Why are 125cc's so expensive in the UK?

IC3

IC3

IC3

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I've started looking at 125cc's as couple of my friends started to do their CBT's and buying 125cc's. I said to myself that I will wait till I can do A2, as I have driven a RS125 De-restricted daily not that long ago in a different country. But the prices for something else than the usual choices are high 2.5-3k. :eek:

I have a friend in France and when I showed him the prices he was shocked, you can sometimes get similar bike for nearly £1000 less in France! I also checked the market in my country and the prices were the same as France. I than checked Germany whenever they're any different, but it seems that across the Europe prices only vary a little bit and when adding the cost of importing it comes to around the same figure.

I was mainly looking at KTM EXC125, Husqvarna SMS125, Aprilia RS125 and other 2 strokes. But the price difference does not just differ for 2T its the same for 4T.

Why is the premium so high in the UK? :confused:
 
RyanF said:
Probably something to do with the fact that we've got the most irresponsible teenagers in the EU
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Possible, its also really tricky to find a learners bike in a good shape without any scratches on either side of the bike. :(

Getting bike from FR to UK would cost £70-£100 if not less, I imported my Yamaha Raptor 250R from Poland to UK and paid £100 or £120.
 
125s are mostly seen as either cheap all weather commuter bikes or a stepping stone to use while you wait till you can do your full licence in the UK so general cosmetic condition isn't a massive thing for most people as long as it's mechanically sound.
 
IC3 said:
Why is the premium so high in the UK? :confused:
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Because everyone has to learn on a 125, even if it's just the first bit of DAS.
Because so many people favour the 125, even after getting a full licence, for commuting, cost, or whatever.
Because quite a few people get into the 125 enthusiast 'scene'.
Because there is a 125cc racing category.
Because this is the UK and everything is expensive.
 
ttaskmaster said:
Because everyone has to learn on a 125, even if it's just the first bit of DAS.
Because so many people favour the 125, even after getting a full licence, for commuting, cost, or whatever.
Because quite a few people get into the 125 enthusiast 'scene'.
Because there is a 125cc racing category.
Because this is the UK and everything is expensive.
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Not everything, lots of cars are a lot cheaper in here than anywhere else. There are some odds like the GT86/BRZ which cost nearly double in the UK than anywhere else in the EU. But most bikes above 125cc are cheaper in the UK, a lot of people import from UK especially older bikes from 90's and early 00's.

Edit:

I'm just going to import something from FR or PL, cheaper and when the time comes to sell the bike I will still probably get more for it. Overpaying £800-£1000 is just too much of a difference tbh...
 
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The reason why they're expensive is because they're always in demand - because you can ride one after doing a days course that costs £120. The upside of this is they hold their value, buy a used 125 for £1500 and you'll probably only lose a hundred quid when you come to sell it a year later.
 
Has anyone ever imported anything from a different country (e.g. FR, DE?) to the UK, but still staying within the EU?

I have a friend in France, but the only time he can really help me out is during weekends as he works 5 days a week and is gone for the whole day. So the language barrier might be problematic during the process of buying the bike, the easiest option would be to get something from my country. I really want a 2T Enduro which I'll convert into SM as I hate enduro tyres on concrete.

In the UK I will have to spend 2.5-3k+, for other options just for the bike I will be looking at maximum of £2k (more like £1800) for a really mint example with low miles which in here I can easily sell next day for 2800 without bigger hassle.
 
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Clov!s said:
How long will you be on a CBT before going for your A2?
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7-8 months 9 being the max, I'm tempted to buy enduro now that will be suitable for A2 and ride it off road. But like I use to live abroad literally 800m from the nearest forest, in here I have no clue where to go... :confused:

Edit:

Does KTM SMC690 go under A2 after restrictions? I know you can ride Duke 690 restricted, but its significantly heavier.

wazza300 said:
I actually made £300 when I sold my kmx 125 few years ago,it was mint tho
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Its a nioce bioke, pretty reliable for a 2T. My friend sold his DT and bought KMX which he had for quite a while.
 
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just pickup a cheap 4 stroke 125 to tide you over till you pass your test

when you add up the shipping and import fees if any,it'll work out the same price as here

you can get some bargain bikes if you look/buy private
 
wazza300 said:
just pickup a cheap 4 stroke 125 to tide you over till you pass your test

when you add up the shipping and import fees if any,it'll work out the same price as here

you can get some bargain bikes if you look/buy private
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Any models that you have particularly in mind? I was thinking of bikes like Suzuki SR, Yamaha SR, cruisers seem like a better choice for slower rides. :cool:

You might be right, too much hassle of importing. I thought I might as well since I have the money to do so...

arfoll said:
Yeah no problem it's 49KW so you can restrict to 35KW and that's A2 compliant.
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SMC is my dream SM, its great to hear I can actually ride it. It is a bit pricey, but I don't have any other hobbies... so might as well buy what I want :)
 
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wazza300 said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-WR...807?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a32ad2e7

how much did you wanna spend? 2 strokes are ok but they don't last long,i managed 23k miles before my big end or little end went,four stroke will last a lot longer

heres a cheaper one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-WR...6&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&sd=221780824807&rt=nc
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I saved up around 5-6k so far, I was going to wait till A2. But since summer is here and pretty much all my mates couldn't wait till their A2, they are nagging me to do CBT and get a 125. I could probably spend around 2.2k? Depends how much I will get back in 10-12 months times for it?
 
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