My other bike is a bike.
I'll be 33 in a couple of months and I haven't yet had a single driving lesson. Nothing to do with procrastination, I just haven't ever wanted to learn how to drive, so haven't.

I have, however, done my CBT; so I can drive motorbikes up to the value of 125cc. I intend to do my full bike test eventually, but seem to keep putting it off until it becomes more difficult and more expensive, but that's not what this is about, either.

This is about the collection of bikes I seem to be amassing.

When I first completed the CBT I procured, for a very reasonable price, a low rate, 50cc chav chariot that would just about get me from home to work and back again. It was slow, noisy, embarrassing, and made me feel like a cunt, but it did the job, and was quicker than the bus.

However, I soon grew tired of everyone (rightly) treating me like a 16 year old scumbag, decided to upgrade and purchased a 10 year old Vespa with a whole 125cc's of twist and go power. Still not the best bike in the world, but a world better than the pile of arse I'd ridden for the whole month or so before.

Now, the logical, normal, sensible thing would have been to flog the other one while it was still relatively new, had no obvious faults (beyond itself) and could still command a better price than the one I paid for it.

But I didn't. I let it sit until the battery became useless; so I replaced the battery. Then I let it sit until it wouldn't even tick over without an hour of stamping on the kick start; so I spent an hour or so stamping on the kick start. Then I let it sit until the lock rusted to the point where the key would break before it would open; so I broke the key in the lock.

Now, almost two years on, it still sits outside my house, its sole purpose is to provide something heavy and unwieldy for me to lock my Vespa to when I'm not using it. I've registered it SORN, haven't bothered to insure it and can't even give it away.

So, if you know of anyone in the Greater London area that wants a hair dryer with wheels and has a pair of bolt cutters, I can point you in the direction of a smart little scooter; two careful owners, etc....
( Moey, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 19:29, 9 replies)

Fancy a VFR400?
Great first bike if and when you pass the full test!

Same story - sat in my lovely mother's garage for the last 2 years, and as I bought a beautiful new R6 a few months ago it's unlikely so see the light of day again.

I could wipe it down, MoT/Tax it and sell it, but it's so much hassle isn't it?
(Penguins_Made_Me_Do_It is a dolt ... and she don't care, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 20:00, closed)

Oh Christ, yes
I have a Honda 70 and a Honda 90 cluttering up my parents shed; I had two broken quad bikes taking up my entire workshop for two years (now have one working one, which sorted that problem); was going to take up autotesting this year so a slightly bent Cinquecento sat out our house for 8 months before I gave that one up. Bikes (and cars): so easy to hang on to, so hard to part...
(trumpet, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 20:12, closed)

New old bike
I did a CBT about 8 years ago and spent the best part of 2 grand on a nice shiny Yamaha SR125, under a year old with less than a thousand miles on the clock.

Then 3 months later I got a new job and moved to Norwich where I could walk to work, so to cut a long story short it stayed in my Mum's garage ever since.

The bike still has only about 1800 miles on the clock and every spring I think should get it serviced and taken for an MOT, then renew the CBT and get on it again, but here we are in winter and it's not done again.

Occasionally in a month when I'm short of cash I think about getting it serviced and selling it, but then I find 20 quid down the back of the sofa and forget about it.

Another 17 years and it'll be a classic or covered in rust.
( Amos E Wolfe makes vinyl signs and things like that, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 20:22, closed)

I'm
about to do my CBT and the sr125 has caught my eye as the bike to get, what are they like?
(gin'll fix it, Fri 14 Nov 2008, 12:07, closed)

A mate of mine,
the same one I purchased the hair dryer from in fact, bought himself an SR125 and really rated it.

His was fairly old, but would do 70/75 at a push, and was more than adequate for commuting.

The Honda CG125 is the one that I've heard lots of good things about. Pretty much the same as the Yamaha one, but lots of people seem to rate Honda more.
( Moey, Fri 14 Nov 2008, 12:12, closed)

I did my CBT on a CG125
but I ride an XR125. It's basically a light trail bike with the engine from the CG, and I can't recommend it enough as a first 'proper' bike (especially if, like myself, you're of a tall persuasion and riding something like a CG125 makes you look like part of a circus). The engine is bullet proof, which the CG was always rated for - it's not the fastest 125 out there (by any stretch of the imagination) but it'll go all day long every day with minimal maintenance and still get 100mpg consistently.
(sumoguy I don't need Culture, I need Explosives, Fri 14 Nov 2008, 12:22, closed)

I've worried about that...
I'm 6'4" and have never rode a motorbike before so I'm worried about looking ridiculous on a 125.

The SR125, XV125 Virago, Gilera Cougar 125 and a similar Suzuki model have all caught my eye due to styling, positive reviews etc, but still none the wiser as to whether a taller person would be alright riding them, any advice?

EDIT: Thanks, the CG125 looks alright, still got no idea where to go looking for one. I'd prefer to go to a dealer, but don't know of any reliable ones in the Manchester area.
(gin'll fix it, Fri 14 Nov 2008, 13:27, closed)

If you're tall
then the XR125 is apparently a good choice.

I really wanted to get a Honda Varadero, which is like a grown up bike with a 125cc engine, but I'm really not tall, so had to go for something smaller.

If you find one, even on ebay, go for it, they're supposedly quite hard to get hold of as people love them. If it wasn't for my stumpy legs I'd be one of them.

EDIT: Said mate, owner of hair dryer and SR125 is about 6'4", and had quite the belly on him, when he was riding the SR, and he didn't look out of place on it.
( Moey, Fri 14 Nov 2008, 13:58, closed)

I did my CBT on a Chituma CTM125C. Don't get one unless you want to be forced to learn how to do repairs and parts replacements.

After my test, a 1989 Honda VTR250 that got stolen. Now restricted 2000 model Kawasaki GPZ500S (which I would seriously recommend as a post-passing bike).

DO YOUR TEST SOON! They're getting around to changing it so it'll be a lot harder and more involved to pass.
(Musuko, Fri 14 Nov 2008, 16:28, closed)