Advice needed about AJS 2012 E Regal Raptor

[FightingValky...]

Hi guys,
I’m very new in the bike world, having driven for over 35 years and now drive front line ambulance vehicles.

I’m soon to take my CBT again as last time I didn’t have a chance to grab a bike in time.

Now I have seen a cool looking AJS regal raptor that suites my ride position.

My question is does anyone have any experience on this bike?
Any well known problems which I need to look out for when buying or riding?

Are the tyres ok for wet and slippery surfaces etc?

Many thanks in advance.
____________________
Ride Free, Ride Safe.

[linuxyeti]

Not had a regal raptor, their look never quite appealed. However, there does seem to still be a few around, but, personally, if I was looking for a 125 cruiser, I'd be more tempted to look at the Keeway Superlight. Easy to work on, and, spares are very easy to come by, it's been sold in the UK for at least 15 years now, upgraded incrementally. Or, if you have more money to spend, look at the AJS Highway Star, or possibly a Hyosung GV125, the s version is now sold through Sinnis, but you can still get the older versions, the c looks the best, but, beware, you may potentially have to order parts direct form South Korea for the GV125C.

As for tyres, I would have thought an 8 year old bike isn't likely to still be on it's original tyres, either way, tyres can be replaced with ones you'd feel more comfortable with.
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Beware what photos you upload, or link to on here, especially if you have family members on them

[FightingValky...]

Thanks for your reply linuxyeti.

I had looked at the Keeyway Superlight but as I watch YouTubers, there appears to be a few problems with the small mirrors and thin tyres. I do like the look of that sort of bike however so if it is possible to make changes like mirrors and tyres then would this be a better option than the AJS perhaps?

I understand that bikes don't keep their original tyres if quite old and thats good anyway. I don't know how big I am allowed to go if I needed to update them for a larger width for safety sake.
Again, many thanks for your reply.
____________________
Ride Free, Ride Safe.

[Riejufixing]

[FightingValky...]

Thanks Riejufixing for that, really appreciate it.
I'll look around the site for more info and answers.
____________________
Ride Free, Ride Safe.

[Teflon-Mike]

Oh-Kay.. bludi Raptor.. it wuz wun o'dem wot got me Snowied!!!

Lets start with tyres.. this may make you reconsider.. a lot...

THICKER TYRES are NOT 'Safer' or grip better. And on the Raptor? the OE rubber is by now probably mercifuly well past replacement.

The force transmitted in 'grip' by a tyre is the weight holding tyre to road, times a % that it will transmit sideways, due to the stickiness. The size of the tyre and the area of the contact patch does NOT come into the calculation; its a bit of false logic that makes many believe so.

Ponder; the raptor weighs about 140Kg. I weigh about 90, so on the road that puts 230Kg or aprox 500lb of weight on the road. Now pump the tyres up to prescribed 28psi, that's 28lb per square inch... assuming half the weight on either wheel (its close enough) that's 250lb per tyre, that will then squash, until there's about 8 sq in in contact with the road, per wheel.

Fit a fatter tyre.. it will STILL squash until there's about 8sq-in in contact with the road....

Only way you will get more rubber in contact with the road, is to let the tyres down... how does your ambulance handle on flat tyres?

If you want more grip, you don't want a fatter tyre, you want a stickier one...

And, most cruiser tyres are made for bigger heavier cruisers, they usually aren't all that sticky, it is likely a rather perverse bit of fools logic that would get you a bike that don't grip better, actually grips worse, especially if you mess with the tyres pressures, and thanks to odd sizing and the mismatched withs between front to rear, its likely to handle plain 'strange'.. and a DD125E handles pretty weired to begin with.. even for a cruiserette!

So... lets erradicate that particular bit of foiols logioc before you start... its wide tyres are there purely for that 'look'; they don't help the bike grip an better, and certainly not 'handle' particularly nicely.

Moving on... not very swiftly.. we're talking about a Raptor... nothing to do with one will it do even remotely 'swiftly'..... Rider's review....

Snowie;s lambed me with that particular lady, because she kept moaning about it. Does this give you a clue? Oh-Kay, well woman, and moan... b~u~t....

First up, spares support; actually pretty darn good; the thing is nie on a bolt for bolt clone of the old Honda CM125 'Rebel', and Chinese made, so there's thousands of 'bits' available for them... cheaply and easily on the 'net, just not necessarily via the AJS or major emporiums web-sites... you need to know what's what, and what may fit and be prepared to take a bit of a chance, you wont get bits like you might for a Ford Escort by make/model/year... be warned.. as hinted it was this little 'hassle' that lambed me with the big hassle in the room!

Its a Chink, and old advice on Chinks is that IF you know enough to happily live with a chinky-bike... you probably know enough NOT to buy one in the first-place... you have been warned!

Main advantage of the Chinky-Bike, is, these days there's not a lot of 'choice', and they do tend tpo be cheap..but pays your money and take your chances.

I actually rather liked the little Raptor... B~U~T..... for all the usual chinky bike hassles, Snowies wasn't to had to live with.-with enough know-how bits were not too problematic, and I could get all the bits we needed. by guess work and substitution.... mostly.. torn sissy bar cushion wan not replaced!

On the Road: Snowie, not enormously diddy by lady standards, struggled with the ergonomics of a 'cruiser' and one with a larger frame to suit more gangly fellas.. like me.. far forward set pegs and controls and high wide bars stretched her out rather awkwardly and added to the already peculiar handling; At 6'2", it suited me a lot better.. but it still handled weiredly....

Main criticism, was it was just Soooo dang slow... even for a 125.

That little Honda twin engine, detuned to around 10bhp for the Chinky-Market, is was and will remain, a peculiarly slug like peach. Smooth, VERY smooth compared to most 125 four strokes lumpy singles, it sipped petrol like a fourteen year old down the pub, nursing an all night half... but Oh-so-gutless... thing needed thrashing in the lower gears just to get it moving, then lots and lots of shifts there after to keep it shifting.. most 'un' cruiser-like. And it wouldn't do more than 55mph if you threw it out the back of a galaxy transporter over Afghanistan...

Servicing was a bigger issue; and using the Hayns book of Chinky Bikes, the Haynes book of Honda Benly 125's and a lot of common sense to see where they agreed or what to actually do to do things like set the tappet clearances.. and begs mention, ISTR it needed an oil change more often than it needed the petrol tank filling!

It rode well enough, and was cheap and generally undemanding; and not entirely uncomfortable, even two-up, where it seemed with extra weight on board to actually ride better.. b-u-t...

For hustling through CBT cones, not a great choice; its just not 'nimble' and the semi-cruisery ergonomics dont help. Oh-Kay to sit out CBT on, or just use as a miser-miler on A1.. but NOT a wonderful bike to ride.. mainly because its just so gutless!

If, I was in the, market for a 126 commuter.. it would not be very high on the wish list. A more conventional, 'skinny rim; Yamaha YBR would top the bill, as a bike that was as cheap and frugal, just as easy if not easier to live with, less quirkt to ride, and importantly, a heck of a lot lighter and more nimble. For all the more 'boring'; lack of chrome 'look'

Ultimately its your call, B~U~T do NOT pick a Raptor o the errant idea its fatter tyres 'must' make it 'safer'... they don't.
____________________
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?'

[FightingValky...]

Wow Teflon-Mike, that was some reply. Thank you!

I am a little lost on who/what snowie is.

Thanks about the tip on tyres etc, that is really useful.

I plan to use the test centres own 125 and then take the Raptor on the road for a year or two until I can pass my MOD 1 and 2. Then I plan to get better and less 'gutless' bike.

I don't mind that it is slow currently as I want to take things slow and careful as I negotiate how to ride safely and get used to an idea of a heavy bike for my next one.

What are your thoughts on the Keeway 125 bikes. They are of the same country I understand but are they more reliable than the Raptor or would you class them the same way?
I would be interested in your thoughts.
Many thanks again, keep safe.
____________________
Ride Free, Ride Safe.

[Teflon-Mike]

[FightingValky...]

Thanks again Teflon-Mike,

Tons of thought in that reply and again appreciate it.

Yes I do want to do my MOD1 and 2 and, no, I don't think I will pass after a day or two. I want to have a little while to get to know the gear changes etc first. Thats my main concern. Riding and road safety I am happy and confident with, its just getting my head around gear shifts which I want to do and not go down the automatic route.

What would your top five 125 bikes be then if you would through it out there?
____________________
Ride Free, Ride Safe.

[Teflon-Mike]

As far as 125's go, I'd not put mush store in ANY of them these days, and since itrs pretty much Honsonm's choice of what you ight actually lay your hands on, I'd worry about rthw ifs ans buts of what I could lay6 my hands on, when I could lay hands on, and mostly I;d be more woried about 'condition', than make/model, since most 2nd and 125' are thrashed trashed and crashed to oblivion by no nuffink learners, I'd not have ,uch hope of finding anything particularly wonderful.

For where you are at; you want to get better with gears, and think you need practice.

Oh-Kay..cost wise, a 125 is as expensive to rub, and usually more expensive to insure than bigger bikes.

Small aside for you; you have a car licence.. do you do your car lessons in a Ferrari? Did riding the dodgems at the fair do much to 'prepare' you for driving a car on the public road?

You do DAS you get the training, and learn gears, which with usually with a bigger more flexible engine and more weight, particularly a school DAS bike, designed for the job, are actually 'easier' to launch and change gear on.

Typical 125; makes power from about 12oo rpm to about 10,oo rpm. Its geared for about 70-mph flat out in top, and willbeg three gear changes just to get above 30mph.

Typical DAS bike...has power from about 1200 rpom.. just four times as much... itr will be geared for about 120mph flat out in top. 1st will likley be deliberately low, and you porobably could launch in 2nd, but, you probably only need change up 'ince', from 1st to 2nd, and 2nd will likely take you all the way from walking pace to around 50mph... why you 'need' worry about these gears! Get it in 'drive' and treat the thing like an Auto... do it omn the throttle NOT the gears...

Meanwhile the extra mass as well as the extra angine flexability, means that the bike wil damp a lot opf newbie wobbles and you wil find it a heck of a a lot easier..

To wit.. JUST DO DAS!!!

This is what training is for; to teach you to ride....

Go it alone on a 125 and L's... practice is good... but you are not getting training, and you are making it harder for yourself than needs.. and How much practice do you think you would need?

Buy a 125 you are tied to that expensive insurance and other costs for the duration. Cashing out when you 'think' you are ready can get expensive... and oi you aren't ready?

JUST go do DAS!!!!! you dont have to buy a bike, and you get the training.. when done you get the licence....
____________________
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?'

[linuxyeti]

Flaming 'ell, you've been well and truly teffed !!
____________________
Beware what photos you upload, or link to on here, especially if you have family members on them

[FightingValky...]

[Easy-X]

Anyway...

Regarding mirrors on the Superlight: yes, the stock ones are crap. The mounting points are just thru-holes like Harleys rather than threaded like Jap bikes. Black "stock-Harley-style" mirrors mounted either top or bottom (bottom looks kewl) work really well.

Standard tyres are... adequate. If it was a sporty little 125 I'd be a bit concerned but if you want to get your lean on at 60mph you've got the wrong bike!
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[terrytibbs]

[P.]

Would I suggest you care about tyre width and image, probably not.

A 125 seems appealing until you ride it and realise its wheezy. I rode one to work today in fact, it was fine but far too vibey.

You could literally pop in for a test and grab a 'insert generic cruiser here' and it'll be infinitely better.

[Easy-X]

Depends on what roads. Dual-carriageway and NSL? 125s aren't much fun. Mostly doing 20 to 40mph on urban and suburban rat-runs? 125 is perfectly adequate.

Adequate. Who wants to settle for that though
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[FightingValky...]

[FightingValky...]

[FightingValky...]

[FightingValky...]

[Riejufixing]

[P.]

[FightingValky...]

[FightingValky...]

[Riejufixing]