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Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Hi im a 20 year old student and im planning to buy my first bike to commute from my house to uni and back and the occasional trips into town. its going to be a round trip of about 20 miles everyday, my hearts set on the superbyke rmr125 as its cheap to buy and insure which is great due to being a student.
My only concern is im a short rider 5ft 4 with a 29" inseam and the seat height on the rmr125 is 35", my riding boots add about an inch and a half to my height. so i was wondering if theres anyone thats close to my height riding a bike thats as big or bigger than the rmr and how they are coping and is there anything i can do to make the situation better.
Ive gone to the store that sells the bike and they didnt have any on the premises or warehouse for me to sit on and get an idea of it is. they did however have the rsr instock and that was a comfortable bike with a seat height of 30" but my hearts set on the rmr
(i just joined the forum yesterday and i think i posted this thread in the right place if not im sorry, my bad)
Thanks for taking the time to look
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Ive been surfing the net and found a store about a 2 hours drive from where i am that sells the sinnis apache which also has a seat height of 35" but is a bit more expensive than the rmr, they also sell the WK Trial 125 which is 33" which seems like a better option for me, because the seat height is lower and its cheaper than the sinnis and cheaper than the superbyke, only downside of this bike is that it only has fuel capacity of 5.6 litres whereas the other 2 are 10.6 litres which seems like a very big difference at half the capacity. ive heard that the sinnis and superbyke can get anywhere between 230-250 miles out of a full tank so am i right in guessing the Trial will get half of that.
I havnt really been able to find much information or reviews on the WK Trial 125 so if anyone owns one can you tell me about the reliability and cost of running the bike
thanks
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
If seat height is one your main concerns, you'd better look at naked bikes, or even "choppers". If you fancy "enduro" style, than supermoto is the way to go.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Its just that i really do like the look of the rmr but being a short guy, not sure how bad things might be and other concern is money, being a student dont have that much money to splash, for the price of a second hand bike i can get a brand new rmr, or the WK Trial. Im going to be restricted to a 125cc and the other similar style bikes that fit my height and are 125cc are the Kawasaki klx125 and dtracker and the suzuki dr125sm only issue there is the price over double the price of the rmr
Budget: My Budget is £2200 that including insurance
Style: The two main styles im looking at in the order of which one i want most is Dual-purpose and Cruisers but has to 125cc
Annual mileage: Il be riding close to 20 miles everyday maybe a bit less and dont really want to have to fill up a lot maybe once or twice in the week
What's your riding experience? my experience is a complete beginner, closest thing to a motorcycle ive been near is a bicycle, planning on taking my cbt and riding on L plates. Dont want anything to expensive that will rip a whole in my pocket if i drop which i probably most likely will do
Reason i need a bike? My cars not very practical for the daily commute in the sense its very expensive to run, petrol and tax wise, parking costs go through the roof, that is if im able to find a spot close to my university, using a car i have to leave atleast an hour early because of the traffic jams
if you know of any bikes that meets my budget and experience level then drop a reply please, pretty much just looking at any and every 125cc i can find
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
My commute is about 10 miles round trip and i ve chose a scooter to take me to work although i have a bigger bike. Scooters are design for commuting, i know they are ugly hah but comfortable (if you have to buy some milk there is a place to put it), small (can go through traffic jams easily), fast (if you get a 125cc it will have plenty of power as they are usually lighter), no clutch or gear shifting to worry about just twist and go.
If you get bike that is too tall for you it will be a nightmare to ride it in traffic
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
The TMEC 125 is ok and a cheap bike. There is a guy on youtube named 'stayslinky' from the UK who has several videos of him riding his bike. The only thing might be the seat height.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Usually I'd advise to follow your heart, but it's ur 1st bike, and some minor issues will start to suck real bad, real soon.
5 liters tank is just too small. U'll be at the station every 2 days and sometimes out of gas. 10 liters minimum for ur 125cc x 20 miles a day + out of work commute.
Seat height is a concern, so just forget about enduro & dirt bikes unless u did try to sit on one, and BOTH ur feet can reach the ground. If not, through traffic u'll regularly go down maneuvering among cars.
I also wanted an enduro as 1st bike, coming from 2 years on 100cc pit bikes it felt logic, but I'm 5.6" and lost interest after sitting on a few enduro in the shop, I'm too small is all, my heart started settling on a Chinese 250cc street bike on which sitting feels great, even at the red light, after 3 years riding it 14 miles a day in Shanghai I have little interest for anything else than street bikes.
Moreover, enduro & dirt bikes are higher with wider handle bars, making riding through traffic harder, even when comfi on the bike.
Oh and also, I wouldn't buy Chinese designed moto, Chinese built maybe, but never Chinese designed, been there done that, thanks.
I'm buying a new bike in december, 250 street bike again, but Japanese this time.
Ur budget is 2.2K pounds, I'd strongly recommend that u go to a shop and sit on a YBR 125 or honda 150, and see how that feels...
Good luck.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
modron
My commute is about 10 miles round trip and i ve chose a scooter to take me to work although i have a bigger bike. Scooters are design for commuting, i know they are ugly hah but comfortable (if you have to buy some milk there is a place to put it), small (can go through traffic jams easily), fast (if you get a 125cc it will have plenty of power as they are usually lighter), no clutch or gear shifting to worry about just twist and go.
If you get bike that is too tall for you it will be a nightmare to ride it in traffic
Hey thanks for the reply (sorry i didnt mention this before) but i have thought about a scooter but i live out of the city in a bit of a rural area where during the summer its great but during the other times roads can get a bit snowed over and my drive way to the house is a bit of a track so i dont feel a scooter would be good in those conditions. i also drive on a few back roads and a dual carriageway to get into town and i think that might be to much stress on the scooter and i wouldnt be to comfortable doing that on one and yeah your right they are ugly haha
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
braillce
Usually I'd advise to follow your heart, but it's ur 1st bike, and some minor issues will start to suck real bad, real soon.
5 liters tank is just too small. U'll be at the station every 2 days and sometimes out of gas. 10 liters minimum for ur 125cc x 20 miles a day + out of work commute.
Seat height is a concern, so just forget about enduro & dirt bikes unless u did try to sit on one, and BOTH ur feet can reach the ground. If not, through traffic u'll regularly go down maneuvering among cars.
I also wanted an enduro as 1st bike, coming from 2 years on 100cc pit bikes it felt logic, but I'm 5.6" and lost interest after sitting on a few enduro in the shop, I'm too small is all, my heart started settling on a Chinese 250cc street bike on which sitting feels great, even at the red light, after 3 years riding it 14 miles a day in Shanghai I have little interest for anything else than street bikes.
Moreover, enduro & dirt bikes are higher with wider handle bars, making riding through traffic harder, even when comfi on the bike.
Oh and also, I wouldn't buy Chinese designed moto, Chinese built maybe, but never Chinese designed, been there done that, thanks.
I'm buying a new bike in december, 250 street bike again, but Japanese this time.
Ur budget is 2.2K pounds, I'd strongly recommend that u go to a shop and sit on a YBR 125 or honda 150, and see how that feels...
Good luck.
hey thanks for the reply
i did have a feeling the tank size would be to small. as im a complete beginner i dont think im going to try and filter through traffic (knowing me and my luck might end up clipping some guys mirror and get chased with a hammer haha). if theres a space inbetween the cars and its relatively big then i might go through, but i wont go if i have any doubt about it.
is the superbyke rmr chinese designed? i thought the superbyke rmr/pulse adrenaline/sinnis apache were all based on each other and had a licensed copy of the suzuki engine, the bike was made in china i know that but is the engine and frame not based on a suzuki.
I have sat on a YBR125 Custom, it was comfortable have to admit but the price tag was 3000, closest i found used was a good hundred miles away and even then was priced at 2.4k and on top of that i would have to get insurance and that brings me up to 2.9k. i guess i was drawn to the rmr because i liked the look, seemed practical living it a bit of a farm like place, low price fits into my budget with insurance added (even leaves over £30 which can go towards fuel for the bike or me lol).
Anyways
i also looked at the suzuki van van, really do like the look of them but i guess thats a far away dream at 3.8k with insurance.
any thoughts on the Sinnis Trackstar http://sinnismotorcycles.com/motorcy...ckstar%20125cc . different design of bike but seems to fit my purpose well, looks like it has some capability in dealing with rough and muddy tracks. this has a 10 litre tank same as the rmr
theres also the Sinnis Vista http://sinnismotorcycles.com/motorcy...0Vista%20125cc which has a cruiser design going but got a feeling it may not deal with tracks as much but then again 15% of the time il be on tracks and the rest of the time on tarmac. this has a 13.6 litre tank which seems like it can hold a lot and go far, but most of the reviews ive read mention it being a bit slow which i dont really mind but makes me wonder how well it would get me out of danger on dual carriage ways at 50mph and ive read the vista redlines at 50 so got a feeling it might not do so well in getting me out of danger whereas the trackstar redlines at 65
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
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Originally Posted by
humanbeing
that is a pretty nice bike and its very very cheap, il try and find some reviews and some more information on the bike
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sheebs
Hey thanks for the reply (sorry i didnt mention this before) but i have thought about a scooter but i live out of the city in a bit of a rural area where during the summer its great but during the other times roads can get a bit snowed over and my drive way to the house is a bit of a track so i dont feel a scooter would be good in those conditions. i also drive on a few back roads and a dual carriageway to get into town and i think that might be to much stress on the scooter and i wouldnt be to comfortable doing that on one and yeah your right they are ugly haha
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2278/1...569f2ec6_z.jpg
Yamaha Zuma - Stihl Camouflage by Jason Means
This is Yamaha Zuma 125 and it would probably do the trick. There is a Chinese copy of this scooter but not sure if they are available in the UK. City where I live is filled with them. Seems like they are very trendy these days hah
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
modron
haha that looks brilliant, that would definitely be able to deal with the tracks and the rural area i live in, sadly the only yamaha deal in my area is not cool enough to sell it. from all the info i found online looks like its just sold in the US
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
I am on a tablet, so I can't link to it, but on the 'street' threads look up the Skyteam TRex. The last post is from a guy nicknamed 'trexuk' who is from Strood, Kent. The TRex is a 125cc fat tired enduro with a low seat height (I believe 29" sorry for lack of metric). I also believe you can buy a 50cc version in the UK. It is based on the early 1970's Suzuki Van Van 90cc. It has a unique look, so you might not like the looks of it, but since you mentioned snowy roads, I believe the fat tires will compensate for that. Like I said, look up the 4 page thread on it in the street thread.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
culcune
I am on a tablet, so I can't link to it, but on the 'street' threads look up the Skyteam TRex. The last post is from a guy nicknamed 'trexuk' who is from Strood, Kent. The TRex is a 125cc fat tired enduro with a low seat height (I believe 29" sorry for lack of metric). I also believe you can buy a 50cc version in the UK. It is based on the early 1970's Suzuki Van Van 90cc. It has a unique look, so you might not like the looks of it, but since you mentioned snowy roads, I believe the fat tires will compensate for that. Like I said, look up the 4 page thread on it in the street thread.
Hey thanks for the reply and i found the post you were talking about and you are right in saying it has a unique look (it does look nice, looks like a baby van van lol i might go as far as calling it a cute looking bike) and the tires do look great for the snow and mud and everything else anyways i had a look at the bike online to see if theres any sellers near by and i found out that its only got a 3.8 litre tank, i do a round trip of 20 miles everyday, and with that bike got a feeling im going to be spending a fair bit of time stopping and refueling. But thanks for the reply
found a video of the bike riding in the snow, seems to do a pretty good job
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cf7wKiIL9A
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
You should ask Trexuk what kind of mileage he gets; these bikes should get you about 3 days worth of commuting, I would think. I commute 30 miles each day on my TMEC 200 and average about 50 mpg(US). That is at speeds of 55 to 60 mph for about 7 or 8 miles. It's too bad he is so far from you because it seems like a nice bike and worth a test ride. The Skyteam VRaptor 125 (also available in 230cc, but I believe you are still on an L plate) would probably be worth a look, too. It has a 10 liter tank.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
culcune
You should ask Trexuk what kind of mileage he gets; these bikes should get you about 3 days worth of commuting, I would think. I commute 30 miles each day on my TMEC 200 and average about 50 mpg(US). That is at speeds of 55 to 60 mph for about 7 or 8 miles. It's too bad he is so far from you because it seems like a nice bike and worth a test ride. The Skyteam VRaptor 125 (also available in 230cc, but I believe you are still on an L plate) would probably be worth a look, too. It has a 10 liter tank.
fair enough il drop him a message a message, does look pretty nimble and basic so if i do get it, wont be to worried about bashing it or dropping it. Yeah m going to be riding on L plates so will have to be a 125cc, is it possible to ride a bigger bike and then just have a limiter put on it. Im also thinking im going to be 21 when i go to take cbt so i could do the direct access so i was wondering if i should go for a bigger bike (but then again biger bikes does mean more money) or just keep a 125cc and get used to the roads before i upgrade
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
culcune
You should ask Trexuk what kind of mileage he gets; these bikes should get you about 3 days worth of commuting, I would think. I commute 30 miles each day on my TMEC 200 and average about 50 mpg(US). That is at speeds of 55 to 60 mph for about 7 or 8 miles. It's too bad he is so far from you because it seems like a nice bike and worth a test ride. The Skyteam VRaptor 125 (also available in 230cc, but I believe you are still on an L plate) would probably be worth a look, too. It has a 10 liter tank.
I live in a rural area but close to town and there are several petrol stations nearby. I usually fill a jerry can and keep it in the garage to top up the Trex when needed. With it having a small tank and no fuel gauge knowing what level the fuel is at can be a bit tricky sometimes.
Minimum fuel delivery at most UK petrol stations is 2 litres, so it can be a bit touch and go with only a small tank whether you can fit in the minimum amount. To overcome this I made a fuel dipstick to give me a more accurate idea of how much was left in the tank. To do this I used a thin length of wood from a broken plate rack. I syphoned out all of the fuel from the tank. Then carefully poured .50 of a litre into a clean measuring jug then poured this back into the fuel tank. Then I put in the length of wood, then removed it and marked the wood with a line where the petrol had come up to. I repeated this process adding .50 of a litre until I had reached a full tank. Now by dipping the tank every morning I know roughly how many miles I have left in the tank.
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Attachment 13477
This is my T Rex as it stands now. I have made a few modifications that suit me. I removed the rack and remounted the indicators on some simple oval brackets that I made up. I also fitted a tach/hour meter so I could keep track of the engine revs. I also plan to fit some front mounted spotlights to improve visibility during the winter. I also upgraded the fitted headlamp bulb to a halogen one. I also modified the kick stand cut out switch so you can start it with the side stand down.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
trexuk
Attachment 13477
This is my T Rex as it stands now. I have made a few modifications that suit me. I removed the rack and remounted the indicators on some simple oval brackets that I made up. I also fitted a tach/hour meter so I could keep track of the engine revs. I also plan to fit some front mounted spotlights to improve visibility during the winter. I also upgraded the fitted headlamp bulb to a halogen one. I also modified the kick stand cut out switch so you can start it with the side stand down.
The bike does look spot on, really is a nice bike. Was looking online for a near by dealer so i could have a look at it but closest place is in warwickshire a good 350 miles away. Again biggest thing thats pushing me away from the bike is the tank size. Im sure it would do the 20 miles commute easy but id rather only fill my bike up once or twice in a week.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
If you like that type bike then check out the CPI SUV….
http://www.wearemoto.co.uk/cpi/motorcycles/suv-125.php
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MJH
Tried using the sites find a dealer next to me and each time i enter my town or postcode it comes up with
WITHIN 30 MILES
Sorry, there are no authorised CPI dealers currently serving this area.
Do you know of any dealers near aberdeen
All good used scotland as a search and found one 90 miles from me, il drop them a call and see if they have any in store, saves me driving down, if they do then il go have a sit on the bike and see how it feels.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
best thing i ever done it got my sinnis apache love it even more now i have a brand new one don't get me wrong i enjoyed kitting up my old one but this one just feels so much better
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
supersmooth315
best thing i ever done it got my sinnis apache love it even more now i have a brand new one don't get me wrong i enjoyed kitting up my old one but this one just feels so much better
Honestly the sinnis apache seems like a great bike, hearing nothing but good things about the bike sadly on my list of bikes its the most expensive one which means my budget is getting stretched a fair bit and on top of that highest seat height, have been watching a few videos on youtube about short riders riding bigger bikes and a few of them have huge bikes and seem to be doing well with a big bike but then again they might have years of experience
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
im 5"10 so yeah its fine for me what about if you lower the rear spring just a thought ride will be hard i think never touched suspension
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
supersmooth315
im 5"10 so yeah its fine for me what about if you lower the rear spring just a thought ride will be hard i think never touched suspension
Ive looked at ways to lower a bike but pretty much ever single place says lowering a bike from its standard height is not a smart move but if u have to lower it, most you can go is a few mm before you put the whole bike off balance and handling becomes really bad. ive also read that some folks shave a few inches off the seat but that seems like a bit of a hassle.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sheebs
The bike does look spot on, really is a nice bike. Was looking online for a near by dealer so i could have a look at it but closest place is in warwickshire a good 350 miles away. Again biggest thing thats pushing me away from the bike is the tank size. Im sure it would do the 20 miles commute easy but id rather only fill my bike up once or twice in a week.
The Skyteam Vraptor 125 has a 10 liter tank, but the price is pushing your limit. As far as lowering, some bikes allow you to do this, but only some will allow it; cutting springs where they are not supposed to will negatively affect your handling. Seat cutting could work for you. My TMEC 200 (I believe you only get the 125 in the UK and Europe) is quite tall for me, as I am 5'7" and on my toes at stop signs and red lights. Cutting out the seat would affect comfort, I would think, although I have never done so with a bike. TMEC 125s seem cheap over there, however, and come with 12 liter tanks ( again, not sure of the Euro-spec TMEC 125) but you could go on youtube and ask 'stayslinky' as he has quite a few videos there with his TMEC.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sheebs
Honestly the sinnis apache seems like a great bike, hearing nothing but good things about the bike sadly on my list of bikes its the most expensive one which means my budget is getting stretched a fair bit and on top of that highest seat height, have been watching a few videos on youtube about short riders riding bigger bikes and a few of them have huge bikes and seem to be doing well with a big bike but then again they might have years of experience
If you are budget conscious then look at the Lexmoto Street 125, it has the same engine as the Sinnis.
It also has a big gas tank.
http://www.lexmoto.co.uk/DFE125-8A.php
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MJH
Their motard looks like a good bike, too.
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Re: Planning to Buy my first bike help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by
culcune
The Skyteam Vraptor 125 has a 10 liter tank, but the price is pushing your limit. As far as lowering, some bikes allow you to do this, but only some will allow it; cutting springs where they are not supposed to will negatively affect your handling. Seat cutting could work for you. My TMEC 200 (I believe you only get the 125 in the UK and Europe) is quite tall for me, as I am 5'7" and on my toes at stop signs and red lights. Cutting out the seat would affect comfort, I would think, although I have never done so with a bike. TMEC 125s seem cheap over there, however, and come with 12 liter tanks ( again, not sure of the Euro-spec TMEC 125) but you could go on youtube and ask 'stayslinky' as he has quite a few videos there with his TMEC.
That bike actually seems perfect and it does push my budget a fair bit but i guess i can work something out. bike looks just like the van van but a grand cheaper in price. Ive never done any work on a car so would not know where to start a car i know my way around but a bike i have no idea. if i was to get a buy i think i would try and take it to some sortve professional place for them to lower it, if you lower a bike by cutting the springs or adding lower ones that would be classed as a modification and would have to be told to the insurance company right? im guessing so, when i lowered the springs on my car i had to declare that.
