Total (tall!) motorbike newbie!

[ApocalypseBik...]

... but been riding push bikes for the past 25 years or so

Hi all,

I've just signed up, like the look of the forum and see some interesting advice being given to us first time riders!

I wanted input from members on here about the most economical way of going about getting a learner legal 125 to do my CBT on?

Thing is, I'm 6'6" (198 cm) and 16? stone (110 kg), so from my so far unguided searching on the net, I was thinking of the Yamaha YBR125. Prices for this model range around the 800-1500 GBP level from what I've searched on bike trader and ebay. Is there a cheaper model I could go for to accommodate my frame and weight?

I liked what I saw about the YBR being a good all-rounder in terms of low insurance costs, fuel economy, cheap to mend, easy to ride, just not very thrilling in terms of speed, since it maxes out at around 67-72 mph. The speed issue isn't a problem since I want it for short journeys inside and around Oxford's city centre, is this the best choice, or should I go for a smaller cc bike?

Also, is there any advantage/disadvantage over having an automatic bike, or a geared (with clutch?) one?


Thanks for help in answering eye-rolling questions, but unfortunately I don't have anyone else knowledgeable about bikes to consult!

Thank you for the advice

Marcus

[Taught2BCauti...]

Hi Marcus,

First off - I don't think it's a good idea to attempt the CBT on your own bike. You won't be able to legally ride it to the venue, and if you don't make the grade on the day, you've got to get it home afterwards.

Best to use the training centre's machine until you get through, plus you will be able to legally test-ride your choice of machine before purchasing.

I can recommend the Honda Varadero for the taller rider, but I don't think you will find a good one for YBR prices.

Good luck,
Alan.

[bikertomm]

The main advantage of a geared bike is that essentially your learning to ride a motorbike. Then you can pass your test and get a (bigger) motorbike if you wish. (And of course you are in control of gears.. Can't stand autos.)

For a taller rider the Varadero is really the best choice IMO, they are expensive but from what I've seen they hold their price well!

The bloke on the MCN review https://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/734/images/01YBR125Yamaha14-01.jpg looks fairly tall..

I think it would be ok, are you looking to learn and have the bike short term or keeping a 125 for a while?


____________________
07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[_Iain_]

I'm 6ft 3. Did my CBT on a YBR identical to the one in the pic. I was thinking about getting one beforehand, however, bout halfway through the day i ended up getting aches in my knees & ended up having to keep stretching my legs back out at near every set of traffic lights.

Wouldnt reccomend it for someone tall!

Had a look in a few bike shops, the supermoto/MX bikes seem to make for a fair bit of legroom. Hondas varadero was reccomended to me by a few people, however my instructor reckoned there wasnt any point as they're apparently a very heavy bike with not a lot of power. Also very expensive - what i found was 1400 quid gets you something heading on for 30,000 miles in varying conditions, and the next step up is around the 2600 mark! Hyosungs GT125R is a proper big bike, however i'm not a big fan of the sportsbike riding position - not ridden one, however whenever i've sat on one it was instantly uncomfortable. the naked version of the same bike (the GT125 Comet) might be worth a look, however they diddnt have one in stock so i cant comment! Buying new is a bad idea though, initial depreciations steep.

As for doing your CBT on your own bike, you've got the hassle of insuring it, then even if you do that odds are if you're going to drop it it'll be on the pad when you're actually learning to ride - why risk your own bike and some potentially expensive repair bills?? Plus you get the opertunity to test drive something, and it'll help you to decide what you're looking for in a bike
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[ApocalypseBik...]

Ah,

Thank you for your replies!

Taught2BCautious: Very valid point there, doing the test on my own bike wouldn't be a possibility since I don't have the CBT yet. I'm just tempted into getting a bike first and sneaking it into the next door parking lot to have a 'go' before I sit on a motor bike that I'm not familiar with at ALL, to take the CBT with!

The Varadero sounds good, but taking the price into account, I would avoid it, I'm looking for the cheapest available option 125 bike I could get (second hand) that can also take my size. As cheap as possible, but also safe is my main criterion, I'm not really concerned on looks of the bike, as long as it does the job, I'll be on roads with slow-moving traffic, so an engine like the YBR's is ideal really, unless a 50 cc might be a viable option too? I'm just thinking about its size fit on me, my leg length is faily proportional to my torso, I have an inside leg length of 33-34 ins.



Bikertomm: I really don't know what to expect with getting a motorbike. Right now, I am concerned with getting one, for the convenience of not having to pay anywhere to park it, and having super fuel economy, Oxford is a city that gets pretty clogged up with traffic, and that's just the buses and taxis!

I may become really enthusiastic about motorbiking and start to get bored with a YBR in the coming future and want to get on to attain a proper license, we'll see. Right now, I'm just looking at dependability and fuel economy (in terms of what make bike I should buy), I just don't want to compromise on safety.

[ApocalypseBik...]

[sidewinder]

A few possibles here for you buddy
gz 125
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201205447093550/sort/priceasc/usedbikes/cc-from/125cc/cc-to/125cc/page/9/postcode/sy162nz/radius/1500/quicksearch/true?logcode=p

cg 125
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201205445729994/sort/priceasc/usedbikes/cc-from/125cc/cc-to/125cc/quicksearch/true/postcode/sy162nz/page/10/radius/1500?logcode=p

Honda city fly 125
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201206448151805/sort/priceasc/usedbikes/cc-from/125cc/cc-to/125cc/postcode/sy162nz/quicksearch/true/page/11/radius/1500?logcode=p

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201207449503159/sort/priceasc/usedbikes/cc-from/125cc/cc-to/125cc/postcode/sy162nz/page/15/quicksearch/true/radius/1500?logcode=p

Hope this of some help.I would get the cg.
And welcome to the forum

[_Iain_]

I cant say 100% that it wasnt just cause of sitting in a position i wasnt used to. However the instructor seemed to think it was because the bike was too small for me.

I dont think i'd have any problems using one daily for a 20min trip to the office and back, however i dont think i'd like to go for a lengthy ride out on one!

My only prior biking experience was a couple of quick goes on mates pitbikes. If you can borrow one for half hour or something like that great - if not i honestly wouldn't worry. On my cbt the first thing we did was to ride in a straight line at walking pace, for about two bike lengths with the instructor ready to grab the clutch if it all went tits up. They realy do start you off from complete basics & to be honest the only thing the pitbike taught me was the pattern of the gearbox & location of the controls! If anything you'll pick up bad habits that way before you've even started. Some bike schools offer a taster session for about 20 quid if its a massive issue though!

To summarise: You'll be fine!
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[snikks]

As for the Varadero being heavy and underpowered (although at the max power for a learner legal bike), this is true, but it will still easily out-accelerate and speed a 9bhp Cg. Mine could hit a true 70mph on the flat, the only CG I've ridden (admittedly a knackered one) couldn't get over 60mph indicated.

However, bear in mind this is not the be-all and end-all bike that you'll be using forever. Indeed, if you've any sense, you will hurry to get through your A2 test or DAS before Jan 2013. Therefore you'll only be using it for practice (I recommend Kassam stadium car park of an evening, it's where I practised for my Mod 1 and is where the DSA holds the actual tests in Oxford) and possibly a presumably short commute.

With that in mind, you possibly won't be doing any journeys long enough to cause you problems with riding position, being comfortable for 30m/1hr at a time might be good enough for your current needs, then once you pass your test you can junk it in and get a more reasonable sized bike.
____________________
- CBT: 02/01/11 Theory: 26/04/11 Mod 1: 19/05/11 Mod 2: 19/08/11
- 2007 Honda XL125V Varadero (Sold), 1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer (Sold), 2001 CBR600F

[ApocalypseBik...]

[Taught2BCauti...]

If that's a YBR in the pic above, it looks like the model of bike that I did my first CBT on!

It was so small that I had to turn my knees out to avoid the handlebars on slow manoeuvres on the pad, and after an hour on the road, my back, arms and shoulders were aching real bad!

I went for a spin on the Varadero for the first time when I got home later that day (having had it delivered a few days earlier) and was pleased to find it a heck of a lot more comfortable than the YBR.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/439700/XL125V-Vara.jpg

I have had the Vara for over 3 years now, and was recently offered just over what I paid for it, and using it instead of the car has probably saved the initial cost anyway - so over time, the cost of ownership I would say is very low.

As for 'sneaking' to a parking lot for practice - if you can get there legally, you are insured and have permission and it's not a public place, then you might be OK - but seriously - just do your CBT first and go shopping around for a bike that suits you second, then enjoy

If you are desperate, have a google to see if there's a 'Get On' scheme near you - you might have a variety of bikes to choose from.

Don't worry too much about the CBT itself - it is not a test - it is Compulsory Basic Training - if you have no road experience at all you might not get your certificate the same day, but you can't fail![/img]

[sidewinder]

They all should be pretty cheap to maintain.not to sure about the mpg but would expect 70+mpg for them .

sw

[_Iain_]

Apparently you wont get that 100mpg figure unless you realy baby it...and trust me, i was flat out at quite a few points on the CBT. Just doesnt want to pull otherwise when it gets on a hill!

This said, we stopped at a petrol station because the other guys bike was on reserve. 20 quid filled his tank, topped mine up from under a quarter, and still put a load in the examiners! Definately cheap to fill up.

It used about a quarter of a tank overall if thats anything to go on?
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Nick 50]

Hello Marcus and welcome to the forum.

The below has linked has been posted a few times and is quite useful at seeing how your frame will look on the bike frame:

https://cycle-ergo.com/

For your size I really can't see any 125 doing 100mpg in all honestly. When the manufacturers claim the golden 100mpg i'm sure they use a Borrower to test the claim.

I have to admit I had issues on a YBR with get cramps and i'm only 6ft. Personally I think it's more to do with the seat design more than anything else.

If you're interested in a GZ125 give me a shout (my current bike) and i'll talk you through the bike and what to look for when buying. I can also price the maintenance intervals if you wanted???
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Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon.......

[ApocalypseBik...]

[Kingstondavo]

Just my two cents... I hired a YBR125 to get some practice on in the week between doing my CBT and doing my DAS. I am 6'2 & 13 stone, and it was way too small for me, and felt like it was struggling to lug me around, doubt id get more than 65 out of it with me on it, and it was not quick getting there!

If you can afford to do the extra tests I would recommend getting a full license ASAP and moving onto a bike more suited to your frame!

Other than that, the MotoX style bikes might be a bit better? Handy in traffic too as the riding position allows you to see over the traffic easily.
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Current Ride - 2010 Hornet 600

[Taught2BCauti...]

[ApocalypseBik...]

[edb]

More Oxford bikers? Where are you guys all from?

Top tip, I rode through Summertown today. After being away for the better part of 3 years I forgot how many beautiful rich girls there are. Then I found out it was half term and wasn't sure I should have been looking?

I'd also reccommend the Kassam for practice, if only to get used to the area you'll do the test and the roundabouts of Genoble road. It was also handy that the examiner can't see round the corner at the Kassam or I would have royally cocked up my Mod 1!

[Taught2BCauti...]

[bikertomm]

[_Iain_]

Lol, for 1k i'd expect it to be rough as hell with near 30k on it. Expensive bikes for what they are unfourtunately

Wasnt the suzuki DR supermoto thingy supposed to have pretty good fuel economy?? and they've been out a while and come in under 1k.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/221143/images/02suzuki-dr125sm.jpg
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Taught2BCauti...]

The Yamaha is only 10bhp though - you are just going to annoy the cyclists with this

Suzuki a bit better at 12bhp, but about the same size as the YBR!

[Teflon-Mike]

[Nick 50]

So a GZ125.........

It's probably best starting from the beginning which will show why I got one.

I did my CBT on a Yamaha SR125 which was pretty awful bike. It's only redeeming features were comfort and changing gears. It is a snail of a bike.
Next I had a lesson on the YBR. I had major trouble with changing gears compared to the SR125. After 30 mins into a 2hr lesson my bum cheek started going numb. It steadily worsened for the next 90 mins and was never comfortable on it.

After that experience I wanted something comfy for my commute each day (about 40mins each way) so a cruiser type seemed the best choice.

Out of cruiser type 125's, in my opinion, the Honda VT125 Shadow is by far and away the best. Unfortunately there wasn't one close enough for the budget I had.

So I ended up with an 06 model GZ125 with 18k on the clock. I kind of talked myself into buying it, bit of a long story.

The bike.......

Although not everyone's cup of tea and I agree on some peoples aspects of it not being the best 125 for learners, I like it.

I'm 6ft 14.5 stone with 32" inside leg and the bike is really comfortable.
Seat height is only 688mm but that is due to the "cruiser" design. On a positive note, it means your legs are more out in front than say a CG or YBR so less prone to cramps.

Speed wise you would get 65mph tops out of it. You will have to change gear more than on a CG or YBR which people have used as a negative. Personally, I see that as a good thing. I'm learning so need lots of practice so changing gears more for me is a positive for me.

The bike is mechanically sound and still going strong. I stupidly/naively bought a lemon of a bike. I say this for 2 main reasons:

1. It was ex Training School bike so high mileage.

2. One of its previous owners wanted to see how much rust a GZ125 can accumulate. They succeeded well.

But.... I have a bike not only can I learn to ride on but also learn to maintain and strip down.

Parts wise are a doddle. There are always parts on e-bay from companies that strip bikes. Wemoto has quite a few parts and everything else there is CMSNL in Holland.

If you can find a well maintained one, you've got a good cheap bike on your hands. If you go to look at one give me a shout and i'll give you a detailed guide of where to look and what to look for.
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Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon.......