the best option to get to work) and made enquiries about a PCX, which I'd pencilled in as the replacement (in part thanks to all the positive feedback about the bike on this very forum). One (local-ish) dealer failed to reply to my email asking if they had stock and a test bike, another one advertised an ex-demo bike on eBay- the old, hump-seat (etc) version, so clearly not that new- at not much of a discount, which didn't fill me with confidence in their honesty or ability. Blade Honda in Reading had the aforementioned nearly-new bike (10 miles) advertised at £300 less than new, so I dropped them a line asking about a part-exchange. Andy there got back to me quickly and was very helpful- not willing/able to take the 50cc, but definitely willing and able to do a deal....
In the meantime I've been commuting on the 50cc. Have to say it's been a lot better than I'd expected- though that's probably my expectations being low rather than the bike being anything like as bad, thankfully. Monday's first trip to work not too bad, return was a nightmare though (I forgot to take it off the side stand before starting, only remembered after much stress and about fifteen minutes, then it took what felt like an age to warm up, and I took a few detours....). But, despite the trip (22 miles each way, fairly hilly, some fast roads- alternatives being too fast for a bike limited to 28 mph) being really too much for an 3.5 hp urban runabout, it got me to and from work in an hour or so each way every other day, and a couple of hundred miles seem to have run it in nicely- warm-up barely needed Friday night. It's done OK, very well in fact, and I've only used about six litres of petrol over the week (rough guess 120 mpg), but I'd like to get to and from work quicker, with a bit more comfort, longer range, and being able to carry more than a toothbrush on the bike (climbing is slow enough without a loaded top box!)....it's too much to do on a 50cc week-in-week out. So up to Reading I went, any disappointment at 'my' discounted bike having gone rapidly went, deal struck, deposit paid.
Not excited about picking the PCX on Friday. Very excited
