Birch Vand Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 CBT has been rebooked for April, in the meantime I'll be looking for a good starter bike. Something decent to ride for maybe up to a year before moving to something bigger. These four in particular interest me, as I've seen some for sale locally: Yamaha XSR125 Honda CB125R Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 Benelli Leoncino I'm seeing Yamahas between £3k - £4k depending on age/mileage, similar story with the Honda. There's a Benelli near me for £2400, 23 plate with low mileage, looks interesting. Best deal looks like the Svartpilen - local dealer has a couple, brand new, for £3500 - a £1200 reduction. Good brakes, engine, tyres, decent potential resale value, looks too good to miss. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I'd avoid the Benelli and the Husky. Huskies are legendarily fragile bikes - they can take a fair bit of spannering and fettering to keep them on the road. Benellis have been produced to a sadly poor quality recently - like in the last 10 years or more. Also both have the issue that parts can be harder (sometimes a lot harder) to find than for the Yam or the Honda. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideWithStyles Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) the Svart is probably the most uncomfortable road bike designed (over 75%seat but rest is handle bar placement, thats the reason its a deal also dealers struggling to shift there stock of them what they have to have in, of the margins they dont want to sell them for less than retail. but that doesn't mean thats a bonus for the seller at resale. 0h and they share the same components as the ktm as its their parent company but you have to pay more for it. watch out for head gaskets. Cino - yes they look nice and cheapish but seriously no dont get it as it will be a rust bucket in a year with corroded ground points that just add fuel to the fire of the cheap electrics and tight looms, fogging clocks and headlights, access to parts is rare and hard to get (if you luckly its only a three month wait off the boat from china's as they dont have a distribution system for parts) to get angood luck getting anyone to look or fix it beyond a dealer (which are few and less all the time) resale value are....just throw it in the skip yama is the most interesting over the honda. Edited March 25 by RideWithStyles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Westerly Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Benelli is Chinese so avoid. Husqvarna is notoriously uncomfortable not that I have personal experience. Go for used Japanese brand although the small bikes are no longer made in Japan. Remember with CBT only you can't ride anything over 125 cc ever so until.you get some kind of proper bike licence you'll not be getting anything larger. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 1 minute ago, S-Westerly said: Benelli is Chinese so avoid That's interesting, hadn't spotted that, I'll give that one a miss. 1 minute ago, S-Westerly said: CBT only you can't ride anything over 125 cc No worries, only looking for a 125 so far, I do have some ideas for later down the line, but focusing on the 125s for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 38 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said: just throw it in the skip Ha! I'm getting the idea that the Benelli is one to avoid, didn't realise it was a Chinese bike. I'll give the Husqvarna a miss, there had to be a reason for the big discount 39 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said: Svart is probably the most uncomfortable road bike designed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 45 minutes ago, bonio said: I'd avoid the Benelli and the Husky. Huskies are legendarily fragile bikes - they can take a fair bit of spannering and fettering to keep them on the road. Benellis have been produced to a sadly poor quality recently - like in the last 10 years or more. Also both have the issue that parts can be harder (sometimes a lot harder) to find than for the Yam or the Honda. Good stuff, looks like it's Yamaha or Honda - there are loads about, I'll get the CBT out the way and start having a look at some bikes, got loads saved on Facebook and Autotrader. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackholesun Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 What about an old ybr or CBF? I haven't checked but you can prob pick one up for a grand or so 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideWithStyles Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 poor ones are £1k decent old ones are 1.5, newer ones are 2k 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 1 hour ago, Blackholesun said: old ybr or CBF Good shout, there are quite a few about, bit less pricey than an XSR. I think I'll be doing my cbt on a YBR, I spent a couple of hours on one during my first attempt (that's another story...), felt quite nice. That was an 09 plate I think. A decent fit for my height, 6'3". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 A YBR is one of the zippiest 125 out there. And to me, zippy = good; so, zippiest = best. But I'm a simple soul. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideWithStyles Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 well at your height the best is getting one that is particular to your unless you want to look and feel of being king kong on a mini bike, As IFF was told and worked it out eventually. i will put forward Honda xl125v varadero, used (so cheaper) but tuff and built more like a normal size bike (normal dimensions), been round for ages so no surprises. v twin is not gustless and not needing 10k revs to keep up with traffic compared to singles. your only wanting to sit on it for a year or two at max? no point spending more on a new/newish bike then have to loses more only to spend more to get the next bike. if tou drop a newer bike, youll be pissed off and prices for parts have gone up on the newer model bikes. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 8 hours ago, RideWithStyles said: well at your height the best is getting one that is particular to your unless you want to look and feel of being king kong on a mini bike, As IFF was told and worked it out eventually. i will put forward Honda xl125v varadero, used (so cheaper) but tuff and built more like a normal size bike (normal dimensions), been round for ages so no surprises. v twin is not gustless and not needing 10k revs to keep up with traffic compared to singles. your only wanting to sit on it for a year or two at max? no point spending more on a new/newish bike then have to loses more only to spend more to get the next bike. if tou drop a newer bike, youll be pissed off and prices for parts have gone up on the newer model bikes. That's a good shout ill have a look what's out there, much obliged 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 Blimey, the XL125V Varadero does not look like a 125! Definite possibility, as they say 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 the Varadero is probably the best 125 for someone who clocks in at 6'3". I hear that they're getting hard to find, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch Vand Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 32 minutes ago, bonio said: hear that they're getting hard to find Not as plentiful as the YBRs I've been seeing around, there are a few though. It's an interesting choice. I'm seeing a quite few with big top boxes and pannier boxes, they look to me like upright adventure bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 I think they look great. When I rode a scoot I had nighttime fantasies about owning one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideWithStyles Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 thats because they're good enough and adapt to do nearly owt on. im not a honda fan but its definitely one of hondas great works for anyone but often overlooked models. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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