125cc recommendation

iamdjdz · 12 Aug 2009 at 13:14

I recently got a Superbyke SB-125 to learn to ride on over here - there's no CBT in Northern Ireland and as such my only lessons were with the guy who sold it to me in a car park. I got it a month ago or so and have done nearly 400 miles (have been to france for 2 weeks in the middle). It's quite a good style bike for learning I reckon, well I've had no trouble. I've read up on the lifesaver technique and have got used to the bike controls pretty easily - think I've only stalled once. Can't wait to get my test and move on to bigger and better things

(although that will be about 6 months away before I go for it).

Oh also here as a learner rider you are restricted to 45mph - same as cars - is that the same in Great Britain?

RoysonBobson · 12 Aug 2009 at 13:27

iamdjdz said:
I recently got a Superbyke SB-125 to learn to ride on over here - there's no CBT in Northern Ireland and as such my only lessons were with the guy who sold it to me in a car park. I got it a month ago or so and have done nearly 400 miles (have been to france for 2 weeks in the middle). It's quite a good style bike for learning I reckon, well I've had no trouble. I've read up on the lifesaver technique and have got used to the bike controls pretty easily - think I've only stalled once. Can't wait to get my test and move on to bigger and better things (although that will be about 6 months away before I go for it).

Oh also here as a learner rider you are restricted to 45mph - same as cars - is that the same in Great Britain?

No. Thankfully normal speed limits apply. Plus no post-test R plates or speed limits.

Also, that's just made me think - do bikers have to have R plates? What if they've already finished the probationary time in a car before they pass their bike test?

iamdjdz · 12 Aug 2009 at 13:35

RoysonBobson said:
No. Thankfully normal speed limits apply. Plus no post-test R plates or speed limits.

Also, that's just made me think - do bikers have to have R plates? What if they've already finished the probationary time in a car before they pass their bike test?

I think they do - the bike test is considered totally different to the car test - but I'll have to check that as I'm not sure.

And I've been traveling at normal speed out near my house - well about 55mph.

Climhazzard · 12 Aug 2009 at 13:40

$loth said:
I may have a (old) CG 125 on friday if all goes well, what things should I take into consideration when purchasing? The bike has a V5 reg. doc, but no service book which the owner says is due to it's age. The owner tells me he is a bike mechanic and that it's in good condition, it has 1 years MOT but no road tax. Due to this I would get it delivered and leave it in front of the flats where I'm staying for the summer until I can get road tax, it's a paved area but not on the road, would that be legal?

Your best off simply taxing the bike, will save any potential 'chew' later on. Tax will be next to nothing, I own a YZF R6 07 model, costs £45ish for the year!

alexakasloth · 12 Aug 2009 at 14:50

Rilot said:
Of course you would if it's not taxed. Why wouldn't you?
However, if it's going to be only a couple of days, it shouldn't matter. I mean, it's not going to take you long to tax it. You get change from £20 on a 125 for a years tax.

Good to hear, it's just waiting for the insurance to come through after i've bought it (it's going to be off the road until then) as I understand it the process would be:

Buy motorbike
order insurance on the internet
wait for ins. papers to be delivered
go to post office and get tax disc
ride motorbike.

That seem right?

Solaris · 12 Aug 2009 at 14:51

22913_0_1_2_mito%20125_Image%20credits%20-%20Cagiva.jpg

Get a cagiva mito, beautiful bikes

alexakasloth · 12 Aug 2009 at 15:04

Whilst that is tempting I'm getting a '89 cg on friday, for the price and short period of time i'm going to be using it (hopefully) it will have to put up with me

alexakasloth · 3 Sep 2009 at 00:23

I've been keeping an eye out and for my budget (for now) there doesn't seem to be much about in regards to a yamaha ybr or honda cg, although I did find something that was in my price range (TMEC enduro 125) which i'm going to pick up tomorow night

[edit] just to clear up, the CG 125 I was going to buy was sold to someone else in the end =\

.one. · 3 Sep 2009 at 01:18

I learned on a Honda CG 125 over 20 years ago picked it up for £70 quid great little bike , pushrod engine will go for ever and ever even when thrashed too an inch of it's life

Edit:

Come to think of it thats a lie my first bike with learner plates on was a Yamaha RD 250 you could ride 250s back then on ls but when i finaly went for my test was when the law changed and past on said bike above.

But before all of the above i had a honda c70

alexakasloth · 3 Sep 2009 at 10:15

You say £70 and I forget that you mention 20 years ago

I would like a CG or another honda because of their reputation to make long lasting engines, the one i've bought is a xr 125 clone/copy.

Fireskull · 3 Sep 2009 at 10:29

I started on a Hyosung Comet GT125 was a brilliant first bike!

They also do a sporty version now!

MrSix · 3 Sep 2009 at 10:35

Can't believe nobody has suggested an Aprilia RS125. Cracking bikes and provided you warm them up before you rag them and keep them topped up with the best 2t oil they will be as reliable as anything. I friend of mine had one and it was (for a 125) ridiculously fast, it would top out at around 90mph and the accelleration was more than ample!

Best looking 125 of the lot too.

New ones:

Older ones:

Oldest ones:

TaKeN · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:27

^^ RS125 is an epic bike, 2 Stroke power, sweet looks and sounds..

As you've said, treat it well and it will go on for a long time. If you have to eventualy replace the piston then its a doddle,

4 Stroke engines in 125cc bikes make me cry, slow.. slow slow.. no power urghh

PardonTheWait · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:35

MrSix said:
Can't believe nobody has suggested an Aprilia RS125. Cracking bikes and provided you warm them up before you rag them and keep them topped up with the best 2t oil they will be as reliable as anything. I friend of mine had one and it was (for a 125) ridiculously fast, it would top out at around 90mph and the accelleration was more than ample!

Best looking 125 of the lot too.

They won't be as reliable as anything though - you need to either get friendly with spanners or have them serviced very regular. They're also relatively expensive, and the newer ones are guff. No quicker than the current four strokes really, what with the emissions regs cracking down on them so hard.

If you're not scared of working on it though they're awesome, you're right. It's just that some people don't want to do that for a 125.

On a similar note, when I bought my bike I was drooling over the little Derbi 50cc sportsbikes they had in the dealers, I can't believe how flash they are for 50s. Pointless but awesome

And they were three grand :/

MrSix · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:39

PardonTheWait said:
They won't be as reliable as anything though - you need to either get friendly with spanners or have them serviced very regular.

Hmm I beg to differ although I have had friends who blew them up regularly - however that was their own fault due to ragging them from cold. I had a friend who owned a 1998 RS125 for 18 months, kept it well maintained for trivial cost (he was an 18 year old student with a shelf stacking job at Sainsburys) and loved it muchly...(as did I!).

.one. · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:40

TaKeN said:
4 Stroke engines in 125cc bikes make me cry, slow.. slow slow.. no power urghh

Not realy a problem when learning its not as if your going to get any street cred with a 125 if thats what your after

Learning riding skill and being street wise is more important,strokers are fun thou and if your going too keep for a while then fair enuff spend more.

Dr Who · 3 Sep 2009 at 13:54

One advantage of a 2-stroke is that very few of them were designed for the british market and can be easily de-restricted once you have your licence.

A derestricted DT125 is an absolute howl in terms of fun

PardonTheWait · 3 Sep 2009 at 13:59

MrSix said:
Hmm I beg to differ although I have had friends who blew them up regularly - however that was their own fault due to ragging them from cold. I had a friend who owned a 1998 RS125 for 18 months, kept it well maintained for trivial cost (he was an 18 year old student with a shelf stacking job at Sainsburys) and loved it muchly...(as did I!).

So you've literally seen them repeatedly go bang and you beg to differ?

They didn't blow up because your mates 'ragged them from cold', they blew up because they didn't change the pistons/rings soon enough. It's just a fact of life if you own a stroker. You either change them or the bike'll just spit them out of its arse when it's had enough of them. Then you'll change them.

Dr Who · 3 Sep 2009 at 14:03

Race 2-strokes eat rings as they are very narrow section, but a street stroker should get far longer from a set of rings, only needing replacement generally when you decoke.

However, I doubt they were decoked regularly so you're probably right

MrSix · 3 Sep 2009 at 14:48

PardonTheWait said:
So you've literally seen them repeatedly go bang and you beg to differ?

Yeah, the only ones I've seen go bang are the ones that haven't been cared for. I had an RS50 for 18 months that never skipped a beat neither have a handful of 125's that belonged to my friends because we kept them well maintained at a very reasonable cost.

What I'm trying to say to the OP is not to be put off by scare stories of 2strokes going bang all the time for no reason. Just like any sort of machinery, if you look after them properly they'll be fine and these bikes are also not very expensive to maintain.