new bike and new to biking in general

[bruceso94]

Hi this is my first post so lets hope i dont completely screw this up

I just bought my first bike im 17 and i done my cbt about two months ago
and i just bought a bike. Its a Ajs regal raptor 125cc bike its an 06 plate. it needs some TLC but it runs good and has a decent mot and was just wondering what yous thought of the bike and any advice yous would have for a new rider.

Thanks Bruce
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[Andy_Pagin]

Unfortunately my first thoughts would be don't buy a 125 cruiser, especially Chinese. Slow, heavy, with bad handling, just what you don't need, especially for the Mod1 test. Unpredictable reliability and poor finishing.

Winter's on the way, so what gear have you got, ie. overtrousers, jacket, gloves etc.?

Search through some threads about cleaning and maintence, especially chain maintenence.

The rest depends on what you want the bike for, how often you ride, where you ride and so on.
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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

[bruceso94]

ive bought it already it seems ok i had a test ride on it and it pulls ok and seems decent the engine is a copy of the honda rebel one so it SHOULD be ok

edit: i dont have any gear yet no money lol my uncle has a jacket that might fit me and my dad can show me stuff to do with cleaning (he used to have a fazer 1000) and i am getting a lid soon
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[arry]

[bruceso94]

yeah im hopefully not going to become a spud anytime soon haha im going to take my time to begin with and get used to my bike and take it to a car park and do figure of 8s and emergency stops and stuff like that to get used to the brakes at different speeds
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[Rogerborg]

Good plan.

Be prepared for Teflon-Mike to go ballistic when he sees what you've bought. But, eh, it's a 125 it'll do what 125s do. You can't get anything substantially better until you're 19 so enjoy it for what it is - they certainly do look the part.

Keep an eye on eBay and Gumtree for gear, you can pick up some proper bargains if you're not in a hurry.
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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

[Teflon-Mike]

O/H had an 05 model.
As chinks go.. surprisingly easy to live with. Started on the button whenever asked; very very occasionally demanded a dribble of petrol in the tank. wipe over with a cloth usually made it remarkeably shiny, though ally wheels were a bit scabby after five years livig outside all weathers.
Usual chink 'hassle' when she was huntig insurance renewals, or tryig to get a new chain & sprockets, or being told (as a woman) "Sorry, I cant find it listed, you must be wrong... are you SURE its an A-J-S.... can you put your Dad n the phone...."
Only real gripe with the thing was that when she came to sell it on, o one would give her actual real money for it... five years old; she'd paid £500 for it at three years old, with a reciept from the dealer saying it had cost £1700 rand new, and with a fresh C&S kit and MOT on it, all she got was tyre kickers, offering to swap it for non-running scrap, or hoping to ride it away for less than a few beers!
Oh.. and it was DOG slow. no.. actually thats somethg of an isult to Dogs.. well, a lot of dogs... it weren't no whippet! A fat old Labridour, perhaps...
Motor was willig enough and it'd chug up to 50 hapily enough, but any more than that? No. Give it enough space ad it might wheeze the last little bit of the way to 55, but no more. ever.
Curiously, I actually quite liked it.. for a cruiser its handling was reasonably stable and predictable, and it didn't run out of groud clerance quite as quick as I expected, and it was quite giggle nducing tryig to get the thing would up to a full head of steam and not waste any momentum rolling off the throttle or using the brakes for corners!
Not exactly 'exiting' though....
And t particularly MOD1 friendly, being none to manouverable, which was why she was trying to flog it on, in 2011, to get a bike she could do tests on before the 2013 three-tier licence system... but still.

My advice? DON'T bother taking it to a car park and tryng the figure 8 kind of thing.. it just ENT built for it! Go round the houses! You'll need the space, a) to turn, b) to get it moving!

Dont spend a PENNY you dont have to on the thing, on aythg unnecessary or flippant.. change the oil and spark plug frequently, and get the Haynes book of Chinky bikes to do the tappets and manually adjusted cam-chain tensioner at regular intervals.. like now, cos chances are they have never been touched yet!; The OE chain is made of cheese and so long a little wear makes a lot of stretch.. needs checking and adjusting VERY frequently; ought to have had a new one by now, but likely not much less cheese like if they got t off e-bay; else it's like as not the original with a LOT of links knocked out! Check, frequently, and replace with a decent euro-grade chain, not an e-bay special, if you dont want to be getting hands oily twice a week.

Other than that, just ride it. They're cheap way to work, not a toy, don't expect it to get any more exiting than that, and enjoy the fact you almost never have to stop at petrol stations! That really is the bikes best feature!

Wouldn't be my top choice of learner-bike; and probably not one I would expect a teen-ager to have much enthusiasm for.. but it end a BAD bike, and its certainly ore useful than many, if its not been too badly neglected, abused or butchered by previouse owners.

Welcome & enjoy.
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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?'

[bruceso94]

i know its a cruiser 125 and i didnt expect it to be quick haha. its gonna be used to haul my fat ass to ayr and back for college and have some fun on. i didnt have enough to buy and insure and tax a car so i thought i would get a lil 125, i got it for a good price it needs a lil work done to it though but it seems to run great it started first press of the button from cold when i went to see it and it sounded pretty good no knocks or clunks from the engine pulled decently and the clutch seems ok. i bought a bike that i could afford to break and be able to afford to put it right again and to tinker around with. so its kind of a project/daily use bike lol
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[JoeDaStudd]

Just be aware you'll probably end up spending another £300+ on equipment/gear before the costs settle down.
£50+ on ground anchor, chain and locks
£200+ on helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, trousers, etc
£50+ on misc - ACF 50, cover, oil, etc

[zico]

Stick a Harley badge on it and you'll fool a few people.

Good luck with it, ride safe.

[Rogerborg]

[zico]

[Rogerborg]

If you don't have a pension you're just giving money to the tax-man.
____________________
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

[bruceso94]

im not bothered if i dont see any money from it, i want a bike to have some fun on and to use for traveling to and from college and i got it for £300 with a 10 month mot on it. it has some cosmetic damage looks like its been dropped before nice dent on the tank and some other damage and it needs a new rear mud guard so not that expensive to repair the engine and stuff seems pretty good as i said before
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[wr6133]

Looks nice enough, £300 for a running 125 with an MOT, I'd be happy.

Buy a big bottle of ACF50 though and get it on all the metalwork. It'll keep the corrosion at bay

[bruceso94]

ok cool i will defiantly need to invest in a bottle of it
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[Rogerborg]

Yup, that's a win.

And to ACF-50 as well, it really does help.

I wouldn't sweat the cosmetics, just think of it as customisation.
____________________
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

[bruceso94]

when i went to see it, it got me thinking instead of buying one that doesnt need anything done to it get one that has a decent mot and runs well and make it mine do some bits and bobs to it, im going to get a new rear mud guard and my mate can respray it for me (he has done other bikes) and just make it my own so it stands out im thinking of a cherry red for it as all the pics of them i havent seen any red ones and just make it look a bit different from all the little 125cc bikes ive seen around
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[Rogerborg]

Red should add at least 5mph.
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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

[bruceso94]

if not more
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Some owners have reported as many as six.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

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

[Rogerborg]

That's powerbands.
____________________
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

[Teflon-Mike]

[Val]

Welcome to the forum

Make sure you change the oil and continue to do that regularly.

You will be fine
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Yamaha Fazer FZS 600, MT09, XSR 900

[bruceso94]

so today i was out and it was wet and i wasnt going fast luckily and started to brake and didnt notice the manhole cover and i hit doing about 10-15mph and came off but im fine and the bike is ok needs a new set of handlebars
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computers bike and planes my three loves in life