Husqvarna Svartpilen 125
Discussion
So CBT passed yesterday and I am interested in getting a 125 for back and forth to work and to learn some more on.
I was quite impressed with the Honda CB125F I rode on the CBT, didn`t like the indicators and first gear was a bit odd but otherwise nice on the road.
I have seen the Husqvarna locally and looks an interesting bike, any thoughts on them?
I am almost tempted to buy a new Honda and hope that when it sells in maybe 18 months time it will retain most of its value.
I was quite impressed with the Honda CB125F I rode on the CBT, didn`t like the indicators and first gear was a bit odd but otherwise nice on the road.
I have seen the Husqvarna locally and looks an interesting bike, any thoughts on them?
I am almost tempted to buy a new Honda and hope that when it sells in maybe 18 months time it will retain most of its value.
All I can tell you is that my wife bought a CB125R a couple of years ago for £2500 and they're still selling for that now. The thing has wanted nothing other than a service and a chain (apart from the bits needed when she drops it 
) and she rides it flat out most of the time trying to keep up with us. Everything on it is easily available and cheap too, genuine second hand and Chinese parts aplenty.
) and she rides it flat out most of the time trying to keep up with us. Everything on it is easily available and cheap too, genuine second hand and Chinese parts aplenty.I know the Honda makes the most financial sense but ….
Just look at the state of it, it’s a bike you’d park around the corner so nobody saw it.
Whereas the Svartpilen is a cracking looking bike and one you’d turn around to look at again after parking it up.
Ultimately it comes down to choice, buy the ‘better’ bike or buy the bike you really want.
Just look at the state of it, it’s a bike you’d park around the corner so nobody saw it.
Whereas the Svartpilen is a cracking looking bike and one you’d turn around to look at again after parking it up.
Ultimately it comes down to choice, buy the ‘better’ bike or buy the bike you really want.
Congratulations on passing your CBT. The CB125R looks pretty cool to me.
The KTMs can have niggly problems. I don't know if that would impact on your ownership experience. I don't know about the prices of KTM spares, but as Bajaj I should imagine they're reasonable. I should imagine parts may not be as easy to source as the the Honda.
Buying the bike you want has some mileage.
The KTMs can have niggly problems. I don't know if that would impact on your ownership experience. I don't know about the prices of KTM spares, but as Bajaj I should imagine they're reasonable. I should imagine parts may not be as easy to source as the the Honda.
Buying the bike you want has some mileage.
Hold hard, my friend.
Back in 2013, I bought a brand new Honda MSX125 with promises of Honda quality but the truth is that the Thai-built Honda's are far from the Hondas of old. Despite being stored inside and having a mudguard extender, the quality was not brilliant. I paid about 3.5k for mine and after 3 years with, I think, 3000-5000 miles on it, got 1500 in part ex.
The chain was basically stretchy knicker elastic and the toffee adjusters were knackered so fitted a new chain, sprocket and adjusters.
I replaced mine with a Japanese built new Suzuki SV650S which was on offer for £4600 in 2016. It was far better built, vastly better quality and after 3 years, I sold it to superbike Warehouse for £3k but could have got far more for it. Far sturdier.
Back in 2013, I bought a brand new Honda MSX125 with promises of Honda quality but the truth is that the Thai-built Honda's are far from the Hondas of old. Despite being stored inside and having a mudguard extender, the quality was not brilliant. I paid about 3.5k for mine and after 3 years with, I think, 3000-5000 miles on it, got 1500 in part ex.
The chain was basically stretchy knicker elastic and the toffee adjusters were knackered so fitted a new chain, sprocket and adjusters.
I replaced mine with a Japanese built new Suzuki SV650S which was on offer for £4600 in 2016. It was far better built, vastly better quality and after 3 years, I sold it to superbike Warehouse for £3k but could have got far more for it. Far sturdier.
My 2017 Duke 390 looked very good in the showroom after I traded it in. I rubbed off some paint on a bracket as I overdid the XCP over winter. There was a slight bit of paint peel and surface rust under the fuel filler.
Regarding Honda quality look at the CB1000 Hornet oil consumption issues. Posters on PH mentioning previous oil consumption issues of that engine when it was in Fireblades and now the Hornets have been recalled and it seems they're being sold onto to customers rather than Honda taking them back.
Regarding Honda quality look at the CB1000 Hornet oil consumption issues. Posters on PH mentioning previous oil consumption issues of that engine when it was in Fireblades and now the Hornets have been recalled and it seems they're being sold onto to customers rather than Honda taking them back.
I like them, I still enjoy tearing about on my wife's one and it should do 70+mph as long as no one's messed about with it. Someone had put a smaller cog on the back of ours but it slowed it down because it didn't have the torque to keep the speed up, put it back to standard and it flies about everywhere.
Edited by s p a c e m a n on Monday 27th April 08:03
CoreyDog said:
I d get something Japanese if I wanted to retain value + reliability.
Agreed, I bought a used Yamaha YBR125 for my Son, maintenance was cheap (as were crash & attempted theft repairs!)He rode it for a couple of years before I put it on ebay and got back all but around £30 of what we paid for it. It wasn't the most dynamic of bikes (in fact he complained that it was slower than his Gilera RCR50!) but it did the job reliably and economically.
I could have bought a new Chinese bike for the same sort of money but, I'd have lost big time on resale and I doubt it would have been as trouble-free?
Belle427 said:
So CBT passed yesterday and I am interested in getting a 125 for back and forth to work and to learn some more on.
I was quite impressed with the Honda CB125F I rode on the CBT, didn`t like the indicators and first gear was a bit odd but otherwise nice on the road.
I have seen the Husqvarna locally and looks an interesting bike, any thoughts on them?
I am almost tempted to buy a new Honda and hope that when it sells in maybe 18 months time it will retain most of its value.
That's what I did, bought a brand new CB125F on my interest free credit card to practice for my full license. I then paid off a set amount monthly off my card. After passing my full license I sold the bike after around 8 months and 700 miles and lost around £400. I'd actually reduced the amount on my card by more than this as well. I just got fed up of looking at some rather tatty second hand CB125F bikes.I was quite impressed with the Honda CB125F I rode on the CBT, didn`t like the indicators and first gear was a bit odd but otherwise nice on the road.
I have seen the Husqvarna locally and looks an interesting bike, any thoughts on them?
I am almost tempted to buy a new Honda and hope that when it sells in maybe 18 months time it will retain most of its value.
I'm going to go against what the majority are saying. I had a husqvarna svartpilen 125 for about 3 years.
Nothing went wrong with it at all. The only downside I would say after about an hour or did get a bit uncomfortable.
This was mine, sold it last week as I completed my direct access and got something bigger
Nothing went wrong with it at all. The only downside I would say after about an hour or did get a bit uncomfortable.
This was mine, sold it last week as I completed my direct access and got something bigger
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