The question you've heard a million times before !

[omarlilyo]

So im booking my CBT, im 30. I plan to be a very occasional rider as my work needs a car.

What 125 should I get. I know there are a ton of guides, but It seems real life supply and the pandemic have made things different.

Also im mechanically useless, should I buy it from a dealer to be safe ?

Finally what should I budget for a preowned model, I looked on auto trader and there seems nothing less than 1500 within 50 miles of Birmingham.

I found researching pc parts easier than this hah

Thanks !

 

[BUDFORCE]

In my opinion Japanese, so either honda Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki geared 125.

Can't go far wrong.

 

[Drangueos]

Japanese usually is the first to go BUT you can get a Brand new Kymco 125 for £2000 (Taiwanese).
Kymco is not very well know but they are a great brand, they used to make parts for Honda, they even made engines for BMW and there is a Kawasaki scooter that is made by Kymco and rebraded Kawasaki.
I already had a few Kymco scooters, they were always great for commuting and never gave me problems.
The major plus side is that they are not targeted by thieves.

 

[omarlilyo]

Japanese usually is the first to go BUT you can get a Brand new Kymco 125 for £2000 (Taiwanese).
Kymco is not very well know but they are a great brand, they used to make parts for Honda, they even made engines for BMW and there is a Kawasaki scooter that is made by Kymco and rebraded Kawasaki.
I already had a few Kymco scooters, they were always great for commuting and never gave me problems.
The major plus side is that they are not targeted by thieves.

Thanks ! The problem im seeing is availability and price ! Ill add kymco to the list!

 

[Hades]

I agree with Japanese. I really like my YBR 125 (the YSR 125 is a slightly newer version). It isn't the most stylish compared to a more road race looking 125. But it's very comfortable, seems to be reliable (I think these things will outlive cockroaches after WW3) and it's great to ride.

 

[Sin_Chase]

Well looked after Honda Varadero.

 

[omarlilyo]

Thanks, as a complete (I mean It!) Novice, do you all suggest buying from a dealer for a safer transaction and guarantee etc

 

[SkodaMart]

Biggest downside of motorcycling is theft or potential theft.

 

[Hades]

Thanks, as a complete (I mean It!) Novice, do you all suggest buying from a dealer for a safer transaction and guarantee etc

I'm going to say yes. If you're a complete novice then buying from a dealer might offer some protection. I'm going to say "might" because there are dodgy dealers out there too. But at least you have a degree of protection and the law on your side.

I was a complete bike novice when I bought mine a few months ago. But I do occasional very basic work on an old car. So I felt comfortable enough to buy privately, be comfortable inspecting it myself and fixing anything I missed. In fact I prefer to buy cars (and now my bikes) privately because I realise how muct little value a dealer offers at the cheaper end of the market. But I know enough to do most basic work after a little research if I really had to. For a complete novice I would recommend getting that slight added protection from a dealer if buying a used bike (or a lot of added protection if buying a new bike).

But two things often missed by new riders are:

1) Security (as mentioned by SkodaMart). Bikes are easily stolen. Budget for a big chain, disclock and possibly a cover. Decide where you will keep the bike overnight. Can it be kept in a garage or shed? Or can you fit a ground anchor?

2) Always, always, always budget for proper protective clothing. A car has a nice metal shell around you. On a bike your clothing and helmet is your protective shell. Legally you only have to wear a helmet. But you would be foolish to not also wear armoured gloves, a proper motorcycle jacket with armour, armoured trousers and proper motorcycle boots with at least ankle and maybe shin protection. If budget is tight then look in the clearance section of places like SportsBikeShop and don't worry too much about coordinating colours to start with. Just get something which will protect you in a crash. Regular jeans would rip through in seconds. At an absolute minimum I recommend getting your own helmet and gloves for the CBT as it will make the day a more pleasant experience than wearing the riding schools loaners.

 

[_tucker_]

I’ve had quite a few 125’s over the years and it really boils down to what style you like and what you feel comfortable with, I had a Honda cbr and that was nice amd thin so filtering tragic was a plus and it was very good on the mpg, best of all tho it was pretty much bullet proof and lasted for years, nice and cheap to service but most 125 bikes are anyway.
I ride a Yamaha wr 125x and it’s been the most fun by far to ride and it’s nice and high up which I much prefer over sports bike riding positions.
Buying from a Dealer is the same as buying from a random bloke on gumtree, they pretty much hide any damage and get the bikes road legal to the absolute barest cost possible.
I’ve had bikes for £500 last for years and never a single problem so money isn’t really a factor other that general condition. Most 125 bikes have been thrashed at some point also.
As mentioned previous tho go for Honda or Yamaha ect parts are easy to get and pretty cheap. Very reliable too

 

[omarlilyo]

Thanks all very useful. Im lucky.enough to have a garden and garage etc.

I'm going to say yes. If you're a complete novice then buying from a dealer might offer some protection. I'm going to say "might" because there are dodgy dealers out there too. But at least you have a degree of protection and the law on your side.

I was a complete bike novice when I bought mine a few months ago. But I do occasional very basic work on an old car. So I felt comfortable enough to buy privately, be comfortable inspecting it myself and fixing anything I missed. In fact I prefer to buy cars (and now my bikes) privately because I realise how muct little value a dealer offers at the cheaper end of the market. But I know enough to do most basic work after a little research if I really had to. For a complete novice I would recommend getting that slight added protection from a dealer if buying a used bike (or a lot of added protection if buying a new bike).

But two things often missed by new riders are:

1) Security (as mentioned by SkodaMart). Bikes are easily stolen. Budget for a big chain, disclock and possibly a cover. Decide where you will keep the bike overnight. Can it be kept in a garage or shed? Or can you fit a ground anchor?

2) Always, always, always budget for proper protective clothing. A car has a nice metal shell around you. On a bike your clothing and helmet is your protective shell. Legally you only have to wear a helmet. But you would be foolish to not also wear armoured gloves, a proper motorcycle jacket with armour, armoured trousers and proper motorcycle boots with at least ankle and maybe shin protection. If budget is tight then look in the clearance section of places like SportsBikeShop and don't worry too much about coordinating colours to start with. Just get something which will protect you in a crash. Regular jeans would rip through in seconds. At an absolute minimum I recommend getting your own helmet and gloves for the CBT as it will make the day a more pleasant experience than wearing the riding schools loaners.

What did you buy and for how much?

 

[Munchies]

You may have trouble finding a decent second hand Japanese 125 from a dealer as they tend to sell very well on the private market. They're relatively simple little things though. If the engine isn't making hideous noises, the paperwork is in check, and nothing is obviously bent / vibrating horribly you can't really go too far wrong. So I wouldn't be scared of buying privately.

Echo the above about sticking to Japanese, though I'm not sure how reliable KTM's new 125 offerings are if that's your style.

 

[Hades]

Thanks all very useful. Im lucky.enough to have a garden and garage etc.


What did you buy and for how much?

A 2016 Yamaha YBR 125 with 5k miles for £1600 last October. Very happy with it.

 

[omarlilyo]

A 2016 Yamaha YBR 125 with 5k miles for £1600 last October. Very happy with it.

Thanks, where did you look? EBay, autotrader?

 

[Hades]

Thanks, where did you look? EBay, autotrader?

I was looking on all of those but found it on Facebook marketplace.

 

[omarlilyo]

I was looking on all of those but found it on Facebook marketplace.

Thanks, so you just rocked up with £1600 in cash and basically hoped everything was as good as it looked? Ive scoured Ebay, autotrader (not FB marketplace yet) and there seems to be barely anything, and barely anything at all below 2500

 

[Hades]

Thanks, so you just rocked up with £1600 in cash and basically hoped everything was as good as it looked? Ive scoured Ebay, autotrader (not FB marketplace yet) and there seems to be barely anything, and barely anything at all below 2500

I guess I did.

I contacted the seller and discussed the bike and its history first. Then arranged to look at it. It was in decent condition. Not perfect but what I would have expected. I checked over the service history, that the V5 address matched his, had a good look around the bike, checked all controls worked and watched him briefly ride it. I checked the obvious things such as general condition, chain and sprocket wear, that the VIN on the V5 matched the number on the frame, that the frame and forks all looked straight without any obvious cracks or bends, etc. It is my first bike so I am not an expert on what the engine should sound like but I listened for any obvious noises and it seemed OK.

I am not a mechanic and don't have any bike experience. But I have done basic work on one of my cars (a 27 year old VW). So I felt reasonably confident to spot anything very obvious and would just fix anything I didn't spot. I think if the price had been higher then I would have preferred to buy from a dealer so I had more comeback. But the bike looked and felt right and the seller seems genuine so I took a chance.

Wherever you buy from, whether it is FB, autotrader, ebay, gumtree, etc, then if you are buying from a private seller there is obviously a slight risk there. Buying from a dealer doesn't guarantee a problem free experience either.

 

[omarlilyo]

I guess I did.

I contacted the seller and discussed the bike and its history first. Then arranged to look at it. It was in decent condition. Not perfect but what I would have expected. I checked over the service history, that the V5 address matched his, had a good look around the bike, checked all controls worked and watched him briefly ride it. I checked the obvious things such as general condition, chain and sprocket wear, that the VIN on the V5 matched the number on the frame, that the frame and forks all looked straight without any obvious cracks or bends, etc. It is my first bike so I am not an expert on what the engine should sound like but I listened for any obvious noises and it seemed OK.

I am not a mechanic and don't have any bike experience. But I have done basic work on one of my cars (a 27 year old VW). So I felt reasonably confident to spot anything very obvious and would just fix anything I didn't spot. I think if the price had been higher then I would have preferred to buy from a dealer so I had more comeback. But the bike looked and felt right and the seller seems genuine so I took a chance.

Wherever you buy from, whether it is FB, autotrader, ebay, gumtree, etc, then if you are buying from a private seller there is obviously a slight risk there. Buying from a dealer doesn't guarantee a problem free experience either.

Thank you, very helpful and youve given me a little checklist!

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Another thing to look for is failing/failed fork seals. They harden as they age and wear real fast if the exposed fork stanchions are marked or pitted from rust. Wipe the fork stanchions clean, then sit on the bike with the front brake applied and push down on the handlebars as hard as you can 3-4 times. If there’s oil on the stanchions, the seals need replacing.

Not a big job if you’re used to working on bikes and have a decent set of tools. If you don’t, you’re probably looking at £200 plus for a garage to fix.

Either way, it would be a good haggling point if the rest of the bike is okay.