125cc learner legal maxi bikes

manisinghb

manisinghb

manisinghb

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Hi guys. So I'm ditching the tube for a bike as my daily travels across the city are getting boring, sweaty, smelly and expensive! I'm doing my cbt this weekend and whilst I get on with that side of things I was looking for any recommendations on a 125cc maxi bike. Mainly a maxi bike because I'm a big and tall guy and need a machine to match instead of looking like a dufus. Main points I'm considering as I'm a novice;
- 125cc must be learner legal and one I can ride after getting cbt
- big enough for a big & tall (6ft 3)guy
- economical
- budget =£1000
- preference = automatic
- ample storage space (but I can always add top box)
 
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Varadero 125. Job done.

I do 200 miles a week on mine, get 85mpg. They're the only decently priced (£1500) big 125, the mt-07 I rode felt small in comparison. I'm 6ft 3in 12st and it suits me perfectly.

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The Varadero looks lovely but I should've added a budget of £1000 and a preference of automatic over manual oops! Sorry. Ps how difficult is manual on a motorbike? Like I said am a complete novice
 
You'll struggle to get any 125cc bike for £1000, and if you want an automatic you'll be limited to scooters, although these might be cheaper than geared bikes.

Do you drive? Gears are easy, takes a bit of getting your head around especially if you've been driving for 12 years like me, as it's completely alien (left hand clutch, left foot gears, right hand throttle all at the same time) but for me it just 'clicked'.

Before you book a CBT, see if you can get an hours free go on here http://www.geton.co.uk/free-motorbike-scooter-experience/ I did and it helped a huge amount when doing my CBT. I'd never ridden any bike beforehand.
 
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It's free ;)


It helped me loads anyway, I was so much more confident when came to do my CBT, just an hour on a bike makes a huge difference.
 
Still a waste of time imo. All you need to know really is just to be gentle with the clutch and let it slip lots and if it's doing something you don't want pull the lever fully, what the rest of your body is doing won't really matter then.
 
Getting on an hour on a bike if you've never tried it before, all for FREE? If you've got the willpower to get out of the house and go take advantage of this its always worth it. ALL opportunities are worth it imho. Thanks TallPaulS. I agree the budget may be out for an auto bike. I guess I'll be happy as long as the motorbike or scooter meet all my criteria met.
 
It is not a maxi but I am about 6'1" and find the Piaggio Fly 125cc to be a decent size for me. It certainly looks bigger than some other models I have parked it next to and is a step up from the Sinnis Eagle (50cc) I did CBT on. Some of the other Piaggios look to be a similar size. I imagine a maxi will up the cost and those I recognise on your list are not especially cheap new, which will presumably up the cost of a decent used example. I'd recommend trying a few standard scooters for size if you gave not already. I know little about geared bikes, other than that I want to try one. A 125cc scooter will get you from A to B well enough, especially around town, and is good for a bit of fun but does not take long to start feeling rather tame.
 
atpbx said:
I'd be getting a scooter in this situation.
Better protection from the elements, more relaxed to ride etc.
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I thought so too. But whilst it is the more practical option for my circumstances, part of me still wishes I got a "proper" bike. I definitely want to see about doing further training at some point and intend to do it on a geared bike. At the very least, I don't like the idea of being limited to an auto further down the line.
 
DangerMoose said:
I thought so too. But whilst it is the more practical option for my circumstances, part of me still wishes I got a "proper" bike. I definitely want to see about doing further training at some point and intend to do it on a geared bike. At the very least, I don't like the idea of being limited to an auto further down the line.
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Definitely second this. Doing the harder option and taking my CBT on manual. Will take the instructors advice too as I only intend to ever keep an automatic bike, but would like the manual licence there should I ever need it or change my mind.

Btw do you think a novice like me would find it somewhat easy to adapt to a maxi scooter especially in the streets of London?
 
manisinghb said:
Definitely second this. Doing the harder option and taking my CBT on manual. Will take the instructors advice too as I only intend to ever keep an automatic bike, but would like the manual licence there should I ever need it or change my mind.

Btw do you think a novice like me would find it somewhat easy to adapt to a maxi scooter especially in the streets of London?
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My reasoning for doing it on an automatic was that I had already decided I was going to get a scooter for practicality and wanted to get on two wheels quickly, so I did not want to risk the prospect of not taking to the bike's method of gear changing. Or potential challenges of adapting to an auto, for that matter. In both cases I may have been worrying over nothing but it is in the past now.

I can't comment on the streets of London but, bearing in mind that you would be restricted to a 125 and not a true maxi as such, I don't think it would be that difficult. Ideally spend some time on quiet roads to get used to it but (albeit without spending time on a geared bike), I went from no motorised two wheeler experience to doing CBT on a 50cc auto to riding a 125cc by myself, in the space of a week or so (I did end up hitting rush hour a bit too soon, to be honest, but I lived to tell the tale, in spite of some cringeworthy mistakes). I have driven a car for around 10 years as well though, which I think helps a great deal as you can spend a bit less time worrying about things like which lanes to use and more time learning how to control the bike.

Main things I don't like about an auto relate to low speed maneuvers. The throttle alone does not always seem sufficient to maintain a low enough speed in slow moving traffic and just using the brakes seems like a crude solution, compared with using the clutch in a car to control speed. You also do not have the option of using the clutch to disengage the engine if things go wrong.
 
Just so you all know. Completed the CBT last Sunday gone (absolutely enjoyed riding and I now understand the thrill and delight and perhaps obsession of it!) Also ended up purchasing a 2007 Piaggio X8 125 with 7000m on the clock. Delighted
 
Congrats. Hope you enjoy it. The maxi style us not so much to my taste but to each their own. I do quite like the looks of the 300cc Vespas though and the Piaggio Beverly is a bit bigger but still has more of a small scooter look (shame about the name though). It's just that any higher spec scooter seems like a bit of a waste of a DAS to me. I think when I trade the Fly in, I might have to look for something a bit more fun and a bit less practical.
 
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