yani2k8 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 HiI'm new to his forum and bikes in general, so please bear with me. I'm 19 years old. I've been driving a car for almost 2 years now and I think it's time for a change. The timing is perfect because I'll be going off to uni in September, so I imagine maintaining a bike would be a lot cheaper than a car, in terms of insurance, tax, petrol, etc. Also, much more practical for uni commuting.So I need to pass the CBT test which would allow me to ride a bike up to 125CC and 14.6BHP. Ok, well, how do I find out how much BHP a certain bike has? It doesn't say it anywhere?Also, could you please recommend some bikes suitable for my circumstances? I want something sporty. I was looking at the YZF R125 but not sure whether I'll be able to afford it. My budget is £2000.Any advice would be greatly appreciated!Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypek Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 If you look hard enough you may be able to find a R125 within your budget. You could also try Derbi GPR125, Hyosung GT125R, CBR125. To be honest all 4-stroke 125 bikes will be under 15bhp (unless heavily modified) and also restricted 2-strokes like Aprilia RS125, Honda NSR125. btw please say hello in our newbie section and put your location in your profile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yani2k8 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 If you look hard enough you may be able to find a R125 within your budget. You could also try Derbi GPR125, Hyosung GT125R, CBR125. To be honest all 4-stroke 125 bikes will be under 15bhp (unless heavily modified) and also restricted 2-strokes like Aprilia RS125, Honda NSR125. btw please say hello in our newbie section and put your location in your profile Thanks for your input pal. What's the best place to find used bikes? I've been looking on Auto Trader and Gumtree so far but they haven't got that many.Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypek Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The biggest choice I think is on ebay. I got my zx6r from there. And don't let the distance put you off. You could have it delivered for £100 by our site sponsor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yani2k8 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 The biggest choice I think is on ebay. I got my zx6r from there. And don't let the distance put you off. You could have it delivered for £100 by our site sponsor The seems to be a larger variety on eBay - thanks! Who is the site sponsor? Also, is it a good idea to buy without having looked at it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingah Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The seems to be a larger variety on eBay - thanks! Who is the site sponsor? Also, is it a good idea to buy without having looked at it? Only if you're happy to buy a lemon / money pit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techno Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Also try bike trader, or for a little more peace of mind a local dealer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypek Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The seems to be a larger variety on eBay - thanks! Who is the site sponsor? Also, is it a good idea to buy without having looked at it? Only if you're happy to buy a lemon / money pit.I got my zx6r off ebay without first seeing it as it was too far and it is a great bike in better condition than I expected. If you looking for something cheap or some real bargain it may be risky but if you buying something you know is worth its price then you should be fine. If you have good pictures, proper description and you spend some time on the phone with seller you'll minimize the risk. And even if you check the bike up close you have never any guarantee it will not be a money pitEDIT I have also bought my 125 off ebay without seeing it and 2 cars before. 1 car was non-runner but it was stated in description there were engine issues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingah Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The seems to be a larger variety on eBay - thanks! Who is the site sponsor? Also, is it a good idea to buy without having looked at it? Only if you're happy to buy a lemon / money pit.I got my zx6r off ebay without first seeing it as it was too far and it is a great bike in better condition than I expected. If you looking for something cheap or some real bargain it may be risky but if you buying something you know is worth its price then you should be fine. If you have good pictures, proper description and you spend some time on the phone with seller you'll minimize the risk. And even if you check the bike up close you have never any guarantee it will not be a money pitEDIT I have also bought my 125 off ebay without seeing it and 2 cars before. 1 car was non-runner but it was stated in description there were engine issues Careful, lest you set me off talking, in great detail, about my CB500 (bought unseen from a dealer, over the phone, having asked all the right questions, and been lied to across the board).2 years (at least 6 months+ of which has been spent unable to use my main transport due to repairs) and thousands of pounds of my money later (along with weeks of frustrating time pottering with it in my garage), i think i'm finally getting towards the end of the new-problem-every-fortnight.It was advertised as "Honda reliability, HPI Clear Free certificate provided, Runs and rides superbly, UK Bike, Very economical. Great commuter bike in good condition. As new Avon tyres".Nothing but problems, and even the advertised "as new" tyres: the front tyre lasted under 1K of my granny-style (scared of the power) riding before needing changing, and the rear had a slow puncture right from i got it up until i changed the tyre.I paid around the market rate for the bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypek Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 One of the reasons I prefer to buy from private sellers as dealers can have too much experience in lies lol. But of course I agree it can happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingah Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 One of the reasons I prefer to buy from private sellers as dealers can have too much experience in lies lol. But of course I agree it can happenAbsolutely, unfortunately i seem to have a habit of picking them:First CB500 i went to look at/buy the private seller lied through his teeth and had crashed it, may have had a damaged frame.Second CB500 (i bought) was as above, a nightmare bike.Went to look at a 250 the other day "mint" condition, and picked 10+ separate faults with it - at least 2/3 of which were dangerous enough that i wouldn't want to ride the bike away.Too many barefaced liars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yani2k8 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 So how do I pick a decent bike? I have no clue what to look for (faults and stuff) as the only thing I've bought before is a car, but never a motorbike.Sellers/dealers can easily lie to me and I have no way of knowing. And it's not like I can bring one of my mates because none of them ride bikes...Looks like I'll just have to chance it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingah Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 So how do I pick a decent bike? I have no clue what to look for (faults and stuff) as the only thing I've bought before is a car, but never a motorbike.Sellers/dealers can easily lie to me and I have no way of knowing. And it's not like I can bring one of my mates because none of them ride bikes...Looks like I'll just have to chance it! Or pay for it to be inspected.Or even ask nicely and hope someone local responds to help give it a look for you (yes, we bikers do this stuff for each other from time to time).You can also tell a fair deal from just looking at the state of the bike (i.e. rusty heap, or immaculate - dinks all over it, or smooth as silk?). Check the guides section on this forum for additional tips (got a few decent guides on there), go look at a few machines and you'll get the feel (especially if they're all the same model). No obligation to buy the first one (indeed, foolhardy!) - most sellers will understand why you're not buying on the spot, and those that don't are probably trying to flog lemons anyway.Here's an idea, go look at as many as you can buy yourself, then when there's one (or preferrably two or three in case one is crap) you like, then pay for an inspection (ring some bike garages and ask if they'll come out to the bike(s) and give you a summary - some won't but many will - after all its cash in the till). Try to avoid the AA/RAC as if i remember correctly their inspection charges are FAR too expensive for a few miles of travel and a short inspection of a machine or 2.In light of the way i've been ripped off in the past, i rather would pay myself (well actually i can check through them myself now, but if i was still unable to check through them, i would pay). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yani2k8 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 So how do I pick a decent bike? I have no clue what to look for (faults and stuff) as the only thing I've bought before is a car, but never a motorbike.Sellers/dealers can easily lie to me and I have no way of knowing. And it's not like I can bring one of my mates because none of them ride bikes...Looks like I'll just have to chance it! Or pay for it to be inspected.Or even ask nicely and hope someone local responds to help give it a look for you (yes, we bikers do this stuff for each other from time to time).You can also tell a fair deal from just looking at the state of the bike (i.e. rusty heap, or immaculate - dinks all over it, or smooth as silk?). Check the guides section on this forum for additional tips (got a few decent guides on there), go look at a few machines and you'll get the feel (especially if they're all the same model). No obligation to buy the first one (indeed, foolhardy!) - most sellers will understand why you're not buying on the spot, and those that don't are probably trying to flog lemons anyway.Here's an idea, go look at as many as you can buy yourself, then when there's one (or preferrably two or three in case one is crap) you like, then pay for an inspection (ring some bike garages and ask if they'll come out to the bike(s) and give you a summary - some won't but many will - after all its cash in the till). Try to avoid the AA/RAC as if i remember correctly their inspection charges are FAR too expensive for a few miles of travel and a short inspection of a machine or 2.In light of the way i've been ripped off in the past, i rather would pay myself (well actually i can check through them myself now, but if i was still unable to check through them, i would pay). Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. There are a few bike garages in the area so I'll give them a ring and see what they say. Though I'm not buying the bike just yet. I've got to pass my CBT first, and then have a long chat with my parents. They're not paying for the bike but I want them to be ok with this.. Thanks a lot for the tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yani2k8 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2008-YAMAHA-YZF-R ... 500wt_1156What do you think about this? It says it was involved in an accident but everything restored back to normal. The price is really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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