is this a red flag? cbt and 125cc bike offer?

[enormouse]

Hi I'm new here. (Please be kind )

My partner and I are both looking to do our CBT. I've found somewhere localish and they have an offer on of 'half price cbt if you buy a bike with us'

A few red flags have come up:
Though they say any bike in their range, they seem to want to push the Keeway. (Not keen from what I've read about its durability, resale value etc).
And it seems they want you to agree to a bike first, do your cbt on it and buy it.
It all seems a tad pushy and I worry there'll be hard sell.

Superficially it seems like a good deal but my gut instincts saying no. Is my gut right on this?

[wr6133]

Which Keeway? Thing with Chinese bikes is you need to know the model to trace what it actually is (keeway just brand stuff they buy) and decide how crap it may or may not be.

It's a ploy to punt new bikes though. I've seen similar on eBay offering free CBT's with a bike/ped.

Better off just pay for CBT then go looking for a bike with your money buying a bike you don't like for over a grand to save £50 is a bit pointless.

[enormouse]

Strike and superlight 125. Both for over £2000

That was exactly what I was thinking btw. Thanks.

[clancy]

A cbt is pennies compared to a new bike. Buy a bike you want rather than a Chinese piece of crap to save a few quid

Unless you have money to burn I'd buy second hand anyway, less depreciation and get more bike for your money
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[Andy_Pagin]

So you buy a bike, drop it whilst doing the CBT, you're left with a busted bike.

Walk away.
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[stinkwheel]

Seems like a reasonable thing to "throw in" as a sweetener to me to get you buy a new bike. A bit like car garages throwing in mudflaps, floor mats etc.

It has the advantage that they probably employ the staff doing the CBTs anyway so offering you a half price CBT doesn't actually "cost" anything in terms of profit and loss.

If it's on any bike they stock and they stock a bike you want, I'd go for that over the same one at the same price that didn't come with a half price CBT.

Another reasonably common "sweetener" you get with new bikes is discounted protective gear from their shop. Might actually be worth more than half a CBT depending on the size of your wad.

Shop around, see whos offering you the best deal for the bike you want.
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[map]

CBT is ballpark £100. So half price = £50. Saving you £100 for both of you. Or the cost of a few tanks of petrol.

As post above says that's pennies, or very small %, when compared with price of new bike, even a Keeway (which will depreciate very, very quickly and by many, many pennies). Not much of a deal imho.

Why not try the Honda 'Get-On' scheme as an introduction?
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[suburban myth]

When I bought my Speedfight a million years ago (02 plate, new from dealers) the deal was something like ped, insurance for £99, gloves, helmet, jacket, various security kit, service and CBT for £XXXX. Don't remember exactly, was pissed when I bought it.

Under the grand scheme of things they way it works out is massive excess on the insurance, shit helmet/gloves/jacket, shit security kit. Oh and if you take the finance offer you're paying interest on all the ancillaries too.

In hindsight, I didn't really like the training school and wouldn't have gone there if I was looking for my own provider. Just didn't feel comfortable there. It's worth looking around and finding somewhere you like, even if it costs a few quid more than somewhere else.

Guess where the training school had all the major work done on their bikes?

Wouldn't call it a red flag, but there are certainly drawbacks. It's aimed at people who haven't done their research and are tempted by one single transaction. They even booked the CBT for me.

I'd do my own CBT and buy decent gear at my leisure before looking for a used Jap bike unless you really need the finance offer.

[adam277]

I wouldn't bother. Spend max £1000 on a used YBR and you will be sorted.

Keeway's depreciate massively and are no better than a YBR. A YBR has the advantage of being extremely cheap to source parts for though and has a reputation for being reliable.

Just checked Autotrader and a dealer is selling a 2014 Keeway Strike for £995 with less than 1500 miles on the clock.


Also a 125 is a 125 I know some people like to spend over £3000 on these bikes but they are basically have the same top end speed give or take 5mph an hour.
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Bikes: Previous Bikes: Piaggio x8 125: 2012/2013, YBR 125: 2013/2013 BMW R1150GS 2013/2017, Honda CBR600RR 2017/2017, Honda CB500 2018/2018, Suzuiki Address 110cc 2019/2020, BMW R1200GS 2021-2023
Current Bike: Honda CBF 125: current

[enormouse]

Ok going to go with the general consensus here (and my gut/female intuition) and book cbt seperately and look for a used YBR afterwards.

Thanks

[enormouse]

Update,

Have booked with a different school to do the cbt followed by direct access. It's come to £450 each including practical tests and cbt.

Him indoors will do his first with the direct access following on from the cbt. I'm going to spread mine out over a longer time period as the newest family member is only 4 months old.

Incidentally, this riding school is attached to a Yamaha dealership and seems to be trying to outcompete the keeway/Chinese place. It's offering a free cbt and £150 voucher with a full price ybr. slightly better value but still bloody expensive.

[angryjonny]

If you're doing direct access then buying a new 125 is financial lunacy. Who wants a 125 sat in the garage when you've got a licence that lets you ride anything you want?

If you must buy a 125 for your learning period, buy a used one. My wife bought a YBR for about a grand when she was learning, and after she passed she sold it for about a grand. These things get passed around from learner to learner every few months.

You'll lose hundreds, maybe even a thousand on a new Chinese 125. You'll even lose a lot on a new YBR. But if you buy a used YBR wisely, you'll break even.

Anyway, enjoy your DAS. Don't get too wound up by how all your road sense goes out the window. Once you've learned to control the machine properly, it'll come back.

[Polarbear]

^^^^ He speaks sense ^^^^

You will be bored after a while on a 125 and that's even if you don't want to go much bigger.

Something like a 250 Kwacker is a lovely little bike in it's own right unlike the government induced emasculated 125's we have to suffer.
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