Total newbie bike recommendation

[jarvo1]

Hi everyone, just joined here and although I know you'll have had this question a million times before I was wondering if you could help me make a decision on my first bike!

A little background info...........I'm just about the wrong side of 30, 5'11 and a skinny 65kg. Still on a provisional licence as I've never really needed to drive and don't have much money but would like to get mobile to search for a new job and to just be able to get around without relying on public transport really. I took car lessons in my teens but never passed the test, although I like cars I've never really seen myself as a car driver....a bike on the other hand.......I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean!

Anyhoo, I've just got myself some nice shiny new armoured textiles, crash hat, boots, etc. and am looking to buy my probably not so nice and shiny first bike. As I said, I don't have much money (will need a loan to buy anything £1k+) and have next to no experience on the roads so I'm looking at a 125cc to learn the ropes on and get some confidence with for 6 months-2/3years before taking a full bike test, selling it on and getting something halfway decent.

I'm after something cheap(ish), reliable, fun to ride, low maintenance and reliable ideally. Mostly to just pootle about on, learn on, have some fun with and be able to take the odd 100 odd mile weekend trip away on.
I really like the sporty looks of the CBR, especially the 2011+ version but these are fairly expensive at around £2k, athough they seem to hold their value well for resale and is what my heart is telling me to get. However I also quite like the Yamaha YBR which is cheaper (~1k-1.5k for a similar year/milage of equivalent CBR) and would probably be more versatile with it's luggage rack for trips away and lack of fairings for the inevitable "first bike drop" or two. There's only 30 quid or so in it insurance-wise, the YBR might give me a few more mpg and be more accepting of a topbox or pannier but the CBR might give me a few more MPH and a bit more fun factor in my introduction to biking.
I've done many a search on this but mostly find posts about the older model CBR and YBR, hardly anything on the newer ones.

Have I overlooked anything? Any other models to consider? Worth looking at an even cheaper, old high milage Honda CG or similar? Any opinions greatly appreciated, I can't make up my mind!!

Apologies for the long post btw, I do waffle on sometimes.....

EDIT: I'm sure the Honda CBF will be mentioned as it's highly rated, cheap, etc, etc but I think it's pig ugly and wouldn't be able to look myself in the eye if I had to ride it so is out of the running from the start

[mrbox]

first off you have done the right thing and bought your gear first too many new riders seem to be spending all their cash on the bike and not buying decent gear!

bikes that my own experience have been good/reliable/cheap:

Honda CG125 is a good buy lots of different models but all seen fairly well built and you will get your money back on it when you pass your test.

Honda CB125T a bit quicker than the CG and a bit better long distance(done a bit of light touring camping on mine) harder to find and tend to go for good money if tidy.

other small capacity bikes that I enjoyed were a Yamaha RXS100, Honda NSR125. both can be had for £600-1000 and would be good fun.

people will be along with plenty more suggestions these are the ones that stood out to me when I was in your postion
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Current bikes: RE Himalayan, Bandit 12, MZ250ES

[Teflon-Mike]

30+ you are old enough to test for a big-bike... and that usually means taking a course these days.

Now, while I applaud cutting your teeth on a tiddler, I also value training... trouble is that 'the system' we are lumbered with promotes either pay for a course and get a big-bike straight off, or take your chances on a 125 with bare the scantest prep by way of a first lesson, in CBT.... but stick that thought on the shelf a second.

Tiddlers; small displacement motorcycles, in the under 250 capacity range, most these days 125's due to learner licence regs. Much maligned, but, you buy one either because you cant have anything else, or because they offer cheap-wheels, with high mpg and low maintenance costs.

Follow the logic here, then, and if you could have something else, then only real reason for buying one is 'cos "Cheap".

£2K+ for a 2nd hand Learner-Legal isn't 'Cheap', is it? It's only a couple of hundred quid shy of a brand new brand name 'utility' 125, and twice the price of a brand new, unbranded Chinese copy costs.

It MIGHT hold its value... IF it doesn't get nicked, or crashed, or suffer any other serious calamity while in your care.... and 20% depreciation on a double-price bike, is still the same number of mars-bars it would buy as 40% depreciation on a bike that cost half as much to start with...

So.... 'Sensible' would be the YBR or CBF, 2nd hand, around the £1500 mark, or under.

But, back up to that tiddler or training notion up top; rather than blowing your wad on a 'pretty' (expensive) 125... stick the bike on hold, go do the course, get the licence.

Be a ride-what-you-like licence, and you will be very hard pushed to resist buying a big-bike having got it... BUT, its a ride-what-you-like licence, you can ride what you like, and that includes tiddlers... that in that scenario WOULDN'T have to be under 125cc.

But, point is, that cash that might buy you a 'pretty' CBR125, could buy you a DAS course, and give you the know-how, up-front, when you need it most, before you start try starting to learn the ropes... on your own, no one having taught you how to tie the knots, AND leave enough to buy a more sensible, if slightly less pretty bike, like a YBR, IF you still just want 'cheap'.

If not, then there's plenty of pretty sensible, and learner-friendly 'big-bikes' that can still be usefully'cheap'; instant saving often found in the insurance premiums, on more sensible bigger-bikes, that don't get hammered by being in the same category as crash-a-lot 'learners'. Running costs are likely to be a tad higher; tyres and chains and stuff tend to cost more; but the biggest running cost, fuel, needn't be too bad; thrashing a 125 to maintain 60 on a duel-carriageway, they tend to return a lot worse than the book says, where something like my 750, ridden with such 'restraint' and not struggling to hold road-speed, to go no faster than I would on my 125 in such a situation, probably manages to get equal or better fuel consumption.

So THAT's my suggestion; re-think the plan from scratch, and while you have put priorities in some better order than most getting kitted up; training, then licence, THEN bike, would be my ranking.. a bike really is the LAST thing you need on the list.

Idea that 125's in some way, are a toe in the water or some-how less dangerous, is a falacy; comfort thinking. My 125 is as fast as any motorcycle is legally allowed to go on UK roads; meanwhile, miopic taxi-drivers don't look.... full-stop... so they sure as heck don't look at me on my 125 and think "Oh! He's on that cute lidduw byke today, I'll NOT pull out and knock him off.... I'll wait till he's on the biggun and get more points"

The risks, are, pretty much the same, regardless, no matter how big a bike you are on.

Meanwhile, the most significant thing to cause or aggravate any incident you have on a motorcycle, is YOU, the rider.... and that risk multiplier is at its greatest when you are a learner or newly qualified rider without experience... you have to do it to get it though, but you don't have to do it with the scantest of know-how.

You don't try learning the ropes, without getting some-one to show you the knots; you don't jump into the pool and then say "Teach me to Swim"

Don't buy a bike, get a lesson, get a licence... a bike will come in in due course.

That's my advice

[mrbox]

[Val]

[jarvo1]

Thanks for the response guys, especially Mike and Val for two great posts!

I totally agree that training is important and have been looking at the DAS courses, I just think I'd like to experience a bit of "real world" biking to get a feel for it and see if it's something I want to get into, which I'm sure I will.

Val, I think your suggestion is spot on for me, in fact I was thinking exactly the same after reading Mike's post! With the £2k I'd spend on a CBR, I could get a YBR for under a grand in a couple of weeks and get a feel for it, then use the rest for a A licence DAS course then make a decision on keeping/ trading up.

My heart says CBR but my brain says YBR, but if I let my brain win here then my heart can choose a much better, proper bike further down the line

Thanks for the pointer on the newer YBR's too, that's definitely handy to know and pretty much what I thought re: cheap old bikes


Is the ride pretty similar between the two anyway?


The place I'll probably do my CBT (ridersforlife) also offer post-CBT guidance training or a more advanced 2-day CBT where you do your CBT on day 1 then get another 4 hours of 1 to 1 on-road tuition on day 2 which seems ike quite a good idea. Do you guys think it would be worth the investment in that if holding off on proper DAS training for a little while?

[Rogerborg]

[KnightsFall]

I have not ridden a carb model for comparison so they might be a tiny bit smoother or something. But the fuel injected YBRs seem fine to me. Plus, you would need to be going for a pre-2007 model. If you can find a decent, carb fed one that you like, more power to you. But you are limiting your choice for no majorly compelling reason.

[Teflon-Mike]

[Val]

[mauzo]

[Rogerborg]

[mauzo]

[Rogerborg]

[Ayrton]

A few years ago i had a 2005 CBR and my brother had a YBR. The CBR was fun, but it's definitely not a sports bike if that's what your after. Mine would get about the same top speed as my brothers YBR. The only bad things i could say about it though is that the topbox rack's are expensive and a few people who sat on mine said it was too small or uncomfortable, plus assholes like to give you shit about it not being a real sportbike.
I would probably recommend the ybr more just because you can get them cheaper and it's slightly more practical, but you can get the older model cbr's for less than a grand.

[gonzo1]

I ride a ybr every day to work come rain or shine and its never missed a beat.Like others have said it is a practical,comfortable bike that is fun into the bargain.Mine is the fuel injected version and I have never had a problem.......starts on the button first time every time whether hot or cold.

[jarvo1]

Seems everything I can find in decent nick and within 50 miles of me at the mo is £900-1200, be it a YBR or CBR! Only things cheaper are a couple of 15 year old CGs lol. Might try to go have a look at one or two of the nearest next week, no rush. Thanks for the advices peeps

[Val]

[jarvo1]

Thanks for the advice all, after deciding on a YBR I found a few around the £1k mark and nearly bought one until a 2008 CBR popped up quite near me in good nick with 11k on the clock for £1400. I went to see it, sat on it, looked around it, etc (couldn't test ride it obviously) and liked it, got £150 knocked off the price and am getting it delivered in 2 days! The guy selling it has obviously looked after it very well as it's in great condition and just had a full Honda service a couple of months ago.

Next stop is CBT in a few weeks when I get back from holiday then onto DAS training I reckon. I feel like a teenager at Christmas again lol

[Val]

Congrats for the bike have a fun
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Adrian Monk: Unless I'm wrong, which, you know, I'm not...
Yamaha Fazer FZS 600, MT09, XSR 900