[Closed] Buying your first motorbike-what to do about a test ride?

Take a pal along.

you can check the basics without riding - head and wheel bearings, chain and tyre wear, does the engine run OK.

As a seller of a bike some time ago the guy was in a similar position who wanted to buy a bike of mine.

I had to ask him to bring cash (which a lot of people wont want to do but will understand if they are legit) and told him if he dropped it or damaged it he owned it.

I let his big mate who was so big it was funny stay with me and the cash and he came back, happy and left with a nice new bike.

Will probably be going with the GF and I'm fairly happy with assesing the general condition. I'm waiting to hear back from the seller regarding a viewing, so don't even know if I'm going yet. Il'l see what he wants to do. Would you be happy with a very brief, helmetless test ride (round a car park kind of thing) simply to check it changes gear and stops or is a full test ride absolutely essential?

Thanks for the advice
Matt

As mentioned above, I would take someone along with some riding experience.

The chances are, that someone with a bike licence and fully comp insurance will be covered 3rd party on another bike; so leaving a 'crash' deposit should cover any damage caused to the actual bike.

I definately wouldn't buy without having it checked over and having someone ride it as a lot of small capacity bikes will have been ridden hard and possibly had less maintenance than the manufacturer intended.

I definately wouldn't buy without having it checked over as a lot of small capacity bikes will have been ridden hard and possibly had less maintenance than the manufacturer intended.

It will have been thrashed, mercilessly, and probably thrown down the road once or twice already. A test ride is more or less essential to make sure that it's not bent in a way that's invisible to the naked eye but makes it lethal to ride.

Think I'm pretty screwed then, only person I know well enough to ask them along is Si, who did his CBT after me but has had a bike for around a month. Not sure his opinion is worth much more than mine

Hmmmmmmmmmm

You'll know very quickly if it's a wrong'un on a test ride, even if you've only just done a cbt you've been riding a bike that's straight and well looked after, if it feels much different walk away.

well 20yrs ago i bought my first bike no test ride etc.. turned up bloke opened garage door carpet on floor central heating bikes all on lift up bike stands gave him the cash straight away...

We spent weeks looking at 2nd hand 125's when my wife passed her CBT and struggled to find one that hadn't been ragged to within an inch of it's life or abused through pure negelect.

We ended up buying a brand new Honda 125 and getting the warranty for around £1800.

They are a bit dearer now, but we bought a [url= http://www.huntsmotorcycles.co.uk/UsedBikes.htm ]CBF125[/url]

I'm willing to accept the bike will have seen a hard life, I'm looking at bikes nearly as old as me and sub £500 so it's never gonna perfect. I'll see what he says and whether I can sort helmet before and hopefully a quick go will tell me all I need. If it turns out to be a bag of crap in 6 months time, it may not matter anyway

I definitely don't have the budget for a brand new 125 so warranties are just an unobtainable dream

Matt

sub £500

Try and make it a Honda then. They're dull as dishwater but the XL125 I had stood up to me using it as a first bike and then my dad using it as a commuter, it was thrown down the road twice, then hit by a car and written off, bought back from the insurance co and fixed and is still running now...

I've been looking at CG125's and this particular bike is a suzuki, are they noticeably worse? I thought going for a recognised brand was the important thing not just Honda standing on their own

well 20yrs ago i bought my first bike no test ride etc.. turned up bloke opened garage door carpet on floor central heating bikes all on lift up bike stands gave him the cash straight away...

Back then, i bought my first bike never having ridden one before.

Gettimg home was an experience!

Not being funny, just trying to manage expectations here. If I were selling a bike and some young lad rocked up without a lid going "can I have a go then mate, I've done my CBT" I'd tell them to do one.

I know it's less glamorous, but I'd suggest that you put your money towards a helmet [i]before [/i]considering a bike, then you might at least get taken slightly more seriously. It's not like you're not going to need one at some point. Helmet and gloves, priorities #1 and #2. The number of teenagers I see here on rev 'n' rips with no gloves on; what's going to hit the ground first if you come off? Nobbers. Anyway.

As for the bike; either, you need to take someone who rides, or accept that you're buying it without riding it, I reckon. See if the owner will pillion you, perhaps? At least then you'll have an idea of how rough it runs?

Whereabouts are you located? Maybe there's someone on the forum with experience and a license who can come with you?

I bought my first one off a mate (15 years ago now!). All the ones since have either been secondhand from a dealer or new. The second hand ones were both test ridden, the first because I was given it as a loaner whilst mine was in for a service and I decided to buy it, the other because I wasn't sure about the riding position. I'm lucky enough that all the rest have been new.

Although I did get to witness someone with only 6 months of full licence trying to get a test ride on a GSXR1000 when I was buying mine. The dealers response was polite but very short.

Are you buying it from his house? Is it in a respectable area? Is he British?

If you're pretty confident on a bike, then take it for a spin; but I wouldn't ride it without insurance.

CG125's and YBR125's are good bikes.

I haven't had any personal experience of Suzuki 125's.

I'd buy off the bike's condition though more than the name.

I thought going for a recognised brand was the important thing not just Honda standing on their own

Honda's "unique selling point" is build quality. They're relatively indestructible. In your position I'd be looking at CGs too, there's a reason all the training centres use them.

cg 125s started to be made in Brazil at some point and the quality dropped hugely.

Quite honsetly if teh tyres chains and bearings are all OK an the moter starts adn runs fine it should be OK - a bike that had a lot of them made will have sopares availabel - motors tend to be the strong link.

so round a carpark should give yo a fair check. On and off the throttle in the gears see if it jumps out

Pretty much as above - take someone along if you can. And, if the deal doesn't feel right then walk away - there are loads more out there.

If you have £500 then you might want to think about going to a deler and using that as a deposit on a new bike?

If you look after it you'll get back a good chunk of your money when you want to move up a size...

Where are you / the bike located? I'll come and have a look if you're local to me.

Where are you / the bike located? I'll come and have a look if you're local to me.

Plus 1.

Selling bikes is a paranoid game.

I once told a guy no bloody way he was getting a test ride. He went fair enough. He asked - can you ride it round to my best mates - he's a traffic copper in N Queensferry.

No problem I said - rode round - had a tea, a chat, more tea, biscuits, left with a few K in my pocket and they even dropped me home. It all had a good vibe.

Thanks for the kind offers and advice. I am near Bakewell, derbyshire, bike is just north of Stockport . I'd be very grateful if someone could help me but dont put yourselves out

Thanks
Matt

GS125 or GN125 Matt?

If so they're usually in similar condition to CG's. CG125 fully enclosed chain is handy though.

Suzuki's can suffer from cycle parts and paint being not as good quality as honda etc and more obviously built to a price. However as TJ correctly states, Honda switched CG prodution to Brazil. The GS has been built for a long time. The GN is a slightly newer model.

The GN is potentially smaller with lower saddle height etc. That is certainly the case with the GN250 which is a bit tiddly.

Are you planning on taking your full test after lessons with the school? Or is the cbt and small bike for cheap commuting?

If your plan is for a big bike, I'd offer the same advice I used to offer to my students. Put your money towards the big bike and just use the schools 125. We would even rent out 125s to students to practice on.

If you want the bike for cheap commuting, I'd say go for the Honda xl if you can. It's physically bigger and does actually make a difference to how other traffic treats you on the road. Avoid cheap copies of the cg like the plague. The Chinese don't make great bikes.

tbh The GS125's were pretty crap when they were first introduced (early 80's if I remember well), real rust-buckets - not sure if they are any better now.

tbh I'd do what one of the other posters' recommended, take the £500 as a deposit and buy from a dealer. Since you can buy new 125's (not with a Japanese/Italian name) for £1200, and after a year or two you'll get at least half that back.

We bought my son a Pulse (50cc) scooter, quality is pretty good - especially for the price. And their 125 is actually cheaper.

This would be a good start:

http://www.pulsemoto.co.uk/WY125T-74.php

Not seen their 125 bikes, but they are dealer based - so go see one.

And buy a helmet, but tbh if you wait until you buy the bike (at a dealer) you should be able to sort it in the deal.

As for test rides, I rode it before buying, but the dealer knows me and as I turned up on a nearly new Triumph...

I'm planning to use it for commuting and practise for the full test, I'm planning to have it for less than a year ideally but that may change.

I didn't manage to make the viewing today, too many things conspiring against me. I think I will look into what dealers have for a bit more with the idea that i use my existing fund as a deposit then sell the bike once I've passed my full test.

I don't really like the idea of a chinese bike, I'd rather have an old known brand, I might be being unreasonable in my assumptions but I want to trust my life with this thing, so I want to be happy with it.

I've pretty much settled on which helmet I'm gonna get, the training centre I did the CBT at is doing me a deal.

Thanks again
Matt

[i]I don't really like the idea of a chinese bike, I'd rather have an old known brand, I might be being unreasonable in my assumptions but I want to trust my life with this thing, so I want to be happy with it.[/i]

Mate, your call - what would I know, I've only been riding motorcycles for 30 years 🙄

I want to trust my life with this thing

And your budget is £500... 😕

Not sure I'd trust my life to a £500 bike, but there you go.

matt email/text me i know someone who may be able to help for a pint or two (in cressbrook)

I paid £500 for my first bike, a KMX125. Sold a year later to a spotty yoof. He wanted a test ride so I took £450 off his dad whilst he had a go. Should have known his bike career would be short lived when he locked the front up & nearly binned it, outside my house. A few weeks later he put the thing through the window of Asda in Tamworth whilst racing the rev n' go shell suit squad, late one night.
Going back to when I bought it though, I got a mate to ride it before I bought it. I felt really nervous when I went to view my GSX600. The seller was equally nervous on the test ride, as he'd never carried a pillion before.

I wish I'd never sold my KMX. Loved that bike. Always have an eye out for a fixer upper, but Wife would kill me. 🙂

Re Chinese bikes, they seem to divide bikers complete, a lot say avoid like the plague, then others say they are fine so I don't know who to trust and I'm not sure I want to take the gamble of choosing a good or bad Chinese brand as I don't have 30 years experience

Maybe I just need to wait till my budget grows and will allow more choice

Cruzheckler- I've replied on Facebook

Matt

A couple of mates bought Chinese bikes - they were awful. Utter rubbish. From drum brakes that didn't work to engines made of crappite.

I think they vary in quality but the ones I saw were just rubbish and dangerous

Thank you tj for perfectly prooving my point!

Honda Cg125s are fantastic. Given the low value I'm sure handing over the cash and pootling up the road / car park etc will be ok. All you want to do is see if it is straight, brakes ok etc.

I had a CG125 after having several big bikes stolen. Cost me £175 and looked crap, with the idea being no one would steal it. Rode it to work for 9 months, visited mates, rode Brum to Brighton on it down the motorway slipstreaming lorries and coaches

Do not buy a Chinese copy, they are made of chocolate and will not last like a Honda. I'd rather have a 20 year old Honda than a 5 year old Chinese bike.

This looks good for £600 [url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201147429859944/sort/priceasc/usedbikes/model/cg/make/honda/quicksearch/true/page/1/radius/1500/postcode/la15dr?logcode=p ]autotrader cg[/url]

Thanks, I've already called about that one, it's sold, need to act quicker!

Im going to keep looking for cheap stuff on autotrader/eBay but also chat to some dealers about finance options on newer stuff

Matt

[i]Thank you tj for perfectly prooving my point! [/i]

Again, what would I know - its not like I've not bought one and my son uses it everyday...

I'm not argueing with you, you are also prooving my point, they seem to be hit and miss. You have got a good one, how am I meant to know which are good and which are bad when there are so many 'different' brands out there?

Having had lots of trouble with cars over the last few years, I simply cannot face having problems I cannot sort out myself due to poor design. I know what it's like trying to adjust something that even when new simply doesn't work so I'm just being cautious

I don't really like the idea of a chinese bike, I'd rather have an old known brand, I might be being unreasonable in my assumptions but I want to trust my life with this thing, so I want to be happy with it.

My boss bought a Chinese CB125 copy, it ran ok, but the build quality was a bit suspect, and despite being a honda copy it was just different enough to make getting spares a ballache. When the clutch died he looked into repairing it, but ended up buying a honda cityjet (basically a city version of the XL125) for £450 off ebay which has been a far better machine reliability wise.

Copying a good design does not mean that the Chinese factory can produce a quality product. Its the poor quality of metals, paints and finishes that makes them wear out so fast. One issue with Chinese bikes is that many motorcycle repair shops won't touch them - read into that what you like.

I just bought a brand new one, nice man came around with a van and left it outside my house. I saw that ones that were a couple of years old were not that much cheaper so for £1800 I think it was seemed worth it.

I knew what I was getting and ran it in properly, all serviced by the book. I may refuse to sell it to somebody I think will thrash it when the time comes !

I did have to go and sit on about 100 bikes in show rooms tho, to make sure I could get both feet down, but then I am a midget.

I did a similar thing to what you are intending.

Bought a Yamaha SR125 for 500 quid. Luckily I had a mate who had done his restricted licence the year before so took him. I let him ride it, when he had given it the all clear I took it out for a quick trip up and down the street. It was an awful bike, but I only know that now from the experience I have gained in the meantime!

Being honest with you for the amount of time you are likely to own it, I wouldn't worry too much about "what" 125 it is.

[TONGUE IN CHEEK] If you can, get some daft bint to pull out in front of you, when you are travelling REALLY SLOWLY, a week after you pass your direct access, the insurance more than covered the purchase of my first big bike... But that is another story! [/TONGUE IN CHEEK]

What ever you do ride it slowly to start with!