125 bike values

ian103

Following the advice of buying a 125cc japanese motorbike rather than a chinese / taiwan bike, I have found 4 potential 2nd hand bikes from local dealers (pressure from OH so I have so come back / warranty etc) they just look expensive to me or is it a case of low supply pushing the price up? Any thoughts

2011 ybr £1999
2008 van van £1895
2002 vxs cruiser £1295 (not sure on the riding position for the tests)
2008 cbr £2195

or Ive seen 2 bikes both insurance right offs repaired by the trader (stolen recovered)

2011 ybr £1350
2009 ybr £1200

I'm guessing with a right off I have to notify my insurer and then again when I sell the bike (I assume a main dealer may not part exchange against a new bike later)

Failing that if I brought a new ybr what would the expected trade in value be in say 12 months.

gkerr4

just do your test and get a proper bike.

these things are high valued becuase anyone can get one and ride it - but then they wear terribly and look shabby very quickly.

the 2002 'cruiser' (on which you would almost certainly look ridiculous on by the way) is surely way way ovepriced?

ian103

I agree really on the cruiser its just a cheap bike to get some practice on, I don't feel confident enough to just do a DAS and buy a bigger bike, I would really like to gain a bit of experience on a lower powered machine without losing valuable lesson time on the basics / practice. Just looking for a 125 that won't loose loads in 6 - 12 months (my ideal is to pass the DAS by end of the year and have a new bike for spring next year)

oldtoolie

These all look expensive to me but I haven't looked recently. All of these Japanese bikes are durable and easy to repair. Me, I would rather buy a bike like this privately for less than £1000. Then I would have enough money left over to buy a service manual & tools plus a reserve to pay for repairs if required. You will drop it or bump it at some point in your learning so no point in looking for a pristine model. Age is not so important as condition.

boyse7en

Commuter-type 125s are high-priced at the moment because they are in demand. Lots of car drivers are buying them to save money on fuel and parking costs and they are becoming hard to get hold of for dealers, hence pushing the prices up.
Trade auction CAP prices on 125 machines are up on the time last year by quite a margin, and this is having a trickle-down effect on retail prices that you find in showrooms.

gkerr4

ian103 wrote: »

I agree really on the cruiser its just a cheap bike to get some practice on, I don't feel confident enough to just do a DAS and buy a bigger bike, I would really like to gain a bit of experience on a lower powered machine without losing valuable lesson time on the basics / practice. Just looking for a 125 that won't loose loads in 6 - 12 months (my ideal is to pass the DAS by end of the year and have a new bike for spring next year)

honestly - just do your DAS - if you are thinking that way, then do it - before it becomes more and more difficult to do.

Don't be afraid of the bigger bikes - they are much easier to ride - not affeted by wind or inclines in the road, plus the acceleration to actually keep-up with traffic - all things that the 125s suffer terribly with - they are awful things.

you will probably do a CBT on a 125 then a day road experience on a 125 then a day or more on a 500-twin and then as much experience on the 500 until you can pass your test.

I did mine in 2001 and used a honda CB500 for the experience and test - I remember being nervous about getting on it, but i needn't have been - it was docile, steady and smooth and actually easier to ride than the 125 was! - plus it felt like it had so much go. I remember passing my test and then booking a test ride on a cb600 Hornet - a 4-cyl bike and being nervous about that too and it was even easier than the 500 to ride!
go for it - honestly, unless you need the extreme mpg offerred , the 125s are a waste of time!

mkirkby

I have to agree with the other posters. Go straight for the DAS and don't worry about the power.

I passed my test on a 125 (before DAS came in) and went straight to a 1200 bandit on the advice of the instructor. I was worried but trusted his insight; was so glad I did.

The bike will seriously only go as fast as you wish it to go.

hareng

Depends on your mileage and what you want or can tolerate.

Asian Chinese etc ok for going to the shops, since they wont last many miles. Steer clear of Italian bikes they'l cost you big time even with Jap engines, nice though.
CBR looks dear for that year even for low mileage, this a dealer? A dearer bike when new and an in demand dint pay that much two years ago with 3k on the clock mint.