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Too Small For A Bike...Not Anymore - July 2013
I have been playing with the idea of my own bike for some time. Having recently joined a bike club, the wonderful Swan2Wheels the desire has grown ever stronger. It is a wonderful bike club to belong to. The ride outs are superb. No one showing off and everyone taking care of everyone else. The company is top rate. There are also many lady riders in the club, confident and bloody good riders they are. They have inspired me to what I myself could achieve one day.
As a young girl into the whole metal rock scene bikes were part of my youth. I proudly declared to my mum at 18 that I was going to get a bike of my own. Now my mum was really easy going but not at this news. She was furious and told me that if I got a bike I was out of the house. She meant it, the idea terrified her that much. So I never did buy that bike.
I have been fortunate over the last few years to have been pillion and have had some great adventures on the back of a bike. But what if I had my own bike, would that be even better?
However there was always a huge obstacle or a little obstacle, depending on which side you viewed it from. I was too small to fit most bikes. Most bikes are either too tall or too heavy for me to handle, or more usually a combination of both.
This is not just a "girl" issue. I know plenty of girls who are both tall and strong enough to handle a variety of bikes. But it is a small persons issue and as most small people tend to be girls then therein lies the fact it does become mainly a girl issue.
At 5ft tall and weighing in at around 7 and a half stone I am a feather weight and my bike choices are severely limited. Now I know what you are all thinking ... get a Cruiser they are low. Yes they are but they are not ME. Never liked them, and when I do sit on them they feel so uncomfortable to me. It goes against all of my natural instincts. Which is head down arse up. My favourite push bike was a racer, it just felt right So Cruisers was a non option. No point getting a bike I hated just to have a bike.
But I kept my eyes and ears open and would often try and sit on bikes in show rooms in the hope that maybe one day I would find a bike suited to my small stature.
Then I heard of a new bike coming out. The Honda MSX 125. On paper it was small and light enough for me. It only has small wheels and is basically a bigger version of a monkey bike. Honda was promoting this bike hard. There was funky videos all over the place of the bike and the fun you could have with it. Wheelies and stopies galore. I was hooked, I watched each new video with avid attention and watched the press for release dates.
The release day eventually arrived with the promise of 4 bikes to be won. I duly entered and failed to win one. I did however eventually get to see one and sit on the bike. And oh boy we fitted one another perfectly. It was low enough to get my feet almost flat, it was light enough to push backwards with ease and I was smitten. I was really excited.
There was only one small matter that stopped me from buying one there and then. The price. At £2600 this is not a whole lot of money. But it is a lot of money to spend on a first bike and it was more money than I had.
Look at that grin! And look at my feet on the floor. Honda's MSX 125.
So I left the showroom both thrilled and frustrated. I had finally found a bike to fit my size, just not my budget. Aarrgghh!! There was nothing else I could do now but wait. Wait for either a lottery win or another year or so when the MSX might be coming onto the second hand market and therefore more affordable. There was certainly no deals to be has on these little beauties at the moment. The high profile sales pitch had done its work and they were in demand. If you wanted one you had to go on the pre-order waiting list.
So I had no choice but to reluctantly put my dream on hold for now. So when I walked into another showroom on another day I did my usual and cast my eyes over the bikes available. More out of habit than any real hope of seeing anything. But I spy what looks like a smallish bike.
It is a brand I have never heard of, a Keeway but as I shuffle along side it I see a distinct possibility that this bike might be small enough. The salesman is happy to pull it out and for me to have a try. To pinch a line from the Kasier Chiefs, Oh my god I can't believe it!! It fits. I can get my feet nearly on the ground, I can push it back with ease ... sounds familiar ehh? Yes just like the MSX. After all these years of fruitless looking in a matter of weeks I have found 2 bikes that fit. WOW!
The Keeway in question was the RKS 125. It is a cheap Chinese bike. It does not have the Honda's build quality nor does it have it's funky looks. But having said that it was certainly not an ugly bike, in fact I liked it a lot. At £1799 it also did not have the Honda's price tag. A word from the bf with the salesman saw the price dropped to £1700. Oh my, oh dear, what is a girl to do? I know I had a stupid grin on my face while sat on the bike, I knew it felt ... right. But it was an unknown brand to me and I have heard all the bad things said about Chinese bikes. So I had some research and thinking to do.
There was no glossy advertising for the Keeway to be found. No countless videos of fun and frolics to be had. The reviews were hard to come by but none of them declared the bike to be a disaster. I visited Orrell Bikes with the bf and once again sat on the Keeway. Once again it felt right. We chatted with the salesmen and got the price down to £1650 and two years warranty. Oh this was getting tempting. However there was a second hand one due in in a couple of weeks so I decided to see what that might be like.
Two weeks later saw me back at Orrell. I could see no second-hand Keeway and a word with the the salesman confirmed that it was never brought in. I do not know if it was my crest fallen face or the salesman sensed a good deal to be had but he said, "Come here have a look at these". He marched me off to the Keeways. There were 2 new bikes, a grey and a black. He said, "I can let you have either of them for £1500". Ohh dear, oh deary deary me. That was a cracking offer. He knew it, I knew it.
I call the bf over and tell him of the offer. I can see he knows it is a great deal to.
The bf tells me to come outside and have a talk. So what to do? The Keeway, if Chinese build quality is still not right, may not last long, but it should be up to the job of getting me on the road and passing my tests. The build quality is improving all the time so maybe it will be ok and lets face it at a now asking price of £1500 that is a massive £1100 less than the Honda.
I pace around the parking lot feeling both excited and sick. I still do not have the money but the bf has offered to get the bike for me and I can pay him back bit by bit. What a sweetheart. I should not do it really, I really do not have spare cash right now. I have the possibility of losing my job soon due to redundancy. I have never ever bought anything before in my entire life without knowing I have the finances in place to do so. I have lived a careful life with my finances. So to hell with it. IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN? There will always be a reason to not do anything. My finances may never ever improve beyond my current state. I may die tomorrow. Sod it for once I am going to go against may careful, thoughtful and considered self. I look the bf in the eye and say, "Let's do it". And we do.
The only problem now is to choose the colour. Black or grey? I know this sounds silly possibly even crazy but I felt guilty over choosing one bike over the other. When I was young I always wanted a black bike but my biker friends had since convinced me that being seen is important, so a bright bike is best. If I had got the Honda it was going to be the white one. But the Keeway was only in grey or black. So logic dictated surely I go for my original black choice as I have never liked grey. But I had sat on the grey one, what if it now felt left out? Oh my god I feel so mean shall I buy both? Err no of course not, I choose the black, decision made.
Black or Grey Madam? Errrr...black please.
I am now a women with bike. I am so excited and so scared. I can no longer talk the talk of wanting to ride. I am going to have to ride the ride. Yikes!!
Now I have no time to talk to you any more I have got bike insurance to sort out, delivery, oh yeah and learning to ride I got to do that too. So please wish me luck with living my dream and in return I will let you know all about it.
Reader's Comments
John said :-
What a great little read SP..............:)
Keep us all updated please.
Well done you............................:)
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
gareth and Ann said :-
Go girl go!!!!!
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Loops said :-
You mention the Chinese build hun I had a pioneer nevada cruiser type bike for 5 years this was also Chinese build. Like everything mechanical if you look after it, it will look after you. the main things to be aware of are the nut & bolts found loctite solved any issues there. Keep an eye on the exhaust studs or better still change them for something a tad sturdier. I have only recently sold the pioneer nevada but only did so as i have bought myself a trike following an off, and wont be taking the test until they remove the swerve from the test.
Enjoy the freedom of the road and we will meet up when the Swannies come over Settle way again with you in tow.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
linda atkinson said :-
well done sharon wishing you many happy years of biking xx
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Alison Sweeney said :-
As fellow Lady rider, and friend, good luck, and my one bit of advice is keep it shiney side up sticky side down, so chuffed for you, x
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
kath brooks said :-
Brilliant news Sharon so glad you have got a bike.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Potty Lotty said :-
Good choice and good luck with the bike, you won't regret it.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
rick brooks said :-
Oh feck
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Sharon said :-
Thanks so much everyone for your comments and good wishes. x
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Tom McQ said :-
Congratulations Sharon! Look forward to seeing you out and about on your first bike. You'll have sooooooo much fun. And just how nice is that BF of yours? Perhaps he's not the big meanie I thought he was :-)
XX
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Tom McQ said :-
Oh, I forgot to say.... RIGOROUS MAINTENANCE is the key to making sure these cheaper bikes keep going. I'm sure Ren will be more than pleased to show you how to perform routine tasks such as checking and adjusting your chain, checking brakes, tyre pressures, oil, etc, etc. And CLEANING your bike religiously makes you very much aware of bits of corrosion here and there that need attention before they get worse. I know Ren considers it a sin to clean bikes, but just ignore him, LOL.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Melissa said :-
Ride like the wind, Sharon! You know you can do it and it will be a blast. So happy for you:)
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Jan Denver said :-
Absolutely brilliant Sharon...... you won't look back. Passing my test was the best thing I ever did and wished I'd done it years ago.
I'm slightly at an advantage on the height front all of 5ft 2in...... and getting a bike to fit where I felt comfy and safe was a problem but my trusty SV650 has done me proud :-)
Wishing you many happy years of safe riding..... take care :-))))
Fantastic read as well !
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Oh EVERYONE's nice to Sharon...
Everyone posts on SHARON'S blog...
I'm sulking now (sad face)
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Carrie said :-
Oh my goodness!!! Well done - I think. Will I ever see you or my son again as you will be off biking 24/7! Good luck and take care.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Pauline Springer said :-
Oh Sharon I am sooo pleased for you! I can tell how excited you are by reading the above and am sure you are doing the right thing! You deserve a bit of good fortune and this bike looks like being it!! It looks like a lovely bike and it's the right size so you go for it girl! Can't wait to reading about your dream purchase and am sure you will have many happy adventures with it. Please keep us up to date with your progress. Go Girl!
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Dirk from Flanders said :-
If you're happy and satisfied: that's what counts lady!
I had a very bad experience with a Chinese "Dax". It was cheap and sheap made. And every mile has been very expensive! But long ago, I was'nt very pleased with a two-stroke Honda Scoopy 50cc either.
The MSX 125 cc looks great. Mayby I'll buy it one day. I love the sound and the idea I can sneak into a sandy field so now and then and be 16 again, but WITH such a bike. I think I'll be the only 50+ guy sitting on such a little machine but hey, I feel much younger and I'm not a grey mouse. I love harmless fun.
Take care, Dirk.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Sharon said :-
Hi Dirk,
I think the Honda MSX 125 does look a lot of fun too. Have seen a few around but I have not had a chance to ask anyone what they think of them as yet.
If you can find a bike that will give you a sense of 16 year old fun I would say go for it and buy yourself one asap. Who cares how old you are, we all know it's how we feel that counts. I sure don't feel my age, well ok my body does sometimes but not my mind.
As for the Keeway RKS 125cc he has taken me all the way to Scotland with no problems and as of February 2015 I have put 11,800 on my wee beastie.
So far I have only had a couple of small teething problems with the bike very early on. The speedo stopped working as did the back brake light but both problems were sorted quickly under warranty. At the time I was dropping the bike quite a lot while learning so that probably didn't do it much good :-)
I totally love this bike. I know a lot of people that have had problem with earlier Chinese bikes but I think some brands such as Keeway have come a long way since then.
Buying this bike is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have had so much fun and so many adventures these last 16 months. Just love it. Small bikes can be fun, fun, fun.
Sharon
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
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