Getting back on a bike after 6 years break (full license)

[bigup]

hi all

Last bike i had was a Bandit 600 in 2010 and before that a CBR125, I was a fair weather rider back then, i then stopped riding due to work commitments and traveling around alot with work.

I'm now getting the bug to get a bike again for the commute to work (15miles round trip)

I lease a car which goes back in July and im thinking of getting a bike to replace it as i have access to my wife's car if and when i need it.

now the aim here is to cost save for a few years so looking at a 125cc, possibly a CBF125 for epic mpg, Ive even looked at the PCX125 which i never knew existed before.

I have 3 kids and weekends are busy with them so cant see myself going out for weekend rides out like i used to, so this will purely be a tool to commute and to potter around in

my only fear is if i get a 125cc i may regret not getting a bigger bike but a bigger bike comes with more expense...

im after something thats reliable and will not rust and breakdown all the time, be suitable for our UK wet weather the bike will be garaged every night

what would you do? are there any decent 500cc bikes that have great mpg?

what are scooters like? never rode one before, the pcx125 does look amazing for mpg and kit you get, luggage space, stop start, all around LEDs, power socket

budget wise the very top would be £3k new or used.

so just need some guidance please and a sanity check please

thanks!

[Rogerborg]

[Teflon-Mike]

125's are cheap on tax and service spares. Insurance is often debatable. 'Loading' on Learner-Legals can frequently see them as or more expensive than 'some' (more sensible) bigger bikes. Fuel? Numbers look good, but in the real world difference tends to be a lot smaller. Book says my seven-fifty ought to only do 50mpg; same book says the 125 super-dream should do 90mph. Seven-fifty tends not to get thrashed too much, and I get more like 70 to the gallon; 125 tends to get thrashed every-frigging-where.... I get more like, err... 70! And it costs me more to insure a year! though not as much more as the £60 a year it saves on tax, and i have yet to buy another pair of tyres or a C&S kit.. for the miles I do, there's blugger all in it, but if I was cranking up commuter miles, then.. ho-hum..

I'd probably be looking for a Guzzi V7 for suggested job... more balls than a light-weight, but you can get the mpg from one. Push-rod and shaft-drive simplicity on the maintenence, but the 'clincher' would be the lack of depreciation on them compared to a dullseville or similar.

The belt drive bimmers have similar virtues... but I cant wrap my head around a re-badged Aprillia, with both teutonic idiosyncrasies and italian awkwardness and no 'soul' in recompense.

But, the essence is 'yeah' there are some 'bigger bikes' that can get close to tiddler mpg, and potentially compete on miles per quid on the overall bag of costs.
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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?'

[Arfa__]

Definitely get a bigger bike. 15 miles every day on 125, year round will not be fun. Any of that motorway or dual carriageway? Or all urban low speed town miles?

I'd be looking at a CBF500, CBF600, Hornet, Dullsville, NC700, ER-6, Fazer 600, BMW F650GS. Most of the above will easily do 50mpg: the F650GS and NC700 even more: ~70mpg.

A bigger bike, will generally have better kit (brakes, lights etc), many of the above will have ABS which is always a nice to have. You'll also have the reassurance you can just blip the throttle to get yourself out of trouble, rather than dumbass drivers trying to edge past you as you do your up most to rag a 125. Insurance won't be much different to a 125 anyway, ditto servicing costs, tyres perhaps a little more. A bigger bike will also handle a decent top box/luggage easier too. And who knows, once the kids get older, you may want to take them pillion. My daughter loves it.

If your commute is all town, then maybe a 125 is good option, but you'll still get fed up of it. If your commute is any NSL A roads, dual carriage ways etc, definitely get a bigger bike.
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Beginner Biker Adventures Blog
Yamaha FZ6 S2 2007

[Matt B]

You had a 600 before so why do you want to restrict yourself to a 125 now when you don't have to?

Get something like an FZ6 S2. Good all round bike - bit of fairing for protection, easy to ride and commute on, good for a blast at the weekends and decent enough to tour on.
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[Baffler186]

I've estimated, based on my quotes and location but your commute distance, a 600 commuter would cost around £260 more to run a year than a 125. I also found that I do far more miles on a bigger and more capable bike, just because I can, and it's fun, so that means more fuel.

If it's primarily a cost saver then I'd say get a PCX 125 or similar, as apart from the obvious savings you will be less likely to do more miles for fun; you can take that as a positive or a negative depending on how much you like biking for fun.

Only thing I'd advise against the FZ6 for is headlights. Fine in town, but annoying on unlit roads with oncoming traffic.
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Polarbear]

Purely for a practical commute, a scooter but bigger than a 125.

Saying that, I would much rather a 600 or something that can be enjoyed if you want.

NC700, good fuel consumption, storage, weather protection and despite it's relatively puny power output, can be hustled quite well when required.

And don't listen to Mikes idea of a Guzzi V7 for a commuter
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Alpineandy]

Is your commute 15 miles across London or 15 miles across countryside or???

Even if it's across London you'd be wiser to buy something bigger, if only a 250-500, but if it's motorway or countryside then there are quite a few reasonably priced 650s around.
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[talkToTheHat]

What did you think of the bandit? Why are you looking smaller, just the economy or was it too physically bulky, too heavy?

SV/SFV for cheap light and small fun?

But a half fairing and twin headlight is definately winning at winter and night use.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[stevo as b4]

Id seriously think about a second hand Pcx 125. They hold their value well too like a Varadero would too.

If bike is a tool for a boring A-B job, then it don't need to be a 600cc plus machine, and you can keep it just for its job of commuting. If you want ride outs and fun at a later time, you simply buy another 2nd bike for a different job.

Apart from the grain of truth in that 124cc machinery attracts high inflated prices and also insurance, you don't need a big bike for short urban commutes.

There's twats on here that say a 100bhp 600 is underpowered and hard work for getting to work in town or city riding.