Road legal pit/monkey bike advice

[KLR600]

One of the guys where I work has expressed an interest in getting a bike on the road as he's fed up of cycling to work. He only lives about 2/3 miles away from work but we work on an artificial ski slope which is up a stupidly long and steep hill so he's after a bit of motorised assistance for the ride up the hill. Me being the only other person who rides a bike there he's asked me for some advice about bikes in general and I managed to persuade him to do a CBT on a geared bike instead of a scooter which was a good start and he's now going to start looking around for a bike to buy.

He said he really likes the look of pit and monkey bikes but I have no idea whats what with those bikes so I was hoping some of you could share some info about them like what makes are reliable and easy to get spares for and that won't fall apart after riding 200 yards down the street.

He'll only use it for the ride to work which is about 2/3 miles each way but like I said it's up a big steep hill so he's going to need it to be a 125 with enough poke to get him up the hill.

I explained to him about how he'll be a bit less visible to other road users on the road and suggested a CG125 type bike but he was pretty adamant about getting a pit/monkey bike so I said I'd look into them for him so here I am consulting the BCF knowledge banks!

He's looking to buy in a few weeks and will probably end up going through a dealer as he doesn't like the idea of private sales or ebay but he'd like a good idea of what to go for before he goes into a dealer and gets ripped off and comes out with some chinese piece of crap.

He doesn't have easy access to the internet so I'm trying to help him out best I can but I'm drawing blanks at the moment as all these pit bikes and monkey bikes look the same to me!
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Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
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[The Artist]

Advice hmm, don't get a chinese replica. Stick with branded bikes.

If he does get a 125, I reccommend he down gears it e.g. loose a tooth or 2 off the front sprocket which will make it easier for the bike to get up the hill.

[G]

Not sure if there's any non-chinese road legal pit or monkey bikes that you can buy in dealers?

I'd be going for one of the larger pit bikes and expecting to make a few mods to it, if I was stuck on the idea of one of them.

[Whosthedaddy]

You can get genuine Kawasaki or Honda Monkey bikes. Not cheap mind.

https://www.monkeybike.co.uk/acatalog/24-KSR110_green_lrg.jpg

https://www.monkeybike.co.uk/acatalog/10-gorilla_lrg.jpg

Click images for more info
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[KLR600]

I spoke to him some more today in work and he's coming around to the idea of perhaps getting a 125 trail bike but he's still pretty sure he wants a small sized bike for some reason that I can't really figure out.

He said today his budget was between £500 and £1000, so thinking reliability and small trailie type I was thinking Honda XR125? They seem to be gettable for £1k and will probably go on forever and will be easy to get parts for but I don't know if it's small enough for him. He's not a small guy, pretty average I'd say so I'm not really sure what to suggest to him.

EDIT: Just seen a local dealer has a used TW125 in stock, are they low? I seem to remember thinking that they were quite wide?

Also I may suggest a cruiser for him as they are pretty low.
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Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
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[Whosthedaddy]

There's something about the TW that pushes some buttons for me, not sure why, I think its the fat rear end.
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Kwaks]

Just as something a bit more mainstream and thus easier to get, how about a van van?


Low, readily available parts, 125cc and bloody comfortable.
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[G]

TW? BW350 is the way forward :
https://yamaha.tw.free.fr/img/story/BW_big_wheel/110_big_wheel.jpg
Always quite fancied one, though the only place they are really better over enduo bikes is snow I believe, or possibly very wet sand. Rear wheel is so fat, the chain needs to be extended to the right to compensate!

Anyway, the TW125 is quite low, yes.

[Faldo]

I was just about to suggest a Suzuki Van Van and noticed kwaker6r had the same idea.

Clicky to Biketrader There's an '04 model there within budget.

https://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet/media?id=811352295
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Current: ZZR1400
Previous: ZXR 400 L9, ZX-7R P5, ZZR 400, ZX-7R P6, Bandit 600, GSXR 750 Slingshot, DRZ400, DR650, ZX10R C1H, ZXR 750 L1, ZXR 750 L3, '99 ZX7R P4, KTM 300 EXC, ZX-9R E1, TDM850

[stevo as b4]

[quote="Whosthedaddy"]You can get genuine Kawasaki or Honda Monkey bikes. Not cheap mind.

https://www.monkeybike.co.uk/acatalog/24-KSR110_green_lrg.jpg

That Kawasaki looks awesome for a Pit bike! Id love one of them for messing about on and tuning etc. Im thinking it would be a bit of a ZX10R of pit bikes!

[G]

[binge]

£600 will get you a brand new 125cc pit bike, On the road. All you will need to do is insure it.
However, They really arent much cop from new. You are better off spending £600 on a done up second hand one which has had all the teething problems combed out.

My bike set me back (Well, My Girlfriend bought me it) £600.

I then went on to spend another £1400~ on upgrades. Its currently running a 150cc YX race engine @ 16bhp at the rear wheel.

I'm picking up a Cylinder head kit, high comp piston, VM26 carb and gas flowed inlet manifold next week. That will boost it up to 20bhp at the rear wheel. Given the right rear sprocket it will reach 80mph easily.

Engine wise, They are reliable. Even as standard, The engines are bullet proof due to the design. The problem with the Chinese bikes is the electrics. The connections have a tendency to corrode and cause the bike to cut out alot.


Road legal pit bikes, There are only really 2 bikes to choose from.

Masai DB-H (Which is a KLX110 style bike)
Shineray GY (Which is a CRF50 style bike)

They both come in 50cc and 125cc.

The 50cc bikes will do around 40mph. The 125cc bikes will do around 55mph.





Ben