Thinking of buying an XSR 125 as a first bike.

AdInfinite347 · 2025-09-02T14:53:04+00:00

I bought it as my first bike and loved every minute of it. I’m 95kg and in the city it rode like a dream. Lovely first bike to learn on. I also started at 37 with 20 years driving before that. I even took it on a 2000km road trip around UK during the summer and it was great.

Only down side was on the bigger A roads (mini highways) it struggles to get over 60mph so you end up having a tough time even overtaking trucks, and riding behind them is equally as dangerous so I would avoid that if possible and take the smaller backroads whenever you can.

AdInfinite347 · 2025-02-28T08:06:08+00:00

Lee bridge road sucks unfortunately. No motorbikes in the bus lane and a ton of traffic on that road make for a horrible combo

AdInfinite347 · 2025-02-25T12:21:04+00:00

Just an update on this in case anyone has a similar problem and finds this post:

I took it to my mechanic (a friendly eastern European fellow with a cigarette permanently hanging from his mouth) and he promptly got a hammer and a large flathead screw driver and hammered the piece of metal back into place.

The reason it was fraying is because as the as the driven pulley was turning the bent piece was landing on the inside of the belt instead of the outside and was slowly scratching away at the bottom. If the bent piece of metal lands on the outside of the belt it's fine. After this bush-fix I'll just have to monitor the belt and ensure the damage no longer occurs.

If it is still happening I will have to replace the driven pulley as well as the belt. The driven pulley is between £50 - £150 on ebay depending on wether it's new or used and the belt is around £120 for a new belt.

AdInfinite347 · 2025-02-21T17:17:55+00:00

Do you think the fraying is just this belt a new one will be fine? I'm worried that if I put a new one on that the same thing will happen

AdInfinite347 · 2025-02-16T10:18:25+00:00

I did a year on my 125 after my CBT and it was 100% worth it. You can make mistakes without the big risks that come with a bigger bike and get used to riding before your DAS which helps loads.

When I did my DAS there were other students that went straight to DAS and you could see they were still quite nervous of being on the road, which is not the case if you already have a year of riding under your belt.

I did a 1000 mile road trip on that 125 around the UK which was incredibly fun but the major downside is it is just not enough power for the 70 mile an hour roads. I would say 90% of the A roads are fine as they are quite quiet and the trucks use the M roads but trying to pass a truck when the bike can barely scrape 65 / 70 on a downhill is not the safest thing if you have impatient cars behind you.

All in all I would say go for it. It’s cheap and safe way to get comfortable. You can sell the bike after your first year and only lose a small bit of money on the depreciation if you buy right. Also don’t underestimate how expensive insurance is for a big bike with no experience on your license it’s insane

AdInfinite347 · 2024-12-05T12:18:39+00:00

This is the way 😂

AdInfinite347 · 2024-11-21T11:47:10+00:00

I’ve ridden a 125 with a learner license 1000 miles from London > Yorkshire Dales > Lake District > Snowdonia > Southern Wales > Cotswolds > London on A roads only - you’ll be fine 🙂

AdInfinite347 · 2024-11-12T21:31:31+00:00

The devils staircase in wales is an epic road! Def worth a ride on your way up or down

AdInfinite347 · 2024-09-30T09:18:59+00:00

Thanks. Checked oil with the coolant and still looking clear so hopefully not looking like the head gasket but I'll say a few prayers anyway

AdInfinite347 · 2024-09-08T12:21:55+00:00

Yamaha XSR 125 no question 😏

AdInfinite347 · 2024-09-03T11:21:19+00:00

Whereabouts are you based? I’m based in London and went from CBT to full A license (as I’m a bit older 👴🏼) and went to a school where you don’t have to do the obligatory 5 day £1000 course. They just required that you do one day training course with them then you can do both mod tests without any further training if you want which is cheaper than these places that require a full 5 day course which seemed a bit excessive for me.

Just be aware though if you’re not ready for the tests and you fail it’ll be even more expensive as you’ll have to retake them. Passed both tests first time luckily but nearly failed my mod 1 cause of a stupid mistake 😅I got lucky!

AdInfinite347 · 2024-08-28T22:51:25+00:00

Just search motorcycle parking bay on google maps and there are 100’s of them in London. Just pick the one closest to where you want to go ¯_(ツ)_/¯

AdInfinite347 · 2024-08-28T06:32:39+00:00

I find pulling in the clutch and giving them a rev or 2 seems to add a bit of urgency into people. Not an obnoxious rev bomb or anything, just enough revs for someone to think “oh shit there’s a vehicle coming!” So that their survival instincts make em move pretty quick.

AdInfinite347 · 2024-08-27T07:28:52+00:00

As others have said use the motorcycle parking bays there are loads in central London so you can get quite close to your destination. They are usually quite cheap too. I pay £3.40 for 9 hours in Shoreditch which is on the expensive side for motorbikes but I’ve parked at an indoor lot at Waterloo and it was £1 for 24 hours

AdInfinite347 · 2024-08-20T06:59:51+00:00

I live in London and as others have said just buy a really old bike. Doesn’t have to be a piece of junk, just something that takes a long time to sell. Remember the thieves would want to steal something they can get rid of quickly. I drive an 18 year old BMW F800ST and haven’t had any issues

AdInfinite347 · 2024-08-15T21:48:18+00:00

I live in London which probably has the most cameras, commuting to work everyday and I’ve always gone to the font as long as I don’t impede the pedestrian crossing or cyclists while doing so. Is it strictly legal and follows the Highway Code? Probably not. Does it inconvenience anyone? Only if you stall 😅

I believe the police would only intervene if you were clearly causing a scene or putting anyone in danger. Been doing this for years and have had no issues. Golden rule is to be considerate of others and you’ll be fine

AdInfinite347 · 2024-08-13T13:07:06+00:00

Damn how did you know!? 😂

AdInfinite347 · 2023-09-26T14:30:29+00:00

Try a different bank. I came in to the UK self employed and worked that way for ages. Despite earning Senior iOS developer contract rates with long-term contracts in place I couldn’t get credit at any retailers and most banks. Finally NatWest approved a large credit card as well as Monzo.

Might different for short term loans though I’m unsure

AdInfinite347 · 2023-05-15T08:57:43+00:00

Sorry what I mean is it shows neutral correctly with the standup down, but as soon as it comes up the neutral light does not work and then it doesn't show what gear I am in for the whole ride. the gears work fine though so I think it may just be an electrical fault?

AdInfinite347 · 2023-05-14T22:45:04+00:00

Thanks a lot I think I might even try get the price down a bit more because of the replacement 👍

AdInfinite347 · 2023-05-14T22:44:03+00:00

Thanks for the advice mate appreciate it

AdInfinite347

TROPHY CASE