some newbie bike questions

Remmy

hi,I'm really interested in bikes but admit to knowing very little about them.

So im 17 and am interested in some kind of 125cc commuter type bike.What would be a few good makes to look at that are common on the second-hand market?

Roughly what would insurance be like taking my age into consideration?

Sorry,I know this is probally asked a million times but i really have no clue.

Thanks in advance.
Remmy

Wossack

cg125, ybr125 etc

insurance? hrm... 4k plus at a guess

XJR

Remmy wrote: »

hi,I'm really interested in bikes but admit to knowing very little about them.

So im 17 and am interested in some kind of 125cc commuter type bike.What would be a few good makes to look at that are common on the second-hand market?

Roughly what would insurance be like taking my age into consideration?

Sorry,I know this is probally asked a million times but i really have no clue.

Thanks in advance.
Remmy

For an idea of insurance costs checkout www.aon.ie in regard to what sort of a bike esay to ride type of bike with cheap insurance would include the likes of a gn125, cg125, varadero125. Anything sporty like a ns125 would probablylead to a higher insurance premium.

Tellox

Insurance is going to come down to a couple of things. Firstly, it does drop a bit once you hit 18. If youre turning 18 anytime soon, I'd just wait before getting a quote.

And where are you based? In Dublin or Cork, the premiums can be absolutely monster. Know someone who got quoted 7k on a cbr250 at 18 in dublin on his first provo. The bike didnt cost him half of that.

For a 125, I've personally drove a dragstar, a virago, and a varadero. I wasnt a big fan of the dragstar - too bulky, slowest takeoff out of the 3, and didnt really allow corners to be taken with any speed.

The virago was my own bike - has a lot more kick than the dragstar, and I found it a lot easier to corner with than the above mentioned. Very comfy on long journeys too. Had a bit higher of a top speed than the dragstar, but youre not going to be getting too fast out of a cruiser-class bike anyway.

The varadero is a lovely bike for a starter. Unfortuntly I'm a few inches too short to really drive one , has a nice kick out of it for a 125, not quite as comfy as the virago though. Can keep a decent top speed (can get over 65mph without too much push anyway), and can take a corner fast enough.

If youre in a money crunch, the only other bike I can suggest is the NSR 80. Not too comfy, but has decent enough speed and accelleration. You can find those going fairly cheap, and theyre group 2 insurance afaik.

The only other bike I can really recommend is the TDR125 - very very fast for a 125. Wouldnt advise it for a first-timer to be honest, and your insurance premium would be fairly big. Little bit nippier than the NSR125, which is a fast 125 bike to begin with.

Realisticly, at 17, you're looking at €2.5k+ for insurance at the very very least. If youre serious about it, you can look into doing some courses that are recognised by insurance companies. I did an Aon Bikecare test 2 days after I first got on my bike, and ended up passing it - took €600 off my premium.

Have a look into what you'd like to ride anyway, be it sport, cruiser, touring etc etc. Theres plenty of choice out there for a 125.