125cc scooters

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Discussion

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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Probably totally the wrong place for this but here goes.....

An imminent office move has resulted in me considering a 125cc scooter for commuting duties. I haven't ridden a scooter for 12 years and back then I just bought the cheapest new one from a brand I knew (it was a Peugeot Ludix) - I'm considering using the same logic this time so am looking at the following...

Piaggio Liberty
Peugeot Tweet Evo (stupid name)
Honda Vision 110

Plus anything else anyone wants to suggest.

I'm thinking of this as a domestic appliance, to be used for commuting and short trips and I'm 34 so I'm not bothered about looking cool either.

I've seen something called an SYM Tonik 125 which is very cheap and might do the job, I'm assuming they're related to Peugeot (Mahindra?) given their website is the same but re-skinned.

Basically, I'm utterly clueless and trying to avoid buying the two wheeled equivalent of a Mitsubishi Mirage (having said that, if I don't know any better I won't know it's junk, I guess that's how Vauxhall have so many repeat purchasers of Corsas...)

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Honda Vision 110 or Yamaha Vity 125.

I have the Vision. Made in a Honda factory in Thailand, so quality is controlled but not quite as good as old school Japanese Honda scooters like the C90. Air cooled, reliable and not particularly attractive to theives. Vity 125 is much the same. A bit cheaper second hand, but smaller wheels and not quite as good. I came to the Vision via fashionable scooters that got nicked and then a series of C90s and finally a Honda Innova 125. I'm pleased with mine.

The Peugeots are just Chinese scooters branded Peugeot these days.

If you are going Chinese and cheap, then the only brand I would consider are Lexmoto. They will still be made of cheese on the finish front, compared to Honda scooters, but for the money, quite impressive and are making a proper bash at a UK dealer network and good parts support. The important components seem well made compared to other Chinese brands. They have a large range of bikes too. I think they will be the first Chinese brand to go properly mainstream in the UK/Europe.

kiethton

13,883 posts

179 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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See lots of the tweets on my city commute

Also one of these: http://www.kymco.co.uk/kymco/new/bikes/Scooters/20...

Which is a few years old and still going ok

lindrup119

1,228 posts

142 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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3DP said:
Honda Vision 110 or Yamaha Vity 125.
I had a Vity. Great little scooter can't go wrong with one of those.

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice, I was expecting this area to smell of Belstaff and Castrol R but you're actually pretty helpful wink

Attractiveness to thieves isn't a massive concern, I live in Switzerland and a colleague has managed to leave the keys in his Suzuki Burgmann overnight in the past without is disappearing so I'm sure a Piaggio or similar should be OK.

There's a place opposite my apartment which sells Kymco and Peugeot, I guess both of these are Chinese or Indian and probably not great.

Most stuff is around the 2,500 CHF mark which was £1,675 until the Brexit stuff destroyed the value of Sterling and now translates to £1,850. A SYM Tonik 125 is only 1,800 CHF though, which is a decent saving but only if it actually lasts more than 12 minutes. However, it has smaller wheels and looks horrid so maybe not...

The Honda Vision looks the most sensible I think at this stage, what's the performance like, realistic top speed?

DanGPR

988 posts

170 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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A Honda Vision will probably do around 60mph.

I would seriously reconsider a 125cc scooter if your commute has an kind of incline (what with you being in Switzerland), as it will become painful very quickly.
Avoid the cheap Chinese brands , the fixtures and finish are very poor and it will look 10 years old in 2 years. Is it possible to ride a geared 125cc out there without a bike licence? You will also obviously get more for your money if you are prepared to buy used rather than new.

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
jamiebae said:
Thanks for the advice, I was expecting this area to smell of Belstaff and Castrol R but you're actually pretty helpful wink

Attractiveness to thieves isn't a massive concern, I live in Switzerland and a colleague has managed to leave the keys in his Suzuki Burgmann overnight in the past without is disappearing so I'm sure a Piaggio or similar should be OK.

There's a place opposite my apartment which sells Kymco and Peugeot, I guess both of these are Chinese or Indian and probably not great.

Most stuff is around the 2,500 CHF mark which was £1,675 until the Brexit stuff destroyed the value of Sterling and now translates to £1,850. A SYM Tonik 125 is only 1,800 CHF though, which is a decent saving but only if it actually lasts more than 12 minutes. However, it has smaller wheels and looks horrid so maybe not...

The Honda Vision looks the most sensible I think at this stage, what's the performance like, realistic top speed?
LOL - Brexit talk has little to do with GBP/CHF slide - you live in a country that does very well with most of the free trade agreements and none of the political bullst federalisation of Europe, but yes, avoid Chinese or Indian if you can. Some China stuff is getting better, but you should see the state of some of the 3 year old Chinese stuff parked at the train station I use. Massive corrosion everywhere and even peeling silver on levers on one scooter. Electrics are woeful too once used for a few years in all weathers

If theft is not a problem and you have more open roads then a water cooled 125 Scoot has the edge over the air cooled ones like Vity and Vision 110, as they produce closer to the learner legal bhp limit. Honda PCX125 is the king of these scooters at that capacity level.

I have a screen on my Vision 110 and am not a small bloke. It struggles on the flat to crack a GPS 60mph, but down hills or with a tail wind will drift up to nearly 70. Really, they are all about the sub 50mph stuff. A PCX125 will add about 10mph to that and be a bit more refined to live with, but they all have plenty of poke for around town and B roads.

Scooters are a pariah on this forum in the main, but there are a few of us who ride a variety of superbikes who still see the virtues of Scooters in certain roles - cheap, reliable, keep you drier, 120+mpg, almost zero running costs, on-bike storage and take neglect and abuse better than big bikes.

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
I live by the lake in Zurich and the commute is 20km each way, mostly flat with a little hill in the city to get over but in a 50kph limit zone so should be well within the capabilities of a 125 scooter.

I could ride a geared bike, but I fear that could become an 'entry drug' to proper bikes, and the convenience and ease of riding a twist and go scooter is a bit better for commuting I think.

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
jamiebae said:
I live by the lake in Zurich and the commute is 20km each way, mostly flat with a little hill in the city to get over but in a 50kph limit zone so should be well within the capabilities of a 125 scooter.

I could ride a geared bike, but I fear that could become an 'entry drug' to proper bikes, and the convenience and ease of riding a twist and go scooter is a bit better for commuting I think.
PCX125 for that distance and area in my view. You'll pay a bit more, but get it back in re-sale value when you sell it. A scooter can still be a gateway drug - was for me as a kid!

Benbay001

5,794 posts

156 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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I think Sym and Kymco are Korean? Could be wrong

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
quotequote all
Benbay001 said:
I think Sym and Kymco are Korean? Could be wrong
One is Taiwanese I think.

There's no Chinese rubbish on sale here really, as the road worthiness tests are pretty draconian and they have to be certified. There's nobody bringing in containers of cheap dross like you get in the UK.

RicharDC5

3,892 posts

126 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
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Sym are one of the better cheap brands.

If you have to buy new it may be worth a punt, but they aren't much cheaper than a Honda. The lifetime cost would probably be very similar.

Personally I'd buy a Honda.

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
I'm leaning towards the Piaggio Liberty 125 at the moment, as they seem to hold their value very well and they have dealers everywhere.

SYM look interesting too though, they have a 5 year 100,000km warranty and you do seem to get more for your money than with Piaggio and Honda so I might take a look at them too. They don't have such good dealer coverage though, none at all in the city, only in the suburban towns.

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
quotequote all
I've just been to look at the Honda Vision 110, the build quality does seem good and it feels like it'll last a good while. It has a 2 year warranty, and has the usual 'Swiss Special' deal which surfaces on everything when the CHF is strong to stop people just buying in Germany or France so it's 2,400 CHF for a new one.

I think at that kind of price there's no point buying a budget brand one, the saving is about £300 and I'm sure I'll lose all of that come resale time.

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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I've been offered a cheap Yamaha Cygnus 125, it's 9 years old but has only done 6,500km and had the same owner since it was two years old. Is there any reason why that wouldn't be a sensible option?

What kills these things normally? Is it neglect, theft or do they just fall to bits with age/miles?

tom_e

346 posts

98 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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Change the oil vaguely regularly and there's not much else to kill them to be honest.

HairyMaclary

3,649 posts

194 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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I've just completed my first 1000 miles commuting into central London on a Honda PCX. Absolutely love it.

14 inch wheels so ride is better than some mentioned above.

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Friday 15th April 2016
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Just bought this:







It's the Yamaha mentioned above, great condition and rode really well so I'm pleased. Now I have the small issue of riding it home - 100km over a couple of small mountains without using motorways...

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Friday 15th April 2016
quotequote all
jamiebae said:
Just bought this:







It's the Yamaha mentioned above, great condition and rode really well so I'm pleased. Now I have the small issue of riding it home - 100km over a couple of small mountains without using motorways...
Should be fine - with the speed the Swiss drive in the mountains, you should have no trouble keeping up even up the steepest of hills! Enjoy the bike - it's not quite a Honda but a long way better than Chinese

jamiebae

Original Poster:

6,245 posts

210 months

Friday 15th April 2016
quotequote all
3DP said:
Should be fine - with the speed the Swiss drive in the mountains, you should have no trouble keeping up even up the steepest of hills! Enjoy the bike - it's not quite a Honda but a long way better than Chinese
For the price I couldn't say no really. As for the speed, the fines do get annoying and eventually you just slow down biggrin