Bikeshite for shite commuters

[HillmanImp]

As I have mentioned a gazillion times, I recently started a new job.

 

Job itself is good so far I think (although its hard to gauge how I'm doing as the people I work with are in Surrey and I'm in Leeds) but the travelling is doing me nut in, innit.

 

The trains are shit. Absolutely crammed full of overweight wankers crammed into tiny seats with laptop bags on their knees as they are too precious to put them on the shelf above. Plus its expensive and takes ages.

 

Few years ago I'd just have cycled into toon each day and still will do sometimes, but i need to pick up Imp Jr. from nursery a couple of times a week and am now thinking of getting a cheap motorbike for the journey (at a guess 14 miles).

 

I used to have a CBR125 when I worked in York which was fucking brilliant around town (but shit on the dual carriageway hence why it was sold as that was 80% of its use). I would love another one as they were built for this but they are well over budget.

 

I would like something similar which is GR8 for weaving through traffic, is reliable and won't mind being kept in the garden or on the drive as the garage is rammed.

 

Do any shiters have any solutions? Don't fancy a moped, needs to be a bike. Sadly I don't have enough experience / knowledge to make an informed decision as to what is a good bike for this sort of thing.

[HillmanImp]

Also, is a budget of about £500 for a bike unrealistic or will that end in tears?

[Craig the Princess]

Paging LostNotFound to the thread, from memory not much sub £500 and what there was wouldn't be worth getting. Do you only have a CBT, if not look at 250cc bikes which seem much better value.

[wuvvum]

Aye, if you're looking for something you can use straight away for under £500 you'll probably be looking at something Chinese - and whilst you may be able to use it straight away, you may not be able to continue using it for very long before it falls to bits.

[strangeangel]

Also, is a budget of about £500 for a bike unrealistic or will that end in tears?

 

Probably unrealistic if you are limited to a 125, as they are disproportionately expensive. Additionally, many will have been badly modified, thrashed and dropped by the yoof. It's possible to pick up a fairly new Chinese CG clone for that sort of money, which might be OK - or it might not.

[garethj]

125cc carries a premium and so do motorbikes, I'd look at a bigger scooter as long as you don't mind the shame.  I'm sure that a Burgman 400 came out well for things like comfort, speed, having a decent fairing and all those other things that most bikes don't have.

[michael1703]

I think you'd be looking at £800 for a non Chinese 125

[twosmoke300]

Got a nice z440ltd for 700 sheets 

[strangeangel]

I'm sure that a Burgman 400 came out well for things like comfort, speed, having a decent fairing and all those other things that most bikes don't have.

 

I had one, and they do. You're very unlikely to turn up a decent, usable example - even one of the early carbed ones - for five hundred quid sadly. Bargains can be had in the maxi-scooter sector though. If I wanted a bigger one I'd be beating a path to the door of the chap on here who's selling an Aprilia Atlantic 500 for £600.

 

Do you have a full licence, Mr Imp?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

You'll get something like an XJ600 divvy for that sort of coin (assuming you have full test)

Mine lived outdoors, got thrashed mercilessly on my commute, toured Wales and Ireland and generally didn't cost much to keep going.

 

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[UltraWomble]

Licence?

 

Full or L plates on CBT?

 

L plates only I would try and find a YBR125 as they are well built and survive being left in the garden and ridden in all kinds of shit quite well ( so long as you apply ACF50 every so often). I had one for a couple of years and even with a 18 stone fat knacker sat onboard they crack 60 easily.

 

Full licence? As has been said dont rule out the maxi Scooter - my Pag 500 cost £900 - OK, so its over your budget, but I would have struggled to find a 2006 ER5 with the same mileage and service history for that price. Bumflans keep their value, Aprilia and Piaggio are well kitted out but not as expensive. Otherwise high miles Bandits, Divvys, ER's and occasional CB's are around your budget.

[plasticvandan]

i am biased.but MZ. reliable,cheap to run,fix it with a brick and a piece of string,and can be left out in winter year after year and wont dissolve like jap or worse chinese.

[Guest Hooli]

Like others have said don't get a 125 unless you have to, go bigger it's cheaper (like 2am on a friday night pulling session).

[hairnet]

Lexmoto 125 scoot - 800 new and the best of the not quite maxi size ones

 

Auto ftw also commuting with a clutch is just daft

 

I almost bought one till a madman in France made spend the money on a French car

[HillmanImp]

Thanks for your help peeps.

 

It seems to be pretty clear that for £500, I won't get much then.

 

I don't actually have a bike licence but suppose I could get one as can ride already if that will make like easier. I nearly got one about 15yrs ago but missed my test for some reason and never rebooked it although will need to do the hazard perception test etc first.

 

I have just checked out some MZs. This has a years MOT and is only £595.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MZ-TS125-1986-MOT-2-STROKE-/252570540651

 

What's the griff with running a 2 stroke engine these days? TBH, I am not sure what it was in the old days either........

 

If I have to up my budget though, I might go for something like this which ticks all the boxes.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-YBR-125cc-YBR125-2010-60-REG-SOUND-MECHANICAL-CONDITION-BRAND-NEW-MOT-/112157192965

 

Looking on 'Completed listings' on Ebay I see they can go for a reasonable amount. Might do a bit of reading up on these as they look perfect for the part.

[strangeangel]

^^^ as 125s go the YBR is as good a choice as you could make... with your head. My heart says GET THE MZ

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Get the MZ. A good one will keep working forever. I had a Jawa and it never ever broke.

 

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[HillmanImp]

Sat on the train doing some maths on my phone. Lets say I spend £9 a day on travelling by train (including driving to the train station). For 48 weeks a year, thats £2,160.

 

Fuel is currently about £4.90 a gallon. If I got 60 mpg out of the bike on a 30 mile round trip I am using £2.45 worth of fuel a day or £588 a year.

 

Add on insurance and tax and that comes to about £800 which gives a saving of £1,360 a year, lets say a grand with servicing costs.

 

I need to factor cycling into the equation as will cycle in sometimes but its looking like a good idea at the moment. Sure, I will break even in yr 1 but i will be gaining time that I'm not on the train if i knock half an hour off my travelling time.

[LostnotFound]

As Craig mentioned I've spent too much time looking at 125 bikes on eBay recently.

 

One of the biggest issues I had was not just the bikes and prices, but how quickly they were sold. 800 quid drum braked Cg125s being sold in two hours... Other than a few places in London no dealers seem to want to sell second hand 125s they would rather flog you a new Chinese bike.

 

Other than the usual Japanese stuff, I was also looking for kymco stuff, they're Korean rather than Chinese and tend to be priced in the middle with a good reputation. (I've also thrown a scooter made by them down the road with no damage).

 

The only question if I was looking to daily commute a 2 strokes would be the fuel economy, not in terms of cost but time filling up more regularly and also time waiting to warm up vs a 4 stroke which might get tiresome on a daily basis.

[Fat_Pirate]

I recommend the YBR125, I had one 5 years ago and was often getting just over 100 MPG.  Rubbish headlight and lack of oomph out of town are the downsides though.

[plasticvandan]

having gone from dailying a Honda C90 to a MZ ETZ250 i would say that the MZ requires no warming up,honda took at least 4-5 miles.

Uses more fuel obviously.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Jawa was as easy as my 4 strokers. Bit more hassle filling up as it didn't have a separate oil tank but apart from that it started on the second kick every time, (on choke) jump on and ride straight away, knocking the choke off as you get onto the main road.

 

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[Fabergé Greggs]

2 strokes are smelly and therefore perfect.

[twosmoke300]

They are awesome but it does get a bit tiresome when all your clothes smell of two stroke

[f1fan111]

for what ever bike you look at getting check what spares you can get, I recently got a cheap Italjet Jupiter 250 which for the engine is fine as from a Yamaha yp250 but everything else is quite hard to find.

 

 

Don't forget clothing if you don't have it also waterproof clothing I use a Mac in a sac pull over and cheap waterproof trousers over motorbike gear as dry quicker and waterproof socks as boots are old now.

[Guest Hooli]

Sat on the train doing some maths on my phone. Lets say I spend £9 a day on travelling by train (including driving to the train station). For 48 weeks a year, thats £2,160.

 

Fuel is currently about £4.90 a gallon. If I got 60 mpg out of the bike on a 30 mile round trip I am using £2.45 worth of fuel a day or £588 a year.

 

Add on insurance and tax and that comes to about £800 which gives a saving of £1,360 a year, lets say a grand with servicing costs.

 

I need to factor cycling into the equation as will cycle in sometimes but its looking like a good idea at the moment. Sure, I will break even in yr 1 but i will be gaining time that I'm not on the train if i knock half an hour off my travelling time.

 

Half of that saving will go on all the training & tests unless you are a better (read able to ride to the rules of the test) rider than most people without licences who say they can ride. A mate who hadn't ridden before got a 100cc for six months & still paid £700 to get his proper licence, that's Doncaster prices too!