Finance: £100-a-month heroes

Personal Contract Purchase now finances 20%-30% of all new bikes sold in the UK, and it’s growing fast. But it might not be right for you, so make sure you understand what it is and how it works.

You can have these new bikes for less than you might have ever imagined – and what’s more you can have another new one in three years’ time, probably without increasing your monthly outlay, or having to find a fresh deposit.

This is how it works

• Work out what you can afford as a deposit and in monthly repayments for the duration of the contract.
• You can get PCP on any amount from £1500 upwards.
• Choose your new motorcycle (or a used one – bikes up to three years old can also qualify).
• Set a repayment term of between two to four years. 
• Set your annual mileage at up to 24,000 miles a year. Your mileage will affect your monthly payments.
• Decide which end-of-agreement option is best for you when the time comes – most roll on to another bike. 

Be aware that

• You do not own the bike, and won’t unless you pay the final balloon figure.
• A significant proportion of the credit is deferred until the end of the contract, and it’s not the cheapest route to ownership.
• You must have fully comprehensive insurance.
• Excess mileage charges apply.
• Abuse or neglect will damage your bike’s guaranteed future value.
• The bike is at risk of repossession if you do not maintain repayments.

With that out of the way, these are the best bikes that you can ride away on for less than £100 a month.

Honda Africa Twin, £99 a month

It’s been an incredible year for Honda’s first serious entry into the adventure segment. The new Africa Twin has charmed the MCN test team, both on-road and off, and as a result we crowned it our 2016 Adventure Bike of the Year. The power delivery from its 998cc parallel-twin motor is sublime, smooth and effortless, and being so slim and agile it’s the least intimating of the big adventure bikes.

With an on-the-road price of £10,849 for the manual gearbox version (£11,698 for the excellent DCT), it’s charmed buyers too, the 94bhp machine proving a massive sales success.

And even more tempting than the gorgeous tri-colour red, white and blue paint scheme is the brilliant PCP deal Honda are currently running, which means you can pick a brand-new Africa Twin up for just £89 per month. 

Cash price: £10,849
Deposit: £2631.13
Mileage: 4000pa
Rate: 5.9%APR
Optional final payment: £6296.33

Kawasaki Er-6n, £81.74 a month

A fantastic do-it-all road bike. Engine and chassis are identical to the faired ER-6f, and its relatively recent overhaul ensures that the 6n still feels fresh. However, it’s not Euro4 compliant and won’t be in Kawasaki’s 2017 line up – so there could be further reductions on the RRP in order to clear the stock.

Cash price: £5936
Deposit: £1000
Mileage: 5000pa 
Rate: 5.9%APR
Optional final payment: £1678.64

Triumph Tiger 800 XR, £95.06 a month

Triumph have brought the three-cylinder adventure bike up to date and put some serious thought into making an already good bike even better. The XR is a nice place to be, with pleasing ergonomics and lots of grunt from that smooth triple. An effortless road-orientated mile-muncher. 

Cash price: £8800
Deposit: £2000
Mileage: 5000pa 
Rate: 6.9%APR
Optional final payment: £4554

Triumph Street Twin, £84.32 a month

The Street Twin offers superb value. As well as the styling, performance and all-round friendliness you get a Smiths-style white-on-black speedo, an underseat USB socket and immobiliser. It’s as easy to ride as the bike you took your test on, but plenty of performance too.

Cash price: £7500
Deposit: £2000
Mileage: 5000pa 
Rate: 9.9%APR
Optional final payment: £3829

Ducati Monster 821 Stripe, £100 a month

The 821cc V-twin doesn’t just sound good, it delivers just what you want and need. There’s loads of usable low-down torque, which is perfect for city work and darting out of tight corners. And when the engine builds to higher revs, it’s linear and smooth with instant torque and power.

Cash price: £9787
Deposit: £2000
Mileage: 5000pa 
Rate: 4.6%APR
Optional final payment: £4815

Yamaha MT-07, £68.40 a month

The MT-07 is light, friendly, punchy, fast, frugal and more fun than it has any right to be. It’s perfect for everyday riding, is well-built, and even better value than the larger MT-09, especially when you consider this cracking PCP offer. MCN’s middleweight of the year is just £68 per month – that’s a deal.

Cash price: £5486
Deposit: £1097.20
Mileage: 6000pa 
Rate: 4.9%APR
Optional final payment: £2433

Ducati Scrambler Icon, £75.90 a month

It’s easy to fall for the Scrambler’s simplicity, especially once the wide bars have given you the sense of old-skool freedom. It’s tempted many – are you next? It’s simple to ride, forgiving and handles really well too. Experienced hands may want 15bhp more, but there’s lots to love about it.

Cash price: £7387
Deposit: £1935
Mileage: 5000pa 
Rate: 6.5%APR
Optional final payment: £3605

BMW F800GS Blackline, £100 a month

Updated for 2016, this is the Blackline Edition of the F800GS which features stealthy black metallic paint and a grey frame. Along with the standard handguards it also comes with LED indicators. It’s a genuine on and off-road adventure middleweight ready to tackle any trail.

Cash price: £9475
Deposit: £2203.84
Mileage: 5000pa 
Rate: 5.9%APR
Optional final payment: £4811.29