I own an MT-125, which I'm frantically saving to part-ex for an MT07, before I move to New Cross to start uni in September. If I don't buy the MT07 before then, it's going to be 4-5 years before I'll be in a financial position to even consider buying a new bike. However, no way will I be taking a shiny 2018 MT07 to SE London (if i've bought it) - I'll be renting a storage unit somewhere in south/east Kent until next summer. At which point I'll then be frantically trying to get a temp summer job to save up for a year's insurance up front and another 10 months storage space.
Insurance is a nightmare especially if you have a London postcode. I know people in their 50s with clean license and full no claims bonus being quoted £2k plus for bikes like a BMW GS purely on the fact they live in London and the theft risk. If you don't have a garage you can forget even getting a quote from most companies. Hope you get your MT-07 soon. Ride safe and thanks for watching
Also, whilst you are of course correct that police need more funding from central government, you must realise that bikers are so low down the whole state/bureaucracy/public services' priorities as to be non-existent. Everybody who's not either a biker or in some way close (family/friend/partner etc) of a biker pretty much either hates or (at best) is indifferent to us.
Middleaged Rider A bit extreme? Well he did get a Nobel prize and a statue in Parliament square for encouraging not only this sort of behavior but attempting to blow British kids on the way to listen to some music into mincemeat. How do I know this? Because the peace prize winners minions missed blowing me into mincemeat at the OK Bazaars record section near Christmas one year by minutes and metres. I am still slightly deaf. Now i the mayor of London thinks the sort of person who would do this to a child is a hero surely he Should support necklacing thieves? Or chopping their hands off? Ride safe and I hope they leave you bike alone.
I didn't mean to make light of something that clearly you feel very passionately about and for good reason. I really don't know enough to comment so will bow to your much wider knowledge than mine. Sorry to hear of your experiences. Luckily (touches wood) I've not suffered the theft problem so far and hope that continues. Ride safe too.
