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Should I start with 125cc? Or straight to bigger bikes?

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TheInternet
Borekit Bruiser



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
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PostPosted: 21:06 - 14 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting post Tawny, I like how it starts quite balanced, moves slightly towards enlightenment then slips rapidly into a depressive episode. The parallels with 125 ownership are not lost on me. Very clever. A+
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Azoth
Brolly Dolly



Joined: 07 Jul 2016
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PostPosted: 22:29 - 14 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
TheInternet wrote:
Interesting post Tawny, I like how it starts quite balanced, moves slightly towards enlightenment then slips rapidly into a depressive episode. The parallels with 125 ownership are not lost on me. Very clever. A+


I don't understand the above at all. There was no cunning metanarrative intended in my post.

Care to explain?
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NJD
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Joined: 11 Mar 2015
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PostPosted: 23:08 - 14 Nov 2016    Post subject: Re: Should I start with 125cc? Or straight to bigger bikes? Reply with quote
Rogerborg wrote:
When wearing a kilt, sure.


What you did there, I see it. Wink

Disclaimer: not literally and you're windows don't contain my eyeball in the corner.
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Fizzoid
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 Sep 2016
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PostPosted: 09:46 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rogerborg wrote:
Tawny wrote:
In cities, most bike commuters use 125s.

In your city, perhaps. In mine, I'd say it's about 1/3rd tiddler vs 2/3rds manbike. Even many of the scooters are bigguns. The bay I was in today was a YBR 125, my racebike, and a 500cc MP3 lulztrike. I'd call that about typical, although with variations in variators and the average number of wheels.


Just went to take a picture of the closest bike bay outside work to prove your point, but today it doesn't. It's normally full of big bikes, but today it looks like this

https://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd192/croptonboy/1BA14A0E-4618-4111-A8D0-4BDADD58F5E4_zpsilwmvnkm.jpg

I can only presume the damp weather has scared away the big boys
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Fizzoid
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Joined: 06 Sep 2016
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PostPosted: 11:11 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is more like it

https://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd192/croptonboy/2826FEB1-3E54-4DE4-9B87-888CAFBB3A27_zpsavztzgpa.jpg

A mixed bag for sure, but mostly >125 (just) and only one L plate!
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Rogerborg wrote: It'd certainly make it easier to ego-find my own posts on pages, given the number of fags (gay like traps) who insist on putting my name in their .sig
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Rogerborg
nimbA



Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 12:00 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
To be fair, if you see a bike actually riding around during the day in a city it's more likely to have L plates and a big giant box on it.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 16:00 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Re: Should I start with 125cc? Or straight to bigger bikes? Reply with quote
en_garde wrote:
Hi all

I tried my friend's bike and decided I want to get one too. I'm 24 so I can sit the test for A directly.

Obviously biking is known as somewhat risky - so my question is - should I start with a 125cc on L plates or sit my A test and get a bigger bike straight away?

Would like to hear the arguments.

If you recommend 125cc - would you say around £2000 is a reasonable price for a starter?

Thanks!


Before answering I'd need to know what the bike will primarily be used for. If 90% of its miles will be urban - i.e. commuting type riding - I'd say a 125 will be fine, if well-ridden. I can make slightly better progress on a 500 than many 125s - but that's primarily because they're ridden by numpties who aren't planning far enough ahead. By contrast, one rider I often encounter in town favours something like a 250 Serow. He's an absolute master of "slow to flow" and will coast up to and through lights, making up 95% of the ground lost to those riders who treat traffic signals like a moto GP.

But if most of your miles will be fun miles on open roads a 125 *can* be stressful. I personally don't mind it - good rearward observation reveals approaching traffic wanting to pass, north of seventy. Just move over to the left third of your lane and let them come by. Of course, there's no fun in being the slowest thing on the road. But there's even less fun overcooking a bend on a big bike, target fixating on some piece of scenery, then face-planting into it. In my experience, and coming to bikes from cars, they're A LOT more difficult to control. Not surprising since they've only got half the number of wheels, and twice etc. the power to weight. Smile
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Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
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Hawkeye1250FA
World Chat Champion



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
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PostPosted: 16:14 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
I did:

80
125
400
1200
1250

Still got the last 3 and use them all for different reasons. The 400 is for fun, the bigger bikes are commuters.

The 400 is no use at all long distance
The 1250 is no use in cities

So it depends what you want it for as others have said.

But definitely get your full license - or you don't have a choice. Smile
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Azoth
Brolly Dolly



Joined: 07 Jul 2016
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PostPosted: 16:26 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Re: Should I start with 125cc? Or straight to bigger bikes? Reply with quote
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha wrote:
I personally don't mind it - good rearward observation reveals approaching traffic wanting to pass, north of seventy. Just move over to the left third of your lane and let them come by. Of course, there's no fun in being the slowest thing on the road. But there's even less fun overcooking a bend on a big bike, target fixating on some piece of scenery, then face-planting into it. In my experience, and coming to bikes from cars, they're A LOT more difficult to control. Not surprising since they've only got half the number of wheels, and twice etc. the power to weight. Smile


Very interesting post. I've been thinking of going back to a smaller bike over the past week or so, and that's part of the reason I've been thinking about this thread. Not going back to a 125, but scaling down to something like a 250. But most of the fun in biking is, for me, done out of town on faster roads. My old 125 was almost unuseable on the same roads I enjoy now, and riding them on a 125 was almost an act of bravery. However, a lot of the advantages of small bikes are completely lost on big bikes. I have to consider, why did I like bikes in the first place? If the roads aren't already 40 years too busy, then it's the purity of 2-wheel motorised fun, seeing new places, breathing the air and smelling and noticing things for the first time. Just a single cylinder, ridden to the rev limiter everywhere without care or abandon. A sort of Royal Enfield experience. That's what's pulling me back to the small bikes world. But I could be making a mistake.
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Rogerborg
nimbA



Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 16:48 - 15 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'd encourage doing more with less. My Nazi Tractor is a very competent bike and my poor-weather or long-distance choice, but for commuting / shopping / cocking around, I get more active enjoyment out of ragging the Enfield and the Ninja. They're both very decent commuters.

I often want just a bit more from them, but that's rather the point, I'm aware that I'm riding them to the limit of their engines for maximum manpoints.
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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
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sr7492
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 11 Aug 2016
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PostPosted: 13:50 - 29 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Having never ridden a bike before, this was my path to getting a full license.

July: CBT
August: Bought a Honda CBF125
August: Passed Theory
October: Passed MOD 1
November: Passed Mod 2
November: Bought a GSXR 750

Personally, the 125 helped in terms of general motorbike riding. If you plan to commute then I would highly recommended getting a 125 first so you can get comfortable with the roads and traffic. Plus the 125 is good for town/slow rides and gives you more confidence in terms of control as they are quite figity over the bigger bikes.

Once you have done your Mod 2, get a bigger bike. My 750 is really easy to ride. Obviously I have the fear factor of what it can do so just taking it steady and building up the speed slowly as I get more and more used to it.
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Alpineandy
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Joined: 18 Mar 2015
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PostPosted: 14:46 - 29 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
sr7492 wrote:

July: CBT
August: Bought a Honda CBF125
August: Passed Theory
October: Passed MOD 1
November: Passed Mod 2
November: Bought a GSXR 750

Personally, the 125 helped in terms of general motorbike riding. If you plan to commute then I would highly recommended getting a 125 first so you can get comfortable with the roads and traffic. Plus the 125 is good for town/slow rides and gives you more confidence in terms of control as they are quite figity over the bigger bikes.

Or you could have skipped the 125 and not gone as extreme as a GSXR for your first big bike to learn 'general motorbike riding etc', and probably have saved some money over the premium cost of 125 ownership.
Wink
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sr7492
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 11 Aug 2016
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PostPosted: 10:46 - 30 Nov 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Could have done but honestly I think it was the best decision - I've enjoyed the time on the 125 and I hope it makes me a better rider going forward!
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