Sorting my commute - xmax 125 or mp3 350?

[Sway]

Five years of doing 50 miles each way in a 98 MX5 has done me in.

Chichester to either Crawley or Southampton, so lots of 40-50mph A roads, a bit of dual carriageway - and a lot of stop/start traffic. Or a27/m27, 60mph, then loads of stop/start.

So, scooters. These big maxi things look pretty good. Been a pillion lots, but never ridden apart from parking about in fields.

Ideally, the aim is to save cash and speed up my commute.

So, MP3 350. Passes the wife test. Looks stable, seem to get good reviews. Ride on a car license, although I'd at least get my CBT.

Or Yamaha Xmax 125. Quite smart, half the price, likely better fuel economy - and also half the insurance cost.

Is it really much worse than a MP3 in terms of all weather safety?

Figure I'll give it 2 years. If I really get on with it, I'll do DAS and get a 'proper' big scoot.

What do you think?

[Zarco]

I'd want more grunt than 125cc for 100mile round trip.

[A500leroy]

id take the mp3 if your using it all year round, Autumn can be awful if you hit decomposing leaves after its rained and that bit of extra grip could make all the difference, if your interested yamaha do a 125cc version called the tricity which are fairly cheap now.

Remember these things are attractive to the lower orders so big chains (more than one) if your parking in a city or not in a garage overnight at home will be needed.

[Sway]

A500leroy said:

id take the mp3 if your using it all year round, Autumn can be awful if you hit decomposing leaves after its rained and that bit of extra grip could make all the difference, if your interested yamaha do a 125cc version called the tricity which are fairly cheap now.

Remember these things are attractive to the lower orders so big chains (more than one) if your parking in a city or not in a garage overnight at home will be needed.

Cheers. Oddly, the MP3 is double the insurance - due to a high level of claims for crashes! Which threw me a little, as surely the whole point of the three wheels is increased surety of grip? I guess it's called into doubt the increased safety perception that would be worth the extra cash.

Looked at the tricity yesterday - just don't think it's up to it. Smaller 'city' chassis, and the increased weight at the front end, yet only a 125.

Xmax seemed a much better proposition for the cash out of the Yamaha offerings.

Haven't had a chance to look at the MP3 properly yet - went to local dealer today to find they shut on Thursdays.

[jonindorset]

I think you'll want your wits about you doing this commute and that you should just sign up for DAS ASAP, get your licensing done and get some decent training from a good school.

As others say, a 125 will at times feel dangerously under-powered, while an MP3 will put you in situations you're not well prepared for even with many years car driving experience. I can imagine they are great for inner city and around town but this is a not an urban commute... Far better to get a full license and a tidy handling maxi scooter or 600+ geared bike.

[Sway]

jonindorset said:

I think you'll want your wits about you doing this commute and that you should just sign up for DAS ASAP, get your licensing done and get some decent training from a good school.

As others say, a 125 will at times feel dangerously under-powered, while an MP3 will put you in situations you're not well prepared for even with many years car driving experience. I can imagine they are great for inner city and around town but this is a not an urban commute... Far better to get a full license and a tidy handling maxi scooter or 600+ geared bike.

Thanks. Appreciate the input.

Funnily enough, just been looking through 'local to work' dealer with huge stock and variety.

They've a 17 Honda X-ADV for £1k below retail on a MP3. So now I'm thinking of putting that into DAS...

[Krikkit]

I'd think about something fairly comfy, upright and with heated grips/seat etc for that kind of commute - maybe a newish 800GS or similar adventure bike.

Definitely agree with doing the DAS + training though, a 125 will be very unpleasant on free-flowing roads for that length every day.

[Dog Star]

50 mile commute on a 125 will get dull very, very quickly indeed. I give it two weeks, max.

[boyse7en]

jonindorset said:

an MP3 will put you in situations you're not well prepared for even with many years car driving experience. I can imagine they are great for inner city and around town but this is a not an urban commute...

Don't really agree with this. I was given an MP3 to use while my bike was being fixed in the dealers and found it easy to ride at speed on the country lanes. In fact it was probably faster on the proper back lanes than my motorbike as you don't worry so much about random patches of gravel, mud or grass on the road.

[Sway]

boyse7en said:

jonindorset said:

an MP3 will put you in situations you're not well prepared for even with many years car driving experience. I can imagine they are great for inner city and around town but this is a not an urban commute...

Don't really agree with this. I was given an MP3 to use while my bike was being fixed in the dealers and found it easy to ride at speed on the country lanes. In fact it was probably faster on the proper back lanes than my motorbike as you don't worry so much about random patches of gravel, mud or grass on the road.

Interesting.

Would you suggest spending effectively the same cash on a MP3, or DAS+X-ADV/GS800/etc.?

Acknowledging that irrespective, I'll be pursuing continuing training, and some decent all weather kit.

[jonindorset]

My point is more that you're not going to dawdle along the A27 / M27 dual carriageways etc as if you were driving a car. You're going to be doing a lot of filtering and squeezing through tight gaps and generally trying to keep moving. I think its more about the positioning, spacial awareness, realisation that others maybe out to kill you and generally the slow speed maneuvering through heavy traffic and riding defensively.

This is what I'd recommend the training for, regardless of the bike you choose.

[Sway]

jonindorset said:

My point is more that you're not going to dawdle along the A27 / M27 dual carriageways etc as if you were driving a car. You're going to be doing a lot of filtering and squeezing through tight gaps and generally trying to keep moving. I think its more about the positioning, spacial awareness, realisation that others maybe out to kill you and generally the slow speed maneuvering through heavy traffic and riding defensively.

This is what I'd recommend the training for, regardless of the bike you choose.

Message received! Training will always be high on the agenda...

Up until my early 20s, I was a London boy getting absolutely everywhere by bicycle. Some 10k a year, and without a single 'crash'.

I'm fairly good at getting into the mindset of believing everyone is out to kill me - it sometimes feels like that already with my tiny, pre-NCAP car with no ASC/ABS/crumple zones /etc.

Think I'm down to mp3 350 and then doing DAS, or going straight for DAS and looking at a Honda DCT 'proper' bike.

X-ADV looks really cool... Plus I can still have a pansy leg apron!

[TeamBigfoot]

jonindorset said:

I think you'll want your wits about you doing this commute and that you should just sign up for DAS ASAP, get your licensing done and get some decent training from a good school.

As others say, a 125 will at times feel dangerously under-powered, while an MP3 will put you in situations you're not well prepared for even with many years car driving experience. I can imagine they are great for inner city and around town but this is a not an urban commute... Far better to get a full license and a tidy handling maxi scooter or 600+ geared bike.

This^^^^^^ all day long

[Sway]

90 minute taster session booked for three weeks time, on a geared 125.

Some seriously appealing kit across the duodenum manufacturer's ranges - dealer does ducati, suzuki, yamaha, Honda and KTM. Oh lordy...

[DirtyHarley]

Sway said:

90 minute taster session booked for three weeks time, on a geared 125.

I'd say get yourself on a proper geared bike, even if only a 125 to start with - those three wheeled jobbies are hateful things and from my experience seem to be quite often driven by people with next to bugger all knowledge, road-craft, or aptitude for being outside of a cosy little 1.2litre-euro-ste-box!

Whilst I've moved and my commute is now 150 miles a day mainly of motorway riding, my previous commute was more like yours with mainly 40-50mph A-Roads for a total round trip of about 60 miles which was totally do-able on a 125cc geared bike and had great fuel economy. The only times it wasn't hugely enjoyable was in bad weather as a low powered, fairly light bike bike in heavy rain/winds isn't a lot of fun and makes you feel fairly vulnerable and was the only time that it did truly feel dangerously under powered.

Either way, get out of the car, get yourself on a geared bike, and see if it is for you, even if it isn't, the experience will highly likely make you a better drive anyhow as you'll gain a bit of an understanding of the vulnerabilities of your fellow road users.

[pozi]

Sway said:

90 minute taster session booked for three weeks time, on a geared 125.

Some seriously appealing kit across the duodenum manufacturer's ranges - dealer does ducati, suzuki, yamaha, Honda and KTM. Oh lordy...

[Stalker Alert] P&H Crawley?? The roads between Chichester and Crawley are pretty good but painful for a 125, on some parts you would find yourself slower than the cars.

[Sway]

pozi said:

Sway said:

90 minute taster session booked for three weeks time, on a geared 125.

Some seriously appealing kit across the duodenum manufacturer's ranges - dealer does ducati, suzuki, yamaha, Honda and KTM. Oh lordy...

[Stalker Alert] P&H Crawley?? The roads between Chichester and Crawley are pretty good but painful for a 125, on some parts you would find yourself slower than the cars.

Yep!

The roads are the only thing that's kept me sane in the car for the last few years (prior I didn't "commute" - I travelled up to wherever the project was on Monday and came me Friday). If you ever see a dark blue old MX5 with a PH sticker on the back, it'll be me!

Pretty set now on doing DAS. As one mate put it - I've always been a closet biker. However, am being good and focusing on the pure practical stuff first.

Really liking the Honda 750 DCT stuff. Either Nc750x or x-Adv (that's my favourite).

Figure that whatever commuter I get, rooted in practicality, does not preclude something far more lustful once I've got some miles under my belt.