My first 125cc motorbike

[Apollo]

I've just booked in to take my CBT test and am looking for advice & recommendations on what to get for my first bike

I'm a newbie to the whole biking scene so need to know what sort of things i should be looking for when buying a new/used bike please

As i understand once I've done my CBT i can ride a bike up to 125cc? I am only looking to use it for commuting purposes and the odd day out and my limit is only £1,500 so not expecting anything special

I like the look of the old classsic style bikes (think Steve McQueen in Great Escape) and something which resembled as close to (below) would be my ideal looking bike

https://img.ezinemark.com/imagemanager2/files/30003693/2010/11/2010-11-01-11-37-16-7-beckhams-celebrity-friend-actor-tom-cruise-48.jpeg

[Hockeystorm65]

Welcome to the forum Apollo!

Get yourself an open face helmet:

https://www.caberglids.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=382&osCsid=bba656459e025fe8ae95337ad6face11

Steve McQueen Leather Jacket:

https://www.leathernext.com/details.php?j=64&t=Steve+Mcqueen+style+Jacket+Biker+Jacket

And one of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1E2ziGSJhU&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1E2ziGSJhU&feature=related

There are quite a few on ebay in your price range.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-RV-125-K4-VAN-VAN-SILVER-54-REGISTRATION-PLATE-/220838541386?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item336b00b84a

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-Van-Van-RV125-/230661465444?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item35b47ea564

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-Suzuki-RV125-Van-Van-125cc-Serviced-New-Rear-Tyre-/310340025758?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item4841b4fd9e

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-SUZUKI-RV-125-K8-VAN-VAN-GREY-/180714652620?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2a136ec3cc

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-RV-125-Van-Van-RV125-VanVan-/120752648226?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item1c1d6b3022

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-SUZUKI-RV-125-K4-BLUE-VAN-VAN-/320749994182?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item4aae3080c6

....great bikes...loads of fun!
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Good judgement comes from experience.....experience comes from bad judgement!

[P.addy]

Blatant plug, my 125 is up for sale £600 to a BCF'er. PM if you want, Honda Cityfly... so not really a classic looking one, but will get you through your test so easily.

You can ride up to a 125cc but it cant have more than 14.6hp and you need front and rear L plates.

Welcome to BCF

[nant]

van vans are good bikes, a mate has one. Not so good if your over 6ft though. goes without saying for most 125s tho.

[FirebladeRuss]

GZ125!

https://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt115/russ528/GZ125/DSCF6721.jpg

https://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt115/russ528/GZ125/DSCF6719.jpg
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Twitter is for people who can't STFU even when they're by themselves

[blurredman]

cg125.

it's old fashioned! Probably one of the oldest 125 other than the cb.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 52k.

[zombie_dave]

Honda cb 125 twin.

That is all!
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ZombiE_DavE

[Teflon-Mike]

CBT & L-Plates lets you get on the road, on 'provisional' licence entitlement... the 'provision' being you intend to take tests to get a full licence, and its a 'legacy' of ancient times before learner bikers could adequetly be 'supervised' while training, as they now can by radio.....

CBT is not a bike licence; nor a safe rider does it make you.... means you have listened to an old duffer like me waffle on about helmets and insurance and shit; and told you where the brake and clutch levers are, and got you to ride around a few cones, and wobble out onto the road, and not killed any-one.... and displayed 'sufficient' competence for a 'first' lesson, you shouldn't do TOO much harm, let loose on your own, on a low powered bike for a bit.....

Fuck 'the bike' worry about getting THE LICENCE....

bikes come and go; licence is yours until you are 70 years old.

After test and licence, you have pretty much choice of any kind of bike that takes your fancy..... for NOW all you want is that LICENCE, becouse THAT is what opens the doors to all biking has to offer.

You dont NEED any bike at all, to get your licence, if you use school bikes for training and tests; whether 125 or 500 DAS bike if you are eligible...... BUT having your own 125 can be a good way to save pennies, practicing on your own time, and not wasting so much money on 'hide-charges'..... buy your own 125, and get a decent one, you can often sell on after a few months and get back pretty much what you paid for it, less insurance, fuel and any maintenance or repairs.

For early riding FUCK WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE....... its what it DOES that matters; Learning you want a bike that is easy to ride; comfy, gives you as little to think about or worry about as possible OTHER than contending with the psyco-car drivers who are ALL out to kill you..... and mechanical condition is what matters; bike that wobbles about on tired old sloppy suspension beneath you, when YOU are wobbly enough yourself learning to balence the damn thing is no help to you what so ever. Speed? Nope; you dont need none of that neither; just has to move well enough to keep up with traffic, and not catch you out 'bogging' when you are in the wrong gear, or comong in the pipe, and liftiung the front wheel if you give it a bit too much welly...... and its helpful if its 'cheap' to run and cheap to insure, and keeps costs down.

What I have just described, is a four year old Yamaha YBR125.... new enough ought to be in fairly good fettle and not abused or neglected by too many no-nothing newbies, but 'just' old enough that depreciation has seen its value drop to barely half new list price, while it still has MORE than half its 'useful' life left in it..... and first MOT passed, some confidence it's still a good'n.

£12-£1500 depending where you buy, and how shiney it is; bang on your budget.

Easy to ride; frugal; cheap to insure.... learner-legal out the crate; has freindly power delivery; freindly handling, and has 'just' enough performance to 'do the job', while coming from Japanese brand, (though actually made in China I believe) some confidence that it was built with some fairly stringent Quality Control measures and isn't going to shake itself to bits, need constant attension, or break down every other journey.

BUT, best bit; they hold thier value well, and six months after buying one; tests done on it, which is NOT an unreasonable amount of time to plan getting licence in..... you COULD sell on for within £100 or so of what you paid for it to get a bigger or just different bike.

NOT the only thing out there, but the 'bench-mark', to judge others by. Honda CG125 is the old favourite; it's successor the CBF125 a little more sophisticated and a little more expensive; Suzuki EN125, is a slightly cheaper, and slightly less well finished bike; or there is the old Yamaha SR125, thats slightly crusery, but not quite a full chopper.

Post test, 125's are NOT insiring bikes, but these learner commuters, after learning excell in thier other role of cheap bus fare beeting get to work transport, and could meet all your needs from a bike for a very long while.

Advice would be, that after test, to ride out the year, on the Training Tool bike, for cheap transport and early miles experience, until you have your first years Insurance No-Claims, AND full licence in your pocket to ponder alternatives....

At that point, stepping up to a bigger bike is likely to be something you WANT to do, as 125's can be rather frustrating, especially if you have a full licence in your pocket that would let you have something bigger.

If you took tests on a 125, under current rules, you will have a two year 33bhp restriction on your licence, so you cant go jump straight onto a loonie bike..... but if you DID want to step up, there are planty of machines that could fit your ideas of asthetics, and need not cost a fortune to run.

About THE cheapest bus-beating bike around is the 'old' (and most of them will have had their 21st birthday, if not their thirtieth, by now!) Honda CD200 Benley..... sweet little commuter twin, it was actually sold as 'Touring Motorcycle'.... very comfy thing, 1960's esque concervative styling, and a tad on the heavy side for its meagre 17bhp, hardly more than an 'on the limit' 125 sports learner..... BUT 'enough' to be useful and reach 70mph, yet return BETTER mpg than many 'ecconomy' 125's because doesn't have to be 'thrashed' so hard to do 40-60mph speed limits.... but best bit, becouse its NOT a 125, its about the CHEAPEST damn bike you can insure; premiums on a 200 Benley are, for a full licence holder, usually lower, and by a considerable margin, than a same age, same value 125 Benley......

Again, plenty of super-cheap bikes out there, and over 125, lots and lots and lots of choices, and you can have as much or as little ecconomy, or performance and as much style, or as much practicality as you can offord, REALLY...... BUT key is those first six months to a year, and GETTING YOUR LICENCE..... and to that end, bike you use to do it, is merely a means to an end...... doesn't matter what it LOOKS like...... you dont buy it to hang on your fucking wall..... you buy it to RIDE and get that licence with!
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[MadCatLady]

Whatever you get, the main thing is to feel happy with it. When I did my first CBT and started lessons in the '90s, I had a TZR and didn't get on with it at all. I'm sure it was mostly user error, but I didn't have confidence in either myself or the bike which is probably why I came off several times. I was actually convinced it hated me! After cracking a couple of ribs and leaving leg skin over the A64, I sold it and didn't get back in to biking until quite recently.
I've got a YBR now and absolutely love it. My confidence has come back loads and I enjoy every time I go out on it. It feels so different to how it did on the TZR.

[Rogerborg]

YBR 125 Custom.

https://www.phmotorcycles.co.uk/bikes/motorcycles/yamaha/ybr125-custom.jpg

Job done.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[jonnyrider]

I couldn't agree more, I am newly CBT'd and ride a YBR125 which is what I did my training on. I didn't want to get one at first as I thought they were a bit boring - but after my CBT I realised that I had to learn to walk before I ran... I LOVE my YBR125, it's the perfect mix between the old school cruiser-type naked headlight and chrome work with modern sportyish curves in the faring etc., so if you are worried about what a bike looks like, this is a good 'inbetweener'....the custom variant is obviously more cruiser/customy looking with more chrome and teardrop tank.

Mine is black (I think the best colour!) and set me back only £1150 private sale, only 3780 miles on the clock and just 2 owners.

Everyone told me the engines are indestructible and I have no complaints (apart from sometimes not going into Neutral first time) but I guess that's me being a newbie... Everything feels positive and solid.

There are tonnes of them about as a lot of people tend to only have them for a while after the CBT and then get something bigger after passing their full test. My biker mates all tell me I will probably get *more* for it if I sold it in 6 months that I paid for it as I got it just below average price and its in very good nick and low miles. Have a look on ebay/MCN/autotrader.

It fills up maybe £12 max and does well over 200 hundred miles on a tank...I think my last trip read 237miles that was £11 of petrol and was only just touching red when I refilled and so definitely lives up to it's 100mpg sales pitch!

Tax £15 pa

Insurance (I have 3 points, and 10yr full car license, 27yo) £162 pa with MCE

Although the tyres are thin, I feel comfortable and safe on the YBR. I am finding my limits quickly and although it's 65mph top speed (I weigh 16stone) isn't the fastest going for a 125, I certainly wouldn't want to go much faster on it with crosswinds etc down the A3!

Maximum journey time before my ass is killing me (and it's quite a comfy seat!!) 1hr and a bit. Only downsides I have found are the mirrors are really a bit too small, actually annoyingly small but with the right tweaking I can get an alright position and tbh you could always swap them out with something else.

I reckon all things considered you can't beat it for the money.

This photo is the day I picked it up on a friends trailer

All the best!
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Yamaha YBR 125 (2008)

[FirebladeRuss]

I'll have to keep an out for you Jonny, as I'm up and down the A3 on mine as well - and it has been fucking windy on there the last few weeks!

I get similar mileage out of my GZ as well - it's awesome I don't have a fuel guage, but I put £11 in and got 227 miles out of it. £11 would get me to work and back once in the 330!
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Twitter is for people who can't STFU even when they're by themselves

[Apollo]

Thanks for the words of advice and bike ideas!

The Yamaha YBR125 or Suzuki Van Van are at the top of my wishlist now. I guess it all depends on what bike is available at the best price once i have passed my CBT

However I do love the black matt finish look of the Keeway Superlight Custom (very Batman-esc) and its just about in my price range too...
https://www.keewaymotor.com/galleries/superlight_lim/01.jpg

Do Keeway bikes have a good reputation?

[Nope.]

[MattJ]

If I were you I wouldn't spend £1500 quid on a first bike, especially a 125. Get something for under a grand that will get you about. You said yourself that it will mainly be for commuting so just get a commuter. CG/CBF/YBR are perfect I think. YBRs and CBFs are newer than CGs so mainly still more expensive. Get about a 10 year old CG and you shouldn't lose much money by the time you sell it.

Use the money you save by not spending £1500 on a bike to do your test and then get a bike you really like.

I did my CBT in February this year and got my license in August. After I did my CBT I got a 2002 Honda CG and it was all I needed. You aren't going to get anything great to ride when it's a 125, and if you do it'll probably be very unreliable, so not something you'd want to commute on.

Even if you did get a 125 that you really liked, until you pass your test it'll be ruined by having 'L' plates on it.

Do not be tempted by the low prices of Chinese bikes. Just don't. Avoid them.

A 10 year old Jap bike is probably what you want.

If, for some daft reason, you don't want to get a full license, by all means get a nice 125, but you're going to struggle to find something that you really like with the sounds of it.

Just make do with something that's alright for now. Then do your test. Then get a nice bike.

[VTRkemshell10...]

its a shame you didnt come on here a week earlier, just sold my CG for £1000, would have left you enough for your test!
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Past Rides: Sym Jet Euro X, Gilera DNA, Aprillia RS125 (Spains No1 Replica), 1991 Honda NSF, 2006 Honda CG125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, 2000 VFR800 FY-I
Current Rides: 2001 VTR1000 FIRESTORM

[Rogerborg]

Keeway's an interesting one. Yes, they're made in China, but so is the YBR. There's nothing inherently wrong with Chinese made motorcycles. The "superlight" uses the 157FMI engine, which shouldn't give problems - the concern is the other parts, and they've quite cleverly de-chromed that model, which should cut down on obvious rot.

Keeway are making an effort to build a brand, so you might get something akin to a warranty service.

However, you'll get pummelled on the resale. Buying new is just not smart. As a pass-and-sell-on used purchase though, it might not be as nutty as it sounds.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Apollo]

I've found a YBR 125, in good condition, 2 previous owners, 25k Mileage for sale @ £850.00

Is this a good deal?

[Nope.]

[Teflon-Mike]

[cazann]

gotta say i adored my lil cbr bought it just after doing my cbt in march and ive rode it all summer all weathers! will be sorry to see it gone (its on here for sale £995) been loads of fun and very reliable but passed my test now finally ( 3 attempts?!) haha and bought a gpz 500 . Enjoy... whatever you get, best thing ive ever done.

[Apollo]

[Apollo]

I've found...

SUZUKI GN GN125 W - 1998 (S reg), 12,000 miles, 12 months MOT, No Tax, a few scratches and dents - £475.00

HONDA CG CG125-4 - 2005 (55 reg), 24,000 miles, 8 months MOT, 11 months Tax, minimal damage - £850.00

Thoughts?

[P.addy]

CG, you'll resell it for that in 2 years if you keep it in good nick and pass your test

[c_dug]

I cant for the life of me remember the model, but one of the Italian manufacturers makes a 125 which is more similar to the bike in the OP than anything else posted so far.

If I remember right, the model begins with an M and its a name rather than a bunch of letters.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.