So, For Practical Reasons, I Bought a Motorbike

So why have I bought my first "moto" in my mid-50s?

It's not a mid-life crisis. That came and went with little fanfare over a decade ago. No, this purchase was for purely practical reasons. I spend a lot of time in the Axarquía region of Southern Spain, east of Malaga. When I'm there on my own, I use a bicycle to get around. When my wife visits, we hire a car. With her "proper job," she only makes it over for a week at a time, but even so, we were spending an average of €1.5k a year on hire cars, which is nuts.

A bicycle is fine for my extended month-long trips. We live in the mountains, about 5km from the coast, so the trek home is steep but manageable. But come the summer months, with temperatures hitting 40°C, cycling any real distance is neither practical nor safe.

We needed a better solution.

The Problem: Weighing the Options

Over the last year, I've looked at all the options for a permanent vehicle in Spain.

• Buying a Car: Cars are expensive in Spain. For €5k, you're looking at a 10-15 year old high-miler with a dubious history. Below that, you're buying a money pit. Add in running costs, insurance, and parking, and a car was quickly ruled out.

• Electric Bikes: This was my first instinct, as I have one in Ireland and love it. But given my history in the bike trade, I'm a bit of a snob and wouldn't be happy with anything less than a €3k model. We'd need two of them, and my wife isn't a keen cyclist anyway.

The Solution: A Piaggio Liberty 125

I'd never ridden a motorbike before, but my mind kept turning to them. They're everywhere in Spain, cheap to run, and the weather is perfect for it. After some research, one model kept coming up: the Piaggio Liberty 125.

It's not that popular in the UK and Ireland but it's a massive seller across mainland Europe. I asked around, and no one had a bad word to say about them. As luck would have it, a neighbour had just bought one and let me have a go. After a quick test ride and a chat with him (a proper biker back in the UK), I was sold.

The Purchase: Used vs. New

I started checking the second-hand market. Coincidentally, someone in my village was selling one, but the owner was strangely reluctant to communicate, so I knocked that on the head.

That's when I looked at new prices. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't how affordable they were. A new Piaggio Liberty 125 has a base price of €2,500. Add €300 for registration and a few hundred more for helmets and a top box, and for under €3k you're on the road with a full warranty.

Bingo. Order placed, deposit paid.

I've been riding bicycles my whole life, so being on two wheels doesn't worry me, especially one with only 11 horsepower! What will be interesting is the first long trip with my wife on the back. That'll be an experience... hopefully a good one.

Expect more blog posts about "Misty" the moto once I collect her. Or, expect to see her listed for sale soon after!