The Weird Market That is 125’s....
Discussion
Who knew buying a 125 could be so stressful....?
Long story short, my girlfriend has just done her CBT after never ridden a bike before but wants to get on 125 for the summer to get used to riding a bike, pretty fair!
She did her CBT on CBF125 and quite liked it, of course she did, it’s the only motorbike she’s ever ridden.
We missed out on a year old, sub 2.5k mile well looked after example for £1950 the other day. However the market for them is ridiculous. The price between an abused example vs a semi decent example vs a beaut of a example is marginal. We are talking a few hundred quid between them. I want to stick with a Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha etc as the prices hold well as seen, so am not interested in your kimco’s, Lexmotos etc!
I want to get her a decent example that’s been looked after for sub £2k. Or will accept a slightly older tattier example but mechanically great for around the £1k mark. But then used prices of the good ones aren’t far off a brand new one, but high mileage tatty ones which haven’t been cared for take £1k all day long.
The process is stressing me out, who knew it would be so hard. I remember my old Gilera Rx125 from back when I was 17, had about 24HP, built like a tank, and probably cost me around £1200. I feel like if you get a good bike at a good price, you are golden and will get your money back all day long.
If anyone can point me in the direction of a decent bike by all means, show me the way!
Long story short, my girlfriend has just done her CBT after never ridden a bike before but wants to get on 125 for the summer to get used to riding a bike, pretty fair!
She did her CBT on CBF125 and quite liked it, of course she did, it’s the only motorbike she’s ever ridden.
We missed out on a year old, sub 2.5k mile well looked after example for £1950 the other day. However the market for them is ridiculous. The price between an abused example vs a semi decent example vs a beaut of a example is marginal. We are talking a few hundred quid between them. I want to stick with a Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha etc as the prices hold well as seen, so am not interested in your kimco’s, Lexmotos etc!
I want to get her a decent example that’s been looked after for sub £2k. Or will accept a slightly older tattier example but mechanically great for around the £1k mark. But then used prices of the good ones aren’t far off a brand new one, but high mileage tatty ones which haven’t been cared for take £1k all day long.
The process is stressing me out, who knew it would be so hard. I remember my old Gilera Rx125 from back when I was 17, had about 24HP, built like a tank, and probably cost me around £1200. I feel like if you get a good bike at a good price, you are golden and will get your money back all day long.
If anyone can point me in the direction of a decent bike by all means, show me the way!
Used bike prices in general have gone absolutely mental in the last year or so across the board. An awful lot of utter rubbish being advertised too, and as you say, the difference between a good one and a bad one is often very little.
It really is just a question of waiting for something ok to come up. Rather than looking specifically for a certain brand and model, it’s probably worth compiling a list of a few different 125s that would do the job. After all, there’s very little difference in speed/handling etc.
It really is just a question of waiting for something ok to come up. Rather than looking specifically for a certain brand and model, it’s probably worth compiling a list of a few different 125s that would do the job. After all, there’s very little difference in speed/handling etc.
TT1138 said:
Used bike prices in general have gone absolutely mental in the last year or so across the board. An awful lot of utter rubbish being advertised too, and as you say, the difference between a good one and a bad one is often very little.
It really is just a question of waiting for something ok to come up. Rather than looking specifically for a certain brand and model, it’s probably worth compiling a list of a few different 125s that would do the job. After all, there’s very little difference in speed/handling etc.
Oh definetly there is a lot of rubbish about, it’s hard to differentiate between someone with a decent one who has underpriced or a overpriced battered bike. It really is just a question of waiting for something ok to come up. Rather than looking specifically for a certain brand and model, it’s probably worth compiling a list of a few different 125s that would do the job. After all, there’s very little difference in speed/handling etc.
Yer we are basically looking at the CBF’s, Yamaha YBR, Suzuki’s etc. Was meant to be looking at a Benelli TNT tomorrow but their Chinese engine and Lack of parts Is off putting.
A500leroy said:
This proves my point, I can get a brand new one (2019 that has sat in a showroom) from a Honda dealer down here in Kent for £200 less than that!Just been though exactly the same situation.
We've gone from 2 cars to one so I fancied alittle 125 to commute on and have an occasional bit of fun in the twisty country lanes around here. Will probably end up doing direct access soon though.
125 prices have gone insane and good, reasonably priced bikes are selling almost instantly. I hunted for about a fortnight and went to view some absolute dogs that were described as "immaculate" and missed out on a couple that I arranged to view but others jumped in, at the asking price, buying unseen (YBRs, CBFs etc)
I dropped lucky, I had my mind set on a Varadero, bigger bike so abit more comfortable for my not tiny frame and a twin but couldn't find a decent one for love nor money. Enquired at a dealer in Brighton (I'm in Nottingham) who had one, never got back to me, pulled the advert and relisted it 5 minutes later for £300 more!
Eventually one came for sale about 15 minutes away, I saw the advert 4 minutes after he listed it, rang him and told him if was as described, I'd pay his asking price (Good few hundred below it's actual value) and I'd be there within 2 hours. Turned up, bike was straight, guy was a mature rider and all checked out. Gave him his asking price. Between me calling him and getting there, he had 5 other calls about it!
Keep searching and if you see the right bike, get in there straight away.
Agree about avoiding the Lexmoto, Kymco, etc. I looked at getting one brand new as cheaper than more very used Japanese stuff, there is a very good reason for that! The amount I saw at 2/3 years old with rusted through swing arms, engine issues, electrical issues and all sorts of problems made me run a mile. Also, insurance on the Varadero is £195... Something like a Lexmoto Venom, they were asking a whisker off £400, sod that, more than my 240bhp car!
We've gone from 2 cars to one so I fancied alittle 125 to commute on and have an occasional bit of fun in the twisty country lanes around here. Will probably end up doing direct access soon though.
125 prices have gone insane and good, reasonably priced bikes are selling almost instantly. I hunted for about a fortnight and went to view some absolute dogs that were described as "immaculate" and missed out on a couple that I arranged to view but others jumped in, at the asking price, buying unseen (YBRs, CBFs etc)
I dropped lucky, I had my mind set on a Varadero, bigger bike so abit more comfortable for my not tiny frame and a twin but couldn't find a decent one for love nor money. Enquired at a dealer in Brighton (I'm in Nottingham) who had one, never got back to me, pulled the advert and relisted it 5 minutes later for £300 more!
Eventually one came for sale about 15 minutes away, I saw the advert 4 minutes after he listed it, rang him and told him if was as described, I'd pay his asking price (Good few hundred below it's actual value) and I'd be there within 2 hours. Turned up, bike was straight, guy was a mature rider and all checked out. Gave him his asking price. Between me calling him and getting there, he had 5 other calls about it!
Keep searching and if you see the right bike, get in there straight away.
Agree about avoiding the Lexmoto, Kymco, etc. I looked at getting one brand new as cheaper than more very used Japanese stuff, there is a very good reason for that! The amount I saw at 2/3 years old with rusted through swing arms, engine issues, electrical issues and all sorts of problems made me run a mile. Also, insurance on the Varadero is £195... Something like a Lexmoto Venom, they were asking a whisker off £400, sod that, more than my 240bhp car!
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/LDNBdye8.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/JmsGb8oT" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/JmsGb8oT.jpg)
My brother might sell his one if your interested?
I’ve got more pics but can’t link them.
It’s been parked up since he passed his test so hasn’t got mot. He was commuting on it before he passed so had no problems with it.
9700 miles on the clock.
He’s In Stanmore.
Edited by Das speck on Saturday 17th April 18:38
Best to go for a slightly older bike which is good mechanically for around £1k.
The Hondas/Yamahas hold their value for good reason.
Cost feck all to run and insure, limited supply on the market and are very reliable. Plus you will get most, if not all of your money back when selling.
I think they are a bargain.
The Hondas/Yamahas hold their value for good reason.
Cost feck all to run and insure, limited supply on the market and are very reliable. Plus you will get most, if not all of your money back when selling.
I think they are a bargain.
Yep the 125 market is very strange. I nearly bought a used Super Cub a few months back but for £200 more I ended up with a brand new and unregistered one for £3000.
I reckon I can pootle around on it for a year or until I get bored of it and it will only cost a few hundred in depreciation.
I reckon I can pootle around on it for a year or until I get bored of it and it will only cost a few hundred in depreciation.
After forty years of dithering I’m about to do my CBT, and theory test, with the aim of getting a full motorbike licence. At the moment I am seriously considering the BMW G310R as my steed of choice but I will wait to see how the CBT goes before I decide whether I need to spend some time with a 125 to build up some experience. I would rather not add this extra stage, but I will try to be sensible about it. Having to buy, and then sell on a 125, is a extra complication but given that there will always be a demand for such machines I would probably buy new and hope to have it in nice condition for resale later.
66mpg said:
After forty years of dithering I’m about to do my CBT, and theory test, with the aim of getting a full motorbike licence. At the moment I am seriously considering the BMW G310R as my steed of choice but I will wait to see how the CBT goes before I decide whether I need to spend some time with a 125 to build up some experience. I would rather not add this extra stage, but I will try to be sensible about it. Having to buy, and then sell on a 125, is a extra complication but given that there will always be a demand for such machines I would probably buy new and hope to have it in nice condition for resale later.
Do DAS, by the time you do your test you will have more than enough experience to ride the BM. Perverse as it sounds, 125's are actually harder to ride than middleweight bikes due to the lower weight making them less stable and more flighty feeling.As other posters have said the secondhand bike market is pretty weird at the moment, but who knows where we'll be in a years time; I started the year thinking the balloon £3k I'm facing in August could be buy a more suitable ride and am now inclined to get a PCP again.
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