Now this will be hard for you to say, it's down to me really, but I just want a few suggestions...

 

I currently pay 2.6k a year, £215.00 a month for my car insurance (how stupid?!) I'm only 17 and the reason I thought i'd take the plunge and buy the insurance was for my NCB.

 

I also just recently bought a motorbike intending to use it for summer use, this insurance only cost 55 quid a month..

 

Now one of them needs to go, each need a little bit of work and I won't be able to afford to maintain both of them to a good standard and I owe money for a holiday..

 

Now my dilemma is this, I love them both, and want to keep them both tbh. But, after doing an insurance quote on my car today it came up £1000 dearer than what I paid 4 months ago!?! And my worry is, I read news that my insurance provider have stopped selling policies within the UK - so does that mean come renewal next January I won't be able to buy from them?

 

If I sell my bike and keep forking out the money for car and insurance, i'm worried that when it's time to renew I won't see any discount, all the NCB will do is help to keep it at the price I pay now which is a complete waste of time.

 

If I sell my car i'll obviously save a shed load a month, but the girlfriend won't come on the back of the bike and she doesn't drive so that sort of restricts us - not that we go anywhere really tbh. If the weathers bad i'd obviously prefer to be in a warm car, but if need be I should be able to get named driver cover on my Dads or Grandads car to get me to work if the weather is severe.

 

I really don't know what to do, and I know people keep telling me it's my choice, but i'd like a bit more of a mature opinion please. I feel if I sell the car i've wasted all that insurance money a month with nothing to show - but then I don't want my renewal to come and feel the same that i've gained nothing with my no claims bonus.

i know what its like mate.i passed my bike test a week after my 17th birthday and my car test shortly after. riding through a winter is the only way to judge it really. i had my bike from day one, i had a moped at 16, a cb500 at 17 and a hornet 900 at 19 which i still have (21 tomorrow).

 

bike insurance is MASSIVELY cheaper. if ridden sensibley they are MASSIVELY cheaper to run and are more fun (imo) i also know the feeling of girls not wanting to go on the back. there are 3 types of girl IME, thos who will, those who say they wont but when you finally nag enough to make them they love it or those who flatly refuse. you will often get storys of people they "know" who were killed/maimed on a bike, i found persistance works best.

 

now, winter riding is a ball ache especially if you do alot of mileage. i rode through my worst winter in 2006, lots of snow, a thick mist that hung for 2 weeks solid and rain that flooded motorways. that and 75miles a day wasnt fun. thats why i bit the bullet and got a car. the car was also what caused me, from then on to be constantly skint (this was when fuel last go high, it cost me upto £80 to fill a pug 306 xldt and i had to do that every week.

 

your girlfriend needs to get a grip. if she wont go out on it, leave her at home. if she still refuses she isnt the girl for you. why should you be skint all the time to pplease her?

 

the down side to the bike other thanw eather is space. luggage is a pain and carrying your kit around is also.

 

in your position as i was, id ride for a year THEN consider a car. get your wages up and saved and see how you are in a years time. unless job related you dont NEED a car so why not have the next best thing? this is, of course in my (experienced) opinion

Thanks mate for the advice, great to hear from a biker as this obviously will have different opinions.

 

The girlfriend isnt bothered, she isn't making me keep the car she said its up to me, I think it's more her Mum won't let her on the back tbh, well not yet anyway. But, we don't go anywhere exciting so that's not the main issue.

 

I think the main issue is the fact i'm now used to the car etc. I do a 40 mile round trip a day to work but as mentioned if needed I could get named driver cover if there was severe snow etc.

 

Also, I think if I do ride for a year and then consider car insurance i'd be in the same position now, insurance would still be high?

 

I was thinking of keeping my car on my drive uninsured, but I done a quote (futuristic) saying I was one year older, owned the car for 1 year and license for 1 year, with no NCB it came up at roughly what I pay now, with 1 NCB it came down by 600 - 900.

 

Tough one.

 

Or do I sell car, stop insuring it, bike for year or 2 save bit of money and then hopefully at aged 18/19 car will be cheaper with no NCB but 3 years license etc.

Edited April 22, 201014 yr by Saunders

fact is, if you can't afford it don't do it.

iv had the old parents saying no, you then have to encourage the gf to be naughty and do it anyway

 

some car insurance companys let you use your ncb of a bike on your car but only some. iv got 4 years no claims now (missed a year of riding inbetween bikes) and my renual for a 900 hornet is down from 600ish to £260 my car insuarance has always been around the 9-1200 mark but thats witht he cars having a bigger engine each time (usually) as meek says do what you can afford. bikes have there perks, great in summer, traffic doesnt exist and you get home wquicker, pluss you can get to the fuel pump at the front of the forecourt before everyone else

 

if i was you id go with the bike, failing that buy an absolute nail of a car mot failure or something the lowest insurance group you can. insure it leave it parked for a year and next year you have a ncb and can scrap the car to pay the deposit

Yeah I am really swayed to the bike.

 

That's not a bad idea with the old banger of a car. I could just switch my insurance over to it now, hmm but I bet it would be more than 100 a month even if it was a banger!

 

Can I be insured on it even though it's not MOT'd/Taxed?

yes you can, as long as its off the road

 

winter is the hard bit tho believe me. you will hate it. what bike have you got? id get a box that can go on the back for your stuff. unsightly: yes, usefull: you wouldnt believe.

what you would save on fuel/tax/insurance from the car would pay for a lot of taxis.....

215 a month?! Is that wide spread for 17/18 year olds? Crazy. Sorry in advance if you have but i take it you've done all the price comparison sites? Go compare, compare the market, confused etc etc?

 

Try n get one thats on these cash back sites, quidco, top cash back. Could get 50 quid or more back.

I know it's crazy Ross. Think it's going up for lads year below me aswell!

 

I just quoted this for the old banger idea kniterider...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2001-FIAT-BRAVA-80-S...=item19bb8cfe7f

 

Comes up 28 cheaper a month, I don't think that will be happening lol.

 

And I have a ZX6-R.

 

That's true, I was thinking I managed before without a car so there's no reason I couldn't taxi places etc.

at 18 with 0 ncb i was paying 1200 for 1.6 finnesse tpft, 19 in a 1.8 i was paying 960 tpft 0ncb 20 in a bmw 318is coupe im paying 1200 tpft 1ncb iv had many a car inbetween but thats the essence of mine, and alot cheaper than the op's!

It's up to you, I prefer cars for the practicality but if you don't need practicality (only being 17 and living with mum) then just go for the bike, but with no GF on the back you're sort of restricting her.. Therefore you probably do want a practical kind of transport... Maybe get back into bikes in a few years time when you can insure a basic runaround for under a grand

Car wins hands down for me, ok it's maybe not as fast but who can go fast these days with cameras everywhere now.

 

Warm

A boot

4/5 seats

Radio/Music/iPod

Safer (especially in the winter i'd guess)

 

Just to name a few why a car wins for me.

Car wins hands down for me, ok it's maybe not as fast but who can go fast these days with cameras everywhere now.

 

Warm: bikes are int he summer

A boot: a box 4/5 seats

Radio/Music/iPod: ipod is fine on a bike and legal too

Safer (especially in the winter i'd guess): its usually the other idiots on the road but in general a car is safer yes.

Just to name a few why a car wins for me.

 

 

a car is usually always better. but at 17 money is usually tight. go for the bike if you can live without the car. theres always bus's, taxi's and trains for the days you NEED to be under cover.

Edited April 22, 201014 yr by KNITERIDER

I wouldn't pay that much just so I can take my girlfriend places lol.

 

We never go anywhere anyway, so yeah. And the 215+ i'd save a month I wouldnt mind buying the odd 40 quid taxi etc.