Best bike for learning & commuting

[Wildmalta]

I got my full licence last year and got a Hornet 600. I had to sell it soon after as my business needed funds and looking back the bike intimidated me.

It had too much power (for me) early on and a very sensitive throttle which made for some brown trouser moments. The worst part was feeling scared to let rip as I doubted my ability to control the bike.

Now I'm looking for a bike again I've decided to start small and build up confidence before moving eventually to a bigger bike. My aim is to learn to ride well, commute + some cruising around B-roads for chilled out fun.

I was weighing between a basic 125 like a YBR or CBF, or a 250 of the same type.

At a showroom this morning I saw a Kwak ER5 which feels very comfortable, even though it's 500cc I'm taking it for a test drive tomorrow just to see. This time around I'm going to try as many bikes as I can to see what feels best.

What's the general consensus on how to gain confidence? I was thinking of a 125 precisely because it's relatively underpowered so should be easier to handle without drama.

My instructor said that even if I then go for a bigger bike, he'll bet I keep the 125 for commuting.

Thanks!
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'04 Moto Guzzi Breva 750

[Baffler186]

There are many ways to do this. You could start again on a 125, get used to it, then sell it on for not much loss. This is a backward step though in my opinion. Er5 is a sensible option that stands between 250's and the Hornet. Again, they can be had quite cheap and when you get used to it (and possibly get bored of it) you can trade up to whatever else you want.

The main thing is though, why did the Hornet intimidate you? It can only go as fast as you make it. My guess is that you opened the throttle up full in a lower gear and it scared you. Trouble is, you can't really ride a bigger bike for any length of time without going through a school, or a hire company, or just actually buying one, so it will cost you either way.

If it were me, I'd probably get something like the ER5 (which I did the first day of my DAS on), fast enough for now, not a bad commuter if you feel you want to keep it and fairly common to acquire (oh, do you live in Malta?), they common here anyway.
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Rogerborg]

ROLAY FENLIERD!!!

OYAL RENFILED!!!!

This
vvvv

https://www.gvbikes.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/enfield-bullet-classic-1/classic350_right-side_blue_600x463_motorcycle.png
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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

[finchy95]

I love my CBR125 but it's not fast by any stretch of the imagination and the weight makes it horribly unstable, same as every 125 I've ever ridden. If a 500/600cc seems too much how about a ninja/cbr 300? Enough power to do motorways and such without the rocketship mode of a big bike. If you buy a 125 you'll regret it I promise.
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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.

[Wildmalta]

[Wildmalta]

[Pigeon]

SV650 - Wang it open in any gear, lent over at any angle and you'll be fine.....mostly. It is a little short on first gear, the front will pop. But other than that, it has very linear power delivery with no sudden jumps like the Hornet.

Street Triple is, I think, an easy bike to ride because it is so light and forgiving. Taken the wrong line into a bend, no problem, pick it up and try again. Running wide, no problem, just look through the bend and the bike will get you round regardless of how late you left it.
The >= 2013 model has a long first gear too, meaning no real surprises unless you wang the throttle wide.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the best FI, the throttle is a bit snatchy and sensitive.

Get an SV, fit a 2 tooth larger front sprocket and marvel at how tame and rider friendly it is. I only have experience of carb'd version. But it's very progressive and predictable.

[Rogerborg]

[struan80]

IAM for confidence building? About to start this myself.

[johnnyarctic]

cheapest (best deal) on a 500cc commuter you can find like the ER5 your looking at. cb500/er5/gs500

gs500 are usually cheap as they are pretty undesirable and relatively terrible, but would fit your purpose i reckon.
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Current Ride: VFR750

[esullivan]

I just upgraded to a more powerful bike (more than twice as many horses as my previous), so I did a one-day course last weekend with an instructor. The tutor I used, Kevin Williams at Survival Skills (google it), has a one-day "confidence builder" course that was perfect, but I'm sure your local school could probably put something together that's similar. You may want to consider that, whatever bike you buy, since you've been out of it a while (and weren't actually "in it" for long, either).

My confidence isn't bad, but I'm unfamiliar with the style of riding and characteristics of this new bike, so the tutor focused on that. On the first half of the day, he taught me about the difference in riding style between a parallel twin where you need to work the gears a lot (my previous) to a free-revving in-line four (my current). For example, holding on to first (and other lower gears) way longer than I'm used when accelerating. He also took me through long stretches in one gear (second, third, fourth, etc.), riding the bike like an automatic, but getting a feel for the different levels of acceleration and engine braking.

The second half of the day focused on overtaking safely. On my previous bike, power ran out quickly at higher speeds, so my overtaking was messy because I was aiming to maintain momentum. With the new bike, power is easy, so I was taught how to focus on planning well and executing quickly.

A full day's instruction is expensive, but I found it well worth it.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Wednesday Biker]

ER5 is probably a good place to start.
Or a ninja 250.
I wouldn't get a 125,although fun and good as a second bike,because if you have a full licence its a shame to not have that extra bit of power.
Ninja is pretty flat power wise and you can take it to 10k without scaring yourself.Just that bit more power to get you up hills faster than 50mph.
My 600 is raring to go low down the revs and I solve that by changing up gears early for a smoother ride in town.Sounds like you might have been riding in too low a gear?.
Ride below where the power kicks in so the bike isn't so eager to take off.Unless you want to go like a train

[Aspire2]

Honda cb500 soft low down but has good pull above 8k. It will be quicker than most cars to 80 to. A 250 will be boring after a couple of months and not have the acceleration needed IMO.

My bro had a good on my speed four and said it was hard to ride compared to his cb500.

[Wednesday Biker]

A 250 will be better than a 125 but yeah 500 would be better.
You can hammer a 250 and accelerate fast enough.I beat a few boy racers to 70 or 80 from the lights on mine.
Only reason I got rid was for overtaking quicker and just the fun of having a nicer sounding meatier bike.
But I probably only ride as fast on the 600 as I did on the 250 80% of the time.Although at half the revs.
I never really got bored of mine but couldn't justify having two bikes at the time.

[talkToTheHat]

Er5 is likely cheap to run.

I'd reccommend something A2ish in power output. 30 horses minimum. You want to be able to use the performace of the bike to get out of the way of other vehicles.

Something you can fit a givi rack to, E45N topbox and/or some E21 side boxes. Really useful if you're neading to carry work related bits.

I carry a laptop, change of clothes, washbag and a few other things most of the time. It's not comfortable in a rucksack and not secure if you stop at the shops with soft bags.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Wildmalta]

thanks all for your thoughts, really helpful.

Budget is very limited as i run a start-up and it's been sucking me dry (no, not like that... ).

So thinking of going for a 250 for now, keep all the costs, licence, insurance down.

My end aim is a big cruiser but a small commuter will still be more handy & practical.

[cheapnewbike]

... consider buying it for less... I have purchased my brand new Honda CBF125 for 1800 (1000 less than from a dealer)! For details, check this: cheapnewbike.co.uk

[delahmed]

Recently obtained my full motorcycle license, so have my YBR 125 up for sale.
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Yamaha YBR 125 Silver 2011
Full License motorbike and car

[arry]

[Teflon-Mike]

Given you live on an little island in the middle of the Mediterranean... I suspect a lot of advice offered is possibly not all that pertinent; choosing a bike here in the UK is probably quite a luxurious experience in comparison, with a lot more choice on offer, and factors and influences of use at variance.

Given the size of the island, and the Mediterranean pace of life I suspect a 125 is likely to be a lot less frustrating a prospect than it would be here; where even then, they are probably at least 'adequate' for 90% of 90% of folks 'needs'.....

I was pondering the notion a year or so back, on my way back from a show, not far from home, coming down a country road that used to be part of my daily commute, on the O/H's 125, following a 600... he was not making me look like I had a reverse gear..... so many 30mph limits have been stretched past the villages, then had 40 'calming' zones added on the ends of them, and THEN the few hundred yards of open road left between them, had 50 restrictions placed on them instead of the 'UCR' signs... with yellow-piggy-bank speed cameras springing up all over, there's actually not a lot of road left here we can open up even a more humble 4-stroke 125 commuter-bike, very much, very often, without risk to licence and bank-balance!! To which conclusion, I was seriously pondering whether, the extra fuel and maintenance costs of my big-bike were worth it, just for an extra 5-10mph of legal speed occasionally, and more comfy passenger and luggage accommodation, when required... was only fact that my all-in annual biking costs come to something barely more than the price of a pack of fags a week, made me think "sod-it! man must have some pleasures in life!"

However.... in your shoes? First of all, the idea of having a cruiser, with lots of shiney chrome, by the sea-side scares me! I REALLY don't like polishing motorbikes. then again, idea of something plastic with all the metal bits likely to corrode electrofaritically in salt spray, out-of-sight-out-of-mind, isn't much less scary! I don't much care for trying to undo never been seen exhaust studs or radiator brackets and 'stuff'... please don't abuse me of the idea, its one of the few things keeping me from being utterly jealous at the idea of year-round sun! But, ponder point might bear some contemplation.

Next; as a stepping-stone bike; presumably it's one you are likely to want to move on relatively shortly. Which would beg suggestion of whats common / popular / desirable in your local, so easy to sell. 125's, I presume have a ready market, as almost licence free, so would score on that front better than a 250, which fall between stools, not being A1/Learner-Legal but also not offering the cudos of being a 'big-bike' for any-one with a licence to ride one. In the world of bigger bikes... plenty that's less intimidating than a hornet; ER5 is just one.. but notion that springs to mind, is what are the roads like on your island? Duel-Purpose / On-Off road bikes always used to be popular in the Mediterenian lands.. are they still? Have you contemplated something like a DT125 trail bike, or a Honda Transalp, or Moto-Guzzi V7 Scrambler, that might offer opportunity to explore a little off the beaten track? Perhaps even a Kawasaki W650/Triumph Bonaville.. off-roaders, would also lead to suggestion of Super-Motards... but conclusion is that all candidates are tending towards twins and singles.. and a bit of Hobsons choice as to what you might get your hands on, and or might take your fancy, when you do...
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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?'