26yo first bike? 125cc

Mikado · Derestricted Danger Joined: 01 May 2016 Karma :

Hi all,

I have my CBT in a few weeks time. I am 26 and will do my das but, if I am honest, I am not too about speed and power as I want to reduce my fuel costs to work (£200 a month in the car) so a 125cc is going to be perfect.

I am torn between 2 bikes that sit within my budget (£2,500) :

Yahama WR125x

KTM Duke 125

I have no prior experience with bikes so I only know what I can legally ride and what I like the look of - not so much the practicality of a bike.

I hate the way a lot of 125cc bikes have tiny wheels, the 2 bikes I have mentioned have nice chunky wheels and don't try to be something they are not (ie 125cc "super sport").

Any advice on these bikes would be great.

My name is Mike by the way - nice to meet you all!
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Mikado Mikos

NJD · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Mar 2015 Karma :

gbrand42 · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 23 Jul 2013 Karma :

You probably won't want to hear this but do DAS straight away - you WILL want an upgrade after a month or so despite what you may think now.
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Yamaha RD50M, Honda C90, Yamaha RS100, Yamaha RD125LC, Honda XL125 V9 Varadero, Honda NT700VA, Honda VFR800X, Honda CRF1000L, Honda ST1300 Pan European

arry · Super Spammer Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :

Neither of those mike - if you're doing the cheap route of 125 mpg then just buy a YBR etc

Mikado · Derestricted Danger Joined: 01 May 2016 Karma :

Good points regarding DAS - but for the purpose of reducing fuel cost, what "big" bikes out there will still fetch 60-80 mpg?
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Mikado Mikos

Pjay · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Jan 2016 Karma :

Use your £2500 budget to get your DAS done. Then you will have over £1500 to spend on a Fazer Smile

gbrand42 · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 23 Jul 2013 Karma :

Mikado · Derestricted Danger Joined: 01 May 2016 Karma :

Nomad Z · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 25 Oct 2015 Karma :

gbrand42 · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 23 Jul 2013 Karma :

Pjay · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Jan 2016 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

You'll have great fun on a 125. It'll return 100mpg or more, and will, just barely, get you everywhere that you want to go. You'll tell yourself that it does everything that you need, just barely.

Then you'll ride a 500cc+ bike and within 30 seconds you'll have your Doh!

moment.

Bigger bikes are easier to ride, and safer to ride. More stability, more torque, more road presence, typically better brakes and suspension.

So, do your CBT, but before you commit to buying some £4K+ trinket to "save money", blag a go on a 'A' training bike. It'll help to make up your mind and might save you from making a costly mistake.

Any big single or twin will return comfortably over 60mpg when ridden at the same speeds as a 125 can manage. My midi-GS gets 65mpg, urban. A G650GS or NC700/750 will see north of 70mpg, or my ~25hp Enfield gets over 80mpg, with the consumables costing the same as a 125, but a whole heap more grunt and growl and giggles.

You'll have great fun on a 125, but there's so much more out there to enjoy once you're licensed up. You'll be doing it sooner or later, so why not sooner?
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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

Snowdonia Rider · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Oct 2014 Karma :

Mikado · Derestricted Danger Joined: 01 May 2016 Karma :

Snowdonia Rider · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Oct 2014 Karma :

Andy_Pagin · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Nov 2010 Karma :

If all you need is cheap commuting then YBR125. It's pointless going for anything fancy looking. It'll do everything you need and has the added advantage of a useful luggage rack on the back. Added bonus is it's about the least likely 125 to get nicked. All the same Almax+Squire lock of course.
Hilly North Wales roads won't be a problem, I regularly rode mine around the Chilterns without any stress.
Commuting in London I got a genuine average 110mpg without any effort.
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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

Mikado · Derestricted Danger Joined: 01 May 2016 Karma :

bamt · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2013 Karma :

Actually, the "least likely to be nicked" is very relevant for a 125 - the supermoto style ones you are looking at are a pikey magnet; kids will try to steal them to razz around the woods/hills/whatever. Without decent security a bike is shockingly easy to steal.

The standard tyres on the YBR aren't great - but then if you want something nice and stable to learn on, do DAS and get a bigger bike! You'll generally get a better quality/better looked after bike for your money (buying second hand), and the savings will pay for a lot of fuel.

Do your CBT and hopefully you'll do some hilly bits to see how well a 125 will do you. I did my CBT as part of a full DAS course; climbing a local steep hill on the 125 I got the feeling I'd go up it faster on my push bike. That would have put me off entirely if I didn't have a bigger bike to look forward to.

arry · Super Spammer Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :

waffles · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Karma :

There is a lot of sense to buying a cg/ybr for a first bike, there are some many of them around that parts are plentiful, they are cheap to run, economical and usually pretty cheap to insure. However if you don't like the look of them then you aren't going to want to ride it.

You are old enough to do DAS though. Get your CBT done first and see how you feel before buying a bike, maybe ask the school if you can have a quick turn around on a bigger bike to see how it feels? Ditch the L plates and you can have your pick of whatever type bike you fancy.
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

DAS and a bigger bike. As Roger said, easier to ride, more fun to ride and not that hugely more expensive to run. Also for that sort of money you will pick up a cracking 500/650 and still have oodles of money left.

Or, do your CBT, buy a Duke 125 and be posting in here...

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=266029&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=duke+125
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

Andy_Pagin · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Nov 2010 Karma :

Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

Alpineandy · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2015 Karma :

I'm of the 'Do your DAS and it opens up a whole new world of bikes which in most cases are much better than a 125'.
I don't know what your commute will consist of (Motorways [which you can't use without a DAS], A roads, country lanes, whatever) but 125s are generally really expensive to buy for what they are, whilst a even a 250 has more useable torque and feels more stably at the NSL.
A quick look on Gumtree offers bikes from 200cc through to 900cc are available for 1.5k (condition unknown!).

Your full licence doesn't mean you have to have a 500-1000cc bike but there are plenty of options between 125 and 500.

Try to find a local independent bike garage and have a chat with them as well.
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