Forum

[DJames]

Hi, I was put onto this forum by Alan R who came into where I work today and we ended up talking about bikes, so first of all a heads up to him and also hello to everyone else here.

As things go I'm pretty new to bikes, and having only just past my CBT I'm now on the hunt for a 125 to get started. As great as it would be to have a new bike, I can't afford it and I much prefer the idea of getting an older bike that has some character about it, so my question is what are your recommendations for a first bike?

Incidentally in the long run I have good intentions to get myself a Royal Enfield/BSA, though I'm still kind of unsure on which model yet, but I'd rather have the experience to back it up first.

Dafydd James

[Exile]

A couple of questions spring to mind:


How much money are you willing to spend?

Have you tried looking on Ebay for, perhaps, a BSA Bantam or such? There's a couple there for around a thousand..

What is a CBT?


Welcome aboard. We're all as mad as hatters due to exhaust inhalation but we don't bite.

[PeteF]

As you hopefully won't be owning the 125 for long you need something you can sell easily. You also want something reliable for your test. I'd look for a decent Honda CG125. There's always lots of them for sale. They're easy to ride, spares are cheap and they hold their value pretty well. As soon as you get the test passed you can get something more interesting. CBT isn't something we older riders had to bother with - compulsory basic training.

[Alan R]

Hi guys-------------and welcome to D James, you found us OK then??....I'm not advertising here but this lad works at a new outlet just opened here in Telford where should you need some sort of attaching device, lets's call it a SCREW, then these people can FIX it for you....comprende ??...We were discussing the finer points of owning such a gem as my WD B40 ( which I was using at the time ) and the phrase "Royal Enfield Bullet" somehow crept into the conversation...I wonder how that happened ??----Hmm !..I did explain that we are mostly nutty, auld farty-bags ( Such as myself !!) but are only too happy to help........Hey, I thought that CBT meant}--- Classic Bike Test ??

[DJames]

Money-wise I get paid in the next few days and (other costs taken into account e.g. insurance, tax, pets, etc) I should have about £700 to comfortably play with. Yeah, CBT is basically a day to get to grips with how to ride a bike, pretty simple stuff really but it has to be done by law. I ended up doing the training on a Yamaha SR125, and I know they have a reputation for being slouchy and bouncy and a little rubbish but I did find that quite fun, maybe I just ended up on a really good example of one but I'm not too sure why they get such a bad rep. As far as resale goes I'm not too bothered, I'm pretty sure I'll be one of those guys who keeps every bike he has! Anyway thanks for the recommendations! I'll have a good look around to try and gauge them. Dafydd James

[Michael]

Ahhh CBT. I had to do CBT, but I only passed my bike test 6 years ago. A good tip I was given by my CBT instructor... remember what the 'B' means; BASIC. Take care and build up experience slowly Check the regulations for tests carefully, there are so many licence variations and eligibility varaitions now that I wouldn't know where to start. If you are buying a small bike to get you some practice and through a test, make sure it confers eligibility to ride the bike you will end up selling it for

[grunda 12]

buy a cheap 125 pass your test asap dont mess around thats my advice oh and hi from paul (grunda 12)

[DJames]

I've passed the CBT anyway so that's no problem. As far as a Bantam goes I wouldn't want to get one without having gained some experience with bikes, especially as far as maintenance goes, plus to get a reliable model would be a little out of my price range. The CB125 isn't a bad shot actually, definitely one to bear in mind. Like you guys say, it's just a starter bike but I do reckon I'd be keeping it for the foreseeable future. Cheers for the welcomes too!

[James BLT]

Hi there,

My advice would be to get a 125 you like and ride it for the 2 years you get on your current CBT. With a plan to pass your test a few months before the CBT runs out (I think a CBT lasts for 2 years yes?)
In this time you will learn a lot and become very comfortable with your bike. This should mean that you will have gain valuable experience and hopefully need less costly lessons leading up to your test. You could even take your test on your familiar 125 if you don't mind the initial 2 years of limited horsepower as a result of this. (I assume it still works this way?) FYI old Bullets (and likely newer ones) fall into this low horsepower category of less than 33bhp.

Best wishes, and remember that slow and steady FINISHES the race.

[DJames]

I was just looking up the various tests further down the line and was thinking whether the older ones fell into that category as it didn't list it as engine size, just engine output, you read my mind! That's great then, as things go the 125s are not exactly monster machines, so long as it can teeter along at 50mph fairly well I'll be happy. Cheers for all the help guys! If you've got any more suggestions I'll still gladly bear them in mind