Recommend me a 125

[MisterTommyH]

One one my mates is looking to get into biking, but for some reason, no matter how much I try to convince him to do his direct access he's set on getting a 125 for a while to get some road experiance.

He recons he can't get anything under £1200, which seems a bit steep to me. I went straight for a big bike so don't really know much about smaller bikes.

Anyone got any recommendations (btw neither of us are particularly mechanical, so a nail that needs doing up isnt really an option).

[maviczap]

CG125 pretty unbreakable and will sell for the same amount, when he wants something bigger

[andrewsmith]

CG125 as maviczap

YBR125 a very good laugh with pilot sporty tyres on

[stormingjoe]

for sale here, http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=166105

[Jayneflakes]

Your mate is talking sense, start small and work up. I had a CG125, was a great bike and I sold it when I passed my tests. I still miss that great little bike and wish that I had never sold it.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/40902_479472595827_684250827_6726850_8015878_n.jpg

absolutely stay away from anything Chinese or a brand called Hyosung. A mate had one and it was a 125 that was heavier than my SV and leaked oil like it was bleeding.

[maviczap]

Or this, which is only my local Gumtree for £700. As Janey says avoid the Chinese stuff, go for Honda or Yamaha

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/honda-cbr-125r-4-2004/79103073

[Jayneflakes]

Try this on E-Bay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HONDA-CG-125-MOTORBIKE-/200605413763?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2eb503b183#ht_500wt_1156), or just type in Honda CG125, there are loads of them.

[Dunn-y]

Like the others have said. A CG125 or YBR125. CBR125 are also a good bike to have.

Jayneflakes - I had a Chinese Superbyke RMR 125 and I never had any problems with that, still looked brand new when I sold it after owning it for over a year.

http://forums.sv650.org/picture.php?albumid=816&pictureid=5521

[WeegieBlue]

I had a GN125 as my first bike and it was ace! Gear indicator and fuel gauge were well useful as a new biker, and the bike itself looked far bigger than a lot of other 125's. Ah, fond memories!

[Jayneflakes]

Jayneflakes - I had a Chinese Superbyke RMR 125 and I never had any problems with that, still looked brand new when I sold it after owning it for over a year.

I should hope so after a year, my SV looks new despite being a K3. However the last Superbyke I saw was much younger than my SV and was a rotten filthy mess, suitable only for the scrap yard.

The Hyosung I worked on leaked oil no matter what we did to it. The exhaust actually rotted away to a condition similar to our twenty year old GTR that had been parked on the Sea front for five years, despite it being less than four years old.

A mechanic friend has to work on a Chinese Quad bike a last summer and had nothing positive to say about the build quality. The frame looked like it had been put together by incontinent pigeons! :(

You can call me prejudiced if you like, but my opinion of these cheap Chinese bikes is not going to change. They look great in the shop, but do not have the build quality of a Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki or the parts back up that the Japanese bikes do.

[Dunn-y]

Oh dont get me wrong. I wasn't saying Chinese bikes are good. You just don't often see them in the same condition they were in new. After a year they are usually rusted to pieces with bits fallen off. I did look after it though, didn't store it wet, made sure I had dried off all the metal work which could be why it didn't turn into a pile of rust.

[Bluefish]

simples, get the ybr yc is selling.

[SVforvictory]

+1 for a CG125

[Chandler93]

RS125! RS125!
Just don't thrash it too much or you'll be getting the piston rebored all the time!

[yorkie_chris]

He's not particularly mechanically minded, so that rules out a 2 stroke.

I reckon something from a known make, possibly a yamaha... possibly a blue one... hmmm if only I knew someone with one for sale :-P

[speedplay]

I started off with a yamaha dtr125 and loved it.
125 do tend to hold their price a bit due to the L plate brigade needing them.
Finding one that hasn't been crashed is quite a job though.

[Bluefish]

well my first bike was a gp 100, as the insurance was a lot cheaper only they don't seem to do 100's these days, it's all 125's :confused:

[ravingdavis]

A few weeks ago I bought a Yamaha YBR125 for £700 to commute to work on. Fantastic bike, loads of fun, beginner friendly, easy to work on, cheap, reliable... erm, generally great?

In fact... Yorkie Chris, or rather his Mrs has one for sale for exactly the same price I bought mine for, bite his hand off if I were you (or your mate).

[suzukigt380paul]

One one my mates is looking to get into biking, but for some reason, no matter how much I try to convince him to do his direct access he's set on getting a 125 for a while to get some road experiance.

He recons he can't get anything under £1200, which seems a bit steep to me. I went straight for a big bike so don't really know much about smaller bikes.

Anyone got any recommendations (btw neither of us are particularly mechanical, so a nail that needs doing up isnt really an option).

if you can find a good one now, a yamaha tzr125 is the bike to have.my son has got one and he doesnt know any thing about bikes,hes been rideing it for about 4 years,and just gets me to repair it,had no real problems and it will clock 90mph on a good road,there starting to get collectable now so prices will only go up when it comes time to sell

[yorkie_chris]

TZRs are ace, but you have to know what you're doing, and this guy doesn't.

[ian505050]

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii302/ian505050/IMAG0076.jpg

my ybr125 done 100 mile round trips 2 up,lol

[suzukigt380paul]

TZRs are ace, but you have to know what you're doing, and this guy doesn't.
so what doesnt this guy know about tzrs,ive been riding 2strokes for 35+years and had more engines in bits than i care to mention.and a good tzr with a new crank and rebore is a fairly reliable beast and will most likley do more than 20k if you dont run out of 2 stroke oil,and ive seen the water cooled tzr and lc 250 and 350 do 40k with out the engine being touched,i know they are all getting long in the tooth now but there are some nice low milage ones out there and a lot off restored ones to and with 33hp it a bike worth a look

[yorkie_chris]

You make a valid point but I don't agree, for every 1 that gets zinged to within an inch of it's life for 20k miles with perfect reliability and power there are 10 more than have been used rarely, on cheap sh*tty 2t oil and stale fuel that never get ridden hard enough and are money pits waiting to happen for someone not in the know.
Seized brakes, ageing electrics, tired suspension, bodged cycle parts. All of which will be sorted in a couple of hours by an experienced tinkerer but which will be a soul destroying tale of woe to the inexperienced.

Just IMO anyway, then again I wish I was 17 again because I'd have bought one in a heartbeat if I knew what I did now!!!

[suzukigt380paul]

You make a valid point but I don't agree, for every 1 that gets zinged to within an inch of it's life for 20k miles with perfect reliability and power there are 10 more than have been used rarely, on cheap sh*tty 2t oil and stale fuel that never get ridden hard enough and are money pits waiting to happen for someone not in the know.
Seized brakes, ageing electrics, tired suspension, bodged cycle parts. All of which will be sorted in a couple of hours by an experienced tinkerer but which will be a soul destroying tale of woe to the inexperienced.

Just IMO anyway, then again I wish I was 17 again because I'd have bought one in a heartbeat if I knew what I did now!!!
i understand what you are saying and your not wrong but you can buy a 3year old 125 that might have the same problems if its seen a few winters with the salt on the roads and never been looked after

[xXBADGERXx]

Stan Stephens Stage III tuned TZR 125 with YPVS :) .... never did me any harm , ah the smell of 2 Stroke Rock Oil Gold ..... luvvleh

[zunkus]

HYOSUNG XRX125SM
Its a full sized bike and quite capable for its size. I've had it for 5 years now and ride it every single day. Things replaced so far...
2 sets of renthal bars (1st handle bar and second aftermarket damaged from accidents)
cam chain adjuster
battery
drive chain
starter solonoid

All parts are dead cheap for this bike... Love it too. Great city commute.

[benji106]

Zunkus, to be fair mate I think it probably holds up better in Malta than it would in the UK, with the salt and crap on the road, I had a Hyosung, the exhaust rotted away very rapidly, I cant remember what they wanted for a new one, £700 or something if memory serves, and second hand parts were a bit sparse, at least back then. Other than that I have to admit mine was fairly reliable and did what I asked of it.

[mcgrimes]

Suzuki en 125 is what I had; cheap to run tax and insure

[zunkus]

True Benji106... Exhaust rots away quick but it's still holding on mine. And yes our weather is kinder to bikes. No problem with parts here, we've got a good agent maybe? Just bought a pair of OEM brand new mirrors for 25 euro a pair... plastic engine cover 7 euro, rear left side plastic bodywork 13 euro... Nice and cheap too...

[benji106]

Maybe parts distribution is better now, to be fair it was 5/6 years ago I had mine, and the exhaust is the only replacement part I tried to buy. I only paid £600 for a 3 year old bike so wasnt worth replacing the exhaust for near enough the same amount I paid for the bike. Like I said, apart from the exhaust going, I didnt have a problem with it. (well there was a small electrical fire on my way to do my full test, but that was probably more to do with the cheapo streetfighter headlight and some dodgy wiring by my 17 year old self)

[suzsv650]

I have a Honda CBR125 2007 repsol colors 3700 miles for sale. £1750