CBT passed so a what bike.

[stupidbutkeen]

Now I have passed the cbt I want to change from a 100cc honda lead scooter to a new bike.
My wife has lost her touch and forgot to say no when I said I am going to buy a new bike this weekend,So I am taking that as a 'ok you have my full and total blessing to spend our money on a new shiny thing'. Sooo with this in mind I have been looking online and at lots of reviews etc and have decided I do not know what kind of bike I want.

budget is set at £2700 at the most and will be to get me to work and the odd trip to the shops,Will use the car for trips that my wife says I need to take her on.

So far I have narrowed it down to 3 bikes, a honda cbf 125, a yamaha ybf 125 (both £2700 on 4.9% credit) or a piaggio fly 125 scooter.(£2400 and 0%)

I do fancy the scooter route for ease of driving it to work in the morns and the storage and the fun or it being a scooter, But my head is saying to go geared bike due to being slightly quicker.

Any other bike I should be looking at?

[CaptainSlow]

I know it's nice to buy brand new, but buy second hand...you'll save a grand on a 2 year old bike..even from a dealer.

YBR by the way.

[Planter]

Totally agree with Capt.slow.

Get second hand, save over half your cash. If you enjoy it, youll have a yearning for more, so will take your full license and then want something better. Save the cash for that.

[Mastodon2]

As above, 125s tend to depreciate quite quickly in the first 2 years / few thousand miles, then depreciate very slowly after that. Let someone else take the hit, and when you want a bigger bike you'll be able to sell yours for practically what you paid for it.

[jcelee]

There are perhaps some key questions to answer before deciding on a bike / scooter.
1) Does it have to be financed?
2) How far are you commuting?
3) How fast are the roads on your commute?
4) Is this a stepping stone to a big bike or just a means to get to work?
5) How tall / big are you?

If you just want a means of getting to work on max. 40mph roads then something like a Honda PCX 125 Scooter would be hard to beat.
Twist and squirt scooters are so easy to ride (and in the case of the PCX very smooth) with lots of practical storage while the controls of a 125 motorbike are rarely silky smooth and comparatively unpleasant.

If you're going to join dual carriageways and lots of national speed limits then maybe a Yamaha YZF125 or a Honda Varadero 125 (good for bigger riders) would be good. If its a short slow plod and you're going to be doing a DAS course in 6-12 months time then Honda CB125, CBF125 or Yamaha YBR125.

[Baryonyx]

You could just blow all your budget on an Aprilia RS125, which are undoubtedly the coolest bikes at the price point, and in two stroke form make respectable power after being derestricted. If you're looking to get something to learn and pass your test on whilst being a good day to day bike in between, look for something lightly used and Japanese. The market for 125's is usually pretty buoyant, so you shouldn't struggle to sell it when you're done with it.

Edited by Baryonyx on Friday 19th September 11:20

[barker22]

I bought a brand new r125 when I got my first 125 OP. After I lost £1000 after only 3500 miles, I promised myself I wouldn't ever buy brand new again....unless I come into a ridiculous amount of money.
I would seriously recommend a 2nd hand 125 from one of the jap manufacturers. The engines are fairly bulletproof and you save a huge amount of money that makes owning the bike even cheaper.

[LiamB]

Second hand Varadero

[Mr2Mike]

Buying a brand new 125 is definitely going to cause you some pain in terms of initial depreciation, and the only real advantage is the warranty. However, the Japanese 4-stroke 125's are very tough machines in general, and are not expensive to repair or service.

Two years old, 1600 miles, £1000 less than new price

Three years old, 2200 miles, £1500 less than new

[jcelee]

I bought an 8 month old Honda PCX 125 with about 6500 miles on it at the beginning of June for £1000 below the new price and sold it less than 3 months later on 7000 miles (having realized I wanted a big bike and done DAS) for the same price I paid for it.

[stupidbutkeen]

I had decided on the ybr but I have just been offered a 09 CBF with 6500 miles MOT and tax until april for the princly sum of £1,100
with a proper protected jacket and suit, proper boots,a helmet that cost him £150,a rain cover and tank bag.

Will be buying it tomorrow(well have to give him £300 deposit with rest on monday tbh) But I think its a bit of a bargain with a brucey bonus on top tbh.

[jcelee]

Sounds like a good deal providing everything is in good shape. Just make sure all of the gear fits you well and I'd suggest you buy yourself a new helmet regardless.

[Baryonyx]

I don't know how others feel about used kit. Used helmets (or any helmet without provenance, IE: you bought it brand new) is worth avoiding, simply because it's not worth the risk. Used jackets, trousers, boots and stuff?

Personally, I find the thought of wearing someone else's bike kit fairly unsavoury. All that sweat...

The private adverts on our work computers often have 125cc bikes coming up for sale, offered with a full set of used clothing for 'ride away'. Some of the bikes are worth a look and the prices are often quite a bit less than even the average private seller price, but the kit, I think I'd just leave it with them...

[stupidbutkeen]

I already have my own gear but its always handy to have a just in case spare set of gear I suppose is my thinking, Plus the bike is cheap with a known owner to me. It just a right place right time thing i suppose

[stupidbutkeen]

my new bike, Pick it up on tuesday

[Mastodon2]

Good stuff, can't go wrong with one of these. I got one as courtesy bike while my GSX-R was at the dealership getting some work done, I had only intended to go straight home on it but it was such a laugh I ended up taking a 50 mile detour. The suspension is very bouncy, though it doesn't detract from the fun.