Discussion
I'm buying a bike tomorrow, which is a 2015 Huoniao HN125,
The owner claims its a project bike and hes unable to finish it, it runs and in perfect condition.
He says he has the log book, but the plate he has is not registered yet under anyones name.
It has no MOT, No tax, £550.
I have no idea if this is gonna be a ball ache or is it going to be a easy one.
Do I get it for a bargin if the bike is in running order, This will be my first bike and never done this before.
The owner claims its a project bike and hes unable to finish it, it runs and in perfect condition.
He says he has the log book, but the plate he has is not registered yet under anyones name.
It has no MOT, No tax, £550.
I have no idea if this is gonna be a ball ache or is it going to be a easy one.
Do I get it for a bargin if the bike is in running order, This will be my first bike and never done this before.
Advice: do not buy it. It's Chinese crap. You'll be very lucky if you get it working again, and even more lucky if you get it working reliably.
My advice would be to get a 125 from one of the Japanese big four. It will be much older but it will be an infinitely better way of spending your money. You will also be able to sell it for what you bought it for.
Also the whole thing about registration is a massive red flag and would have me running a mile even for a decent bike.
It's cheap for a reason. And yet at £550 I reckon it's still appalling value.
My advice would be to get a 125 from one of the Japanese big four. It will be much older but it will be an infinitely better way of spending your money. You will also be able to sell it for what you bought it for.
Also the whole thing about registration is a massive red flag and would have me running a mile even for a decent bike.
It's cheap for a reason. And yet at £550 I reckon it's still appalling value.
I wouldn't buy anyone elses "project" for a first bike regardless of brand.
Do yourself a favour, save up a bit more, and get something ready to ride from a mainstream brand. It will at least be worth something when you come to sell it and be easier to sell.
You dont want to give yourself a load of hassle for your first bike nor throw away the money you have saved up.
Do yourself a favour, save up a bit more, and get something ready to ride from a mainstream brand. It will at least be worth something when you come to sell it and be easier to sell.
You dont want to give yourself a load of hassle for your first bike nor throw away the money you have saved up.
I’d be running far from that.
“Project” on what should already be an extremely cheap bike if it was legitimate and straight, no thanks.
Friend of mine wanted a dirt cheap bike he could ride in any weather and completely neglect to save trashing his Triumph, paid around £600 for a Lexmoto thing with 12 months MOT, no registration issues and actually ran.
Absolutely hateful piece of junk but did what he needed it to do for 8 months.
“Project” on what should already be an extremely cheap bike if it was legitimate and straight, no thanks.
Friend of mine wanted a dirt cheap bike he could ride in any weather and completely neglect to save trashing his Triumph, paid around £600 for a Lexmoto thing with 12 months MOT, no registration issues and actually ran.
Absolutely hateful piece of junk but did what he needed it to do for 8 months.
tonybuk86 said:
I'm buying a bike tomorrow, which is a 2015 Huoniao HN125,
The owner claims its a project bike and hes unable to finish it, it runs and in perfect condition.
He says he has the log book, but the plate he has is not registered yet under anyones name.
It has no MOT, No tax, £550.
I have no idea if this is gonna be a ball ache or is it going to be a easy one.
Do I get it for a bargin if the bike is in running order, This will be my first bike and never done this before.
I don't think we'll see the OP back again.The owner claims its a project bike and hes unable to finish it, it runs and in perfect condition.
He says he has the log book, but the plate he has is not registered yet under anyones name.
It has no MOT, No tax, £550.
I have no idea if this is gonna be a ball ache or is it going to be a easy one.
Do I get it for a bargin if the bike is in running order, This will be my first bike and never done this before.
He had his (possibly teenage) mind set on getting a new shiny thing and all the big bad bikers ruined it for him..
Rubin215 said:
tonybuk86 said:
I'm buying a bike tomorrow, which is a 2015 Huoniao HN125,
The owner claims its a project bike and hes unable to finish it, it runs and in perfect condition.
He says he has the log book, but the plate he has is not registered yet under anyones name.
It has no MOT, No tax, £550.
I have no idea if this is gonna be a ball ache or is it going to be a easy one.
Do I get it for a bargin if the bike is in running order, This will be my first bike and never done this before.
I don't think we'll see the OP back again.The owner claims its a project bike and hes unable to finish it, it runs and in perfect condition.
He says he has the log book, but the plate he has is not registered yet under anyones name.
It has no MOT, No tax, £550.
I have no idea if this is gonna be a ball ache or is it going to be a easy one.
Do I get it for a bargin if the bike is in running order, This will be my first bike and never done this before.
He had his (possibly teenage) mind set on getting a new shiny thing and all the big bad bikers ruined it for him..
Biker 1 said:
7 year old Chinese bike? No chance - walk away!
Even if the bike was mint, I reckon spare parts availability would be a real issue on this...
Even if it was Japanese, I would still walk away if there is any issue whatsoever with V5/registration.
Just this.Even if the bike was mint, I reckon spare parts availability would be a real issue on this...
Even if it was Japanese, I would still walk away if there is any issue whatsoever with V5/registration.
OP, run far and run fast. Stretch to something like a Honda CB125 if you possibly can, and one which is actually running. As has already been said, you'll be able to sell it whenever you want for what you paid for it.
Just please avoid the cheap Chinese crap.
I've posted on chinese bikes previously; they aren't as utterly terrible as a lot of people make out BUT, they are built to be relatively disposable products. The build quality of chinese bikes is reasonable now compared to 10-15 years or so ago when they aren't their reputation of being s
tbuckets; although any chrome work will likely look naff after a year or so and some bolts will need replacing too - but otherwise the engines are solid little things that do the job.
HOWEVER a 7 year old HN-125 (I had one for a short while as a Lexmoto Vixen) is going to be towards the end of its life now even if maintenance has been kept ontop of - if it has been neglected, and quite honestly this being a 'project' with no MOT etc. seems to fall into that camp - so my take is that it's only good for parts; and if seeking to buy it to ride it - it is NOT worth £500 (I bought a 64 plate Vixen in good condition with 11months MOT in winter 2016 for less than £300)
The whole registration thing would be an instant no for me as well. A quick look on the usual sites finds a LOT of 125's for £500 or less with 9+ months MOT and no dubious registration issues so definitely avoid this one and look elsewehere. If money is tight the chinese bikes aren't bad, but look for one that isnt a project, has reasonable mileage (which shows it hasnt been left to rot in a garden like a lot of these end up!) and is no more than 4 or 5 years old.
Good luck
tbuckets; although any chrome work will likely look naff after a year or so and some bolts will need replacing too - but otherwise the engines are solid little things that do the job.HOWEVER a 7 year old HN-125 (I had one for a short while as a Lexmoto Vixen) is going to be towards the end of its life now even if maintenance has been kept ontop of - if it has been neglected, and quite honestly this being a 'project' with no MOT etc. seems to fall into that camp - so my take is that it's only good for parts; and if seeking to buy it to ride it - it is NOT worth £500 (I bought a 64 plate Vixen in good condition with 11months MOT in winter 2016 for less than £300)
The whole registration thing would be an instant no for me as well. A quick look on the usual sites finds a LOT of 125's for £500 or less with 9+ months MOT and no dubious registration issues so definitely avoid this one and look elsewehere. If money is tight the chinese bikes aren't bad, but look for one that isnt a project, has reasonable mileage (which shows it hasnt been left to rot in a garden like a lot of these end up!) and is no more than 4 or 5 years old.
Good luck
Thanks guys, I never went for this bike, he said it would pass through mot, but never said the plate wasn't registered, I turned it down, I'm just gonna save up for the bike I want brand new, I'm half way there to getting it. What does everyone think of a keeway, they good bikes or na?
If you're after it as a learner with the intention to upgrade to something bigger in the future, personally I'd be be looking for something like a Honda CG, Yamaha YBR, or similar big brand name stalwarts of the riding schools. Yes they'll be more expensive than the lesser known brands, and yes they're considered "boring" by many, however they're as reliable as a brick and they hold thier value well so you won't lose much money on it if you sell in a years time. Plus parts are cheap because there are so many of them about.
My wife had a 2 year old Chinese copy of a CG125 we bought cheap off a mates girlfriend. It was great for her to learn on but only because I've been maintaining my own bikes for years and have a reasonable idea what I'm doing. It needed new shocks for it's first MoT (being a CG clone cheap CG parts fitted though), and in hindsight I spent so long fettling the carb after the throttle cable broke I should have just bought a Honda carb for it as well. Chinese bikes - fine as a project, not good for an inexperienced mechanic.
At the cheaper end of the market Sym have a pretty good reputation, and Lexmoto might be worth a look, Chinese parts but but built by a UK company I believe, not tried one but they seem to be getting quite common.
My wife had a 2 year old Chinese copy of a CG125 we bought cheap off a mates girlfriend. It was great for her to learn on but only because I've been maintaining my own bikes for years and have a reasonable idea what I'm doing. It needed new shocks for it's first MoT (being a CG clone cheap CG parts fitted though), and in hindsight I spent so long fettling the carb after the throttle cable broke I should have just bought a Honda carb for it as well. Chinese bikes - fine as a project, not good for an inexperienced mechanic.
At the cheaper end of the market Sym have a pretty good reputation, and Lexmoto might be worth a look, Chinese parts but but built by a UK company I believe, not tried one but they seem to be getting quite common.
tonybuk86 said:
Thanks guys, I never went for this bike, he said it would pass through mot, but never said the plate wasn't registered, I turned it down, I'm just gonna save up for the bike I want brand new, I'm half way there to getting it. What does everyone think of a keeway, they good bikes or na?
It's a false economy going for a new Chinese bike, the resale will be rubbish on it, the bike will be rubbish, I highly doubt you will get any warranty with it and it will most likely break a lot, take a look at the reviews, they are hardly glowing.Spend a bit more and get a used bike from on of the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Yamaha etc... will be reliable and safe.
If you buy the right bike it will work out cheaper than getting hit with depreciation and repair bills.
tonybuk86 said:
Thanks guys, I never went for this bike, he said it would pass through mot, but never said the plate wasn't registered, I turned it down, I'm just gonna save up for the bike I want brand new, I'm half way there to getting it. What does everyone think of a keeway, they good bikes or na?
I can predict the replies before they even come.Again, it's Chinese. I think you need to move away from the idea of a Chinese bike. Cheap crap = Chinese / Chinese = cheap crap.
And why buy a learner bike new? You'll lose a quarter of the value as soon as you ride the thing away from the dealer. Buy a 1 or 2 year old Japanese bike if you must have the newest bike possible, but there's nothing wrong with a 125cc bike which is a few years old.
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