125cc bike questions

I used to commute on a 125cc around Bristol from Bath. It was bad not being able to overtake. Now I commute on an R1. So now it's now impossible not to overtake.

But what they said - get the most powerful bike you can. You want a bike you can grow into, not grow out of.
 
If you are getting a 125, do not buy a brand new one for the love of god! You will lose a fortune after shifting it as soon as you possibly can (and you will want to)

The advice to go bigger is sound though, it will only go as fast as you twist the throttle and you will get FAR MORE for your money on higher CC bikes.
 
There tends to be lots of nearly new bikes out there as people start biking and then give it up so I'd say whatever bike you want don't buy brand new from a dealer but get one practically new either ex-demo or barely used from someone moving on.
 
I did 2 years on a 125 in and out of Manchester which is heavy traffic, felt fine and wasn't annoying at all. Do your CBT and then see how you feel. No point doing your restricted test IMO.
 
I went the 125 route after my CBT, and I don't regret that decision.

I'd never been on a (motor)bike before, and wanted something to build up road experience.

I commute around Birmingham, and it gets crazily busy at rush hour. The 125 is more than adequate for this. I went for a wr125x, which is tall and thin and has a fat rear tyre. I can filter, always pull away much faster than other cars around me, and can have fun around corners. Here's a snippit of filtering from the other day: https://youtu.be/g-AG2OqZNeU?t=27

Outside of the city, my 125 has been pretty poor, but around the city, I can't fault it. In the kind of traffic I've been riding in, more power wouldn't have gotten me anywhere quicker.

I would say go second hand too. I made the mistake of buying brand new, but will just have to suck up the loss when I resell.
 
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NooBish AbbZ said:
Seriously, 125 insurance I was paying around £700.
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I only paid £320 for fully comp and every imaginable extra. Shop around!

Sin_Chase said:
The advice to go bigger is sound though, it will only go as fast as you twist the throttle and you will get FAR MORE for your money on higher CC bikes.
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The problem with new riders on bigger bikes is not having developed the fine motor muscle memory to keep the throttle low and accidentally overcranking it.
That and getting too used to relying on power all the time, making for lazier riding.
OP's call, but I still advise spending at least a few months on a 125 to develop the good habits. You can still go fast enough on them to hoolie around and get your jollies!
 
Enitre Cover are good, if you trust yourself with the bike go for TPFT. At the age of 18 I paid £320. If you do cancel insurance with them, their admin fee is close to nothing. The CS is based in the UK and people over there are really helpful. :)
 
Ashley Jordan said:
Thanks for the fast responses guys, I'm 22. Exactly TallPaul the ring roads.

So by the sounds of it get 1 1/2 years of exp on a 125cc until i'm 24 then go for the other tests for the A license?
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Sounds reasonable to me. I did this aged 18 as I couldn't afford more (18 months on a 125), then I booked one day of lessons for £80 before my part 2 test and passed my test the next day.
 
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