Scooter/Motorbike recommendations for a novice

twain

Retrobike Rider
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just passed my CBT and i'm looking for a cheap reliable commuter scooter or motorbike. 125cc limit obviously.
i can do manuals or automatics.
i have no idea about whats good/not good - started looking and there seem to be a massive amount of unfamiliar manufacturers.
only ones i know of are the obvious ones like Honda,Yamaha, Suzuki, Peugeot etc.
New ones (to me anyway) like Sinnis and Pulse i'd like to know what their reputation is like.

My budget is from £500 to £700 (although the closer to £500 the better as i will be borrowing the money).

commuting round trip is about 20miles for work. other uses will be for small shop runs/errands etc.

recommendations and advice welcomed! :) - i'm 29, so i'm not fussed about looks too much - although i like the older Honda style bikes and the Yamahas :)
 
DT125 or RXS100,both yamaha ,both good fun.

Vespa PX125,also fun,Honda C90,some fun,and cheap to buy and run.


I'd go for a trail bike,better for occasional off roading,which is where you can learn to throw it around,if that's what you want to do.
 
I would +1 on the dt125 or similar. modern mopeds/scooters at that price range puts you firmly in the direct bikes chinese import league, which isnt a bad thing neccasarily but when they go wrong they can be a pain and they do go wrong with alarming regularity and have a poor qiality of component part. the spanish and italian stuff is ok piaggio/derbi/gilera ect but they would be rough at 500 quid. look for something from the mid 90's and japanese such like a honda cg125 for reliability or if you really want the ultimate in cheap reliable bulletproof bikes and dont mind your mates taking the pi$$ then the honda c90 cub is the ticket.
 
CG 125 handles the best and is reliable...........i had a hornet 900 and a cg 125 for the wife in the same colour (sad) i used to take it out, and they handle so well, i used to beat big bikes on down hill sharp corners flat out......they are great, but not very powerful up a hill ..........
 
Anything Honda or Yamaha for reliability. Suzuki's and Kawasaki's are good enough but they rot quickly, build quality has never been as good as the other two. CG is very reliable and economical but somewhat asthmatic, too lowly tuned for a 125. A 125 trail bike thats not had too hard a life, preferably a two stroke, will beat most traffic off the line and handle very well though fuel consumption is not great. A Honda XLR125 or Varadero are pretty good trailish/road 125's, the latter having twin cyclinders and a huge fuel tank. MuZ or Sachs 125 bikes were good but rare, quality German/Austrian engineering. Italian stuff like Cagiva or Aprillia is ace fun but exotic and expensive allied to on occasion iffy build quality. A auto scooter (the Italians do the best stuff including jap branded models, Malaguti and yamaha are practically the same company as are french MBK, though Peugeot are good too) though is a blast in town if its got enough pep but again like the CG a bit gutless on the open road.
Personally I'd try and find a two stroke 125 but thats getting hard these days with polution legislation. That way you can keep up or beat cars in certain situations with relatively low bhp.
Reliability is a good thing but fun is a good thing too and a balance needs to be sought.
 
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