Yamaha YBR 125 Costs/Maintenence For First Motorcycle

REKX · L Plate Warrior Joined: 25 Jan 2016 Karma :

Hi I've been driving for about 7-8 years since I was 17 and own 2 cars.

I've never had a bike before also have never driven one. (or is it 'ridden one).

I've decided on the YBR 125 because I think it looks OK and most importantly I don't want to spend a lot and prefer it to the Honda which is similar to this vehicle.

My purpose literally to have it around because I go to work in my v6 petrol car. I play tennis 2-3 times a week, so if the weather is good I might bike to tennis. It won't be a daily driver.

I will be doing CBT sometime soon. I got some insurance quotes ranging from £200-300 which I'm happy about.

I won't be doing any racing because I wouldn't be comfortable. With my car its different I know how to correct, and keep the car stable through fast corners.

If someone could break the cost down for me, how often I would need servicing, oil changes, brakes, tyres?

I hope to buy the bike for around 900£, maybe 2-5 years old. Something which I won't mind getting battered a bit. Then perhaps I will move onto something else in the future if I feel more confident.

Cheers guys.
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V6

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

INCOMING WALL-OF-TEF.

On a YBR, I'd aim to change the engine oil every 1,000 - 1,500 miles and not more than every 2,000. We're talking about a litre of the cheapest generic 10w40 gloop from Tesco here.

Chain and sprockets will last 10 - 15,000 miles if you lube them.

Tyres are surprisingly expensive for rubber that's barely bigger than mountain bike tyres, and will want doing maybe every 8,000 miles.

Brakes, maybe every 10,000 depending how you use them. Pads are cheap and easy to replace. Shoes on the drum will be a bit more work.

A spark plug every 15,000 miles or so, brake fluid changes every 2 years, and if you're unlucky you'll have to do the fork seals at some point which often leads to a thread in the Workshop section with some saucy language.

If it's an occasional fun toy, you're unlikely to rip through all the consumables while you own it though, and at 100mpg and upwards you're not going to get much cheaper motoring.
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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

Silver_Fox · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Jun 2015 Karma :

Why cheapo oil?

REKX · L Plate Warrior Joined: 25 Jan 2016 Karma :

arry · Super Spammer Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :

arry · Super Spammer Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

REKX · L Plate Warrior Joined: 25 Jan 2016 Karma :

Evil Hans · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Karma :

REKX · L Plate Warrior Joined: 25 Jan 2016 Karma :

zark · Trackday Trickster Joined: 18 Dec 2013 Karma :

arry · Super Spammer Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :

Evil Hans · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Karma :

When I was sat on my 125, I couldn't see the plates. And why should I give a fuck about what anyone else is looking at? Wink

Ride, enjoy ... if you want rid of the L plates, pass your test.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

Wonko The Sane · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Jan 2013 Karma :

adam277 · Spanner Monkey Joined: 29 Jul 2012 Karma :

Fantastically cheap bike to run and for a 125 quite quick. You can not go wrong with one.
The newer models look sporty as well.
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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

Tierbirdy · Crazy Courier Joined: 25 Jun 2014 Karma :

They do about a billion MPG (N.B. may be slight exaggeration, it used to cost me about £12 to brim the tank from empty, and that would do the best part of 200 miles before I had to start thinking about filling up again), everything is easy to fix or change on it with the most basic set of tools and mechanical knowledge, they will run forever if you look after them... or even if you dont, Im shocked to read this thread and see people suggesting changing the oil every 1-2000 miles Shocked

I changed mine annually, maybe twice a year if I was feeling generous, by which point it was probably closer to 10-15k miles... and never cleaned the oil filter either because it was an utter bastard to get at (on mine it was the small mesh filter screen type, that involved taking the gearbox cover off, which was an utter bastard to do as you had to take the rear brake pedal assembly apart too and everything was seized to buggery, so I decided it was probably more hassle than it was worth Mr. Green

)

I used mine as a daily hack all year round, blipping around inner London and some long (incredibly tedious) trips up and down the A303/A30 to get to family in Cornwall and back, ragged the tits off it and neglected it to hell (Well according to this thread anyway, I thought I took quite good care of it... apparently not Embarassed

) and it just kept on going no matter what.

adam277 · Spanner Monkey Joined: 29 Jul 2012 Karma :

Pigeon · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Sep 2012 Karma :

GaryJM · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 21 Dec 2004 Karma :

As others are saying. When you are riding a bike on L plates you are on a provisional licence.
So no motorways ( and some A roads that have motorway restrictions on them), bike limited to no more than 15 bhp, Lplates will cost you 3 penalty points for each one not displayed or incorrect size/lettering if caught.
So that's a potential of 6 points on your full car licence, points don't differentiate between different classes of licence.
Has to be declared to your car insurance even thou you got them on your bike.
So if you are 24 just do DAS, then those things don't matter at all.
If you aren't just do whatever class of bike licence you can ( test wise)
Then again above points are mute.
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So long and Thanks for all the fish !
Triumph Sprint GT SE.

M.C · Super Spammer Joined: 29 Sep 2015 Karma :

125's are terrifying on a motorway... no I never did it, but any dual carriageway with cars flying past used to scare me.

Don't fully understand the oil thing, I just follow the manual. On a 125 there's no real reason to use a 'cheap' oil, on a bigger bike and changing it as often as some on this forum Wink

, then it makes sense.

Also 125's are simple machines. Download the manual online or get the Haynes manual (if they do one) for some nice pictures, get yourself a basic socket set, and most jobs are do-able. Parts are so cheap as well for 125's so you'll be paying mostly labour at a garage for no real reason.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

arry · Super Spammer Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :

M.C · Super Spammer Joined: 29 Sep 2015 Karma :

... I was speaking financially. On a 125 you're only changing a litre, on a big bike if you're changing a few litres obviously you're going to feel the hit more financially. Also it depends on how good you're at taking the old stuff to the tip, I've still got old engine oil/coolant sitting in the back garden from the spring Embarassed

Anyway I'm more concerned with how a bike feels, if the gears feel that much smoother then it's worth the extra IMO.

Omega · Crazy Courier Joined: 07 May 2009 Karma :

Have you done a blind test to see how much of that improved feel is down to placebo effect?

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

You don't have to, Castrol Edge Titanium 5W-40 FST is clearly labelled as containing 50% more placebo than competing brands.
____________________
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