Honda CBF125 or Yamaha YBR125

[Inakutia]

I'm a new rider, I need advice on which bike to choose, my budget is 3000 and I want to buy it brand new (wanna do finance). I've been to shops and so far I've been interested in Honda CBF125 and Yamaha YBR125. However my first choice was Honda CBR125R, but I decided not to spend over £3000 on a 125cc. If you'd like to suggest any other bike apart from these two mentioned, please do so, I'm willing to listen. Also please give reasons for choices. Thank you!

[RhynoCZ]

How long do you plan on keeping the motorcycle? If you just want something till you'll be old enough to buy a A2 or A open bike, then I wouldn't go for a brand new motorcycle. These 125's loose their value very quickly.

I'd got for a CBR125 if I had to.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Inakutia]

[Baffler186]

All three mentioned are good bikes when they are working properly, bit of a gamble as to whether you get a new one with minor niggles. There have been reports of electrical issues and such on the CBF, which aren't famed for their anti-corrosion properties.

You will probably find that after a while you'll want to "risk" a bigger bike, but hey it's your money
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[finchy95]

As a 19 year old CBR owner who's using it for the exact same purpose as you I thoroughly endorse it. It is expensive yes but it's a good bike and (at least mine is) on 0% finance it's good on fuel nice to look at and will actually give it a fair bit of beans (inb4 "it's a 125") when you want it to.
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2005 suzuki van van - Sold. -> 2015 honda cbr 125 r - current bike.
Now's not the time for fear. That comes later.

[Rogerborg]

[Arwen]

Do your cbt and see what you think. Then ask the show room for a go on each bike you like the look of to see what you think of it.

If you can afford to buy new and you don't mind the depreciation then go for it. If everyone only bought 2nd hand 125's then there would be very few decent ones around in 5 years time!

The depreciation on 125's is no where near as bad as it is on most cars however.

[Hefty]

I wouldnt buy a 125 on finance, especially not your first bike. No offense meant to yourself, but chances are you will send your shiny new pointy-faired bike down the road or at the very least drop it, then you'll have to ride it around with scratched fairings etc whilst still paying monthly for it.
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'13 Honda CBF125 // '99 Suzuki SV650s // '98 Honda CB600F Hornet

[Rogerborg]

[Inakutia]

[Andy_Pagin]

If I were you I'd go for a full licence, even if you never intend to ride anything bigger that a 125. Why? Because a significant number of cagers take great delight in bullying L plated riders. Simply not having that burden will make you safer, and actually being a qualified rider is a bonus.
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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

[Teflon-Mike]

I was once told, if you cant afford to buy cash, you cant afford credit... same price plus interest, is even more than you don't have to start with, isn't it?

Was a rather rich chap who said that, too; and a friend of his built a motorcycle factory on the same philosophy..... you don't get rich by wasting money, do you?

Seemed to make sense to me.. but, on another occasion he also said, if you owe the bank a quid, they own you.. owe the bank a million quid, you own the bank.. and something about Bankers being folk who'll lend you an umbrella when the sun is shining, then demand it back as soon as it starts to rain....

I never did grasp the subtleties and ironies of high-finance, which is probably why I am not rich... and at 19 years, more than one or two decades ago, I sold my soul to satan for a brand new Kawasaki 125...

End of the day, in for a penny, in for a pound, and if you cant afford to buy, you cant afford to buy... but, in my day they did't call it 'Finance' they called it what it is "Hire Purchase".. subtle switch of thinking, you ent buying, you is renting... and if you rent for the full term of contract, after making the last payment, you might get to keep what you have been renting....

And, you get to rent about the best bike you can to 'Learn' on; with lots of confidence it should do what it ought to, and anything that dot feel 'right' is probably something to do with what you are doing, rather than a problem with the bike. Also quite 'nice' having the latest number plate and something no-one has thrashed before you; and quite likely to be one of the few brand-new vehicles you may ever own.. certainly the only brand-new vehicle I have ever owned in thirty years.

BUT it is expensive; interest charges and new-vehicle depreciation, add up to a pretty big % of that bikes show-room sticker price in the three-years till it needs an MOT, and THAT is mostly what you are paying when the monthly Direct Debit is snatched from your account... (I actually had a little book, like a cheque book, if you have ever seen one of them! I had to go into the bank once a month and pay £73.27p, I think it was over the counter, along with one of the paying in slips from it, and get the clerk to stamp the book!)

Chasing the interest and depreciation, on a typical HP deal, it's likely to be 2/3 term, before the bike is worth more than you owe on it; ad if you want to 'cash out' early repayment penalties, can be punitive, and you may have to PAY money to 'sell on'....

Which was something that stung me, when my bike was stolen after six months.. Bike has a sticker price in the show-room of I think £1400; I got a bit of discount on it, but with interest I think I paid £1700 all in over two years. Six months 'in' it was nicked; I'd paid off just about £400; insurance would only offer 'second hand value', £1100, leaving me with the HP-Co demanding £200 there and then..... Nievely I suggested I told them to sod-off, they could go repossess the bike off who-ever nicked it.. but they reckoned that if they did that, they'd still be chasing me oly it'd be for the differece in scrap value, and the HP charges PLUS the repo-mens fees!

Little heads up; little bikes are very easily nicked or crashed; this is NOT a negligible 'risk' to drop you into the negative equity trap.

Your call whether you wish to take it; BUT, read the small print & T&C's very carefully; and be prepared for 'early term' settlement penalties that will like cost you money out of your pocket to end early.

IF you go ahead with it..... deciding factor is like NOT to be any of the minuscule mechaical differences between the two bikes in question; but what may be lurking the small print of them HP forms.... A-N-D.... in for a penny in for a pound.... owe the baker a quid they own you, owe them a hundred quid they cant ow any more of you... IF.. wide awake and with your eyes open, you are taking that risk and accepting those relatively large interest and depreciation costs... Why not rent the bike you would actually LIKE to ride, and get the CBR?

Now back up... and what could you get for the cash in your pocket? And how many Direct Debits on a new bike, would you need to NOT pay to have enough to buy something 100% yours, for cash?

If you are getting by for now, would it really be much hardship to 'get by' for just a little longer and save up?

And then, every DD not taken out your account is however much, could go into a savings account towards your ext ike or even the car you really want.

Your call.. BUT, small differences between YBR & CBF in terms of what they do and what might go wrong with either.... almost irrelevant in the bigger picture....
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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?'

[FlightRisk]

[Mark65]

CG125
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07 Yamaha YBR125, 07 Honda CG125 , 15 CBR300R (Chocolate Crank, Deaded), 16 CB500FA, 19 Honda Forza 300, 70 Suzuki SV650

[Snod Blatter]

I rode a CBF125 for a couple of hundred miles over a week and thought it was a hateful thing, a horribly grabby front brake mated to wheels so small and narrow the bike seems to want to fall over all the time, not helped by the surprisingly top heavy feel. I also found the riding position amazingly uncomfortable, the handlebars managing to be exactly in the wrong place. Sweet, slightly thumping engine though.

I've also tried a Sym copy of a YBR125 and thought it was wonderfully usable and comfy, though the engine was (even) more insipid. The proper Yamaha version might be better. So basically go sit on them and see what you think!
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1994 CB250, 1984 CBX250RS-E, 1989 K100RS, 1995 TRX850, 2016 Z250SL

[Beehive Bedlam]

[Inakutia]

[wr6133]

[Snod Blatter]

[Rogerborg]

That does put a different spin on it.

The CBR125 is a small, neat bike, particularly pre 2011. I liked the one that I rode, Paddy's had loads and there are plenty around at all price points. Just don't buy new, is all.

See how you get on with your CBT, it'll give you an idea of what sort of bike you can handle.
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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

[CaNsA]

[Nobby the Bastard]

I'm 5'4" and an half and I ride this...

https://i.imgur.com/QVxxtKW.jpg
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Northern Monkey]

I don't see why so many people in BCF have an issue with credit. The majority of new vehicles are bought on credit. Someone aged 18 has probably got £500 in the bank, and can afford £80 a month, so why not get a new bike.

With the retarded licencing system now in place, you can't ride anything more than a 125 for a couple of years, and can't afford £3000 a year insurance on a shitty old mini metro, so why not get the best bike you can legally ride. £90 a month is hardly the sort of sum that is going to send you bankrupt.
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Fisty: after polishing the tank with the glistenng beads of sweat from my full hot scrotum, I filled the headrace bearings with 10cc of my manmilk

[Northern Monkey]

but as far as 125s go, definitely an msx 125
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Fisty: after polishing the tank with the glistenng beads of sweat from my full hot scrotum, I filled the headrace bearings with 10cc of my manmilk

[wr6133]