Honda Varadero 125, restricted and fragile?

[Shaft]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a second bike as a hack/commuter for a while, and there's a chance one of these could come my way, possibly for very close to nothing.

It's in good nick, although it's been in dry storage for about 18 months, so I'm expecting a few niggles like gummed up fuel system etc.

What concerns me is that I've read a few owner reviews that suggest they don't take too kindly to being kept outside and used in adverse weather; apparently, they aren't easy to keep clean and they don't deal well with things like road salt and low temperatures, which won't be much use to me as an all year round machine.

So, two questions:

Are they restricted, so can they be derestricted?

Are they really not suited to anything other than dry roads and a pampered life in a heated garage?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[P.]

Not restricted at all, but will see 75 on a good day.

They cope perfectly fine with british weather... I dont know where you heard they are shit in bad weather, guy at work has one on an 08 plate, last time i looked (few weeks back, he was on 30,000miles) there was next to no rust, its his only transport too.

Awesome bike, the older ones (01-03) suffered with water getting into the oil filler cap just seeping past the o ring and making mayo in there...

Honest, bullet proof, big learner bikes

[NicWilson]

Having never owned one I can't comment on their fragility and rideability but I do know it's a 4stroke 125, it's not restricted. It's just slow.

[Shaft]

[Shaft]

[NicWilson]

[Shaft]

[Teflon-Mike]

[iooi]

[P.]

Hey.

07 and up have the PGM-FI, this is the first i've heard of ANY injector trouble on the Vara.

Less than 07 are still carbed.

You've probably read 1 or 2 reviews of guys who are pissed off cos they put water in their tank instead of petrol, or pissed in it

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Had a 2003 never a problem with it, went well, good mpg, comfy and would see 75mph on a good day. My son has it now and it is still being used all year round without fail. Mileage is now up to 31,000 and all I did was regular service and a clean up once a week. Good 125's if you want a small bike that thinks its a big bike just for pottering around on.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[defblade]

Rode mine through a winter with zero problems, covered it in ACF50 in autumn first tho

There is a 175cc kit available on the continent if you'd like a (little) bit more power....
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Honda Varadero 125cc => Suzuki Bandit 650 33bhp => 77bhp =>
BMW K1200R Sport 163bhp => Aprilia Shiver GT 750 95bhp

[Davie J]

Been through the last 2 winters with mine and had no problems. Take it out on the snow at yer own risk tho. Don't think I would with the tyres I have on just now, the Pirelli Scorpions I had on it at the time were good for that but shite on everythig else.

Mine is fine at holding 65-70 commuting between Edinburgh & Glasgow.
Only changes I've made that would affect the running are the K&N filter and changing the exhaust (original pipe rotted at the connection to the link pipe).

I'm getting about 98mpg.
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Kwak Z750R Black Edition
Marauder 125 K3 (Murdered by a Megane), Varadero 125 V7 (sold), Varadero Thou (Sold), CB500S (Sold).

[Shaft]

[P.]

[Davie J]

[Muscle Bike Rider]

BT45's for the baby dero, suit it very well, never broke away rain or shine on me, stuck like **** to a blanket.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[StevRS]

My mate has an old ('Y' plate I think) one that he uses as a commuter year round. Barring the odd cosmetic bit here and there and header pipes it's been flawless.

It's actually surprisingly good to ride too. I'd go as far as to say it's a better bike than the thou! Could do with a bit more power, but then what couldn't?

Interestingly, it tops out about 5mph faster when running on super despite not having the ability to advance the timing to take advantage of it. Perhaps it's been fiddled with at some point? Downhill, tucked in with it absolutely pinned you'll see about 80

Handling's fantastic (pegs regularly make contact with concrete when pushing hard), it does about a zillion miles to a tank and you can go full throttle into any bend in any weather. Servicing costs about 10p and being a 125 a chain & sprocket set costs about 50p (not that they wear particularly quickly anyway).

You could do far, far worse. Just don't expect to see any land speed records.
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MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR, Unfinished 1978 XS250

[Fladdem]

I can't really comment because i have owned it for about a month and done about 1000 miles on it however in that time i have needed to fill it up 3 times, from reserve to the brim, cost me 16 quid to do so at each fill up, has hit 80mph down a hill, 70, down the same hill two up, although my dad was riding cos im on L plates, but the person before had it left outside all year round not covered up, rode it though all sorts of weather and rarely cleaned it the only sign of any corrosion is the downpipes, and even that is hardly noticible however he dropped it once and bent the bars, they are still slightly bent but only by a couple of mm, only notice if on a long ride, 100miles, when your right shoulder hurts more than your left it's as comfy as anything and has about 12000 miles on the clock its an 05 model and completly standard.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[Fladdem]

after owning the bike for longer, i have managed to crack 75 on a nice long flat with perfect conditions and my 12 stone, 6 foot 3 body behind the little screen, must have looked hilarious. I have since found out that there IS a restrictor or 3 in there, the first is in the airbox, a little bung, mines still there, can't be bothered to remove and rejet, a restrictor in each of the downpipes and another in the silencer, again mine are still there. i did happen to stumble across a nerd on the internet with a step through guide to cutting them out and welding them up and other things but i have lost it now, the easiest way around the restrictor would be the motad stainless steel downpipes with a different end can, if anyone happens to care.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[Shaft]

Funny you should dredge up this thread, as I'm probably going to revisit this option.

I've been searching for something I could get more excited about, but sub £1000 bikes seem to be going mad at the moment and the Dero's still sitting there, so I might just bite the bullet.

ETA Since posting this thread, I've also done further research into restriction and it appears there are a few in place.

Airbox bung is one (and you can modify a freer flowing K&N panel filter to fit) double skinned headers is another (the inner pipe is the restriction) but there's also a suggestion that the rear carb might be jetted differently (and restrictively) to the front, apparently to aid rear cylinder cooling, which strikes me as odd, for a bike with LC.

Seems you can also get a big bore kit, but it involves long distance transactions and a fair bit of wedge, so probably not worth it.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Alex_B]

Really, you never bought this yet?

If I saw one going for a song I'd snap it up.

The one I had, had 60,000K and I still made a small profit when I sold it.

In your position I would buy this, get it 'smart' and sell it on and spend the profit wisely.

A good one will fetch £1500+
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My Lane Position is always AWESOME!!

[evoboy]

You do have to really rev them to get them to 'go' when you need it. More so than say a CG.

They do suffer with cronic rust if neglected (i.e never cleaned).

If the engine takes an age to rev up in neutral, dont worry, they are all like that.

All in quite a nice, comfy bike to ride. Gearbox is slick and they handle well. Shame about the engine! Altho the carbed ones are slightly better but they do have a tendency to eat cam bearings if ridden into the red often. ( which you will need to do to reach 75 )
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

APT Motorcycles

[JoeDougieDoug...]

The Varadero is a brilliant bike. Infact just last night at the bike meet here in Southend, somebody rolled up on their modified Varadero 125 and it was a beast of a bike, he had loads of things added on -

- Givi Top Box / Rack
- Givi Touring Screen
- Oxford Sport Heated Grips
- Alarm of some sort
- Arrow exhaust system
- Crash bars
- Front Spotlights (mounted on the inside of the crash bars)
- Hazard light / Handlebar mounted box to control Hazards and Spotlights
- Renthal bars
- Handlebar mounted Sat-Nav (He didn't have connected that day though).

Pretty pimped out bike. He uses that all year round and apparently he has never had a problem with it.
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CBT Passed - 22 / 10 / 11 >> Theory Passed - 16 / 02 / 2012 >> Mod 1 Passed - 07 / 03 / 2012 >> Mod 2 Passed - 18 / 05 / 2012.

[DrDonnyBrago]