125cc for 18 year old - help please!

[kae2]

Hey Everyone,

This is very much a thread of noob that knows nothing, so I apologise now!

My friends son has had a 50cc twist and go moped thing (Kymco ZX50 IIRC) for the last 14 months and it has now died a death. Two weeks ago it had an engine rebuild, now the transmission is apparently fubared due to a previous owner using non-standard "performance" parts, and the garage are advising that fixing this thing is going to be a never-ending money pit as it's difficult to get parts and ageing (I'm inclined to believe them, they don't sell bikes and seemed fairly knowledgeable).

So, with a budget of £1000, which 125cc would you recommend (as he's now 17, nearly 18 and 6ft 2 and probably the best part of 17 stone)? The garage recommended "any Japanese bike", but I'd like some recommendations from you guys that actually ride/have ridden them.

I can strip and rebuild a car, but having never ridden petrol-powered two wheels, I'm rather at a loss here!

Thanks for any help


Andy.

 

[kae2]

Thanks Luke, unfortunately the budget hasn't got any wiggle room, 1k max.

 

[kae2]

I'm handy with spanners, but he isn't!

He has only ridden "twist 'n' go" bikes until now. Are any of these bikes based on that transmission or are they manual?

Thanks for all your help,

Andy.

 

[kae2]

Thanks 4T5, that's a great post and plenty to mull over (but he isn't my son!!! - just thought I'd clear that up, you're giving me palpitations! )

Unfortunately he's as mechanically minded and forgiving as a brick, so something bomb-proof is definitely preferred.

Thank you to everyone for you posts .

Andy.