Hey Guys, Help with the Bike choice? :)

[LukeBB]

Hey all,
Im new to this forum, and im upgrading from my little 50cc to a 125cc. I have my mind set on a honda cbr 125 around 2004-2009. I am only planning to keep this bike for about 1-1 and half years.

This is because i plan to take my full bike licence before the end of this year because of the change of the laws about the size of bike you can ride.

What bike would you guys suggest?

P.S Im also not sure about the bike test, do you take lessons? Because i read up and it says its a day course?

Thanks Guys
Luke
Newbie Biker

[moppy]

CBT is just a one day course, you *can* fail it, but you probably won't as long as you convince the instructor (not examiner) that you have grasped how to ride a bike and will do it safely.

Usually consists of a few hours in a car park, then on the road for about 40 minutes I think.

As for choice of 125, any. YBR, & CG are popular choices. Get something that will last you long enough to do your full bike tests, it does not need to be expensive or flashy. You probably will drop it at some point. Saying that, 125s (good ones) hold their value well. I got a Suzuki VL125, rode it round for 18months, passed my tests on it and sold it on for 50 quid less than I bought it for.

[LukeBB]

Hey thanks for the fast reply.

Yeah i done my CBT, im looking to do my full bike test its in parts, thats what confuses me.

Thanks for the suggestions on the bikes will looking into them however my budget for a bike is only £1000

Thanks

[DrSnoosnoo]

You can go for your MOD1 and MOD2 whenever you feel like it. You need your theory before the MOD1 though. You *can* do lessons if you want to. I did DAS and found it really helpful. Others have gone the total opposite route to me though
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[Rogerborg]

£1000 just for the bike? How about insurance? Is your gear up to it? You'll be required to have at least: helmet, motorcycle gloves, heavy jacket (leather, cordura or denim), denim jeans and 'sturdy' boots, so no turning up in pedboi uniform of trackies and trainers.

Even at that budget, you'll be limited in the bikes that are available to you. I wouldn't fixate on a particular bike, just nab a good example of any Japanese branded bike. A commuter style like a CG, YBR, EN or CBF (just starting to come into your budget) will be easier to pass your tests on, although a CBR will be OK. Can you afford to drop it though?

You can book all the tests yourself directly with the DSA, there's no need to have any more training. It's covered in the stickies at the top of this section. Please read them and then if you have specific questions we can help.
____________________
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

[LukeBB]

Nah i got a 1600 budget, i have aheavy duty textile jacket, shark helmet and my motocross boots (should i buy different boots?), and i have heavy duty leather gloves. So my gear is ok.

I have looked at CBR's and similar bikes, the insurance for 3rd party fire and theft is all about 400-600 pounds. Therefore i have 1-1.2 to spend on a bike give or take.

I have looked at those bikes aswell they all interest me, I have looked at CBR's and compared read reviews on MCN etc. CBr's around the 2005 era can be picked up for about 800-1,100 pounds.

Yeah read the stickies and am going to book my test soon.

Thanks

[Kingstondavo]

Sports 125s are generally seen as a bit of a waste of time... They are expensive to fix if (read: when) you drop it, and due to the kind of rider they attract, a 4 or 5 year old one is gonna have taken some abuse...

you are much better off swallowing some pride and getting a YBR/CG/CBF 125, passing your tests and moving on to a real bike, rather than a 125 dressed up to be something it's not.

At the end of the day, a CBR125 is not going to be much faster than any of the other commuter 125s, but will be loads cheaper to insure, maintain and repair....
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Teflon-Mike]

Hmmm.... Sort of with Rog on this. £1000 and inflated insurance for a CBR 'JUST' to look a bit more flash.

BUT, your 17, in a rush to get a licence ahead of licence changes and put your learning in after..... might NOT be such a bad bet, and CBR isn't TOO bad a newbie bike. Its not SO exhorbitantly priced, and its not an outright kiddie-go-kwik machine....

BUT.... it is demanding a 'premium' and given time-scales, finding one, finding a good one, and not being in the mire of having to spend cash you have for lessons & tests to fix stuff that breaks when you start riding?

SAFE thing is to stick to the tried & trusteds.

Look for YBR's, EN's Cg's or CBF's. keep the search 'open' and include ANYTHING that would 'do the job' of getting you a licence to give best chances of getting good bike early on.

They DONT fall in your lap very often!

Use savings, to get a course of lessons in. SHOP AROUND one day courses wont teach you much. My local school, and its not unique offer 8 weekly 2hr lessons for just £125, IF you can find one similar you are quids in.

£121.50 for your tests, get that THEORY test booked ASAP.

And concentrate on getting that licence. We are on countdown, its seven months away now, and test apointment queues are getting longer again with season coming 'in'.

IF you manage to find a CBR, great. If not, then anything that gets the licence is good enough. Be more exiting than your 50 for sure. If its not AS exiting as you might like, well, just console yourself that its probably cheaper, and got you on track, and if it gets you tests, JOB DONE.

If you dont like it after, you can always flog on to next newbie in queue. And you dont HAVE to be limited to 125's with whatever you replace it with.

You'd get as much £500 for your money as you would a CBR125, and surely something like a restricted GPz500S would be MUCH more appealing than a CBR125?
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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?'

[sgtcalle]

i wouldnt go for a sports 125, although they hold their value well they are quite expensive to begin with. If your only going to run if for a year, your better off with a standard one such as a cg or something IMO. You will probably drop it, and at the end of the day its still only a 125, its not going to be a rocket.

As for your test, i passed mine a year ago, i went to a rider school, did three days training and my test, all included in the price, around 400 quid. I think the test would be hard to pass without any training
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CBR600F '02
Manchester

[moppy]

[Rogerborg]

I have to say, I quite liked having a go on a CBR125. Small bike, but it felt very willing and was great fun. And we should have as much fun as possible, it really annoys Brussels.
____________________
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

[LukeBB]

Hey Guys
Thanks for all the replies have taken on board what you have said and am just about to book my theory test.

Like you suggested i am going to look for a ybr or a cg or a similar bike.

Thanks for all the help.

Also any tips on the theory test?

[sgtcalle]

get the disc. it has all the questions on there, spend a while learning them, do a few hazard perception things on the internet, and you'll have no bother
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CBR600F '02
Manchester

[LukeBB]

Ok thanks