Anyone use a 125 for commuting and a bigger bike for fun?

[bigup]

Just wanted to know how common this is amongst you riders?

have a 125cc for commuting for epic mpg and run a 600+ for fun and weekends?

I own a Hornet 600, do 15 miles a day round trip commute, it has a relatively small tank at 120 miles ish, around £12 before hitting reserve

I have this urge to go buy a 125cc for purely my commute (rainy days too!) and use the hornet for nice weekends and nice days out

does this make sense? im looking at spending around a £1000 for a ybr125 or cbf125, insurance is around £160 per year for me and tax £17.

100 to 130mpg does sound very nice

my commute can be done all on A/B roads (40mph top speed)

or if im brave I can also take a motorway for 0.5 miles then join the A/B Roads.

any thoughts?

[The Shaggy D.A.]

If you have the garage space and the spare cash, I'd go for it. Do enough miles and eventually it will "pay for itself" if you stick with it, but bear in mind that £1000+ can buy a lot of petrol for the Hornet.
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Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Mudshark]

250/350/400 single if it was me

bcf will tell you that every 125 has been thrashed mercilessly

[Baffler186]

If you work it out, I wouldn't think you'd save any money in the first 3 years. However, plenty of people use 125 for commuting and a nicer big bike for dry....ok less wet summer weekends.

If I had the money and the garage space I would gladly use a 125 for commuting. not as a cost-saver in itself, but just because it's easier to paddle about, probably slimmer in traffic, and if I crashed it I'd still have my shiny 600 safe in the garage.
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

Just looking at the maffs... if £12 on the hornet gets you 120 miles, you're getting about 50MPG.

15 miles a day is a 75 mile week, or a 322.5 mile month, which is 6.57 gallons, or 29.86 litres, which is £32.25 a month. You'll be saving about £16 a month on a 125.

The £1000 purchase however could buy you 203 gallons, or about an extra 10000 miles on the Hornet.

[edit] The 125 would pay for itself in 61 weeks, assuming full 5 day commuting. Or 71 weeks if you include the insurance.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[MCN]

[ZX-7R]

Was thinking about getting a cheap old moped or similar for the commute as its only a 4 mile round trip and the Kwaka don't even get warm.
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

[linuxyeti]

Hi

Depends a little on your commute, if it's A roads, 40-50mph, than a 125 is fine, and that's what I used my 125 for, crappy weather commuting. However, it was just too slow for regularly using on the M6, so, I would end up taking the A roads etc to work, making my journey over 1/2 longer, which in bad weather wasn't great. So, due to other circumstances, my crap weather bike is a 250 now, quick enough for motorway use, also, still really good on fuel.

That slight bit more poke, just gives you a few more options.

Cheers

Tony
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[vespertinesta...]

I'm currently doing just the opposite to you and getting a bigger bike to replace my 125 because it's always at the upper limit especially on windy days. Granted my commute 6 days a week is a bit further than yours at 50 miles and a lot of it is dual carriageway, but if it's 40mph max and you're looking for epic MPG have you considered just getting a twist and go 50cc? You'd get even more MPG, no gears to worry about and some extra storage space. Possibly cheaper insurance too?

[Alpineandy]

I'd have a good look at what 250s/300s could be bought for £1k before dropping down to a 125.
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[Aceslock]

[el_oso]

it's kind if what I did.

There were a number of reasons why I couldn't get on with the GSXR1000 any longer. The main two were, it took an exciting bike into a tool used to get to work. Made going out on the gixxer less appealing. It was also expensive, tax, insurance, MAINTAINENCE, petrol. Maintenance on the GSXR was roughly as much as petrol costs doing 10k per year. I was getting through a rear tyre in about 4.5k, so just over two changes per year with tyres that were anywhere from 50-100% more expensive than small machine rubber. Other consumables tend to wear out quicker such as chain, brake pads.

As you are not doing any fast roads for a prolonged period of time I'd say go for it. You're unlikely to lose much money on a cheap 125 in terms of value going down. You'll at least break even, while keeping your fun bike for fun stuff.
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Car: Jeep Wrangler 4.0L

[M.C]

Plenty of 250's rival 125's for mpg, and even bikes like the NC700 are pretty economical. Couldn't go back to a 125 personally, dropping down to 30 on big hills & just about getting overtakes done was annoying.

[craigs23]

I owned a CG125 and a 954 Blade at the same time a little while ago. Probably had more fun riding the CG, oddly enough. But then again it did have a pirate flag.

[redeem ouzzer]

Nope. Use an 1100 for commuting and smaller bikes for fun.
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[ondabike]

[Fizzer Thou]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[bamt]

15 miles round trip? That's pushbike territory Consumables are cheaper, but you'll be working out your mpg (miles per Ginsters) on extra food intake.

I'd also look at 250s, they are more likely to be a cared for bike than an owned-by-a-series-of-learners 125. Not much worse mpg, nicer to ride.

[Keir]

i do 25 miles each way for work on a CG125 that cost £600 and has done 27k. ive seen 70mph on the speedo but it prefers to cruise at 60. it does get a bit vibey but the £2 a day trip to work makes up for it.
i keep the FZ1 for nicer days and holidays lol
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[Teflon-Mike]

Danger of two-biking is that with two bikes to split your attention, neither gets what it deserves or gives it.

The fun bike ends up laid up as need for new tyres of chain or whatever, gets shuffled down the list till pay-day as you don't 'really' need it right away; or the commuter gets laid up when it needs something & you take the fun-bike to work, and loose the economy that justified it.

I'd ponder chopping the Hornet in for something with a bigger tank, I think.

I juggle attention between three or four or half a dozen bikes, car and Range-Rover... none get or give all they deserve; of the lot? The 'Seven-Fifty' probably delivers the most for what it gets, and all-round, probably delivers most miles per quid, and the most smiles per mile, while its at it.

Old proverb; man with one watch always know time; man with two, never sure!
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[bamt]

Conversely, the advantage of two-biking is that if one needs maintenance then you can lay it up to do it properly rather than rushing to get it done during a single evening or weekend whilst the shops are open for spares. Disassemble, find what's broken, order, receive, fit and reassemble all at leisure and without the pressure of wondering how you'll get to work.

[Evil Hans]

[stevo as b4]

I agree with many points made, but at the end of the day justify it any way you like, its an excuse to have a second bike!

If the Hornet is your ideal fun bike, then it would also give you the option to tart it up, or spunk cash on mods and upgraded parts or posh bits that you'd not want to ruin on a dirty wet shitty commute.

I reckon I can justify another 3bikes to myself quite easily, and I do a few 100's instead of thousands of miles a year typically.

A CG125 is a good bike for a sensible commute, and fun can be had, but if you have the Hornet for distance work, and are justifying a second bike for commuting or dicking about on, I'd be looking for something two stroke anything 100cc upwards, while you can still find them for sale and sometimes for a reasonable price?