hard to please ( which bike? )

[rubber toe]

hi all, I'm new here and to biking and would like some advice please,
Ive done my cbt and looking for the proverbial first bike (125 obviously) it will just be for playing about on but may become my commuting transport so needs to be road legal
I'm 44, a late developer I know but better late than never, learnt on a cg and tried a ybr but felt a bit tall for them, sat on a dtr and that felt a good size for me, I'm 5' 11''
I'm only about 11 stone so weight is not an issue.
I intend to keep this bike for a while and not sure if I will take full test so want something that will last and is reliable coz I'm no mechanic.
I'm gonna steer clear of the chinese stuff and have been looking at the following bikes on Ebay, MCN and Biketrader.......
Yamaha dtr, xt, tdr,
Suzuki dr sm
Kawasaki mtx
Honda xr and the varadero (or should that be very dearo)
Also looked at an MZ rt or something that looked nice
I cant afford brand new and dont want something older than 10 years.
Out of those bikes how would you rate them for my needs and how much should I be paying. Can you recommend any other bikes that fit the bill, I'm not into buying and selling so its got to be a good first choice.
Theres been plenty of "which bike" questions on here I know but can anyone help?
sorry for waffling on.

[BenR]

What's your budget? Can't go wrong with a DT but the aprilia MX125 is also woth a look.
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Current bikes: suzuki RG125UN wolf. Yamaha MT-07

[rubber toe]

not much I'm afraid, probably round the £1000 mark, maybe go a bit higher for the right bike but I've got to take insurance into account after that as well. I'm not really bothered about speed as the first time I'd ridden a motorbike was when I did my cbt so I need something sensible, but not quite as sensible as cg/ybr, but theyre too small anyway.
I do like the look of the suzuki dr and the varadero for different reasons and saw an 08 dr for sale for 1400 which is a bit above my price range but it was only 1 yr old with less than 80 miles on the clock, seemed a bargain, and I know the varadero is expensive but supposedly a good machine.
Ive read loads of messages and reviews about wether 2 stroke or 4 stroke is best but is there really that much difference bearing in mind I know nothing about engines and stuff and ive got to take running costs into account also, cant believe the price of 125's compared to bigger bikes and didnt expect it to be so difficult to get the right bike.

[MugenSeiki]

DTX

[defblade]

I'm already in love with my verydearo but it will bust your budget wide open (it did mine ) although hopefully I'll see a similarly large amount back when I trade up in a year or two.

The new Honda CBF felt really good when I sat on it, too - I'm about 5" taller than you - the seat was a little low with feet on the ground, but the pegs and the bars seemed OK. It's probably still over your budget, but you'd be buying a near new bike with waranty etc so maybe worth considering?
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Honda Varadero 125cc => Suzuki Bandit 650 33bhp => 77bhp =>
BMW K1200R Sport 163bhp => Aprilia Shiver GT 750 95bhp

[Clanger]

Best advice I can give you in ALL instances is go for a test ride. Before I got the sv I was going round telling everyone I was getting a Hornet...and then I rode one. I didn't like the riding position, or the way it felt (used to riding V-twins).

So that idea got thrown out of the window, immediately...

Test ride, then make your decisions base on YOUR choice, you can't go wrong then.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[MugenSeiki]

[BlackStallion]

Since you have only ridden the bike you used for your CBT, you need a bit of practice mate, if there are any bikes that appeal to you, ask for a test ride first.

If you want a reliable bike though, and your budget is £1000, then i would definitely go for the Hyosung XRX 125. Not just coz its my bike, but overall, it's got so many great reviews, it's very reliable, it does 70mph and it's extremely cheap to run.

They do 90mpg and it only cost £4 - 5 to fill the tank. I got mine nearly new for £1050 at a bargain price, and it's the 2007 model, was well looked after and well respected.

The XRX is so easy to get used to aswell, it's my first geared bike and took me a matter of days to get in the swing of everything, i now know the bike almost from head to toe.

Hyosung aren't cheap Chinese bikes either, they are a Korean company and use exact copies of Suzuki engines.

If you aren't the one for trial bikes, then i would go for the Hyosung GT125R, that is an amazing bike, looks and feels like a 600. It may cost a lot more, but worth it if your into these sort of bikes and want something that will last.

Hyosung are so reliable due to the engine and the cost to maintain. oil hardly ever needs filling, brake fluid is the same, only really need to oil the chain now and then and give it a nice wash down. If you went for the XRX 125, then look after it, coz it will get you a long way.

Here's a picture of mine, just so you can see

They do come in different coulours though, red's, blue's and even yellows.

Hope this helps mate.

[rubber toe]

yea they look ok too, I think I would prefer a more " sit up " kind of position like the trails bikes, I have been on a dt and it felt pretty good, I do have another question, which is better to have, rear drum or disc brake or not worth bothering about? it seems that newer bikes have discs so I'm assuming its an improvement over drums and therefore better to have, am I right ?

[muffy]

hi m8 i know you say cg's were a bit small but im 6'1 and i have done long distance on mine and felt ok after and they are great budget bikes high mpg easy to fix IF IT EVER GOES WRONG which is like once every millenium there bullit proof bikes and mine is 21 yrs old got it for £3oo quid spent £200 on it tiding it up starts every morning great round town and when you have had enuff of it it dont owe you much theres been some good ones on ebay lately

gl muffy

[rubber toe]

hi muffy, maybe it was more to do with the position than the actual height but it did feel a bit like I was sat 'on' it rather than 'in' it, if that doesnt sound too daft, maybe I'll give the cg another try but the dt certainly felt more 'right'

[BlackStallion]

[Knacker]

Cant go wrong with a Honda XR125

Absolutly fantastic bikes

Reliable 4 Stroke Engine
Similar fuel economy to a CG
Quite happy to sit at 60/65mph all day
Can be used for a bit of greenlaning

If i had the money for a 4th bike id have 1 tommorow.
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Current: Gsxr 600 Srad - GS125 - DT125
Previous: K1 GSXR 1000

[rubber toe]

how do you folks feel about buying from salvage dealers ?
there is one near me and they have a few bikes in these two caught my eye, what do you think ? how much would it roughly cost to put either of them right ?
https://www.rsmotorcycles.co.uk/pages/HONDA10.html
https://www.rsmotorcycles.co.uk/pages/HONDA20.html
I have seen xr's for about the same price without the damage but have all been too far away from me. Also saw an 04 varadero for £1195 in the west midlands which is a good price but I live in lancashire

[The Original Muzza]

I got my 125 from a breakers/salvage dealers. It wasn't a salvage bike but they charge less than your average dealer. Good condition apart from a bit of surface corrosion on some of the more exposed parts. They are quite honest about the stuff they sell as well. "it's a bit tatty" "run's fine but will need a new exhaust soon" stuff like that, probably in the hope that you will buy an exhaust or something to go with it. Whereas SOME (not all, not most) dealers may neglect to inform you of minor problems and weasel out/fall back on the 6 month dealer warranty, hoping that the problems rear their head after 6 months.
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Current Bikes: Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 (2020)
Former Bikes: Honda MSX125 (2014), BMW Funduro (1996), Honda VT500 (1983), Yamaha FZR250 (1989), Suzuki GZ125 Marauder(2005),:Triumph TT600 (2002) (stolen)
From then on, I and the bicycle feelings deeper.

[defblade]