125cc scooter advice needed please

fufu_banterwaite

I am just after some advice re getting a scooter. Currently I cycle and get the train to work. Soon I will be moving to a different job, with no train station nearby. So I am thinking about getting a scooter.

It will be a 25mile round trip I will be making four days a week. I am thinking about getting a 125cc scooter, I have a standard driving license, having passed my driving test in 1997. Budget wise I am looking at spending no more than around £1,000 on a scooter. I have a few questions:

• As I understand it I need to take a CBT test and display L plates when driving it and the CBT needs to be renewed every two years until I pass my motorcycle test – is that correct?
• I am presuming £1,000 won’t be enough to buy a new 125cc scooter? Is it enough for a good second hand scooter? If so what are the best makes?
• What extra clothing will I need? I am thinking helmet, jacket, boots and gloves? Is there anything else? How much should I be looking to spend on getting this good kit together.

Any other suggestions or advice would be welcomed

Thank you

adouglasmhor

Avoid chinese makes like the plague even though you can get a new one in your budget. Anything Jap is OK,Korean nearly as good, Taiwan has some OK ones, Twist and go Italians are fine. Add waterproof overstrousers and a snood or face mask for bad weather and you can't have to much scotchlite and hi-vis.

You might get a 1 or 2 year old Kymco or Sym in that price range easily.

Buellguy

Don't skimp on the lid and MAKE SURE IT FITS PROPERLY (I own 2 helmets, ones a cheapie - £200, the other to replace now would cost nearly £500).
If you can get to somewhere like this


http://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/stores/branch/Camberley/11


(just using this one as an example) you get to try the kit on first and it 'should' be fairly cheap.


Don't be tempted by some of the cheap Chinese helmets, there are plenty of vids on youtube showing just how poorly they work

RichardD1970

You don't need to spend a fortune on a helmet.

Check out here, many reasonable price ones get higher rating than the ones costing hundreds.

Oh and buy new, in a shop. Not mail order, you don't know how the courier has been treating it, throwing it in and out of the van :eek:

I ride a Honda PCX, my kit,

Textile jacket, Akito with removable fleece lining £80.
Textile trousers, Oxford, again with removable lining £80.
Helmet, HJC with built in, flip down sun visor £130.
Gloves, Akito £30.

I use my steel toe cap work boots which are OK on a twist and go, but not for geared bikes.

forgotmyname

Do you have secure parking for the scooter? Highly nickable.

BIL has had 3 stolen. Mate had his garage broken into where they didnt touch
thousands of pounds worth of tools but took his scooter.

£1000 may buy you a good one. But lots of shiny wrecks waiting for the unwary buyer.

I used to wear a windcheater. Absolutely brilliant. Easy to breath through but cut down condensation inside the helmet and no cold neck.

Buellguy

RichardD1970 wrote: »

You don't need to spend a fortune on a helmet.

Check out here, many reasonable price ones get higher rating than the ones costing hundreds.

Oh and buy new, in a shop. Not mail order, you don't know how the courier has been treating it, throwing it in and out of the van :eek:

I ride a Honda PCX, my kit,

Textile jacket, Akito with removable fleece lining £80.
Textile trousers, Oxford, again with removable lining £80.
Helmet, HJC with built in, flip down sun visor £130.
Gloves, Akito £30.

I use my steel toe cap work boots which are OK on a twist and go, but not for geared bikes.

Agree with all of this (although I'm not a fan of the SHARP ratings, but that is personal choice).


Try Aldi/Lidl for the jacket, trousers, boots and gloves, they sometimes have them in. Would recommend going to a decent bike shop for the lid purely so that someone else can check if it fits correctly.
Definitely look at a lid with the internal sun visor (mine doesn't have one, next helmet will LOL).
There are one-piece easy on and off rain suits that have armour in but they tend to be a bit pricey (frighteningly so!!!!) but if you can find a bargain they are superb (according to a friend - I can't justify buying one, better half won't let me LOL)

patman99

If your budget was a bit higher, I would have suggested a Piaggio MP3/125 or MP3/400 as these are classed as a trike. Thus, no CBT or L plates required and, according to those who ride them, highly stable.

Ralph-y

Go and do / talk to the CBT people ..... they will as part of the course tell you all about the regulations and clothes / helmets.

They should all so be able to off some advice re what scooter / bike to buy .....

You mentioned 25 mile round trip ..... on what sort of roads ? Will you be still expecting to travel in Jan/Feb ?

these guy's are seasoned bikers and will ask the right questions to give you the right answers ........

You might not even like the idea after the course / talk......

After getting such advice then please come back and give a little more background info so the esteemed members of the form can help much more

Ralph:cool:

UsernameAlreadyExists

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Oh and buy new, in a shop. Not mail order, you don't know how the courier has been treating it, throwing it in and out of the van :eek:

How did it get to the shop?

nobbysn*ts

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

How did it get to the shop?

Probably on a palletised delivery, from a wholesaler, then unpacked and inspected. Not in a badly packed cardboard box by a courier that slung it down the van, then bounced it all along some dirt track on his delivery route.

fufu_banterwaite

Thank you everyone for your feedback it is much appreciated.

Forgotmyname
I have a ‘shed’ area that can be locked and the scooter can be hidden away from public view. Hopefully this will be ok.

Patman
I could go higher on my budget – how much are Piaggio’s? And when you say classified as a trike do you mean I could ride one with a normal driving license?

Ralphy
Are you saying speak to the CBT people before I buy a scooter? I could use one of their scooters to do the CBT?

The journey will be about 70% a main A road and then about 30% on smaller B roads

Also I’ve spent the past 18 months cycling to and from my local train station. Never had any problems in Jan/Feb, so hopefully should be ok. Though obviously if it is a particularly bad winter then things might be different.

Thank you all again for your advice.