Just passed my CBT, looking for 125cc sports bike.

[SheldonCOOPER_BBT]

Hi its SheldonCOOPER_BBT here, my first post.

Right after some major twists and turns i have made the decision to purchase a motorcycle.
I have completed my first step to getting a motorcycle, as i passed my CBT last week. I have decided not to go down the route of a naked plain 125cc, instead jumping towards the direction of the sportier 125cc's.

I have my eyes set on the gilera sc125 as its not toooo expensive and also i could handle the depreciation of the bike whilst its in my possession.
On the other hand I have been struggling to find a dealer who have a used or even knew gilera sc125 which is annoying too be fair.

Other bikes that have caught my eye are two well known four strokes. Yamaha yzf r125 and also the derbi gpr 125, both are a tad to expensive for me to purchase outright as i just recently started saving, 3 months equaling to £1,600 saved.
All you honda fans out there as well, i have not forgotten your beloved cbr, but tbh the bike is just to small/thin for me.

[bikertomm]

You're going to get slaughtered with posts!

Can I ask why you want a 'sports' 125?
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[skylineonfire]

Honestly all the usual basic 4 stroke 125s you see out and about are pretty much the same when it comes to top speed/acceleration etc, and I wouldn't really say any are particularly "sporty", more... Practical. Go for something from a reputable brand, Honda CBF or Yamaha YBR, it's going to do you much better than some pretend race bike with a big plastic bodykit that makes it look like a 600cc race bike, until you actually turn the engine on.

[Kingstondavo]

First bike...Italian two stroke... Good luck with that.

Just don't expect reliability or low running costs.

If you have to have a 125 with fairings so it looks fast to a casual glance, go for something Japanese, will hold it's value better and cost far, far less to run.

I assume you have done some insurance quotes, as that could really put you off the gilera/ a sports 125 in general

*edit - sorry it looks like the new ones are actually four stroke. It's still a rubbish idea though...*
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Ariel Badger]

Don't, you will drop it and new plastic costs a fortune. A 125 is a transitional bike between your CBT and your test, get a pre- damaged sh***r and sell it on once you take your DAS. No point in loosing cash at this stage of riding.
Edit. Being Italian it will eat engines in exchange for performance. Hondas go on forever
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Kingstondavo]

On your profile it says you live in Streatham...

Get some insurance quotes. I'm pretty confident any sports 125 will come back in the thousands. None of them have immobilisers so they are incredibly easy to steal, and south London is an absolute bike theft hotspot
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Derivative]

I'll assume you want a 'sportier' bike for speed, rather than to simply look like a tart.

[SheldonCOOPER_BBT]

[bikertomm]

Righto..

If you want to ignore all the advice, get a 2 stroker rs 125.

Cos' they go 130mph

Get an insurance quote +1!


____________________
07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[skylineonfire]

[Ariel Badger]

If you insist on ignoring all advice just take this on board. Make sure it has a pink power band.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Nope.]

Oh god, not this shit again. When will people learn to use the search...

RIGHT

This should really have gone in new bikes, since your a new biker and all, but there we go (for future reference, here: https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewforum.php?f=32)

Now, why do you want a sports 125? So you can look "Well cool" infront of your school chums? Just think how cool you'd look on a REAL bike, a GSXR or a CBR (or whatever else takes your fancy). Not to mention that you'd not only have a bike that looked the part but you'd also have a bike that rode the part too.

125's, especially 4 strokes, tend to be slow and rather boring. Some of then (CG etc.) serve their purpose in teaching people to ride on something reasonably slow so that they don't go out and kill themselves in 5 minutes but thats about it. I guess the only purpose that sports 125's serve is to make people who are too scared to ride a real bike look cool to people who have no idea about bikes. If you want a 125, get a CG or similar. It'll be reliable and just as fast as any sports 125.

You should be able to do your tests for about £500, get a big bike for about £600 and insure it for about £500.

Also, why are you going to stealers? Buying private, so long as you know what your looking for, is usually a much better deal by far. Look around and when you've found a bike take someone with you who knows what to look for, I'm sure that if you don't know anybody then there will be somebody on here who lives close to you and will be happy to have a look with you in exchange for a couple of pints.
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[Derivative]

[GREENI3]

[Villers]

I hate the attitudes on here sometimes.

People are so obsessed with being right, saving money blah blah.

My first bike was an RS125, I must have been a right idiot buying the bike that I wanted. I'll tell you what, I ws a happy idiot too, with no problems and if I did have any then they were MY problems.

That was many moons ago, Ive had a few bikes since then and I still wouldnt try and put anyone off doing what they want to do. There are always 'buts' with everything but good god some of you talk as if you are the worlds authority on bikes and if someone loses £3 on a bike in depreciation their legs will drop off.

Everyones different, and people need enlightened but remember that whats best for you isnt best for someone else.

If the guy wants a sports 125 why not get one?
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Villers]

[Derivative]

[Villers]

So by not buying 'fun trinkets' you can buy other 'fun trinkets'? Money obsessed!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Derivative]

[Villers]

Efficiency is great I truly agree but perspective is awesome too.

Given your analogy I would prefer to have a full licence, but in my position when I started I knew no better. I loved my RS125 so me back then would say @R125' (but we both know thats prob not true and id prefer my aprilia RS over those).

As things go on your perspective changes and now I wouldnt want a bike with less that 100bhp and some mid range but back then I was happy.

I propose a counter scenario:

£2500 on a 125 that you would love or the £18k mortgage deposit? Enjoy it while you got it. I dont waste money but when its making me happy I dont consider it a waste at all, thats why I earn it!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Derivative]

[G]

The vast majority of the 4 stroke 125s with fairings are not sports bikes.
They are commuter bikes which cost more because they've got fairings to fool people in to thinking they are sporty.

The majority of 2 strokes with fairings are 'sporty' relatively.

It's actually very easy to buy a 125, use it for a year and not lose any money; in many cases people make money, but realistically, only lose a little bit.

Keep your budget to £1k; ideally a bit less for a tatty bike; and it won't be worth much less a year later. If you start with a tatty one, when you drop it you won't be chucking money away nearly as quickly.

And no, it's not like a Fiesta with a Ferrari badge.
It's like a Fiesta with some ripspeed accessories, then the owner telling you it's a "sports car" because it's got a pink anodised 'racing' accelerator pedal.

[Villers]

[Derivative]

[pits]