Which bike is best for college?

[Connorburton]

Right i know similar questions have been asked before but i need an answer and advice thats specific to me, im starting college on the 25th September however its 30 miles away, the problem is im in Lincolnshire and its not very flat, lots of hills. Ill be 17 on the 6th September and iv been riding a Ludix moped for the past year and have 1 years NCB, So basicly im looking for a bike to do a 30 mile round trip 3 days a week,
I like the 2008 onwards CBR125R but i just dont know if it will have the power to take me up hills ( The roads speed limit is 60mph and im 5 11" 70kg)
so i was thinking of taking my full test and getting an SV650s restricted to 33bph? but it costs more money and been at college i have around £2000 to get somonething and any tests?

Just looking for advice and opinons to what i should do? ill consider most bikes but i much prefer bikes will full or half farings.

Thanks,

[Andy_Pagin]

125s are much of a muchness really regarding running costs & performance. 'sports 125s' tend to be heavy to insure. They're all going to struggle to hold a real 60mph on steep hills.

Two grand to get a full licence & bike is do-able as you probably have most of the other biking gear already. Downside is you won't get the 100+ mpg economy of a 125.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Kaneda]

All 125's (possibly with the exception of cruiser 125's) will cope with the hills just fine, as long as you're aware of the lesser power on offer. Given that you're 17 in september, I'd book your theory test NOW, and have that cleared before your birthday, as you can do that at any time, then as you've been riding a moped for a year, do a transitional course onto a geared bike after you turn 17. The choice is then yours- grab a 125 and bung around on it for a while, read (and learn!) your highway code, practise the mod 1 on a car park with cones, and book your own tests for just over £100, or do a course that will get you your restricted license. Either way, do it as soon as humanly possible before the changes in January, that will royally screw your chances of getting anything fun until you're 24.

Hope that helps.

[Connorburton]

[Teflon-Mike]

Get a YBR125 or similar commuter; some lessons & tests and a 'big-bike' soon as you are qualified.
Need not be SV650, but a pretty good choice, alternatives are GS500, or GPz500, CB500 or ER5.
For something slightly more sporty, GPz500 is popular choice, on tighter budget.
But personally, I'd pick an ER5 on a restricted licence, as there are more newer examples around for bargain prices, same motor, and 'simpler' lower maintenance chassis, so more likely to get a bike in better condition for your money.
NOT that there is much between them when 33bhp restricted, though even those small differences are greater than between the 125's!
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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?'

[L-Jam]

Mate, I'm going to give you some advice now, and it is valuable because a few years ago I was in exactly your position. So listen up because I didn't take the time to type this for nothing!

GET YOUR TEST DONE.

There is absolutely no point staying on a CBT when you can pay probably £600 and get your test done, do it ASAP because the rules are changing soon to make it harder.

Have you got gear? I wouldn't say you need bottoms because I used to wear jeans, just don't fucking crash, but get a decent leather Jacket if you haven't already got one, I have an RST one for about £100 which is absolutely great. Secondly, a nice pair of winter gloves. Don't bother with summer ones, it never gets too hot that winter ones are uncomfortable. Make sure they're warm, comfortable, well made, and waterproof. £40 should do you fine.

Finally, get a pair of boots. I bought A pair of white Alpinestars that look the tits, for about £100, but you can get RST ones for cheaper, get black if you prefer, you get less people staring at you in black I'm telling you to get boots for two reasons. One is that obviously, they protect the fuck out of your feet and ankles, the thing I would be worried most about never being able to use again apart from stupid things like dying or whole limbs. Secondly, if you wear nice trainers on a bike, changing gear etc., they get ruined. Put your trainers in a rucksack with your books, leave all your bike gear in an office of your form tutor or something, that's what I did. I had a good relationship with my form tutor, so she always made sure it was looked after.

Onto bikes. Don't get an SV650, at your age the insurance price will dick you, and you're better off learning how to ride properly on an upright, forgiving bike. If you want the power, get a Hornet, otherwise I would say get a GS500 (I picked mine up for £600), or an ER500 or CB500. The benifit of these bikes are they have great MPG and cost around £350-400 to insure. The SV will cost you about 600+. You won't have to worry about the pain in the arse of restricting a 500, and I think naked bikes look quite cool. Beleive me, I completely understand you want a faired bike, so did I at your age, but I dropped my 500 on both sides multiple times, and I'm not a small guy (6 foot 5, 90kg) due to general n00bishness.

Do a year on your 500, love it, fuck all will go wrong with it, and you won't damage it if you crash it.

Then, after you have another year NCB, a years good experience and are a year older, get a fully faired bike like I did, when you have a bit more money, and be able to ride it properly. This means you can skip out the half-faired half-arsed SV650 completely, and get on the sports bikes. I got a CBR600F, which was great.

Any questions?
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Journalist, student, egotist.
Click here if you're a young biker, wondering what to do after a moped/125!
Skp 50 --> GS 500 --> CBR600F with custom HRC paint jobby --> GSX-R 750 K7, beautiful!

[Kaneda]

[Teflon-Mike]

3rd Directive Licence Laws / Impending Licence Changes
____________________
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?'

[Rogerborg]

Nah, I'm out, there's no time for that any more.

Just book your theory now, right now, get any Japanese branded 125 - commuter styled by choice - and get your tests done on it ASAP. Don't practice, don't dither, just book mod 1 and get it done.

[Joncrete Cungle]

Get the test passed as soon as you can and get a cheap naked 400 / 500 for your first year. You will most likely drop and/or crash it and plastic fairings are damn expensive.

[baggylastard]

at your age, the most important thing is a bit of poon.

and L plates will not get you poon, pass your test and poon will come.

























poon, just one more time.

[multijoy]

Is it not clunge anymore?
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'11 CBF1000A, '99 C90, '98 CB500
silky666: He rode amazingly well considering his bike is the weight of a small van and had slicks on.

[baggylastard]

it's all the same to me, got a pulse and i've got it made.

[Connorburton]

[Kaneda]

[L-Jam]

You inspired me to create a useful thread

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=251885&highlight=
____________________
Journalist, student, egotist.
Click here if you're a young biker, wondering what to do after a moped/125!
Skp 50 --> GS 500 --> CBR600F with custom HRC paint jobby --> GSX-R 750 K7, beautiful!

[Teflon-Mike]

[Ayrton]

[cdlxxvi]

[Andy_Pagin]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Ayrton]

Mike is right. Any 125 will have enough power to keep up with most traffic. Just dont imagine that your going to be racing up steep hills, because it wont happen and definetly dont try overtake