*New Rider* Advice with what bike to go for

[Damon001]

Hi all, i've recently passed my cbt and im looking for a super moto to buy. I'm not too sure whether to go for a used, good branded bike or a new bike. I dont want to spend too much, my budget is up to £1400. I've seen the lexmoto adrenaline 125. looks okay to me but im not too sure about it, would anyone recommend it? I'd only be using it for about 2 years, until i get a car. But i'll still probably still use it when i have a car too. It'll be used to get to and from work (about a 10 minute drive) and obviously i'll use it riding around /w friends, also probably 1 30 mile trip every week. Thankyou to everyone in advanced.

[Baffler186]

I wouldn't spend too much. If you are only looking at bikes styled on a supermoto then you are limiting your options a bit. That said, there's nothing inherently wrong with a Lexmoto if you take good care of it. You can get some nice used examples for well under a grand, leaving you some cash for insurance, gear and security.

If you widen your search (i.e. not choose Supermoto's) you'll see there are lots of other good value used bikes that will do the same job.
____________________
Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Damon001]

What sort would you recommend to a new rider? the only reason why i have said supermoto is for comfort etc. I do like the look of a yamaha yzf r125, but i dont think that looks very comfortable as it looks like i'd be constantly be leaning over in an awkward position and its also expensive as f for a first bike, but i've never sat on one so i suppose i cant say that really?

[Alpineandy]

[Damon001]

My mechanical skills? i'm an apprentice mechanical engineer but i've never touched a bike in my life. However im not scared to get abit of oil on my hands, i love it! My gf's dad has been workin on bikes well over 30 years, so im sure he'll be able to service it etc and im sure he'll teach me too!

[Andy_Pagin]

Go for a Yamaha YBR125, perfectly comfortable, build quality is about as good as it gets for a 125.

yzf r125 is basically for people who want to pretend they've got a supersports and part with a lot of money doing so. It's still just a 14.?? bhp learner legal.
____________________
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Rogerborg]

+1 for a used YBR, or another commuter styled bike. Maybe a CBF125, if you can find one that's not got a hint of rust worm on it.

I tried a DR125SM with a riding position not dissimilar to the Adrenaline and couldn't got on with the high-seat-low-bars position at all. They're not designed for comfort.
____________________
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

[Teflon-Mike]

2 years until you get a car? How old are you?
CBT & L's doesn't make you a qualified rider; and idea of the L-Plate is so you can LEARN as in practice for tests, not ride around for however long avoiding them.
As a Learner, and particularly a teen age learner, chances are it wont make much odds what bike you buy... especially anything that looks vaguely 'crossa' ish... which you are most likely to be relieved of by someone who wants one without paying for one.... but dodge that one, and odds is you will kill it, within the year anyway, either thrashing the knackers off it, and not checking the oil, or possibly by checking the oil and over tightening the sump plug or something; but most likely from falling off it... as going it alone after CBT to learn by your mistakes... begs mistakes... which tend to leave dents... in both bike and rider....
Young riders, tend to be rather more inclined to make more dents, but have the small solace that the ones in them, for some reason dont seem to hurt as much as they do in more mature riders, and seem to heal quicker... which tends to encourage them to make MORE dents, by some ironic dint of nature... but still.

£1400? Would just about get you into the territoty of reasonably useful 2nd Hand YBR's. It wont buy you much brand new; and of what it might, most of it will be generic chinky stuff; and likely not the more 'inspiring'.. anything brand new in that budget that does look more inspiring, and has token 'crossa' or 'superretard' styling suggestions, is likely to be even more substandard than the usual offerings under the flashy bits. You might tag in on older posey style 125's like a KTM or Yamaha.. but they will likely be very sore used, having had a succession of probably teenage owners who were more interested in the style and going fast than looking after them, and likely to be so pre-knackered, as to make you wonder whether a sub standard 2nd hand chink is likely to be as much hassle to actually live with..

Of the LOT, a recent, sub five year old Yamaha YBR125, represents about the best value for money, least risk of hassle offering out there; and as the 'sensible' choice, you are more likely to find a second hand one thats had 'sensible' owners, who wont have so likely thrashed it to death trying to emulate Bike Life antics on it..

BUT risks remain, and whatever you start with; depending on your approach and attitude, YOU are the most likely factor in the equation to make a difference as to how well it performs, how much hassle it gives, how much it costs to keep running, and how long it lasts.

Have you checked out insurance prices on anything for where you live?
These are usually the deciding factor in the question... and worth pondering IF you are only 17, you cant take the 'monthly plan' on a policy as that's a credit agreement you aren't legally old enough to take out, to pay for a years insurance policy; its not paying for the policy 'as you go' month by month. If you have to pay for the policy 'upfront' in a lump sum, this could significantly dent the funds you think you have available to buy any bike.

Next, said that crossers and retards are pikey magnets; have you looked into security? If you want to keep your bike 2 years, then this is probably worth sorting BEFORE you get it, not after, and again, could take chunk out of bike buy budget.

Likewise other gear; its a bit cold and wet at the moment; over suit & boots, may be rather more useful to you in the short term than fancier paintwork...

And lastly... you can only buy what someone has to sell.

At stated budget you aren't looking at a plathora of offerings brand new in the shops you can take pick from; and of what you might, it's probably not the best way to spend your money, when you will loose at least 1/3 in resale the moment you wheel it out the shop.

Means you are likely to be looking at 2nd hand either which way, and in a market that is littered with 'crap', either never much good to start with, or rendered not much good by learner abuse.

In THIS market, what the reviews say, means bugger all. How good any individual bike may have been when it was reviewed, probably brand new and unused, specially prepared by the importer for the press; will have very little bearing on any actual example of that model after its lived in the real world for a year or so, and been thrashed trashed or crashed by however many previouse owners..... what other owners might have to say about examples they have owned, that may have been however ole or however well looked after, likewise probably have bludger all bearing on any real, actual motorcycle wheeled infront of you by someone hoping you'll give them cold hard currency for it.

CONDITION IS ALL

You need to do your homework; make sure you can afford it; make sure you can afford the insurance; have the gear and have the locks to hang on to it; THEN with nice crisp £20 notes in your pocket, you need to go look, at REAL bikes actually for sale, and weigh up whether they are worth anything, NOT by what make and model is painted on them, not by how shiney or exiting the bodywork looks; but in the metal, how well looked after they are; how battered or abused they are; how readily they start from cold; how clattery the engine is; whether the handlebars are bent; whether teh chain adjusters are chewed up, the chain oiled or rusty, whether the brake and clutch levers are broken, bent or skuffed dragged down walls etc etc etc.

Pay your money.... and take your chances......

What we could suggest or even reccomend, is pretty accademic... BUT

Yamaha YBR 125

is the benchmark to judge all else.
____________________
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?'

[Cali747]

I also just did my CBT recently and have just bought a 2015 year old YBR125. It was the bike most recommended to me by experienced guys and I love it. Hopefully it will sell for a good price when I eventually do my full test but for now it is perfect for learning and for taking me to work. I am glad I went for the YBR, it is nicer than the Honda CG on which I did my CBT.

[Azoth]

Your budget for a 125 is £1400. Good.
What's your budget for helmet, armour, gloves and boots?
Your budget for insurance?
Your budget for training and tests?
Your budget for consumables (oil, plugs, chains, sprockets, tyres, etc.)?

Make sure you have enough.
____________________
Safety in numbers

[Evil Hans]

[Cali747]

[Damon001]

[rhys99]

Presume you are 17 which means YBR's look full on shit to you, get a bike you actually want to own not what people says the 'smart' bike to buy. There is a fair difference between the poke of a YBR and WR ,so i'd say buy a used WR 125.
____________________
21:16:02 Fin: I got a girl to believe I have a huge dick today, she's going to be so disappointed
K̶5̶ ̶S̶V̶6̶5̶0̶S̶ K3 SV650N

[Azoth]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Azoth]

Having nothing better to do and being unable to sleep, I just ran my details through comparethemarket for a 2015 Lexmoto Adrenaline 125. Third party only, and for social, domestic and pleasure use only.

The cheapest quote is nearly double what I paid for a year's TPO insurance on my first big bike, which was a 500.

The most expensive quote is well over £600. I get only 5 quotes, which must mean that many insurers want nothing to do with this bike.

I'm 40, have no convictions, and have some NCB. What if I were 17 and wanted to insure TPO on a CBT?
____________________
Safety in numbers

[Teflon-Mike]

For our little 'fleet', all else equal, the 125 Super-Dreams are are always the more expensive to insure each year, than the 750's, Whilst the DT was the most expensive of the lot, in the last five years.

Quotes for another 125 Super-Dream, for my daughter, at 17, on CBT, all else equal, was about 3x the price for me to insure one. That's a 25 year old bike, worth £1000, middling risk post code; in kept in secure compound; SDP NO commuting; quoting in the order of £400 a year TPO for the girl.... When I pay less than £100 on the 750, its a bit rich, but by jeez, it was cheaper t build the ruddy bike, pay for her CBT, training & A2 tests, tax and insurance on it, than sticking her down as named driver on my chitty chavic!

When Snowie was still on L's, comparisons were interesting; the 125 Super-Dream, was cheaper than her Chinese AJS Cruiser-Thing, but more expensive than a CG or YBR.

Delving into murky waters of Chinky bikes was revealing; comparison sites chucked up wildly random quotes; if the brand name wasn't in the insurers data base; Snowie would often just get "Call our Under Writer" messages; or umpety thousand pound a year 'we don't know don't care, but if your daft enough to pay this, we'll take the risk!' prices. She actually got that checking renewal on the Cruiser-Thing, too.

Roger would probably be more informed on current state of play vis Chink-bike insurance I suspect, and it may be a little more 'normalized' now; but, best prices were often found for the Cruiser-thing & other Chinks over the 'phone, rather than by comparison site and 'could' be reasonably realistic... ish!

One things for sure though, anything with knobbly tyres or hi-level mudguards takes a hit on the policy price!
____________________
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?'

[Rogerborg]

[NJD]

Just to but in, not that I'm following what's been going on here.

Adrenaline is likely to be expensive because supermoto. Lets be honest the steering lock probably isn't the hardest in the world to snap to a thief and is practically made, within reason, to ride around a field so vs the countless other models with exactly the same power output I can't see it being a worthwhile investment.

Having recently got rid of my Lexmoto Arrow the insurance quote for a ZR-7S came in about twenty quid cheaper same level of cover however at first the Arrow was about the only thing I could afford to invest in and keep on the road so did its job while I built up NCB and now, within reason, there's a fair amount of bikes that don't give me eye watering quotes so there's a bit of choice.

Can't say I see Lexmoto, the modern ones, as worthwhile anymore. Sure Euro 4 and everyone's doing it but the idea was in for a penny out for nothing and the prices I'm seeing at the moment, and they're only going to get more expensive, aren't worth the product your getting in return. If I'd have had to pay any more than I did for my Arrow because Euro 4, lets just play in hindsight, I'd have felt hard done by. I can't say I see build or part quality increasing with the price.

Go second hand: Gumtree, eBay, AutoTrader and the like. Even "cheap" new chinky bikes aren't cheap anymore. Seems a bit of a harder route to get a 125cc now than what it was a few years ago.
____________________
The do it all, T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶,̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶l̶u̶m̶p̶,̶ ̶C̶h̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶o̶o̶d̶l̶e̶

[Rogerborg]

Depends on how much the basic Japanese commuters are going to be next year. Neither the YBR or CB125F are going to survive the cull.
____________________
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

[NJD]

[Bald_Eagle1]

FWIW, brand new Chinky Honley HD3 SE 125cc was £135 fully comp (£400 compulsory excess) with Bennetts for me (a Learner just having gone through CBT at 59 years old), provided it is garaged at my house overnight or more than 500m away from home overnight.

[Cali747]

I am surprised at the insurance quotes. I have only been riding for a couple of weeks on a YBR and my TPFT insurance is £160. Never ridden a bike in my life until I did the CBT. I am 43 though and have been driving cars for a while so maybe that is why it is cheaper than I expected. But doing a quote for a Chinese bike was quite a shock. I don't understand why they cost so much more to insure. Glad I took advice and went for the Yamaha!

[Damon001]