The question you've heard a million times before !

omarlilyo · 14 May 2021 at 21:19

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 !

omarlilyo · 15 May 2021 at 09:37

Drangueos said:
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!

omarlilyo · 15 May 2021 at 23:51

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

omarlilyo · 16 May 2021 at 11:08

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

Hades said:
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?

omarlilyo · 19 May 2021 at 23:20

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

Thanks, where did you look? EBay, autotrader?

omarlilyo · 20 May 2021 at 08:42

Hades said:
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

omarlilyo · 20 May 2021 at 09:10

Hades said:
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!