113cc scooter to 125cc bike?

[DJDuckVenom]

So I've had my lil Suzuki address since I was 17. I love it however I have some annoyance with it. To start off it usually tops out at 55mph on a straight, would love for it just to go a lil bit faster even just 5mph more. My main gripe is with it's speed up a hill. Usually it tops out 40mph up a hill.

So I'm turning 18 soon and I thought about treating myself to a 125 bike. Would I notice a difference in the areas I have specified? My main reason for asking is because of the gears so I could "push" the bike more. I haven't got a specific 125 in mind but I was looking at the lexmoto venom 125 efi.

Another thing to consider is that I will be going on long journeys after lock down. Mainly from Swansea to London because of uni.

What do you guys think?

[Pravus1]

Dont buy a new lexmoto. Your money is much better spend on a second hand CBF or YBR. I recently rescued a CBF that had been sitting outside without cover for 2 years and it only needed a new battery and grease. You do that with a lexmoto and you'll be left with a small pile of rust.

Tops out around 70 and 50-60 depending on how steep the hill is.

[airsafari87]

How lardy are you? Because you will still lose speed going uphill on a 125. How tubby you are will affect how low that speed drops.

Average top speed of a 125 will be around 70mph with a fair wind. More likely cruising speed will be around 50 to 55mph though, again dependent on pie consumption.

Swansea to London as a regular commute on a 125 though? Eff that for an effer!!

[rat840771]

Swansea to London on a 125!!

Get the train, I did Cambridge to London once on my 400 scooter, It did it but it was boiling hot once I got home and don’t think it could have taken many more trips.

Thrashing a 125 on a commute would not be my idea of fun and dangerous.

[TommyBuoy]

I can't advise which 125 to get, but honestly, get a train to Uni or put money into a car.

The performance benefits of a 125 would make riding more enjoyable, but Swansea to London on a 125 sounds horrendous, whatever it may be if you have to arrive by a certain time.

[LuS1fer]

Many 125s will only hit 60 so I would advise against. It will be purgatory especially with average speed cameras limiting you to 50 in many areas.

I once did Chester to Cardiff on a Honda SS50 moped. It was interminable but felt an achievement.

Later, I did Cardiff to Oxford on a Honda CB250RS via A roads (pre-test) which was tolerable but still only enjoyable because it was a sunny day.

[lukeyman]

Swansea, Swansea? Sod that...

[Donbot]

Air cooled bikes around 10-11 bhp do about 60.

Stuff like ybr/cbf

The more expensive full power liquid cooled bikes do about 75.

For the faster ones you are looking at a varadero, yamaha r125, gsxr125 etc.

[sociopath]

airsafari87 said:

How lardy are you? Because you will still lose speed going uphill on a 125. How tubby you are will affect how low that speed drops.

Average top speed of a 125 will be around 70mph with a fair wind. More likely cruising speed will be around 50 to 55mph though, again dependent on pie consumption.

Swansea to London as a regular commute on a 125 though? Eff that for an effer!!

Ahreed, anyone sensible would only do swansea to london on a 125 once, heck its a boring as hell journey on a 1200

[NorthernSky]

Honda Grom is what you need (AKA MSX125).

Hilarious fun and 100mpg easily - you'll learn how to use gearing and have a great time, and pull loads of girls at Uni because of biker cred. :-)

Invest in a good chain and disc lock and don't insure it based in London, use the Swansea address for a cheaper premium.

[airsafari87]

NorthernSky said:

Honda Grom is what you need (AKA MSX125).

Hilarious fun and 100mpg easily - you'll learn how to use gearing and have a great time, and pull loads of girls at Uni because of biker cred. :-)

Invest in a good chain and disc lock and don't insure it based in London, use the Swansea address for a cheaper premium.

Dress like that though and expect to be deservedly shot on sight.

[DJDuckVenom]

Thanks for the responses!

I should of said in my post that I won't be doing that commute often. Only when I come home to visit. So about 3/4 times max a year

[Iminquarantine]

You sound like a biker in the making, so my advice is buy a 125 and make the best of it.

I've only ever owned an air cooled 125 and it was not much more powerful than you describe your scooter. Look into liquid cooled which may have a power bump. Don't forget a disc lock and a chain, or somebody will steal it. It has become marginally better the last few years as Deliveroo and Uber Eats mean there are a lot more two wheeled vehicles on the road now. You are a bit protected from theft by numbers.

[S2r]

Ignore all the nay-sayers, a geared 125 will do more than 60, Lex moto aren't that bad and at about half the price of the equivalent 'quality' brand, they are good value so will cost less to fix if/when you drop it (or you kick it back into shape and carry on, happy in the knowledge that you haven't dropped a £3k bike).

Buy one, run it until you pass your test and get something bigger