Bonniebird wrote:The Honda XR125 is a great bike both on and off road, very comfortable and bigger than most 125's
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I forgot about xr'sI second this! well I have never taken one off road but was ok on road and mechanically well its a Honda
pretty fairly priced on the used market last time I checked too!
Ben
First Teenage Bike
Re: First Teenage Bike
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gbags
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Re: First Teenage Bike
Bit biased but have to say the vanvan. Just dont compare it to the yam tw, it's in a different league! One of the last true jap 125s to boot 
Just the forum is enough insensitive to buy imo.
Toured Scotland twice on it, 700 mile weekend to newforest, plenty of off road (pretty much every legal lane in the peak district) etc etc.
Very easy and cheap to service, rides well, comfortable over distance.
Any time I consider getting a new bike it always comes down to 'what can it do that the vv can't?'
Just the forum is enough insensitive to buy imo.
Toured Scotland twice on it, 700 mile weekend to newforest, plenty of off road (pretty much every legal lane in the peak district) etc etc.
Very easy and cheap to service, rides well, comfortable over distance.
Any time I consider getting a new bike it always comes down to 'what can it do that the vv can't?'
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Tenere Mart
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Re: First Teenage Bike
The vanvan has been mentioned above many times, and I'll add to that.
I will be getting one to do all the kids in about 6 months!! (Birthdays...)
they will go any where, jump well, and pull about 11stone around really weel. Only ever had hire bikes, but it takes my sort of abuse, and loves it!
Quite fancy running one next year in the D2D 6 hour, after the 10 hr night race on my Alp!!
:laugh:
A real bike, even if it's only 125...
I will be getting one to do all the kids in about 6 months!! (Birthdays...)
they will go any where, jump well, and pull about 11stone around really weel. Only ever had hire bikes, but it takes my sort of abuse, and loves it!
Quite fancy running one next year in the D2D 6 hour, after the 10 hr night race on my Alp!!
:laugh:
A real bike, even if it's only 125...
Re: First Teenage Bike
never a truer phrase written!Mudwiz wrote:
A real bike, even if it's only 125...
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Freeloadeur
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Re: First Teenage Bike
At their ages they both fall foul of the new licencing regulations which means they're going to be riding 14.7hp (or less) 125cc bikes for quite a while before they can move onto something bigger, so no fire breathing, oil burning two-strokes allowed.
Now I'm going to declare an interest as someone who owns a Derbi and set up the Derbi Terra Adventure Facebook group but I'd recommend a pair of Derbis, the Terra or Terra Adventure for your lad and the GPR 4V for your lass.
The reason I'd suggest a pair is that they share the same engine, gearbox and electronics; the Piaggio made 4 valve 125cc (the Aprilia RS4 125cc also has the same engine but fuel injected). So for maintenance etc "Dad's Garage" only has one new engine to learn which also means brother and sister can help each other out.
Don't be put off by Derbi not being imported any more, there's a full range of anything you need available through the Piaggio group dealer network (Piaggio, Aprilia, Vespa and Moto Guzzi) as well as spares specialists like AJ Sutton and WeMoto.
They do of course have their faults. Derbi appeared to have used wheel bearings made of cheese for some Terras and the electrics can occasionally get a bit temperamental and Mediterranean but the bearings are easy and cheap to replace with aftermarket pieces (it's a widely used size) and the electrical problems usually centre on a connector (and don't kill the bike anyway). But the Terra Adventure has successfully completed the Mongol Rally on a number of occasions which I think is testament to their abilities
Shameless plug over aside from to point you in the direction of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/derbi.t ... enture.uk/
Otherwise as has been mentioned there's the VanVan which brings an instant social life through the owners' forum and the Honda XR which Mark Manley (I think that's his name) is currently riding to Mongolia. In fact he may have finished by now he seemed to be making good headway last time I heard. Varaderos seem to be expensive unless you buy an old one and they seem to look sad and tired after they've been through several owners.
You could always get them scooters
Now I'm going to declare an interest as someone who owns a Derbi and set up the Derbi Terra Adventure Facebook group but I'd recommend a pair of Derbis, the Terra or Terra Adventure for your lad and the GPR 4V for your lass.
The reason I'd suggest a pair is that they share the same engine, gearbox and electronics; the Piaggio made 4 valve 125cc (the Aprilia RS4 125cc also has the same engine but fuel injected). So for maintenance etc "Dad's Garage" only has one new engine to learn which also means brother and sister can help each other out.
Don't be put off by Derbi not being imported any more, there's a full range of anything you need available through the Piaggio group dealer network (Piaggio, Aprilia, Vespa and Moto Guzzi) as well as spares specialists like AJ Sutton and WeMoto.
They do of course have their faults. Derbi appeared to have used wheel bearings made of cheese for some Terras and the electrics can occasionally get a bit temperamental and Mediterranean but the bearings are easy and cheap to replace with aftermarket pieces (it's a widely used size) and the electrical problems usually centre on a connector (and don't kill the bike anyway). But the Terra Adventure has successfully completed the Mongol Rally on a number of occasions which I think is testament to their abilities
Shameless plug over aside from to point you in the direction of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/derbi.t ... enture.uk/
Otherwise as has been mentioned there's the VanVan which brings an instant social life through the owners' forum and the Honda XR which Mark Manley (I think that's his name) is currently riding to Mongolia. In fact he may have finished by now he seemed to be making good headway last time I heard. Varaderos seem to be expensive unless you buy an old one and they seem to look sad and tired after they've been through several owners.
You could always get them scooters
Happiness has 125cc ...
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sprintster
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Re: First Teenage Bike
I don't know anything about how these bikes go but they look pretty good in the flesh and the prices are good although being Chinese they will probably be worth naff all in two years time.www.keewaymotor.com
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gbags
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Re: First Teenage Bike
Thanks fellas,
I like the look of that XR and I'm sure Sonny will too.
Kenny, you say the Van Van is great but it's in a different league to the TW. Do you mean it's much better or half as good? How does the VV compare? The bloke in Bridge bikes in Exeter said Yamaha discontinued them and Suzuki took over and just copied it as it was a classic, but have they done it justice?
I like the look of that XR and I'm sure Sonny will too.
Kenny, you say the Van Van is great but it's in a different league to the TW. Do you mean it's much better or half as good? How does the VV compare? The bloke in Bridge bikes in Exeter said Yamaha discontinued them and Suzuki took over and just copied it as it was a classic, but have they done it justice?
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gbags
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Re: First Teenage Bike
Doh! I missed page 2.
I've never seen Derbi before so I'll have a squint.
I don't recognise that Chinese brand either, though I know the San Yangs and Kwan Yangs that come out of Taiwan pretty well.
I've never seen Derbi before so I'll have a squint.
I don't recognise that Chinese brand either, though I know the San Yangs and Kwan Yangs that come out of Taiwan pretty well.
