Advice for long commute

[stunthamster]

Hi Guys;

First of all, hello to everyone! Thought I'd stop lurking and start posting, especially as I'm after a bit of advice from people with a more experience than me.

Passed my CBT about three months ago and have spent the intervening time flitting around on my YBR125 - enormous fun, and definitely encouraged me to pass my test and get a larger bike. Until then though, I'm wondering how practical my commute would be....

My commute would be 75/80 miles each way (Colchester to Brentford) with some mixed A road and central London riding. I've already done it once, and nothing teaches lane filtering quicker than central London riding it seems; however the commute itself didn't seem to bad. The question is how long I'd have before my YBR dissembles itself from the strain? Any tips or pointers for maintenance etc? I figure I've got around two to three months before I'll of passed my tests and purchased a slightly more practical bike.

Cheers;

Michael

[Shreeve]

Well you already stated you're confident/comfortable with the commute itself.

As for the YBR, they're considered one of the most reliable 125's. If it's going to be your workhorse then ideally you want to be giving it a good clean/service every week (I did it on Saturday mornings with my CBF). Alternatively you can do it more sparingly but it's entirely your prerogative.

For maintenance it's just the standard stuff like checking the chain for wear and lube, give it a clean, check oil, make sure the tyres look ok etc. 2-3 months of it should be fine with enough care and you'll find they hold value quite well. On that note, you're going to want to get some ACF50 and keep that applied to anything that could rust.

Worst thing I found about commuting on a 125 was my backside going numb, absolute killer...
____________________
Current: Suzuki GSX650F (2010), Suzuki GSXR1000 K7, Suzuki GS250T (1980) currently restoring: Clicky.
Previous: Honda CBF 125 (2011), Suzuki GSXR750 K4

[esullivan]

So 160 miles of mostly city riding, every day? On a 125? That's almost courier mileage. It's doable and the weather should start to improve, slightly, over the next couple of months, but that's a hard slog. I do 35-40 miles a day and find it tough going some days.

At that sort of pace, I would be giving the chain a wipe down and lube at least every other day, or every day in rainy periods (i.e., usually). Give the tyres a good looking over for bits of glass/screws at end of the ride as well. And you'll probably be changing the oil about twice a month. The service interval on a YBR is 3,500 miles, so every four or five weeks for you. If it's a new bike (and thus has to be done at the dealer for warranty), that can get expensive.

The bike can take it. The real question is whether you can. Pass your test and get a more comfortable bike, one that can eat miles with ease.
____________________
Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[stunthamster]

[Rogerborg]

What's that, 4 hours a day? £640 a month on trains? Move closer.

If you want to do it the hard way, I'd be looking at:

Chain oiler.
Gel / inflatable / sheepskin seat cover.
Weather protection. A big screen, muffs, and if you value substance over style, Tucano Gaucho leg covers.

After you're passed, I'd suggest that you look at shaft drive bikes, e.g. Honda Deauville or Diversion 900.
____________________
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

[iooi]

[stunthamster]

A drive shaft bike would be worth a look, and I've heard good things about Belt drive bikes?

In terms of moving closer, that's not really a goer for various reasons; I've got a child from a previous marriage close to home, and I'm a contractor, so the long commute now could become a short commute again without warning.

[Rogerborg]

[Shreeve]

[Andy_Pagin]

IIRC on my YBR125:

Oil change every 4000 miles
'Proper' service every 7000 miles.
Chain adjust every 600 miles, not from the owners manual, that's how often the slack reached the limit.
Tyres do about 8000 miles a piece,maybe 10,000 from the front.

So OP is doing a ballpark 36,000 miles per annum.

Nine oil changes a year (plus topping up)
Four or fives services a year (ok not much more than a new spark plug).
Sixty chain adjusts a year.
About four SETS of tyres a year.

Brake pads & shoes?

OP really needs to factor in the costs at that sort of mileage.
____________________
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

[Polarbear]

I would hate to do that sort of mileage on a 125.

It might be just about bearable in good weather buy not in the shitty stuff we are getting now.

Train till you pass your test then a biggish shaft drive with a decent fairing.
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[barrkel]

Make sure you wear earplugs, especially after you move up to a bigger bike. You'll be doing most of it on high speeds dual carriageways / motorway depending on your route.

This is a reasonably decent price on 1000 earplugs: https://www.cromwell.co.uk/TFF9589020K

Personally I think wasting 4 hours a day on commute is not worth it. It wouldn't be awful in summer if you're not in a rush as you could do country roads, but commutes tend to turn into a bit of a rush as you try to maximize non-work life.
____________________
Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[stunthamster]

Some good points/tips here for me chaps - cheers for taking the time to reply.

Think I'll wait until I've passed me test and then seriously look at a drive shaft driven beastie.

[stevo as b4]

Do YBR's have a proper removable oil filter element? And what is the oil capacity?

Unless it's proven that YBR's and other modern aircooled 125cc singles can take 3.5K mile oil changes with no ill effects, I would personally be changing it every 1500miles maximum and cleaning/ replacing the filter.

Little engines can take big abuse, but they like anything else and sometimes more so need clean oil as there isn't much of it on some small motors 1litre sump capacity is common.

Remember that a bike like a YBR will be throttle to the stop for a long proportion of a 75mile trip, and thus could easily use/burn a drop of oil and or work the oil hard when under full load for long periods.

[Andy_Pagin]

Ybr holds about two pints of oil, and no replaceable filter. So use good stuff and keep an eye on how treacley it's getting
____________________
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

[Pigeon]

Did 200-250 mile a day rides every weekend from May to September on a 125 that's similar to yours. Yes a numb butt at the start, but after a couple of months I could happily go 4 hours without stopping.
Actually, the relaxed riding position and super light weight makes your kind of commute more than doable! But get some earplugs and waterproofs!

Service manual for mine states oil change every 3,000km
As others have said, for much of your journey the throttle will be pinned. So I'd go nearer the Jianshe Oil change limit that the Yamaha one. Maybe every 2,000 miles for you max. You will notice gear changes get clunky and false neutrals, usually a sign the oil is passed its best.

Repeating others advice. Lube chain every couple of days, eyeball the slack. Check tyre pressures + oil level + lights.
Consider getting breakdown cover, or know a mate with a van.

Your going to use circa 33ltrs of fuel a week. Or around £40-£45/week.
Even with Tyres, chains+sprockets, pads+shoes, oil etc You should save a small fortune (all things being equal ie you don't stack it) compared to the train.

Bottom line, you don't have to stick to it if it doesn't pan out.

[Northern Monkey]

[iooi]

[Clutchy]

During winter I'd go for the train option, at least then you can get some work done or go on Facebook/Youtube/BCF (whatever you'd be doing on a boring day at home) so that you don't go home and then waste hours doing that.

Start reading books on the train etc, I personally wouldn't do 4 hours a day on a boring bike.
____________________
Malaguti F12 Phantom-Dead, Suzuki AY50- Dead, NRG power DD LQ, CBR125.
*33 BHP restriction up on 10/12/14* Current bikes/car: SV 650 S/ MKIV GOLF
Guide to pass your test with no lessons!

[Clutchy]

Then again I'd probably pay £20 and spend the night in a travelodge, you'd certainly be saving money!
____________________
Malaguti F12 Phantom-Dead, Suzuki AY50- Dead, NRG power DD LQ, CBR125.
*33 BHP restriction up on 10/12/14* Current bikes/car: SV 650 S/ MKIV GOLF
Guide to pass your test with no lessons!

[stevo as b4]

[stunthamster]

Anytime I see any kind of ice/snow on the road I'll be taking the train. The trip from Colchester to London is not to bad, but the trip across London and out the other end is pretty hellish, seats are hard to come by and you generally end up wedged against the door with the other cattle.

I tend to see-saw between the two. I spent a couple of years driving from Colchester to Slough every day, gave me the idea of getting a bike (much jealousy when I saw bikes go by when I was stuck in traffic on the M25) was a long journey but loved having my own space compared to a train. On the other hand, at least on the train I can browse the web and generally get shit done...

Think having the option to bike in is going to be good, but I'll probably rotate between the various methods depending how I feel on the day. Even a 2/1 split between biking and taking the train will break up the commute a bit.

[Pete.]

I say don't do it, that's a nightmare commute on a full sized bike - on a 125 doing 40k miles a year in all weathers your bike will be scrap before the first year is out. What little life the commute doesn't suck out of you will be spent servicing and changing parts. If you're hell-bent on it I say find a good secure place to park the bike every day, get the train in to London and then ride the bike across town.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Seems like a recipe for falling out of love with bikes to me. And personally - as much as I love riding - I'd do pretty much anything to avoid it. But then, for someone my age, it's nearly as cheap to buy and run a small car - so it's the proverbial 'no brainer'.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125