~£1000 manual 125cc to last a year... Suggestions?

[Motorbiker]

I'm currently 18 with a full UK driving licence and am going to be doing my CBT this summer so that I can get a 125cc to commute to uni in central every day without having to sit in traffic, pay for parking, or get the tube.

I will be looking for something that:
- Can handle a 20 mile round trip 5 days a week and stay reliable
- Costs around the £1000 bracket to buy
- Will resell in a years time at not too much of a loss
- Is preferably manual (so that I can prepare for my A2 tests when I'm 19)

The most important thing to me is that the bike is reliable. The other requirements can be bent a little. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Cheers

[CaNsA]

1. You are not a motorbiker, so change your username.

2. Knock yourself out.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Motorcycles-Scooters/422/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=cg125%20-spares&_dcat=422&rt=nc&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo&_udhi=1000

[stevo as b4]

A commuter only bike?

I'm thinking if it's a get me to uni on a budget thing with a necessary 100miles a week, you won't really want it for fun, ride outs or similar outside of work hours, especially being a student with a social life.

If it's all city stuff, and 30/40limits mainly then nothing else apart from a scooter makes much sense for your requirements? A small 4t 125 commuter like a CG/YBR could be a tad better on fuel, but has no storage, and lots of stop start in heavy traffic sounds more like a scooter gig to me.

[Snowdonia Rider]

If that were me with them requirements and that budget, I'd buy a Honda XR125L.
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[DRZ4Hunned]

Any four stoke Japanese 125 should be fine, just get whatever style you like the most, make sure it's been looked after and you can't really go wrong.

Refine eBay searches by £1k max, motorcycles and scooters and see what pops up locally.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[Pjay]

[Ste]

[Rogerborg]

YBR125 with a year's MOT on it from a private seller, or maybe a CBF125 if you can find one that's not riddled with rust worm (it won't get better). XR, perhaps, but check the exhaust carefully. CG at a push, although they're not actually bulletproof.

Not "will have MOT", or "will fly through MOT", or "just needs X for MOT": a full year's ticket, ideally with no advisories on tyres, chain, brakes or suspension.

Pay attention to the pre-ride checks that are covered on your CBT (insist on them being covered if they try and skip them) then apply them to anything that you're thinking of buying.

If in doubt, walk away.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Alpineandy]

If you either put your rough location in your profile or mention whereabouts you are then you may even get someone say 'My FastasFucki 125 has been reliable and I'm selling it for only £750'.
But as no one knows where you are, they don't know if you're prepared to travel 600 miles to look at it...

Also mention what your commute will be, is it all country back roads or driving across London etc etc. It makes a difference.
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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.

[WD Forte]

One of my lads bought a Lexmoto Arrow for £950 OTR with 1 year parts warranty purely for commuting after his Kymco pulsar got nicked and 3 months later
we checked it over and its.........
Fine.
It hacked my 16 stone about Ok for a 125 when I had go on it
Nothing to write home about, but if all you want is cheap transport
with limited funds
I reckon it's worth a look

The Kymco BTW gave a years trouble free riding before it was pinched
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bikers smell of wee

[Cronik]

Copped a CBF125 a few weeks back, 7506 miles on the ticker, for the rightly sum you have (£1000).

Been laying upright in the rear garden getting pampered but soon to be out on the tarmac running over pregnant pigeons and tickling bus drivers.
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*A Vacuous Vacancy*

[redeem ouzzer]

GT125 X3.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[Motorbiker]

I'm an average to large sized guy, around 5'11 and 14 stone so guess I will fit on most bikes, which is good as it gives me more options. I'm located in the S London area but am not looking for a bike just yet and will be commuting into central London for uni.

It seems as though the general consensus is a Japanese bike and I should just to make sure it has been cared for by previous owners. Or that lexmoto brand, anyone know if they're any good. Opinions elsewhere on the net don't seem very positive...

[stevo as b4]

[Alpineandy]

[Rogerborg]

[bamt]

A new Chinese bike, you're likely to lose half its value in depreciation over the first year. But with luck not have to buy consumables. An older YBR/whatever, it will probably pretty much keep its value (as long as it is looked after and you are as good at both selling and buying, otherwise you end up paying top whack and selling at a discount to a good negotiator). However, if you do a few thousand miles you may end up spending a few hundred on tyres/brakes/chain/sprocket on the older bike.

Swings and roundabouts. The Jap bike may well be more reliable generally, but it's a bit luck of the draw.

Remember that you're going to have to budget probably another £1000 for insurance, riding kit and security. If you're leaving a bike in London you want it chained up unless it is somewhere properly secure.

[Rogerborg]

[zark]

Mine is still for sale!! Includes top box and Haynes manual, pick up from Herts. Sorted

https://i972.photobucket.com/albums/ae205/zark_photos/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20160602-171552.png
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CBT - Oct 13. Theory - July 14. Mod 1 & 2 - June 15.
Rides a Fazer like an idiot... Edit: Now ride a Fazer Thou...

[Cronik]

[zark]

[Evil Hans]

[Cronik]

[Cronik]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]