About To Start Riding...

[Mentize]

So I'm 18 and about to go for a CBT in a couple months, so at the moment I'm just preparing a kind of check-list of things that I would need to have as well as gather opinions on the choices I've made so far.

Information about me:
18, 5ft 8", About 9½ stone in weight.

Bike Choice: Yamaha YZF-R125
Apparently this is one of the best learner motorbikes, I don't like how scooters look so am wanting a super-sport styled 125.
Prefer a 4-stroke engine as it removes the needs to buy/mix oil with the fuel. (I'm aware oil will need changing, but not as often on a 4-stroke)
http://bit.ly/11nS6SA

Tires? - I've heard the stock tires on this bike are terrible, giving low grip and being some of the worst in wet weather. Could anyone recommend a replacement pair? I'm in England so I expect the weather to be wet for at least half the year.


Security:
Home: -Kept in locked garage
Almax Immobiliser Series IV + Squire SS65CS Lock + Hardie Ground Anchor | http://bit.ly/13ogT5E
Travelling:
Xena XZZ6 Motorcycle Alarm Disc Lock (Possibly 2 of them.) | http://ebay.eu/15oX4zn

Body Armour:
Head: AFX FX-90 Helmet | http://bit.ly/12uNOvo
Top & Bottom: -Not sure about these, Any recomendations? | http://ebay.eu/18KM1p3
Gloves: Cortech DX 2 Gloves | http://bit.ly/1bxKu6F
Boots: Joe Rocket Ballistic Touring Boots |http://bit.ly/17MMVN5


If anyone has any suggestions/feedback I would love to hear it! I'm new to this and don't want to make any silly / obvious mistakes before I've even started.

 

[wazza300]

the oil is mixed for you on modern two stroke machines but a four stroke bike will last far longer and be more reliable

the yzf is a good bike but idk if your going new or used? you'll save a bundle buying a used machine,any tall four stroke trail bike is another good choice,they have great turning circles ones like the wr125

id carry a decent chain with you aswell if your parking up anywhere

stick to textile jacket/trousers ones like weise with built in body armour or spade textiles

ohh and can recommend black country motorcycle training for your cbt,they are tipton way,unless it's already booked up

 

[Mentize]

@wazza300

I'll be buying 2nd hand for around £2,200 - I would never spend just shy of £5k on something I can't even handle yet

Would it be worth carrying the chain I use at home? or buying a lighter one? I heard the 19mm ones are kinda heavy.

Could you give an example of the types of jacket/trousers?


And thanks for the recommendation, That's not extremely far from me, i remember going there as a child :L

 

[Rroff]

My brother has the YZF 125 don't really know too much, seems to like it mostly but do know hes not a fan of the tires in wet weather :S (had an off on his previous one mis-judging a curb in the wet and having a jacket with the back armor or whatever saved him from serious injury). When hes back later can try and find out what jacket/trousers he uses but you'll probably get replies before that.

EDIT: The stuff I can see obviously has hein gericke branding on it can't say more than that tho.

 

[wazza300]

black country training are good,give em a ring

I have an almax chain the middle sized one,the biggest one will be far too heavy

for the jacket

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEISE-LAG...Other_Clothing_Protection&hash=item2eb4b2d4e5

and trousers

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEISE-NRG..._Motorcycle_Trousers&var=&hash=item2ec6762205

shop around for better prices

also take a look in quarry bank motorcycles shop,they have some decent priced spada jackets/trousers,you want some that has the built in armour and removable liner,they also have some decent boots,avoid rst,they fall apart,sidi are also good but expensive

 

[ElliorR]

All I will say is try helmets on and make sure the one you buy fits you properly.

 

[Scythe]

For your gear, why are you looking at an American place? You're better off looking at a UK place, e.g. Hein Gericke, J&S Accessories are two popular ones, I'd recommend J&S as they tend to be cheaper and you can spend as much as you would like to spend. A website which is also good is sportsbikeshop.co.uk, but you need to know your sizes before ordering off them, some items from there are cheaper than the shops, but not always so you have to work it out.

Also I wouldn't bother with the R125. Yes they look nice, but are very overpriced and they are not really much faster (5mph or so) more than something like a Yamaha YBR125. If you drop it, or come off it (which is likely) the plastic bodywork (called fairings) costs hundreds of pounds each, and they break very easily. As an 18 year old, I'll assume you won't have access to hundreds of pounds to repair your bike in the event of a spill.

About the reviews about the tyres, ones that come on the bike generally are average so it wouldn't surprise me what you've said. However, be careful what you read about this bike, 90% of owners will be young lads like yourself, new to riding bikes, think they're god and WILL blame their equipment / bike before they question their ability when they come off. Just a thought.

I know you probably want the nicest bike out there for looks at your age, I did too when I bought a 125 aged 17, the R125 had just come out. I opted for the YBR because they were much cheaper and once I got it, it was an absolute hoon to ride at my age, as my first bike. I was especially thankful when I came off it at 40mph, all that had happened was a scraped clutch lever, clocks and footpeg, but the bike itself was rideable and completely fine - I rode it for 12 months after before selling it for £200 less than I bought it for (they don't lose their value much at all). If I had the R125, I'd be looking at battered bodywork and probably £500+ to get it back to any decent visual state.

Also, if you choose to do your bike test on it (I did), you will struggle to do it on the R125 as they have a very poor turning circle, like a big sports bike. Their seating position is heavy on wrists, like a sports bike. If I had to do 50mph max on my bike (ZX6R), it absolutely kills my wrists after an hour, at higher speeds its not so bad as you're moving your weight around the bike more and giving your wrists a rest.


Just think carefully about your bike choice. I'd opt for a Yamaha YBR125 or Honda CBF125, something like that, you can't really go wrong as long as you stick to a reputable Japanese manufacturer, don't go for a chinese bike, they're cheap for a reason.

Any more questions, just ask. I was fortunate to have an uncle and dad who used to ride, so they helped to give me some pointers, but majority of it I've learnt from experience over the 5 years of riding and willingness to learn.

 

[Mentize]

@Rroff -Would be amazing

@wazza300 -I Will have a look around for textile / armoured leathers, Though I'm seeing names like jeans / cowhide leather / Cordura -Is one better than the the other?

@Scythe -Yeah, I can totally relate to that, As for the american things, that's why I'm on here seeking help!
Yes the bike will probably be the one I do the test on, so that I learn how to handle that bike from day 1.

Honestly, I don't like how the YBR125 looks, I'm trying to stick along the styles of the images ill link too at the bottom of this reply. I wouldnt want to buy something that I'm not happy with.

The tires will obviously need replacing eventually, as with all other parts, I won't be replacing them at day one, but probably sooner then it would usually be. As for replacing parts after a crash, would fitting crash protectors not stop this?

I will never buy anything this scale from china, esp bikes, I've heard too many stories of how "the foot-peg fell off after a week" or "the throttle jammed after 2months" -If I'm investing this much into something, I want a trusted brand.

Style I'm trying to get:

Spoiler

or

NOT

Spoiler

 

[Scythe]

@Rroff -Would be amazing

@Wazza300 -I Will have a look around for textile / armoured leathers, Though I'm seeing names like jeans / cowhide leather / Cordura -Is one better than the the other?

@Scythe -Yeah, I can totally relate to that, As for the american things, that's why I'm on here seeking help!
Yes the bike will probably be the one I do the test on, so that I learn how to handle that bike from day 1.

Honestly, I don't like how the YBR125 looks, I'm trying to stick along the styles of the images ill link too at the bottom of this reply. I wouldnt want to buy something that I'm not happy with.

The tires will obviously need replacing eventually, as with all other parts, I won't be replacing them at day one, but probably sooner then it would usually be. As for replacing parts after a crash, would fitting crash protectors not stop this?

I will never buy anything this scale from china, esp bikes, I've heard too many stories of how "the foot-peg fell off after a week" or "the throttle jammed after 2months" -If I'm investing this much into something, I want a trusted brand.

Style I'm trying to get:
snip

I can understand the styling you're after, the Honda CBF125 is a nice compromise, with a half fairing. The truth is, nobody really cares about a 125, it's just a learner bike ultimately. The YZFR125 won't ride much differently to any other 125, but will cost considerably more to buy and repair. Learn your basics on a 125 and move up to a nice bike with good performance.

A Honda CBR125 has a sports style, but with a more upright seating position which will make it a bit better to learn on. The bikes have also been out longer so you're more likely to get a cheaper used one.

Also - crash protectors help a little bit but they're by no means an 100% preventative way of saving your fairings. On some bikes you even have to drill holes in your fairings to fit crash protectors, and they can actually damage the chassis but save the bodywork in some cases. I have them fitted as they'll save them in a stationary drop, but sliding across the floor at 50mph+? I wouldn't bet on it.

I can understand wanting to have the nicest bike but when I was 17 I never any negative comments about my YBR. In fact, my friends were jealous of me because I actually had a motorbike which costs next to nothing to run and was actually fun to ride, whereas they were paying out thousands for a rubbish 1.2 Corsa. Some of my friends have now taken up riding, although now we're all on 600cc+ bikes.

I bought my YBR125 for £1800 new, and sold it 18 months later with 8000 miles and a few scrapes from the accident for £1600. My reason for selling was that I passed my test on that bike and so I could upgrade to a bigger bike then. If you want to do your test and that then I wouldn't worry about something you'll only have for 1-2 years max, but again, that's up to you. These 125s all do pretty much the same thing anyway, with pretty much comparable performance. The only difference is how they look, and the price tag so I wouldn't get too hooked up on getting a flashy one that's dressed up like a big bike.

 

[wazza300]

hehe keweseki

you want the textile clothing it will give you good movement/protection

remember the older the machine= cheaper the insurance so you need to look around for the right bike and year

chances are your gonna come off a few times so you want a bike that can take the crashes and wont cost an arm and a leg to repair

trouble is there aren't any older four strokers,all the ones I know are two stroke like the kmx 125,nsr125 rg125 ect

four stroke will be better for reliability

I agree on an older less fancy 125 to getsum experience on,then move up to a better more stylish machine

EDIT: these anygood?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-...0939260?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item4ac616707c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-WR...5485342?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item232d658d1e

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-...d=100005&prg=7784&rk=2&rkt=5&sd=321150939260&

 

[Scythe]

hehe keweseki

you want the textile clothing it will give you good movement/protection

remember the older the machine= cheaper the insurance so you need to look around for the right bike and year

chances are your gonna come off a few times so you want a bike that can take the crashes and wont cost an arm and a leg to repair

trouble is there aren't any older four strokers,all the ones I know are two stroke like the kmx 125,nsr125 rg125 ect

four stroke will be better for reliability

I agree on an older less fancy 125 to getsum experience on,then move up to a better more stylish machine

100% with you on the textile clothing bit. A lot of textile clothing has an inner layer to provide extra warmth, so obviously in summer you can take them out and you have a nice breathable level of protection.

J&S accessories has a shop in Birmingham, but you can also look through their stock online to get some idea of what you can get for your budget. http://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/stores/birmingham

This could cause a bit of an argument, but don't spend less than £100 on your helmet. £100+ will get you a good reputable make.

EDIT: MX style bikes are really good for doing your test on too as they're agile, but they do tend to be targeted by thieves, but by the looks of it you're willing to spend the money on security and that so it should deter any low-level thieves.

 

[Mucky_Pup]

I've had my YZF-R125 from new for over 4 years now, if there's anything specific you want to know about them, I'll try my best to let you know.

 

[Hector]

Take a look at supermotos, for example: Yamaha XT125X

Oh and if your going to take a chain out with you, put it in a tail pack.. never carry it on your person such as in a backpack.

 

[Mentize]

@wazza300 & Hector: Those bikes look nice for the price, but I really don't like the idea of sitting with a straight back. It just gets uncomfortable for me after a few minutes, even in cushioned chairs.
I'll look around them, but even the fact they make a higher-pitch sound puts me off, I've always preferred bass and attaching an exhaust to a city scrambler just seems silly
And aren't carrying chains in the open classed as weapons anyway?

@Scythe: As much as I'd love to do the test on an easier bike then what I plan to ride, I don't really feel like paying out £300/£400 for a bike hire just to buy the bike I was going too anyway
As for helmets, I'd rather pay £100+ then pay for skull surgery

As for paying for security, my initial idea is to keep the thing in my possession for its lifetime, obviously if they want to remove a wheel that badly they'll do it. But anything short of cementing it to the ground is where I'll begin.

@Mucky_Pup:
What are the stock tires like? I heard they're pretty bad for wet weather.
Any main issues arose? like engine failure, part replacement?




General Note (Partly Scythe): The main reason I'm not going after a 2-stroke is because of the lack of reliability & the need to buy oil every time I buy fuel, eventually this cost for fuel+oil will greatly outweigh the price of a running 4stroke. Trying to think about the future.
This bike will probably need to last me 5 to 6 years, Given I'm only 18 and am at that stage where I need transport to secure a job, then settle down somewhere.

The Honda CBF125 looks fine, but it's the upkeep of it that puts me off.


[Edit] - Loving the support, again Overclockers proves to be the best place for me to get advice!

 

[xMarkie]

So I'm 18 and about to go for a CBT in a couple months, so at the moment I'm just preparing a kind of check-list of things that I would need to have as well as gather opinions on the choices I've made so far.

erm... when you say you're going for your CBT - have you ridden a moped or motorbike already or is your CBT going to be the first time you've sat on a moped/motorbike?

 

[Mentize]

erm... when you say you're going for your CBT - have you ridden a moped or motorbike already or is your CBT going to be the first time you've sat on a moped/motorbike?

Never ridden before, hence all the planning.

Hoping to do some kind of prior practice, my Uncle has I think 2 larger supersport 600cc+ bikes, But he's slow to respond when I message him about seeing if I can sit on them and get the engine running. -understandably of course,

 

[wazza300]

those bikes I posted are 4 stroke,they all sound deep,compared to the wasp sounding 2 stroke

trial bikes are as comfy if not more than sportsbikes,you have better field of view aswell on trail bikes as they are taller but its upto you what you want

give black country training a ring and they provide a bike if needed ect

 

[xMarkie]

Never ridden before, hence all the planning.

Hoping to do some kind of prior practice, my Uncle has I think 2 larger supersport 600cc+ bikes, But he's slow to respond when I message him about seeing if I can sit on them and get the engine running. -understandably of course,

My advice is wipe all thoughts of bikes with 'sports' in the name until you have some experience and have passed your full test.

The first thing I would say is that as you've never ridden before, don't spend a fortune on gear at this point as what happens if you don't like it and decide biking isn't for you?

The first stage of your motorbiking career is to get kitted up properly;
Helmet - comfortable/good fit/secure - there are good budget brands.
Jacket - comfortable/waterproof - texture is fine with basic armour
Trousers - comfortable/100% waterproof - there is nothing worse than it being cold and finding your trousers have a leak just by your balls.
boots - comfortable/waterproof - budget brand should be fine.
gloves - I would advise 2 pairs - one for winter/one for summer - with knuckle protection - budget brand should be fine as long as they do up securly over your jacket sleeves.

Bike: basic manual 125 - used over 5 years old with full service history and not been used for take away deliveries - if something feels a bit 'iffy' walk away.
At this stage you don't want anything nice and shiny which you'll cry a week if you drop it.
Security, good quality disk lock should be fine as its not anything 'sports' or flashy and not going to attract the same level of attention.
My first proper bike was an old GS125 - not shiny or flash but all you need as a 'learner'.

Learn the basics of motorbike safety and control / pass your test / go on advanced training / then start thinking about big flash bikes & gear

 

[Scythe]

General Note (Partly Scythe): The main reason I'm not going after a 2-stroke is because of the lack of reliability & the need to buy oil every time I buy fuel, eventually this cost for fuel+oil will greatly outweigh the price of a running 4stroke. Trying to think about the future.
This bike will probably need to last me 5 to 6 years, Given I'm only 18 and am at that stage where I need transport to secure a job, then settle down somewhere.

The Honda CBF125 looks fine, but it's the upkeep of it that puts me off.


[Edit] - Loving the support, again Overclockers proves to be the best place for me to get advice!

I haven't mentioned any 2 strokes, the Honda CBF125 is a 4 stroke bike , don't quite know where you got the idea it was a 2T (2 stroke) from

 

[Mentize]

those bikes I posted are 4 stroke,they all sound deep,compared to the wasp sounding 2 stroke

Really? Every trail-bike or scrambler style bike I've ever heard has been ridiculously loud and high pitched. Didn't think they could produce a 'rumble'.
Definitely shifted my opinion on them knowing this.

Any particular model you'd recommend in term of 4 stroke trail-bikes then? I'm not buying for about another 5/6 months so looking at 2nd-hand sales on right now is pretty pointless.


@Scythe: o.o? I've been on 2 or 3 reviews sites before coming here and they all stated it was a 2 stroke, I know because I have it on my desktop notes from when I listed potential models before coming here