Varadero 125cc Alternative?

TallPaul_S

TallPaul_S

TallPaul_S

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Kent
So, I'm gonna be doing my CBT in the next month or so, with a view to getting a 125cc bike to use mainly as a commuter. I'm 32 so could do a DAS but for a couple of reasons, I'll be perfectly happy doing just a CBT and getting a 125cc. Work will be 7 miles away which in a car/bike would take 20-25 minutes, so leaving at 8:30 to get there for 9am, on the bus (which I'll be doing for the first few weeks) I'll have to leave at 7:30am/get back at 6:30pm after a 5pm finish and it'll cost £30 a week vs £10 a week for a 125. :rolleyes:

Have been looking at the range of 125's available, and would love a varadero! I'm a tall fella (as you will have guessed ;) ) at 6ft 3, and something more 'normal' sized as opposed to something like a honda CG will suit me better, i think. Only issue is, is that money is very tight at the moment, starting a new job at the end of september and will need to save up for the bike and all the gear, for helmet/jacket/trousers (textile as I'll be commuting year round) boots & gloves I've allowed £500-600. Could possible go cheaper through ebay, but tbh I'd rather buy from a shop and get stuff that fits me properly, being tall and skinny means I have long arms too so a lot of stuff doesn't fit properly.

If I go for a 'dero, it means £2k at least in total, which will mean it'll be well into november before I start riding, and that means cold/dark/wet, not the ideal time to be starting out. I know they hold their value very well so when/if a year down the line when I sell and do a DAS then I won't lose much (especially if I sell at the start of summer).
On the other hand I could get a decent CG125 for £700-800 (there's one for sale locally at the moment for £650) which would be a little cheaper to run (insurance mainly) but for someone my height I'd prefer something a bit larger/more modern.

Anything else out there that's a 125 and similar to the varadero? Been looking the last couple of weeks but there doesn't seem to be!

And the reason I'm happy just doing a CBT and getting a 125cc is partly family - I relocated from bristol to kent a couple of months ago and so am back with the parents at the moment, so they took a little convincing about the dangers, I know they would be far happier with me on a 125cc and getting some experience before getting a bigger bike, and partly the fact that apart from a free 1 hour taster session, I've never ridden a bike before so would prefer to get started on a 125cc, get some miles under my belt, and then do my DAS/move up to a bigger bike next summer once I've got my own place. And of course the money, 125's are cheap as chips to run!

TL: DR - will I look like a plonker on a CG125 at 6ft 3, and is there a cheaper alternative to a varadero 125?

Ta! :D
 
i can't think of anything else with the tourer/adventure style but a yamaha wr 125 is the only other bike that has a tall seat height, my suggestion would be find a couple of bike dealers and sit on a few 125's, you never know you might be comfy on a cbr it all depends on the proportion of your body.
 
CBF might be a bit of a compromise, will be a much cheaper or newer bike but a step up from a cg but yer it's still "smaller" than a Val.
 
TallPaul_S said:
for helmet/jacket/trousers (textile as I'll be commuting year round) boots & gloves I've allowed £500-600.
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i got all my stuff for under 500 from j&s, and that was with a 179 helmet, could get a 60quid sale jobbie and be good.
 
2 grand for a Varadero? Thought that would be way off but having checked autotrader seems bikes are a bit pricey on the mainland compared to here!

I paid £1,400 for mine, an 08 with 3,000 miles on it!

As for what you look like...who cares, if you are comfortable on it - Go for it!
 
Tefal said:
i got all my stuff for under 500 from j&s, and that was with a 179 helmet, could get a 60quid sale jobbie and be good.
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Yeah i'll have a look what they have in the shop, need a decent jacket& trousers though as I'll be out in all weathers, already seen and tried on an RST Raptor II textile jacket, seemed damn nice for the price (and fitted fairly well).

Sin_Chase said:
2 grand for a Varadero? Thought that would be way off but having checked autotrader seems bikes are a bit pricey on the mainland compared to here!

I paid £1,400 for mine, an 08 with 3,000 miles on it!

As for what you look like...who cares, if you are comfortable on it - Go for it!
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What island is that on!!?? might be worth a trip there... :eek:

I did mean £2k for all the gear and the bike, but even £1500 might struggle to find one, there are the odd ones that go for a bit cheaper but the vast majority of them are priced in the £1600-£2k range.

Hopefully prices will lower a little towards winter.

TBH I'm not bothered about how stupid I look on the bike, but chances are if I look like a bear riding a circus bike than it's not going to be that comfy to ride :D
 
My stuff was all textile and I've roads in allsorts in it, all ixs stuff. Decent quality for reasonable price
 
I would recommend getting your full licence ASAP, it'll be easier to do now rather than when you've picked up bad habits on the 125cc and will give you a huge choice in bikes that will suit your height and budget.

A 125 can kill you just as easily as a 600cc+. (You may want to re-phrase that argument if you're trying to convince family :p)

Also, you'll be a much better and (hopefully) safer rider after the DAS rather than going straight on the road after the CBT.
 
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I had a Varadero, you won't lose a great deal of money on it over a couple of years they hold their money well, maybe think of it as a good investment rather than a cost now.

I couldn't find anything I'd rather have than my Varadero and I'm 6 3, you won't regret it, a lot of people thought it was a 600 and was like riding a sewing machine, lovely.
 
sorry to gate crash this thread.

recently did my cbt but am in a similar situation as the OP. i struggled on the CBF they gave me, u turn was no problem, figure of 8 was hard and i couldn't stop my self looking down on the tarmac and getting the wobbles. they noticed i was struggling and switched me to an honda XR which if found easier to ride.


im 5 9 and 22st, the instructors said look at varaderos and nothing else not even the XR as according to them theres a big differance in handling and the ride.

still between £1400-£2000 on a bike i may end up dropping at some point :(
 
I've just picked up a Yamaha YZF R125. I too struggled a bit finding the CBF a bit cramped (I'm 6'1") and the Yamaha seemed a huge improvement.
I've read they're not great for doing a test on due to being less maneuverable over a short distance (mod 1) but I'm just planning on using it to get a few miles under my belt and doing my test on a 600cc in 6 months time or so.

EDIT: Just read this on the Yamaha website:
Unlike many 125cc bikes, the R125 is built on a full-sized chassis providing a more comfortable riding position – especially for taller riders.
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Ok, so my suggestion is a CHINESE bike...but built in the same factory as Yamaha use...Chinese bikes have a bad rap I know but have improved substantially in recent years, on bike... For me the only cheap alternative sports tourer type bike would be the Sinnis Terrain...why?... Well you could watch the reviews yourself, there are plenty out there.... One thing I will say is that Sinnis have a BRILLIANT warranty on this bike which boasts how Confident they are about this bike, there is plenty of support with multiple showrooms across the country, ..... Now there has been some complaints of electrical faults to do with the kick stand, it has a shut off device that stops you starting the bike with it down... A great safety feature... Don't worry you can still start it with the middle stand making maintenance easy, this fault is the only one I've heard... Easily fixed..... The point is... As long as you're competent with basic maintenance (tightening the chain etc) you'll be absolutely fine! You'll have a great bike, it comes with brilliant storage as stand and a handy usb port near the dash, perfect if you don't feel like hard wiring one in yourself just so you can use your phone and sat Nav.... Anyway mate, good luck and safe riding!
 
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Jeez, this thread takes me back!! :D I've done about 40K+ miles on bikes since this thread!

Chrilina101 said:
Ok, so my suggestion is a CHINESE bike...but built in the same factory as Yamaha use...Chinese bikes have a bad rap I know but have improved substantially in recent years, on bike... For me the only cheap alternative sports tourer type bike would be the Sinnis Terrain...why?... Well you could watch the reviews yourself, there are plenty out there.... One thing I will say is that Sinnis have a BRILLIANT warranty on this bike which boasts how Confident they are about this bike, there is plenty of support with multiple showrooms across the country, ..... Now there has been some complaints of electrical faults to do with the kick stand, it has a shut off device that stops you starting the bike with it down... A great safety feature... Don't worry you can still start it with the middle stand making maintenance easy, this fault is the only one I've heard... Easily fixed..... The point is... As long as you're competent with basic maintenance (tightening the chain etc) you'll be absolutely fine! You'll have a great bike, it comes with brilliant storage as stand and a handy usb port near the dash, perfect if you don't feel like hard wiring one in yourself just so you can use your phone and sat Nav.... Anyway mate, good luck and safe riding!
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Excellent first post sir, basically advertising chinese crap bikes, in a 4 year old thead. :rolleyes:
tom_e said:
It'll be more reliable than his Italian beast...yeah I went there :D
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:eek::mad::D
 
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