General help and advice for a new rider( soon)

[Joebike22]

Hello 

 

so I’m 23 and been driving since 17. I’ve recently sold my car as the fuel was to expensive and so thought I’d get a bike for general commuting around my local area. I’ve never been on a motorbike or anything . I’m looking at 125cc bikes or scooters but I’m unsure what to get . The 125 bikes look stylish and good but lack storage space whilst the scooters are automatic and have a lot more storage . I don’t really know any of the decent makes or what makes to stay Away from? My budget is around £2,000-£2,500.  I see a lot of motorbike and scooter shops online brand new ones but not sure how decent they are . Any help would be appreciated. 
and also doing my CBT very soon. 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

How far is your commute and what kind of roads? What do you need to carry?

 

You will need to also budget for decent riding kit, if you commute in the winter that means waterproof and warm as well as providing safety protection.

 

If you're budget is for a used bike I'd stick with major Japanese brands. You'll get better reliability, better spares availability, and it will hold its value.

 

Consider security as well as scooters and 125s are more prone to theft. Do you have a garage to keep it in?

[Joebike22]

My commute to work and gym isn’t to far like 3-4 miles.  It’s mainly urban roads so not many dual carriageways, mainly just normal city roads if that makes sense .  So ideally I’d like to store my helmet and my protective gear in the scooter, I’d be carrying a bag my back though .  I’ve got about £500 to budget for security and safety gear . 
 

So specifically what type of brands would you recommend? Unfortunately I don’t have a garage but may be able to put it in my back garden. 
 

I know a fair bit about cars and what good cars but not enough about bikes ha! 
 

Thanks for your reply too

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Have a look at the Honda pcx 125. 

[bonio]

I'd recommend a secondhand Honda or Yamaha. Don't worry very much about the age or the mileage; you just want one that's been serviced and looked after and hasn't been knocked around. If you look after it yourself, you shouldn't lose any money on it when you come to sell it again.

Sounds like you'll need a large top box, or rear luggage rack to strap a bag to, so you're best find will be something that comes with this already fitted. 

[MikeHorton]

As suggested the pcx is a good move or maybe a cb125f the new one has a super frugal engine probably one of the most economical and consider a drybag as a rucksack and a top box 

[Pie man]

Honda PCX & Top box, good weather protection and would probably just have enough storage for your gear. Well if you're a slender chap 

[Joebike22]

Okay thanks , are the Honda Cb125 any decent? So would you stay away from lexmoto ? And sinnis/syns? Benelli?

 

 

what is storage like underneath Honda pcx 125 scooters? 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I would stick with Japanese manufacturers. The Chinese bikes are better than they used to be but they still rust, parts can be impossible to find and they lose their value quickly.

 

You will get better value out of a good used Japanese bike.

[Joebike22]

Yeah okay thank you , also what type of security do you recommend I get for a scooter? 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

7 hours ago, Joebike22 said:

Yeah okay thank you , also what type of security do you recommend I get for a scooter? 

A cover helps, both to protect the bike from the weather and it deters thieves.

 

A good heavy duty chain and lock at home and connect the bike to something solid. Install a ground anchor if necessary. You might need two chains, a heavy one for at home and a lighter one you can use at work.

 

An alarmed disc lock as well. Just Check the size of holes in your brake disc before buying. Get the biggest one that will fit. 

 

At home is it possible to keep the bike out of sight? Or have it under a security light and/or camera?

 

Consider a tracker. The Monimoto tracker is cheaper to run than many others and doesn't need hardwiring into the bike. On a scooter you ought to be able to hide it easily enough.

 

Thieves are usually lazy and with scooters will go for easy pickings. Make life as hard as possible for them.

 

Be wary of anyone following you to see where you live. If you think you're being watched ride away somewhere else. 

 

[daveinlim]

On 14/12/2021 at 19:45, Joebike22 said:

Hello 

 

so I’m 23 and been driving since 17. I’ve recently sold my car as the fuel was to expensive and so thought I’d get a bike for general commuting around my local area. I’ve never been on a motorbike or anything . I’m looking at 125cc bikes or scooters but I’m unsure what to get . The 125 bikes look stylish and good but lack storage space whilst the scooters are automatic and have a lot more storage . I don’t really know any of the decent makes or what makes to stay Away from? My budget is around £2,000-£2,500.  I see a lot of motorbike and scooter shops online brand new ones but not sure how decent they are . Any help would be appreciated. 
and also doing my CBT very soon. 

 

I have a Suzuki gsxs125 with a 40L topbox. 

Ive had the bike for just under 2 years and it's been bullet proof, great looking bike, easy to ride and has the max 15 bhp you can have on CBT. I'd recommend them to anyone starting out. A used one would be within your budget. 

 

Security. Get a disc lock, as good a heavy chain and lock you can afford, a cover, a tracker, monimoto just released a new version of theirs. Get a second shackle lock that will go through the rear sprocket or a couple of wheel spokes and have one of them with an alarm. That's about all you can do.