Buying A New Small Motorbike, Any Advice ?

[North]

Hi all,

I would like to buy a small motorbike and would like your opinion on what options to choose. Some of the options may only apply to Honda´s, which are the ones, I mostly have been looking at:

1: Disc brakes: How important is it to get them on both wheels ?

2: Carburettor or fuel injection ?

3: "Normal" wheels or alloy wheels ?

4: Electric or manual start ?

5: Air or liquid cooling ?

6: Open or closed chain guard ?

Any opinions on these matters ?

North

[sweetchariot]

Buy a car

[North]

Buy a car

Wake up pal, this forum is for bikes !

Any serious advice out there ?

North

[chavy]

The Honda Wave i is getting some good eposure right now. As Honda is No1 out there with the market share I would advise to go to a Honda dealer (never far away from one) & check out what they have to say re Honda Wave models.

[dave_boo]

I can also attest to the Wave-i. Good bike. Family's had since Jan 06ish. Only problem was having to replace one tire. Starts right up without touching the gas, idles well, and is almost like sitting on a Lazy-boy while driving it. I do hate the upside down shift pattern, but that's a personal preference. Brakes wise, it stops really well for having disc/drums. The F.I., as previously alluded to is well sorted out. I'd recommend getting an electrical start model, no matter which brand you buy, because with the exception of the Honda CBR150, they all have manual start backups. I'm also a fan of liquid cooling, but IIRC, the Wave-i is only air cooled, and I'm 6 hours away from it, so I can't definitively say which it is, but I've not heard of it overheating. You'll notice that most Thais, after buying a motorcyc remove the chainguard. I think if it's on there, I'd keep it, if it wasn't, I wouldn't fret about it. The advantage of keeping the chain cleaner for longer periods of time, prolonging its life outweighs that little weight you'd save not having it on there. I mean, if you're worried about that extra kilo on the bike, why wouldn't you just want to lose it from your midsection and feel better at the same time?

[Beardog]

Hi North,

If this is a starter bike I would go with a Honda 125, Just cause they are so easy to resell!

But I think all the Japanese style rides are comparable.

Avoid JRD & Platinum if you don't want to be taking a baht bus when they break down.

I had 2 Honda wave 125's Had them each for 1 year sold them for 4000-5000 baht less than I paid for the year.

They were both 3000 kilo's old when I got them & 6000 baht less than new.

The only thing I needed was a tire on one & do oil changes at required intervals & tighten the chain. Pretty simple.

(1) I personally would go for the front disc & up to you on the rear. It is not critical on a small bike-but if it floods a lot or has tons of mud a back disc is nice,but certainly not a req. on a small bike.

(2)carb or fuel injected up to you. pretty much the same -both of mine were carbs & had no problems . I use the straight gas no gasahol, but do not think it matters all that much.

(3)Alloy wheels are nice as the rims usually won't rust out. If you get spokes- take some 30 weight oil(or any motor oil) & smear a light film on the surrounding area(not the spokes) on the rims once a week, that way they never rust & if it does pick up any residual rust when it rains, it will be easy to wash off when you sell the bike. Found that trick out after the first bike-2nd bike no scrubbing the rims upon resale of the bike.

(4) Electric start is nice 2nd bike I had electric cost 3000-4000 baht more but you get most of it back when you sell. Either way it is easy to start the smaller bikes.

(5)Air cooling is fine my Honda's would do 110-120 kilo never an overheating problem. But some bikes come stock with water cooled. On a bigger bike Water cooled is the ticket.

(6)Closed chain guard is always the best as everything will be drawn into the chain & sprocket area.

And even more important NEVER ASSUME ANYONE SEES YOU! It will minimize your chances on a wreck. most Thais & some Farangs neglect to use mirrors & head check before merging & go in front or stay behind buses & trucks They just don't care at all you are in their road!

Pleasant driving

Cheers Beardog

[pattyboy]

I rented a Honda wave for quite a while (quite awhile ago) and I really liked it.

Eventually I got tired of renting one, and when I told the owner of the rental shop (a farang friend) about my intention of buying a new one instead, he gave me what may sound like some strange advice. He said to scratch and scuff it up right away and keep it dirty. That way it won't look like a new bike and will less likely be stolen. Apparently, the theft of new motorcycles is quite a problem here in the LOS.

BTW, I ended up buying a car instead of a new bike, but I sure envy those guys and girls who can scoot around on their "moto-cys" so easily in Pattaya when I'm stuck sitting behind a long line of other cars.

[madjbs]

I got the cheapest wave, purely for transport around my area of BKK. However, I now wish I had got a bigger 2 stroke purely for the added fun factor. You probably dont want a 2 stroke so I would say get a CBR150 or a Sonic if your not overly large, useful and fun.

[goldfish]

3: "Normal" wheels or alloy wheels ?

4: Electric or manual start ?

Have seen too many small bikes with collapsed mag wheels to feel comfortable with them. Spoked wheels are, in my opinion, more suited to these 'dirt track' roads. You wanna go kicking a bike over in mid-day sun or when stalled at lights?

[nolifer]

I can recommend Yamaha Spark135fi, faster, more comfortable and looks better than hondaWave125 and the other lookalikes...

A little more expensive though...mine was 52000 inc. reg. tax etc

[CHdiver]

3: "Normal" wheels or alloy wheels ?

4: Electric or manual start ?

Have seen too many small bikes with collapsed mag wheels to feel comfortable with them. Spoked wheels are, in my opinion, more suited to these 'dirt track' roads. You wanna go kicking a bike over in mid-day sun or when stalled at lights?

If you buy them original, mag wheels are ok and strong. I tested the mag wheels at my Nouvo at many of the big holes in Pattaya. Never a problem. You don't really need them, but they look better.

[JimsKnight]

Go for a Honda Sonic! They are pretty fun to play about on and have got some poke in 'em.

[PeaceBlondie]

For the lucky #13 post here, I have to say, if you want fun and full control, if you want mag wheels, tubeless tires, electric starter, two disk brakes, ten liter gasoline tank, etc., Honda reliability, factory warranty, parts availability, etc., your only choice is

.............CBR150R

[dutchrdam]

Hello North,

If you get tired from the hard yellers here you can visit the website of Platinum

Because there is more on this world then Honda,Yamaha en Suzuki. http://www.platinummotorsale.com/home.html

Sorry only in Thai

Regards

[North]

Hi all,

Thank you for the good information, you have provided, this really helps me buy the right small bike, - first time.

This is not my first motorbike, but since this one will be used by me AND the missus, it will be like a starter bike.

Some of you mention the Honda CBR 150, and I have had a look at that one and like it too. But my wife does not like the manual clutch, so I am looking for a Wave or the like. Maybe I will have a look tomorrow at the Yamaha Spark 135fi, I haven´t seen that one yet.

Later on I might think of buying a "real" motorbike just for myself, and that one will surely have a normal manual clutch and 5 or 6 gears.

By the way, I think most of the side mirrors on those small bikes are too small and the arm is too short, is it possible to buy some decent mirrors to put on later ?

North

[North]

Hi all,

Well, I have narrowed my search into two models:

1: the Honda Wave 125i with 4 gears, air cooling, electric start, spoke wheels and disc brake in the front, price approx. 48,500 baht.

2: the Yamaha Spark 135i with 5 gears, liquid cooling, electric start, alloy wheels and disc brake in the front, price approx. 52,500 baht

The Spark seem to be a little bigger than the Wave, and maybe too big for a small thai woman ?

So what do you think, which one would be the best choice for me and my wife ?

The bike will mostly be used for shorter trips, going to the market, to town, and the like.

North

[PeaceBlondie]

When my partner moved up to a Phantom 200, his sister got the Spark 135 (she's not too big a Thai woman), and she likes it. Water cooled is a big plus in this climate, for longevity and for avoiding overheating. 5 gears beats 4. I believe the Spark's cylinder head has 4 valves, and the Wave has 2 valves, suggesting the Yamaha has more power.

[North]

It is a bit funny, at least here in Khon Kaen, when trying to buy a motor bike.

One could get the impression, that the dealers lose money, every time they sell one !

I went to one Honda dealer to have a look at the Wave 125i.

I wanted to have a look at the display, but since the battery was not installed, there wasn´t much to see. So I asked, if they could install a battery, so I could see the display and eventually start the engine.

The answer was, that if I bought the bike, they would install the battery !

At the next Honda dealer the answer was the same !

At the third Honda dealer if was different though, I talked to the owner of the shop, and she sent me to another branch og hers a few minutes away, where they had an almost new 125i, and they offered me a test drive.

Then I wanted to have a look at the Yamaha Spark 135i.

At a nearby Yamaha dealer I found a lot of them standing in a row very close to each other. I wanted to see one standing away from the rest and eventually try to sit on it, but the answer was: we only have those standing close together in a row! ( and no offer to get one out from there)

Maybe they only make a little money when they sell one ??

North

[jackcorbett]

After riding on the back of a Honda Wave last night, then on the back of my Yamaha Nouvo this afternoon, here's some thoughts on Honda Waves versus Nouvos.

My neighbor who is an Englishman decided to hit a couple of go go bars last night so we decided to get there on his Honda Wave. Now, my first priority in this city is self preservation. So at night if my girlfriend and I decide to head to Walking Street or restaurants and bars on Soi 7 for instance, we will usually drive my Nouvo to the Leo Bar on Soi 18 and Naklua Road and the people there will keep an eye on my bike. Then we grab the 10 baht taxi and head down Naklua Road and then down Beach Road to where we are going. We both figure this is much safer as we are not exposing ourselves to all the idiot drivers out at night. But last night Gus and I were hitting these out of the way go go bars on Soi Bukoi, and Gus is an excellent driver and used to driving at night so we went out on the bike. When we had almost gotten to the go go bar Gus suddenly decided he had forgotten to buy bacon for his next morning's breakfast so he turned around and headed back to Naklua.

Well, by this time that narrow seat of the Honda Wave was killing me. My girlfriend had just fixed me dinner and I felt the craps coming on. But let me tell you that narrow seat combined with the rough ride of the Honda Wave really started to loosen up my bowels. Last thing I needed was to head back to Naklua, then head all the way down again because that seat was uncomfortable.

Anyway, turned out well after all and all had a great time. So today Gus and I both needed some computer supplies so we headed out to Tuc Com together. And since his girlfriend had already gone to work on his bike we drove the Yamaha Nouvo there. Once again I sat behind Gus although he met up with his girlfriend later on and I drove my Nouvo back to my condo alone. I found the seat on the Yamaha Nouvo to be infinetly more comfortable than the Honda Wave. Moreover, Gus who is used to having no more weight on a bike than he and his girlfriend riding double and who both last night and today had me behind him and I weigh considerably more than his girlfriend felt that my Nouvo was much more stable and controllable.

So, if you got the money, it's no contest. The Nouvo is a much superior machine to a Honda Wave. However,we parked at Friendship and after getting our computer supplies we went back for my bike. There were a number of Air Blades and Nouvos in the parking lot and there was an Airblade and a Nouvo parked side by side. As I've said earlier the Air Blade is a chunkier bike with a shorter wheel base than the Nouvo. It's front tire and rear tire are 10 mms wider than the tires on the Nouvo so its wider tires seem even wider still due to its smaller diameter wheels (14 inch versus the Nouvo's 16 inch wheels) due to its shorter coupled frame. The Air Blade seems more like a motorcyle than a the other small motorbikes as the tires seem in relation to the size of the bike to be more like a "real motorcycle's" tires. By contrast the Wave's seem to have the most spindly tires of them all. So, looking at all these bikes from an engineering standpoint, I'd have to say that the Air Blade is probably the safest small bike on the market with the Nouvo running second. Its brakes are better also. But my buddy Ross just rented a Nouvo for one month and he's now renting an Airblade for the second month. After driving the Air Blade for two days he feels it doesn't have as smooth a ride as the Nouvo. So I will be hearing more as time goes on from Ross about the relative merits of the two bikes.

But as I said earlier....my first consideration is self preservation and I do feel the Air Blade is the safest out of all the small bikes. The ride of the Nouvo might be superior to the Air Blades but for sure the ride of the Honda Wave is grossly inferior to the Nouvo's and the bike is not as stable. But all three will get the job done very well for getting around in Pattaya. The Nouvo and Air Blade are both better bikes but they cost more and one gets what he's paying for when it comes to these two top of the line automatics.

[luckyluke]

Yamaha Fino

[nolifer]

Hi all,

Well, I have narrowed my search into two models:

1: the Honda Wave 125i with 4 gears, air cooling, electric start, spoke wheels and disc brake in the front, price approx. 48,500 baht.

2: the Yamaha Spark 135i with 5 gears, liquid cooling, electric start, alloy wheels and disc brake in the front, price approx. 52,500 baht

The Spark seem to be a little bigger than the Wave, and maybe too big for a small thai woman ?

So what do you think, which one would be the best choice for me and my wife ?

The bike will mostly be used for shorter trips, going to the market, to town, and the like.

North

I forgot to add that if you are planning on riding 2persons on the bike alot the Spark135 is far superior the wave125, the differance in power REALLY makes a differance.

Basicly a spark with 2persons is quicker than a wave125 with 1 person.

I´ve only had my spark for a few weeks but i really like it - don´t understand why it isnt more common.....

Downside with spark is ofcouse the lack of storagespace...

[jackcorbett]

North

I forgot to add that if you are planning on riding 2persons on the bike alot the Spark135 is far superior the wave125, the differance in power REALLY makes a differance.

Basicly a spark with 2persons is quicker than a wave125 with 1 person.

I´ve only had my spark for a few weeks but i really like it - don´t understand why it isnt more common.....

Downside with spark is ofcouse the lack of storagespace...

I don't either. 135 cc's and over 11 horsepower to the Yamaha Nouvo's 8.9. I'd say it's pretty quick because the Nouvo seems quick enough for driving inside Pattaya. And the Spark is liquid cooled whereas the Honda Wave isn't. Sounds to me like the Spark one ups the Honda Wave in several key areas. I like my Nouvo because of all the reasons I've mentioned in my posts above. But I'd sure take the extra horsepower the Spark has over the Honda Wave anyday. And if it's appreciably more comfortable I wouldn't even consider a Wave.

[North]

Hi all,

Thank you for your posts on this subject.

Well, I bought the Wave 125i about one week ago, and I am happy with the bike.

Mostly I drive it alone, and I find it very stable and easy to drive. Partly the decision was made based on the needs of my wife, if the bike was only for me, I probably would have bought the Yamaha Spark 135i.

There is one small issue about the Honda, so if some of you own a Honda Wave maybe you can help me out:

When I use the kick starter it seems the clutch slides a little bit, if I kick very softly it may even mean that the engine is not rotating, maybe the clutch needs adjustment, can anyone tell me ?

North

[micksterbs]

Hi all,

Thank you for your posts on this subject.

Well, I bought the Wave 125i about one week ago, and I am happy with the bike.

Mostly I drive it alone, and I find it very stable and easy to drive. Partly the decision was made based on the needs of my wife, if the bike was only for me, I probably would have bought the Yamaha Spark 135i.

There is one small issue about the Honda, so if some of you own a Honda Wave maybe you can help me out:

When I use the kick starter it seems the clutch slides a little bit, if I kick very softly it may even mean that the engine is not rotating, maybe the clutch needs adjustment, can anyone tell me ?

North

Hi North! Bear with me; it's my first post on here.

Yep, it would probably slip a bit as it's a centrifugal clutch. It won't really engage until it's turning at a rate of knots.

As to your Spark 135 v Wave 125 quandry, I wish I'd bought a Spark. The wave is fine but the Spark is that bit quicker and hey, you don't see them everywhere like the bleedin' Waves! My Thai GF (wife now) bought it before I came over so I didn't really know that much about the small bike scene out here.

BTW, I live in Chonnabot, just south of you.

[North]

Hi all,

Thank you for your posts on this subject.

Well, I bought the Wave 125i about one week ago, and I am happy with the bike.

Mostly I drive it alone, and I find it very stable and easy to drive. Partly the decision was made based on the needs of my wife, if the bike was only for me, I probably would have bought the Yamaha Spark 135i.

There is one small issue about the Honda, so if some of you own a Honda Wave maybe you can help me out:

When I use the kick starter it seems the clutch slides a little bit, if I kick very softly it may even mean that the engine is not rotating, maybe the clutch needs adjustment, can anyone tell me ?

North

Hi North! Bear with me; it's my first post on here.

Yep, it would probably slip a bit as it's a centrifugal clutch. It won't really engage until it's turning at a rate of knots.

As to your Spark 135 v Wave 125 quandry, I wish I'd bought a Spark. The wave is fine but the Spark is that bit quicker and hey, you don't see them everywhere like the bleedin' Waves! My Thai GF (wife now) bought it before I came over so I didn't really know that much about the small bike scene out here.

BTW, I live in Chonnabot, just south of you.

Hi Mick,

Thank you for replying. Well, I guess you are right,but the clutch also seem to slide if I drive say 40-45 km/h in 3rd. gear and then I step on it, is that normal ?

About the Honda versus Yamaha: Think of, that when you eventually get real tired of the bike you can probably get a better price for it because it is so popular, and then you can buy the Spark.

Yes, I know Chonnabot, since my wife comes from the Mancha Khiree area not far from Chonnabot.

North

[VocalNeal]

North,

There are two clutches. One centrifical that engages when you drive away and the other that disengages when you change gear. The centrifical clutch ia a one way clutch so should not slip. The other can be adjusted by the screw/nut you see sticking out just above and forward of where the kick start shaft is. As the bike is new wait until the first service and get then dealer to adjust it for you.

To check put the bike on the centrestand and kick the engine over whilst gentlely pressing on the geat shift. If there is a point where you can feel a difference then your bike is OK.

Don't forget the engine is quite small and if you kick slowly you may not even feel the compression, also some models of Honda used to have a form of compression release to make it easier to kick. I never found it when dismantling mine but it was in the brochure.

[burgerking]

For a great ride you can't do better than the Honda Airblade.

[micksterbs]

North,

There are two clutches. One centrifical that engages when you drive away and the other that disengages when you change gear. The centrifical clutch ia a one way clutch so should not slip. The other can be adjusted by the screw/nut you see sticking out just above and forward of where the kick start shaft is. As the bike is new wait until the first service and get then dealer to adjust it for you.

To check put the bike on the centrestand and kick the engine over whilst gentlely pressing on the geat shift. If there is a point where you can feel a difference then your bike is OK.

Don't forget the engine is quite small and if you kick slowly you may not even feel the compression, also some models of Honda used to have a form of compression release to make it easier to kick. I never found it when dismantling mine but it was in the brochure.

Hmm, never thought about two clutches. You live and learn! Personally, I can't abide centrifugal clutches; this is my first experience of one. I like to blip the throttle on the downshift when riding with a manual clutch. So much smoother and hey, it just sounds and feels better! I still sometimes forget and try that on the Wave we have. Ooops...

[North]

North,

There are two clutches. One centrifical that engages when you drive away and the other that disengages when you change gear. The centrifical clutch ia a one way clutch so should not slip. The other can be adjusted by the screw/nut you see sticking out just above and forward of where the kick start shaft is. As the bike is new wait until the first service and get then dealer to adjust it for you.

To check put the bike on the centrestand and kick the engine over whilst gentlely pressing on the geat shift. If there is a point where you can feel a difference then your bike is OK.

Don't forget the engine is quite small and if you kick slowly you may not even feel the compression, also some models of Honda used to have a form of compression release to make it easier to kick. I never found it when dismantling mine but it was in the brochure.

Great information, thank you.

I will let the dealer have a look at it at the 1000 km service, which is coming up soon.

North

[canuckamuck]

I think the important bike that was left out here was the Suzuki Hayate. It is bacically a carbon copy of the nouvo (feature wise) but it has that 125 cc engine which is superior. And it has taller wheels and a longer wheel base than the Air blade. taller wheels help with stabilty because of the gyro effect. Wider tires are also good but that is more of a traction issue. So although it might be said the Air Blade has better traction, but it has the smallest engine of the three, has very little storage space and costs the most of the three. I think all three of these bikes require no shifting, so the Wave is in a different category.

I am curious about the Spark 135 however.

The Hayate at 46,000, 125 cc, and a seat that's as comfy as a couch with large storage underneath has a big advantage. I guess the trade off will be in resale (Suzuki), but we intend to keep ours so no worries there.