Which 125?

RichieW · L Plate Warrior Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Hi, i'm new to biking and im hoping to get a 125 for my 17th brithday which is in a couple months, but im having trouble deciding which 125 to buy.

Ive narrowed it down to two bikes, but if you wanna chip in with a different opinion feel free to braoden my horizon. First off theres the Honda Varadero 125 which has gotten good reviews from everyone who had ridden one and is only about £400 on insurance (the part im gonna have to pay). Then theres the Honda NSR 125 which alot of people seem to have and thats also got some really good reviews on numerous sites by numerous bikers.

The NSR is an extra few hundred on insurance, but I dont mind paying that if its a better bike. The price of the bike itself isnt a huge problem since ill be paying my parents back over time, but if the NSR is alot more expensive than the Varadero then that does matter a bit.

Any opinions as to which is the better bike?
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- Richie

gtechosting · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Karma :

Erm, my opinion is 1 sided cos i have an NSR Very Happy

and i havnt got a clue what that other bike is, but id say try and pick the bike you like best, if you go with someone elses idea it might be a great bike for them but not you, look at the bikes, test ride them and do some homework on parts accessories etc.

rsooty · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Karma :

https://www.bikechatforums.com/search.php

USE IT! Evil or Very Mad

There are these exact topics started at least every 2 days.

Sooty

mr jamez · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Karma :

If I were going to buy a 125cc bike today, for a 2 stroke it would be a second hand NSR125 probably up to £800. And for a four stroke a second hand CG125 for about £350.

RichieW · L Plate Warrior Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

rsooty · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Karma :

If you want reliability you need to go for a 4 stroke bike, eg the CG125 or CBR125 but these are definately slower. I've bought the CBR125 as it's perfect for what I want it for.
The NSR's are fast and there are plenty of them around.
The Veradero's are apparently very good bikes. But again it's all to do with what you want the bike for.

Sooty

Davo · Davo To The Rescue! Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Karma :

Maybe we should start looking at a FAQ for Learner legal specs. Don't know how we would go about this though

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

There is no best 125. For people to be able to give their views on what would be the best one for you, we need to know basically what the bike is going to be used for (a day to day mode of transport, a weekend good weather only toy or whatever else it could be used for) and what the budget for the bike is. Knowing this people will be able to give a better answer of which one would be best for you. Thumbs Up

Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

Rather than stateing what you want out of a 125 i often find it easier to find someone a bike knowing what they are prepared to sacrifice.
Basically all 125's are shit in some departments. A CG lacks street cred and speed, a mito lacks a sensible price tag, a DNA lacks gears etc.

In order to find the right bike you are going to have to sacrifice either:

Cost
Insurance
Speed
Noise
Looks
Reliability

Obviously the Best 125 would have all of these things, but no bike does, so clearly the best 125 is the best one for you.

8316 · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Karma :

ever thought of a cbr?
for me the varedero is too heavy for the power it gives out. it will really struggle with acceleration. they may be solid, but can you u live with slow stuff?
go 2 stroke. what about an rs125? i know that is sacrificing reliabilty, but if you look after it, and know what to do with the engine, you should be fine.
33bhp! that's three times the power of my '03 plate gs125!
go for it
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Now own a Fireblade!! Speed Limits? Bah!