Why so many big blokes on tiny 125 motorcycles here?

[Londoner2015]

Just curious: why do you think there are so many 125 motorcycles in England, compared to other European countries? I say England simply because I have no experience of the other countries of the UK.

What has always struck me as odd travelling all over Europe is that in other European countries I have never seen as many 125 motorcycles, especially not ridden by older people; lots of 125 automatic scooters but few 125 motorcycles.

I get it that a full motorcycle licence is probably more expensive here than elsewhere, and I get it that for many people (especially food delivery riders) renewing a CBT every 2 years is easier and cheaper as a 125 is all they need.

What I don't get is: why get a motorcycle instead of a scooter? You won't go much faster and you won't get many more thrills than on a scooter with an engine of the same size.

I have always found the "big fat bloke on a tiny 125 bike" phenomenon quite an odd thing to see

What do you think?

[recman]

Maybe some people want a smaller engine with gears.

[truslack]

'Cos scooters are for gheys
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[MarJay]

Err... because Scooters suck!
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Londoner2015]

So does seeing a 250-lb grown up bloke on a 300-lb tiny Yamaha R125

[LustyLew]

Buying, running and insuring the latest pointy GSXRNinjaBlade costs a fucking fortune.

£15k for the bike, sill money for insurance (for most people) plus servicing etc.

Running a race rep 125 is peanuts in comparison and for most people, will be just as fun, especially in cities.

Why anyone would buy a bike that costs as much as a car baffles me.

[GSTEEL32]

no one wants to be a ped-boi, innit ?

you get me ?

[Londoner2015]

I get it that big bikes cost a lot and that horses for courses, whatever rocks your boat, it's a free country and everyone can do as they want.

It was just that it seemed very odd that, abroad, a big bloke riding a 125 sounds a bit ridiculous, while here it's almost the norm. Talk about cultural differences

[Londoner2015]

[Riejufixing]

[GSTEEL32]

i think he moved here from the U.S.

MAGA

[Londoner2015]

In the US you can ride any motorcycle at 16 - in some states at 14. No messing around with CBT etc. Giving a Panigale to a 14-year old - what could possibly go wrong?

[slowside]

I quite enjoyed my geared 125 for the couple of years that I had it. Certainly more so than I would a scoot. In fact, if I had the space I'd have kept it for quick blasts to the shops.

But I don't weigh 300lbs.
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Triumph Sprint RS 955i - Sold
Triumph Street Triple R 675

[xX-Alex-Xx]

You have to start on a 125 in the UK, and you’re still limited for 2 years after you get your licence unless you do a direct access course. It’s not like North America where you can have a hayabusa for a first bike. And most people would rather a 125 proper bike than a scooter.
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DILLIGAF

[MarJay]

Also the stigma of motorcycle thieves using scooters I guess?

A CG125 will do 100MPG, and that's the larger British Imperial gallon not the weedy American gallon, so it's very cheap transport. Faster than walking, probably faster than the tube but a lot cheaper than pretty much any other motorised transport.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Londoner2015]

The rules for motorcycle licences are the same all over the European Union, though. The only difference is that some other countries let you ride 125 with a car licence, without requiring a CBT. Still, many European friends who visited were very surprised and said that back home it would be unthinkable (for a grown up to ride a tiny 125 motorcycle).

The striking difference is vs other European countries, not the US.

[Prawny]

I wonder if the general piss poor state of U.K. roads have anything to do with it? Roads on the continent seem to be fairly well maintained, whereas on my 8 mile commute I have to go a slightly slower route as the bumps on the direct route really unsettle my crappy scooter and launch my feet off the floor.

It’s the argument that I’m using to convince the Mrs I need to get a bike rather than a scooter. The fact that bikes are significantly cooler is a side bonus.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[Nobby the Bastard]

[GSTEEL32]

125's are all things to all men.

Unless your trying to make your 4 stroke 125 sound like a 900cc. In which case, you're a complete c0ck and missing the point entirely.

[Ayrton]

I think it's simply because getting a full license takes a lot of money and a commitment of time for something you may not even end up liking. Maybe it's also because you cant even get above 60 on a lot of the country roads we have here, so a 125 isn't actually that bad.

Why wouldn't you get a motorbike instead of a scooter though? I bet a geared bike is much more fun on twisty roads and you wont look like a 16 year old.

[Polarbear]

There are lots of things we do that little bit differently to our European cousins. It's one of the reasons a lot of Brits don't particularly feel the great European love.

I mean, the Europeans like Vespas and Lambrettas
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[smokin joe]

I've had a full licence for 45 years and I ride a 125. It was cheap to buy, cheap to tax and insure and cheap to run. I no longer feel the need for speed at my age but I love being on two wheels and as most of my local roads are either B or unclassified a small, nimble little bike is perfect.

Mind you, no matter where I lived I'd prefer it to those two wheeled tractors they seem to like in the States.

[hellkat]

[ThatDippyTwat]

Well, I'm not quite a 250lb man, but I am a 220lb man that has a 125. I'm also 6'3", so I haven't eaten all the pies.

it's 4 miles to work, my VFR doesn't even get warmed up, the GSX just wants to be ragged everywhere, and the 125 will do a month on a tank of fuel. The insurance, even with the "17 year olds spaz them into hedges" loading on the premium, is a pittance. Economics and prolonging the life of my other bikes aside, they're a hoot to throw around. They weigh fuck all, you can take some amazing liberties on one if you have half decent rubber on. You wouldn't *want* to ride it for miles and miles, but you can have a giggle on the commute to work, more so than on a "big bike" as on almost all of my commute, it's not realistic to open her up and/or infested with coppers and speed vans.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[xX-Alex-Xx]