Best value 125cc

[ian103]

After a long period since my last post - arm injury now all sorted, and a house move as well, now looking for a 125cc for the summer / until DAS passed. The intention is a CBT asap and get some miles in on a 125cc and then do a DAS course. I'm down in Cornwall and there's not many 2nd hand 125s for sale at present (Im going to the Honda dealership on Tuesday as they have a 2nd hand cbf) but are there any other bikes to consider (the Kawasaki dealer has a sym in stock). Don't really want a new bike unless its the right price as I want a bigger bike by late summer. Can anyone recommend a cbt / DAS provider down in Cornwall?

[ian103]

The bikes I'm looking at are:-

https://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/bikes_popup.jsp?did=25569&pageid=4&originalid=&gid=nogroup&tid=2&start=2&distance=0&adcategory=bikes&channel=DEALERPAGE&id=201404293781352

https://www.damerells.co.uk/pages/used/used-bikes/2013-13-HONDA-CBF-125cc/2c92966645699eea01456f34825156fd_DW.htm?YEAR=2013®LETTER=13&MAKE=HONDA&MODEL=CBF&ENGINECC=125#eq1

as a wild card but I have concerns:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexmoto-ZSX-125-in-black-brand-new-in-stock-Like-Honda-CBF-/261456536050?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3ce00621f2

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexmoto-Arrow-125-blue-and-black-in-stock-L-E-D-Indicators-Brand-new-/261456510473?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3ce005be09

If none of the above are any good / available I will have a look at a new ybr / cbf or the msx

[MC]

No 125's particularly good value. Have you thought about going straight for your DAS? Having a 125 for a short time can be expensive, things like being hit with admin charges when changing your insurance over to a big bike, or even having to cancel the policy when they don't want to insure a bigger bike.

However, if you must get a 125, look to get one for around a grand in decent nick. You should be able to run & sell it without losing too much money, assuming nothing goes wrong. All of the bikes you've listed your going to lose money on, the CBF's still too new, & the chinkyese stuff is going to lose loads of value (especially from new).
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[ian103]

I want a 125 just to get some practice - I am looking on ebay / gumtree for something fairly local but nothing at the moment and I am concerned about buying privately as I have no knowledge about bikes. Hadn't thought about the issue with insurance etc. I think DAS maybe too soon at present.

[Tamsin]

The best value 125 isn't a paticular make/model its the one that you get the best deal on...

A £1200 CBF for example would be better value than a £700 cheapy chinese thing if it doesn't break down and you can sell it on for around what you paid for it a and the chink breaks down every week and you sell it for scrap.

Conversely a £300 ragged out shitter could work out the best value if you can fix it yourself when it goes wrong and flip it out for a profit at the end

The best value bike really depends on what you are expecting, what you can do with it and how it lasts - not something that we can really advise on....

[wr6133]

Just for the Summer I'd buy Chinese (2nd hand). Thrash the arse off it, don't care if you drop it and as it's second hand you won't lose a kings ransom in 6 months selling it on. Minimum spend, minimum loss and minimum shits given before DAS and better.

[Corky25]

Buy an old beat up cg or the likes. Something jap that will hold together long enough to practice on but crap enough that you cant wait to do the Das to get rid of it. I bought a ybr at a grand and its now hitting me do I spend money to keep it good or run it onto the ground while I sort my Das.

[Teflon-Mike]

Of the four?
The CBF125 at £2K and a year old would seem a tad over-priced, by perhaps £2-300, but its a dealer supplied bike... 100 miles south of civilisation; and dealers have to have make thier money; just low price of lightweights makes it a bigger %... but for convenience and lack of hassle its not exhorbitant. To my mind that's a £1700 bike, that in a years time is likely to be worth around £1500.... so you stand to loose £500 on it; and you have a known quantity bike, with full compliment performance and HOPEFULLY... is one question-mark hanging over the model, Finish, for your money while you have it, and not have too much hassle along the way.
The others?
All 'Less' bike, with less support, and more risk of hassle. Whether any of them could save you anything in the long term over the CBF, I dont know, but margins are small... and if you can haggle dealer down £100 on the CBF or chuck in some useful kit, like locks, or hat and gloves or whatever, probably bog all in it, even paying dealer premium.
They SYM? For that money... yes I know its supposed to be bolt for bolt copy of the YBR made on the same line and all that... BUT, its three year old YBR money, for whats NOT a YBR and not as well supported, and even if it WAS a YBR, six months off it's first MOT?
No. I wouldn't buy it.
Too much risk that when that first MOT comes round you get buggered for a bill to do three years worth of maintenence not done by the first owner while it didn't have to have a test!
I'd want a genuine YBR with a nice fresh MOT cert for that money; not a "Well its ALMOST a YBR and it doesn't 'quite' need an MOT" its a 'not quite' bike... avoid.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[ian103]

Thanks for the replies, it seems the shortage of 125s is getting worse down here, Mike there is a second hand private sale ybr at £1k so I take your point on the sym - the ybr is cheaper and I guess open to offers plus it has a brand new mot - I guess I'm just concerned as I know nothing about bikes. The CBF I think is their ex school bike which concerns me a bit as its probably had many learners on it.

[HotdogMcDraw]

I bought my 125 on Ebay... big risk, however i am in the same situation as you, there is a shortage of 125's (or any other second hand bike) in my County.

I got the bike delivered by a bike courier and had no problems with the delivery or bike. May not be your cup of tea, but something to consider. There are some good ones out there, just got to look carefully, ask the seller to post or send a video, and ask lots and lots of questions including a vehicle check.

[Teflon-Mike]

[HotdogMcDraw]

[MC]

I wouldn't touch an ex-school bike. They definitely have been dropped, have had stupid things done to them (like the key pulled out with the ignition on one I saw), steering lock might not have ever been used etc.
____________________
Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[ian103]

found a private sale ybr thats very local, its 18 months old, is there a check list of what to look for when veiwing a bike

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[MC]

Check YouTube, tbh a list is useless unless you know what your looking at. For example check for leaking forkseals, I didn't even know what fork seals were when I bought my 125...



And yes they were leaking :s
____________________
Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[Corky25]

Buy an old beat up cg or the likes. Something jap that will hold together long enough to practice on but crap enough that you cant wait to do the Das to get rid of it. I bought a ybr at a grand and its now hitting me do I spend money to keep it good or run it onto the ground while I sort my Das.

[toadoftoadhal...]

buy a decent, recent yamaha or honda (not fro dealer, but private sale on any auction site near you ) keep for a year and sell on. Might cost you a hundred pounds for the use over a year.
Buy some cheap rubbish, and will be hard to sell.

[Ste]

Something second hand for less than a grand. Assuming you don't destroy it then you should be able to sell it for close to what you bought it for if you look after it. The newer a bike is, the more expensive the insurance is.

From a dealer will be expensive, do some looking on eBay or local freesads and you'll get better value than if you buy second hand from a dealer.

[G30]

YBR/CG you can get what you paid for it or definitely not much of a loss or sometimes a gain. They're almost always good, reliable, well built and good learner bikes. Nothing fancy but they're a 125 L plate warriors most of the time.

I bought my YBR for £800 and sold it for £950 but I did paint some of it to cover up some damage and to make it look better imo, have some Yamaha decals put over some scratches, put a side stand on it and fit a new rear tyre which I only did a couple hundred miles on. Most importantly I fixed the battery that was running on empty and had no water in it, no lube on the joints, although other than that it was in decent condition (the battery) but the plonker before myself didn't fill it up and he had it for 3 years. Prob thought it was near a write-off and was prob over the moon to get £800.

I remember when I asked a dealer for a trade in/part ex price just for curiosity he was like £500/600 on the phone just for the model/year/mileage/etc when he saw it he was like I'll give you £850. I said I'll hold out for a private sale and he said I don't blame you if you do private and hold out a bit you could get £1,400 in the spring/summer months. I had A LOT of people phoning about it cos I put it up for £950 just cos I wanted to get a quick sale which I got within a few days and this was in the winter. I should have really kept it and gotten a couple more hundred for it.
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KTM RC390 -- Kawa ER6f -- Yam YZF R125 -- Yam YBR 125

[bikertomm]

I brought a Honda XR 125 for just over £1100 second hand in good condition.

I used it for a year blatting around and generally enjoying it, and then sold it for just over £1000.

Cost me less than £100 for a years worth of biking.

If that's not value then I don't know what is!

Get something with a decent name, look after it, and sell it.
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[janner_10]

Cheap does not mean good value.
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[Ste]

Cheap second hand bikes that are pieces of shit are not good value, cheap second hand bikes that aren't a PoS are good value.

bikertomm, for it to be the best value you'd have to sell it at a profit.

[Baffler186]

[andyscooter]

out of the four the sym looks the best buy
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
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