Can a Honda CBR125r do what I need it too?

[shrike254]

Hi, first off, thanks for reading this.

Okay, I'm seventeen, and the law changes in the UK in January (it's October at the time of writing) 2012, meaning I won't be able to ride anything bigger than a 125cc until I'm 24.
Here's the problem, at least I think it's a problem, hence the asking.
A friend of mine is selling a CBR125r. Here's what I know of it;

- 56 plate, but an ex-demo so it's 57
- New brake pads
- New chain and sprockets
- Some scratches on the tank
- One year tax and MOT
- New clutch
- Coming up to 35,000 miles on the clock
- New spedometre
- Serviced 1000 miles ago
-Single seat unit

- He wants £1,100 - £1,200 for it.

So here's the 'problem' (I know I lied before). I need to ride 60+ miles a day, at least three days a week at around 50 - 60mph. Will the bike be okay if I do that?

I hope that's everything I need to include in this. Please help if you can.

[Knightsy]

I bought my 04, at 20,000 on the clock and it worked for me fine. Mind you I was doing a mere 180miles per week, but I can't imagine you having any problems with it
Take good care of it and it'll last you a good while.

Anyway, won't you be able to get 300cc when new rules come in?
(Doesn't remember the details and awaits to be corrected by the almighty BCF)
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09' Versys 650 | 07' FJR1300A

[P.addy]

I've ridden so many miles on the CBR125's it will be fine as long as you drop the oil every 2-3000 miles.

It is overpriced though...all 125s are, there is no reason to buy one. I bought a 2007 Varadero 125 for £650, so bargains are out there.

As an aside my brother rode my old CBR 11 hours straight to Manchester then back the day after...and he is as competent as a squirrel piloting a 747

[ThoughtContro...]

60 miles a day on the CBR125 at 50-60mph (NSLs) is doable, but it certainly won't be that much fun. 50 is great on the bike, but at 60 for a constant long ride out you're always revving the knackers out of it and you've not that much puff left or you're in 6th which is the economy cruising gear, just don't go uphill!

If it's an NSL dual carriageway then you'll probably stay in the left lane while the outer lane(s) blast along way above 70. As you're in the "not much puff left" part of the engines performance curve this can make the idea of pulling out for an overtake on a busy high speed commute seem like a bad idea.

Your 21 miles per litre (mine anyway) fuel economy will fall drastically if you're always at 60+ revving the nuts out of the bike. Accepting 50+ to 60 is OK and plodding along in 6th is better for the penny pinchers.

These are not just the problems of the CBR, it will pretty much apply to all 125s, since you've not that much power in your learner legal bike.

As far as your 35k prospect is concerned I'd be interested in the state of the engine as well as the overall condition of the bike. Ask Paddy about his past CBRs that went bang around 20k due to clogged oil filters, tho judging from one of his posts in an oil thread I don't know whether he was running them on 10W40 old chip fat
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Prize cunt
--
"In a world of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell

[krarkol]

i bought an '05 model last december and used it to do 40 mile daily. Just make sure you keep on top of maintenance. My advice for the NSL's is to tuck the elbows in and lower your body slightly to minimise wind resistance otherwise you'll constantly find the speed varying between 40-60mph

[shrike254]

Thanks a lot everyone. By the way, what does 'NSL' mean?

[P.addy]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Teflon-Mike]

[WULFSTAN]

Sorry to say mate put paddy is right the NSL is 70 mph. https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits
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Your backside is better enough for you to run again, if need be – bristle up the courage of the cornered rat, put on a bold front, and to hell with them. Bluff my boy – bluff, shift and lie for the sake of your neck and the honour of Old England

[owl10]

I agree.

Always winds me up on the a34, poeple driving at 60 refusing to move over.
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DanceLikeAMonkey says: "An infinte amount of web pages available
Yet I still end up reading crap like that"

[drzsta]

Hi, I had a 08 CBR 125 for two years commuting over 50 miles a day, never let me down except a plug gave up.


Riskiest bike I've ever had! The lack of power and looks obviously made me ride like a twat to try and make up for it.

It could hold around 58/60mph usually, sometimes I had more like 66mph just depended on what side of the bed it woke up on.
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Current Bikes - BMW S1000RR ‘17 & KTM 690 SMC-R ‘12

[P.addy]

OK Mike...

So what speed would you do up this hill.

https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=51.304756,0.512197&spn=94.149094,270.527344&t=w&z=3&layer=c&panoid=kaOecVxgTvDwGfRpfg_ZoA&cbll=51.304756,0.512197&cbp=13,0,,0,0

Don't you dare say 60

[pinkyfloyd]

[leecook385]

[Shinigami]

i do 40 miles every day on a sluggish clr125 (doesn't even make 70mph unless downhill), a cbr will be fine.
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[Ayrton]

I have a 05 cbr125r. Paid £950 for it a year ago with 17k on it.

It will easily go 70mph if you wanted to, so dont worry about if it has enough power.

[krarkol]

The only times I wanted something bigger on my commute was when going into a head wind and I could literally see the speedo going down with each gust. the fairing on the cbr125 acts like a sail really

[Teflon-Mike]

[UnspeedySam]

Get the CBR for £7-800 because that's what it's worth then ride it until you're 19 on a CBT. Then take the 46.6bhp (35kW) test as soon as possible after your 19th birthday and get yourself a restricted Suzuki Bandit or something. You will then be eligible to take the upgrade test to a full unrestricted licence two years after that and get something silly and powerful if you can afford the insurance on it.

You'll have no trouble doing that mileage on a 125. Plenty of people do more than that on their learner bikes.

I'm not sure what Tef is saying about unconfirmed rules and upgrade courses. From what's been posted on here and speaking to my partner's instructor (doing her DAS this month) the rules are confirmed and they are:
A1: Test on a 125cc from 17 to ride a 125 with up to 14.6bhp
A2: Test on a big bike (395cc+ and max of 46.6bhp) from 19 to ride any bike with less than 46.6bhp and not restricted down from anything above 93bhp
A: Test on a big bike (595cc+ and above 54bhp) from 24 or 2 years after getting the 46.6bhp licence to get an unrestricted licence.

edit: Found the actual rules published somewhere and mode some corrections to the above.
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Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[krarkol]

Yeah that's pretty much it, except I think the test at 19 has to be done on a 400?

[Rogerborg]

We don't know how the new tests will actually be implemented in 2 years time: what we do know is that there's bang on 3 months to get yourself a license under the current rules.

If you have £1200 to spunk on a CBR125 (they're nice enough bikes) plus CBT and gear, then you have the money to get yourself an A<=25kW license in that time period.

That'll get you access to bikes that offer much better value for money, and it'll be worth its weight in gold when the new regime kicks in.

Do iiiiiiit.
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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

[UnspeedySam]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Jim Mc]