I'm going to be getting a bike around late July. Il be a learner rider so obviously I'm restricted to alot of bikes and i thought id leave a thread here if people can help out in which is a good bike to get.

Ive been researching abit and narrowed down to three bikes that are good and that i like. Id appreciate it if anyone can help me out here .

Three bikes ive been looking at:

Aprilia RS125
http://www.aprilia.com.au/rs12507.html

Kawasaki 250R Ninja
http://www.kawasaki.com.au/ind ... ct_details=specifications


Honda CBR125R
http://www.hondampe.com.au/wps ... BR125R+07/Specifications/


If anyone has a bike and rides one or knows a thing or two, let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Ok, 125cc machines are a bit of a minefield really, first question, new or used?.

I would steer away from the CBR125, it's a poor machine, poorly built, for a honda, and very slow, the Aprilia will be VERY desirable, handle VERY well, and go like stink, but there are notorious unreliable, and probably require an engine rebuild every 6 months!!!.

Out of the 3, the Kwacker would be the best choice.

If you are buying new, I would also suggest you look at the Yamaha YZF-R125, supposed to be a VERY good bike.

Are you looking to move up to a larger bike after your restricted period? (TBH, I don't know how the licensing works down under), If it were me, I would buy a cheap old nail of a 125, and run it into the ground, because you are quite likely to crash, ruin it and you won't be too upset, unlike you would on a bike like an RS125.

How restricted is your license? If you're considering the CBR125 and the Ninja 250, I assume the Ninja is going to be restricted to CBR power levels, otherwise I'd say do not even consider the CBR125. The Ninja will feel like a proper bike.

The RS125 has become suffocated by emission regulations. It's not the little fire spitter of a few years back, and as Dan says it's not easy to live with day to day.

It all comes down to the power your license will allow to ride with. If the Ninja is within the range, and you can afford it, then there's no question. If it would need restricting to 125 power levels, then perhaps forget all 3 and go for the Yamaha like Dan says. It's meant to be worlds apart from the CBR125 (which is basically just a CG125 underneath the plastics).

I saw an YZF-R125 yesterday, great looking little bike, looks just like a mini R6, but £3K on a 125? sheeshh, I paid that for my Aprilia!!!

If the ninja is more powerful, then get it

But otherwise I'll recommend the CBR. One of the best there is. I had one, my friend had one and neither one of us ever had any problems. It's nice to drive, even if you are tall. And the handling is good, driving a quiet twisty road is a pleasure.

It's probably not nearly as fast as the aprilia (which will probably brake by the time you get it home), but it's four stroke so it'll attract more girls (girls don't like if u smell like a lumberjack)

Personally, I would recommend sticking clear of sports bike style 125 bikes, get something much more comfortable, then when you pass you test, go for a sports bike if you want the speed then!

Quote from hyntty :

But otherwise I'll recommend the CBR. One of the best there is.

Really? I think they look like a cheap bit of tat you get out of a christmas cracker, plus the engine is weezy as hell.

Restrictions for Learner rider in AUS.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/lice ... orcyclesnoviceriders.html

Quote :

The LAM scheme will allow novice riders to ride moderately powered motorcycles with an engine capacity up to and including 660ml and which do not exceed a power to weight ratio of 150 kilowatts per tonne and are shown on this list.

Eligible Motorcycles in the category 0-260ml.
All models with the exception of:
Suzuki RGV250
Kawasaki KR250 (KR-1 and KR1s models)
Honda NSR250
Yamaha TZR250
Aprila RS250

Eligible Motorcycles in the category 261 - 660ml
List is too big

Whats funny is, the RS125 has a power to weight ratio of i think 160kw/tonne, but its legal, so don't really follow that restriction. For 250cc, it says anything except the five bikes in that class.

I was first interested in the Aprilia, but in this thread its been said they are good/ but need alot to be maintained etc. The yamaha looks really nice and i might be tossing up between the yamaha and the ninja now.

Also to answer some questions, im going for a new bike, not used. Plus ive (well my brother, but i can use) a Yamaha WR250x which is a dirt bike, but im looking more for a road bike. .

The Ninja 250R will ultimately be a "better" bike, probably have better resale values to, and you won't have to rev the tits off it like you would a 125.

It looks like the 250R will be just over the 150kw per ton though, it's 24kw and 154kg, which makes it 156kw per ton, although that is dry weight.......

The Aprilia, obviously, there really is no other choice.

You can try to think with your brain and rationalize it all you want but there is a little voice inside you screaming at you to buy the Aprilia no matter what!

Quote from garph :

The Aprilia, obviously, there really is no other choice.

You can try to think with your brain and rationalize it

Yes you can: EM OU EN WY..... sorry EM OU EN EE WY. It's ridiculously expensive

Go for Ninja 250R

You don't say anything about price, new or secondhand... But if you're looking for a very biased opinion: Yamaha TZR125. The most fun I have, ever, ever had on two wheels.

Bought secondhand for £300, it was in need of a little attention, but nothing like a rebuild or anything complicated. Given that TLC it returned the favour by being an utterly reliable, two stroke mentalist. I rode it into work, refining my traffic light clutch hand to deal with releasing 7000revs to the back wheel (otherwise it was slower than a scooter away from the lights...) and laughed every morning I was employed!

Of all the things I've ever bought, I look back at the TZR with an almost kinky fondness! You might want to remind me that it was just a machine, a tool, but it wasn't, I'll tell you, dammit it really, really wasn't!!

He his after a new one, he says so above.

TZR? pha, I had an RD125LC, now THAT was a machine

edit: actually have some very embarassing photos of it (and me), just remember these are circa late 1980's, stop s******ing at the back

Lol, can't believe you can't say sn i g g ering

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/danowat/sad1.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/danowat/sad2.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/danowat/sad3.jpg

I'd wait until I got my full licence and then would by a 600cc sports bike of some sort.

The little 125s/250s are so light with such skinny little tyres they blow about all over the place in the wind. Not funny sometimes.

Also, on a bigger fatter looking bike car drivers will give you a little more respect if you ever filter past them. On smaller bikes it gets them really riled. I remember when I was learning on a little SR 125 thingy. Never give you any room at all if they see a small bike and L plates.

Quote from danowat :

TZR? pha, I had an RD125LC, now THAT was a machine

The Widow Maker is the one - RD350LC - classic bike.

I don't know the first thing about motorcycles, but that Aprilia is sexy.

Even here in the US where we don't have any laws restricting what kind of bike you can buy, the Ninja 250R is very popular.

I started on a 2002 Kawasaki Super Sherpa back in 2003 (250cc street-legal enduro, parents thought the fact it wasn't a sportbike would deter me from riding it hard... :P ) and just recently got a 1990 Kawasaki EX500 (aka Ninja 500, GPZ500), which also happens to be considered a "beginner" bike.

I've ridden the 250R before and although it's pretty quick it's not scary quick. Revving it out in first gear didn't make me go "woah..." like the 500 did. Granted, I had been riding my 250 enduro for a while before trying the 250R, I still think you'll find a 125cc 4-stroke immensely underpowered.

I had the king of all bikes, a Kawasaki AR50 and then a Suzuki RG125.

I loved the AR, riding around back lanes with the lights off when there were no clouds and the moon was really bright, was awesome!

p.s. danowat.........baaaaaaaaaaahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahhahahaha!

EDIT: Pic of my AR50

I wouldn't bother with a 125 myself, but if I had to choose it would definitely be a MX styled bike over any sort of 'street super bike copy'.

One of the fastest 125s I've ever ridden was a Aprilia RX125 (Not the new junk) but the later ones, I friend of mine had one imported from Italy and the thing did about 115mph. Another fast 125 I had when I was a kid was a Kawasaki KDX 125, this was probably another one of the faster 125s I've ridden. I remember bombing down a field clocking about 85mph, and the thing was good for 90-100mph on the road (Even though it was like 10 years old at the time).

Quote from garph :

I loved the AR, riding around back lanes with the lights off when there were no clouds and the moon was really bright, was awesome!

Ok, now I really want to get a motorcycle license... one more thing to do this summer... haha

[EDIT] Danowat - I'm glad I'm too young to remember the 80s.

Can't really add much to the good advice already given except, be careful...

If it were me, and cash was tight, i'd buy a little cheap run around, save up, pass your bike test and get something bigger later on. But please please be careful...

I dont know enough about Bikes to comment but I just wanted to post a big LOL at the pics of Danowat!

ah, if we're gonna be grown up.

The performance gap between the 50 and 125 was immense. The 50 was 40mph flat out...down hill...with the wind...so it was really not that dangerous, hence the stupid things I used to do.

The 125 was a different story, it was fast enough and accelerated fast enough to be dangerous, there was never any messing around with my 125 like I did on the 50....

....well, apart from sitting on the pillion seat with no hands when there was no one around...again at night, blame my girlfirend of the time, it was a 5 mile ride home and I had to do something!



...thinkin about it I'm probably not the best person to give out safety advice.

Quote from Jakg :

I dont know enough about Bikes to comment but I just wanted to post a big LOL at the pics of Danowat!

LMAO, i completely missed those.. :ices_rofl Man'O'live they're hilarious, Dano in his shell suit and err s'ports bike...te he