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What bike for a short lady? (To Chinese or not to Chinese)

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Best budget, upright 125 for a new rider?
New Chinese 125 (Sinnis, Lexmoto, etc.)
5%
 5%  [ 1 ]
Used Japanese 125 (YBR, GN, other)
94%
 94%  [ 16 ]
Total Votes : 17

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boiled_elephant
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PostPosted: 18:24 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: What bike for a short lady? (To Chinese or not to Chinese) Reply with quote

I assumed this subforum'd be full of "what bike" threads, and it is. Sorry for adding another, but this is more specific.

My gf's starting biking soon, on L-plates. She has exceptionally short legs - anything taller/wider than a CG is out of bounds. Customs and sports alike are out, leaving just standard bikes.

Here's where I'm at:

- seat height lower than 78cm (I know seat height is a fallible measurement, but it works as a rough guide)
- decent disc brake/s (front at the least)
- be a 125 4-stroke (if I want her dead I'll consider getting her a 2-stroke, but so far I don't)
- have alloy wheels, not spokes (never again)
- have fuel injection (preferably. Carbs make me want to die in winter)
- have a fuel gauge (downfall of older bikes and first-time riders alike)
- be cheap. Like £1300 or less. Used and tatty is fine.
- don't be a CG. I owned one for 8 years. For so many reasons, never again.

And here's what I see as my two options:

YBR 125
These things are all over the place, parts are dirt cheap, they'll do 65mph, they've got a decent front disc brake and the 2008 onwards ones have fuel injection. They're a hair shorter than the CG and the same width, so I'm sure she'd fit it. They're about £900-1300 used.

OR - Chinese bikes
There's so much bad press for Chinese bikes I almost didn't bother looking. The electrics fall apart, the parts rust, the pistons seize - or so I'm told. Of course, nobody with a good Chinese bike takes to the internet to tell everyone how reliable it was, so probably a lot of confirmation bias to this stereotype.

Anyway, some of them (Sinnis, Lexmoto, etc.) look nice, seem reasonably tidy and tick all the boxes - maybe not fuel injection, but I can deal for £1000 new. Seriously. £1000 for a new geared 125 with fuel gauge and discs front and rear. That's crazy.

So here's the thing: do you stick your gf on a Chinese bike that (rumour has it) may be an unreliable POS, or do you stick to Japanese? And if so, is the YBR the best option?

There seem to be very few Japanese bikes that tick these boxes. I looked at the GN125 but it looks really, really dated and I worry about how crap the suspension and brakes would be. We also considered the Grom (Honda GSX) but it's very underpowered relative to most 125s, peaking at ~55mph, and has tiny wheels.
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Evil Hans
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PostPosted: 20:13 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

YBR is a very good choice.

But ... my missus rides my old AJS Eco2 which is a fairly robust YBR near-clone and although no longer available new (latest Euro regs killed it) can be bought ridiculously cheap second hand. Yes they are carbs not FI but it's never been an issue.
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ThatDippyTwat
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PostPosted: 20:18 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

YBR, or Chinese equivalent, given YBR's are made by Jianshe anyway. Newer YBR's ('09 onwards IIRC) will have FI, the Jianshe/rebadge won't.

If you want resale value, the YBR is a no-brainer.
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Musketeer
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PostPosted: 21:04 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

YBR Thumbs Up
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 21:39 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Re: What bike for a short lady? (To Chinese or not to Chines Reply with quote

boiled_elephant wrote:
She has exceptionally short legs

Can you quantify what's exceptional to you? So that we don't get into a whole metric / Imperial debate, how many cubits?

I ask because the CG isn't exceptionally low.

Anyway, YBR, or YBR Custom with an intact exhaust.
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RhynoCZ
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PostPosted: 21:54 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

ThatDippyTwat wrote:
YBR, or Chinese equivalent, given YBR's are made by Jianshe anyway. Newer YBR's ('09 onwards IIRC) will have FI, the Jianshe/rebadge won't.


It's not about where it's made, but who does the QC check. Wink
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Last edited by RhynoCZ on 21:56 - 13 Aug 2017; edited 1 time in total
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 21:55 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

RhynoCZ wrote:
It's not about where it's made, but who does the build quality. Wink

Chinese people, in China, using Chinese parts.
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RhynoCZ
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PostPosted: 21:59 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
RhynoCZ wrote:
It's not about where it's made, but who does the build quality. Wink

Chinese people, in China, using Chinese parts.


Just for Roger, he's special, ... it's about what legal entity does the QC check, in other words pays money to someone to take care everything is alright and fulfilling the requirements of such legal entity/undertaking.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 23:00 - 13 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

How many posts and no one asking for pics of the girlfriend? This place's going downhill Crying or Very sad
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WD Forte
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PostPosted: 01:24 - 23 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of my lads bought a Lexmoto arrow 18 months ago
£945 OTR as I recall
(needed cheap transport for work with little funds)
he's had no serious issues with it and it's still going fine

Its got the typical simple carbed, OHV CG type lump with
electric+kick start, gear indicator, fuel gauge too plus front disc
(why no carbs in winter? mines got two and doesn't mind the cold)

Not saying it's the most bestest or anything, just that it's cheap, light and ( for us) reliable, it's easy to work on and get parts for and gives good mpg

Personally I wouldn't throw dosh at any 125
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Tracer1234
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PostPosted: 01:28 - 23 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

M.C wrote:
How many posts and no one asking for pics of the girlfriend? This place's going downhill Crying or Very sad


This. I thought the same thing. Pics are needed or any advice is invalid!
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 08:18 - 23 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

WD Forte wrote:
Lexmoto arrow

Isn't that astonishingly slow even by Chinese 125 standards though?
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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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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 08:31 - 23 Aug 2017    Post subject: Re: What bike for a short lady? (To Chinese or not to Chines Reply with quote

Geared Vespa 125 .. Indian made why be conventional?

- seat height lower than 78cm (I know seat height is a fallible measurement, but it works as a rough guide)

Doesn't matter, should only be putting 1-ot down anyway, but Vespa's a stepthru

- decent disc brake/s (front at the least)

I think the new ones have a disc on the front, but again, who cares? Drums are cheaper/easier to servce and offer better 'feel' against panic lock-up, which is even more important on a scooter!

- be a 125 4-stroke (if I want her dead I'll consider getting her a 2-stroke, but so far I don't)

I think that some of them are using Jap derived 4T's... but hey? Whats wrong with a piston ported iron barel 2T? Other than risk of overheating nip up locking the back wheel? Thats why you get one with a clutch! Seriousely, though, a low-tuned 2T is a fantastic thing, for low maintenance miles, all you need do is make sure there's oil in the reservoir fro time to time, there's effall to go wrong and even less to adjust into oblivion!

- have alloy wheels, not spokes (never again)

Nit sure what they make them wheel-barrow wheels from, they used to be steel.... probably still are, but they certainly aren't wire-spokes, close enough for me!

- have fuel injection (preferably. Carbs make me want to die in winter)

Here we differ... carbs are user serviceable without a computer! And when pondering low rent chinky made components that HAS to be a bonus, to my mind!

- have a fuel gauge (downfall of older bikes and first-time riders alike)

D'WHAT? The ewer vespa's probably do.. but eh? Stuff the guage stop at a filling station once a month! They hardly use a lot!

- be cheap. Like £1300 or less. Used and tatty is fine.

Oh-Kay a genone, een inda built Vespa probably isn't going to drop i on budget so easily... but nasty budget... for something that ticked boxes and offers some style for it you need be prepared to pay the premiu... but, its a Vespa... you'll get it back when you sell... far more readily than almost any other learner legal, TBH!

- don't be a CG. I owned one for 8 years. For so many reasons, never again.

Err... yeah.. CG's tend to suffer from thier own reputation, and I dont think they have sold a brand ew one in the UK for over a decade... Vespas have a similar cult status..... and with all the wight at the wrong end, and wheels too small for any self respecting vehicle with an engine, I am amazed I am reccomending one! But then they have always amazed me, how with so many basic fundemental rules of good automotive design ignored or broken they even work! But they do, and in this instance could be as good a bet as anything else.... just make sure to get one with gears! Though hand shift still likely a bit of a mind bend to convert to foot-shift for a propper bike!

But think beyond the box....
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WD Forte
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PostPosted: 19:27 - 23 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
WD Forte wrote:
Lexmoto arrow

Isn't that astonishingly slow even by Chinese 125 standards though?


Dunno, all 125s seem slow and under powered to me.
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