Bike CBT Test & Aprilia 125

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

I might get some stick for this I might not, and i know theres a few ppl on the forum with bikes so i would like to start picking your brain,

 

because of petrol and where i work its very hard for me to get parked on a daily basis at my work(limited number of spaces)

 

But as many bikes can park up pretty much so I want to go the way of CBT then test not direct access,

 

I have my CBT on 27th July, and I really fancy buying a 125 aprilia, as i want it to look good and have a bit of grunt also I couldnt have a scooter I would get too much stick from the lads so what does everyone think?

 

Cheers Andy

[randomist 0]

which aprillia do you fancy? i'd guess you've been looking at the rs125, i really like them as they look a lot bigger than a 125. as a cheap means of transport you cant go wrong & if you get a derestricted one then they are little flying machines, although you're not supposed to be riding one if you've just passed your CBT! i've been looking for a 125 2 stroke myself just to get to & from work & leave the 750 for weekends & longer journeys. my g/f has just bought a nsr125 which is loads of fun but restricted & you can really tell the difference, i had a full power tzr about 5 year ago & it felt sooo much faster but then it was knocking out over twice the horsepower! i'd definitely go with a 2 stroke if you're getting a 125 as 4 stroke engines that size just don't move! ( i'm sure there'll be folks that disagree but you speak as you find )

 

i'm just amazed more people aren't considering this as the price of petrol is just mental & you'll probably get 60-70 mpg & the tax is only 15 quid a year for a 125! never getting stuck in traffic is a major thing for me, i get so stressed sitting in traffic but on a bike you just breeze through the middle & get home relaxed & in time for cbbc!

 

obviously there's the danger element of riding bikes but if you didn't take a few risks every now & then it would be a very boring place to be!

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

cheers for that reply uve summed it up perfectly for communting it will be great as my commute is only 8miles and means im garanteed a parking space at work then with the petrol it will save me no ends over the G i just done a insurance quote and £269 commuting is not bad i dont think for first bike etc! only £40 road tax i believe,

 

as for the bikes the rs125 with 30 odd bhp is the one i want there just so damm sexy but ive been looking at the cbr 125 4-stroke and they just seem bullet proof so head over heart it will be that anyday and both about £1500 for a decent one which is my limit! so yeah end of july i hopoe to have a little 125! and my G for weekends the good thing is that I can also go down and see my old man on the bike as can go A-roads the whole way there as he lives on the isle of wight and with a bike its cheaper on the ferry too!

 

going on to your other comments about the risk thats al;l thats been stoipping me before to be honest but I think a reasonably sporty 125 is a good compromise!

[TomB 0]

I'm in a similar situation as I have my CBT & Theory, I'm just looking for a suitable 125. I've gone for an old Honda CM125 (1983!) to potter around on, with my eye on a full licence later this year.

I was looking at (and rode) a 125RS and found it to be fantastic fun, but opted for a 4 stroke rather than a 2 on noise grounds! That and the fact the Aprilia I was looking at had a bent con-rod...

 

Good luck with the hunt (and make sure the previous owner hasn't filled the tank with water like they had on the one I was eyeing up :D ).

 

Cheers,

 

T

[randomist 0]

yeah you'll def need the full power one, like i said my g/f's got a nsr but restricted & it's fine for bombing about but as soon as you hit a decent incline then it doesn't have the power to get up at a decent rate of knots & you get cars right up your arse! never had that problem on my tzr but then i've always had 2 strokes & know how to keep them in the 'band'!

 

i've only ever sat on an aprillia but they feel a much bigger bike than nsr's & tzr's, tried to get my g/f to buy the aprillia but she prefered the colour of the honda! women.......

 

as for the dangers i really wouldn't worry, as long as your careful & take your time you'll be fine. with a bit of experience you'll see potential hazards before they occur & ride accordingly to avoid them.

 

good luck anyway, i'm sure you're gonna love it!

[n3p 3]

:camp:

 

But in all seriousness, I have considered this option as i pay £175 a month for an 18 mile each way commute into the city. On top of that there is the C to worry about! However, being a n00b on a bike in rush hour London didn't seem like a good idea so i wimped out :( Good luck with finding the bike for you

[moneypit23 0]

It weren't just me who was thinking about getting a bike then :clap: not such a crazy idea!

 

I think the Aprilia will be the one for me then.. and some matching leather oo-er!

[Jay2 0]

Another possible convert to a Scooter for day-to-day stuff.

 

Mates got one for work and mentions at every opportunity how cheap the road tax is and the amount of mileage.

 

Let us know how you get on mate. :D

[mic_VR 3]

Man up and do your real test (direct access!) :wink:

 

Seriously though, thats what I did. Then got a cheap Kawasaki ER-5 to travel to work on. Proper bike so your mates won't call you names, plus cheapy cheap tax, MOT and insurance. Mine always did 50mpg plus and I'd rag it quite a lot so better than most diesels on fuel.

 

Sorted!

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

mic its the all in package of the cbr thats doing it for me - probably most reliable bike on the market, 4stroke instead of two, cheap insurance unlike a £500,CBT only costs £95 instead of £550 for direct access and the cbr will do 70-80mpg if ridden well and also it looks damm good! then got the G to go uber fast in!

 

[mic_VR 3]

mic its the all in package of the cbr thats doing it for me - probably most reliable bike on the market, 4stroke instead of two, cheap insurance unlike a £500,CBT only costs £95 instead of £550 for direct access and the cbr will do 70-80mpg if ridden well and also it looks damm good! then got the G to go uber fast in!

 

I agree that does look pretty good, and it does make sense that you'll be getting the best mpg and lowest costs possible. And the test can be expensive, but once it's done its done and you can still ride anything you like so a 125cc is still an option.

 

Having ridden for longer than I've been driving I can safely say I'd never go back to something smaller than about 500cc as I like having the power on tap to get out of trouble if needs be, i'd feel just too vulnerable on something small.

 

But everyone's different, mabe we should organise a Corrado forum bike meet? :lol:

[dizzydubbers_missis 0]

Man up and do your real test (direct access!) :wink:

 

Seriously though, thats what I did. Then got a cheap Kawasaki ER-5 to travel to work on. Proper bike so your mates won't call you names, plus cheapy cheap tax, MOT and insurance. Mine always did 50mpg plus and I'd rag it quite a lot so better than most diesels on fuel.

 

Sorted!

 

Totally agree about direct access, Cbt only lasts 3 years so might aswell go all the way. I did my cbt 10 years ago (how old do i feel) I always had 4 stroke bikes tho, sound a lot nicer than a little screaming 2 stroke. But they can be so annoying up hills etc.. Just never quite fast enough. I'm trying to convince my hubby its a good idea to both do our full test soon, would be so much easier. I do 25 miles a day and in the summer its a lovely ride if i had a bike. Do it, ya know you want to....

[bcstudent 0]

maybe we should organise a Corrado forum bike meet? :lol:

I'm in!

[russed99 0]

I've recently bought a cagiva mito which is a 2 stroke 125 like the rs and its great. However, i wouldn't wanna be commuting on it as its a little heavy on the wrists, not great on fuel when you give it some and a bit of a pain in traffic. Simple advice really, get a cheap 4 stroke and pass your test cos cbt now only lasts 2 years and there making DAS a lot harder in the autumn. But bikes are great so go for it.

[mic_VR 3]

maybe we should organise a Corrado forum bike meet? :lol:

I'm in!

 

Yay! I'd better sort myself out with a new bike then.... triumph street triple is my bike of choice at the mo.....

 

Any further dicision on what bike or test you're going to do? iow_corrado_g60

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

ive decided still going to go ahead with the cbt and go for a cbr 125! all in should cost me just shy of £2k which isnt too bad considering. will update soon

[bcstudent 0]

Nice one. You won't regret joining the two-wheeled world.

[StuartFZR400 0]

you mean CBT and test right; as the CBT is time limited to 2 years of something, and you have a lovely L plate, lol. So test is a must have.

 

Dont know about being quicker and cheaper. Its a false economy. Its only going to work if you throw on some jeans and jump on and go. If you go buying the full kit, you can spend a fortune; this is not forgetting that you're paying for the bike, insurance, mot, tax, wear-n-tear (oil if a 2 stroker) over and above your car. Then once you've bought it all, you've got to put it on and off; takes 5 minutes, either end, and you've lost the time saved over using the car. If you have a laugh riding to work, you might geta sweat on; nice to arrive to work like that. You can forget going uber fast; I had the RS125 for a few years, great fun, but totally smoked for grunt, overtaking pace, etc, compared to anything bigger; overtakes are doable, but totally planned.

 

The only reason you want to do it, is for the GRIN FACTOR.

[moneypit23 0]

I just penciled myself in for the CBT :)

 

and i'm liking the look of these:-

 

http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/product.asp?Id=3404434F331