So - ?1k funds, how much bike can I get for my money?

[firg]

Hi all,

I have saved £1k to spend on a 125, and will be doing my CBT in a few weeks (easter holiday).

I was wondering what kinda bike I could get?

It would be a long term 125, and i'm quite a big fella, so maybe a small bodied bike might be inappropriate.

Your opinions on what I should go for?

[Will87]

Right this is against what your after i know, but as you say your a big fella prehaps a CG125, pass and get a 250 or something? Because 125's don't have that much power for smaller people. . .

[Mister James]

I wouldn't worry a huge amount about power, I still throw myself around on my little 100cc Aerox scooter when I'm not on the fazer, and I'm 6'1 and 15 stone 9lbs.

You won't break any land speed records on a 125, but they are nippy enough for day to day riding. Most reliable learner legals depreciate very little once 2nd hand, so you are pretty likely to get back a lot of your original outlay to put towards a bigger bike when you are ready.
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[stinkwheel]

At risk of cries of horror from the sports 125 brigade...

2-stroke MZ125, a decent example of which will cost you around 350 quid, a fixer-upper for less than 100 so you can insure it and get some decent gear too.

Don't expect to go fast on it though (55mph all day long, you can push them faster but this will make them nip-up after a time). They are pretty big, very cheap to run and reliable, not all that fashionable though.

Here's one on ebay although they did make some with more modern styling. That looks like a good-un though.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Gazdaman]

Little known fact, the TS125 is the only bike I could find in a lower insurance group than the cg125, group 2 or 3 I think.

I think they pay you to insure it.

Gaz

[baskie]

well i just got myself a 1990 ns125 r-k and im a big fell, heavier then 15 stone, and it pops up and got loads of poke. that cost me £1,035 well looked after though. if u got a local bike shop (second hand) pop your head in from time to time, assess what they got like, DT, TZR something like that pretty good. yeh wouldnt worry about traveling around at liek 100mph+ remeber speed limit only 70 so aslong as it does 70 u in buisnes.

[baskie]

well i just got myself a 1990 ns125 r-k and im a big fell, heavier then 15 stone, and it pops up and got loads of poke. that cost me £1,035 well looked after though. if u got a local bike shop (second hand) pop your head in from time to time, assess what they got like, DT, TZR something like that pretty good. yeh wouldnt worry about traveling around at liek 100mph+ remeber speed limit only 70 so aslong as it does 70 u in buisnes.

[baskie]

well i just got myself a 1990 ns125 r-k and im a big fell, heavier then 15 stone, and it pops up and got loads of poke. that cost me £1,035 well looked after though. if u got a local bike shop (second hand) pop your head in from time to time, assess what they got like, DT, TZR something like that pretty good. yeh wouldnt worry about traveling around at liek 100mph+ remeber speed limit only 70 so aslong as it does 70 u in buisnes.

[baskie]

well i just got myself a 1990 ns125 r-k and im a big fell, heavier then 15 stone, and it pops up and got loads of poke. that cost me £1,035 well looked after though. if u got a local bike shop (second hand) pop your head in from time to time, assess what they got like, DT, TZR something like that pretty good. yeh wouldnt worry about traveling around at liek 100mph+ remeber speed limit only 70 so aslong as it does 70 u in buisnes.

[ash t]

We get the picture baskie
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When You're Starting To Choke, Take Some Pills With Your Coke, Its Hyserical

[Keith]

Quad-post, thats a new one.

Anyway, back to the point.

As above, you cant go wrong with an old 2 stroker, be it a sporty thing like the TZR or NS or whatever 4 stroke there is on offer. Very cheap in all areas and reliable enough, (if you get a good one.) I'm also a big fella and managed quite well on the NS-R, until it went pop and I got sick of things going wrong, it also had lots of poke so it kept riding interesting, would do about 85mph with really nice acceleration. Of course if you want something more for the long term and dont fancy a boring CG, could look into a Yamaha RXS100 or similar. With the £1000 budget, you've got more than enough if you spend £300-600ish on the bike and the rest on insurance, which I cant imagine being too expensive.
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Aprilia RSV Mille R Edwards Replica - Aprilia RS250 - Suzuki GSXR600 Supersport Race Bike

[Noggin]

My NSR "may" be up for sale when I do my test, which I hope to do in the second week of the Easter hols. Depends what I get offered part ex. Will pm you to let you know.


Craig G(Noggin)
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Current bike: kawasaki zx12r 2002
Track bike: yamaha r6 1998
Old Bike: honda NSR 125 1998

[proximity]

Dunno if you can get one for around 1k but a varadero 125 is great for someone big and long term. Decent bike with plenty of power. Check ebay.
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2004 Aprilia Tuono

[firg]

[baskie]

WELL DONT GET TOO CAUGHT UP IN THE price of it, if u buy a biike for£400£500 doesnt mean its gonna be ideal propably been ragged to f**k and propbs needs alot doing to it, and gonna cost loads of money to keep it going. if u pay bout £1,000 £900 gonna cost alot but make sure u pick one up been well looked after, lowmileage, well maintained, something that u aint gonna have to pay out for anytime soon. paying for a more expensive bike now will bennifit u in the long run. and dont forget insurance u can pay monthly, so dont worry about get all the money to gether before u buy. just make sure u got enough for the deposit and tax and that and u will be laughing. take your time, look around, have a good look get a good buy. less haste more speed is what they say aint it.
but yeh dont be in a rush dude to part with ur money to get a bike, cus u could overlook big things and buy yourself a dud.e-bay farr over priced, go to local 2nd hand dealers, becuase u will be able to bargin with them and they friendly peole and wont do u over and give u a crap bike, they will make sure u get what u want.and if u get nice and friendly with them, they will do u favour later on wen u need them. dont be scared to go and have a chat, ask about the bikes history and stuff.

happy buying

Matt

[Jammy-G]

I got my VFR400 for a grand, had a HRC de restrictor unit which I sold for £100 (can be de restricted for £1 another way), so £900 alltogether.
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RooRoo: just like the time i stuck my finger up my arse with no lube at all and she didnt talk to me for hours

[Gazdaman]

I disagree that if a bike's cheap it's unreliable.

I bought my MZ ETZ for 250 quid 6 months MOT, I tarted it up a bit, it looked good (in my eyes). Reliable as anything, never broke down with anything serious.

Sold it on for 250 quid, it passed its MOT with no problems at all.

So you don't have to spend 3 grand in a dealer to get a decent bike.

Gaz

[DukeRed]

[firg]

One problem is that I don't have technical knowledge of vehicles - at all.

Dunno, its just the way my family was, both my parents always said - drop it at the garage and get a courtasy car, so ive never learnt how a car/bike works, or would have the confidence to start fiddling with one...

This is why i really couldnt buy a ratty bike and do it up.
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Ex-'96 Bandit 600S -> '99 Bandit 600 -> K7 V-Strom 650

[Bomberman]

If you're looking for a 125 sack eBay and go with local AdMags, and be prepared to travel a bit to get a decent one. In my (admittedly limited) experience anyway.
PS; TZRs are nice
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'Allo! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
'89 TZR 125 - '94 GPZ500s - ZK3 GSXR600 Alstare

[pete-dotphp]

Leave yourself a little leeway, buy a bike for say £900, as you're pretty much guaranteed to need to do the odd thing to a 2nd hand bike for that money, even if it's just a tyre...

[firg]

Having a look around at insurance, itll cost me more to insure a £500 '93 TZR, than a £2000 '03 varadero.

eh?
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Ex-'96 Bandit 600S -> '99 Bandit 600 -> K7 V-Strom 650

[firg]

Looking at some bike on ebay, and theres something i dtn understand :

look at this bike: https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4534794943

says "minimal work needed fore mot" and also says "good for spares or repair", and has a reserve of less than £150. What gives?

I thought when a bike was for spares or repair it was fubar'd.

No?
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Ex-'96 Bandit 600S -> '99 Bandit 600 -> K7 V-Strom 650

[iCraig]

Without going to see it I couldn't possibly say why its so cheap, it could be that it its cosmetically a heap or his idea of minimal is different to your etc.

[baskie]

hay cabbage man where did u get that insurance quote??? i been looking at some for my NSR125 1989 and the cheapest i got was £802

if u can let me know what one u got that quote from would be ideal.

matt