More advice for novice rider.

[malt25]

Mornin all.

In January of this year I asked for & received some valuable info re what bike might be the best for me. Thanks for that.

I'm still pottering about on the family Honda wave. It has become time I purchased something that I can call MINE. For the record.... I've only become experienced, becoming experienced, this year since gaining my first ever bike license. Although I'm now 67 I still like a bit of get up & go. 90% of my riding will be on highway & main roads.

I'm leaning toward the Yamaha 150 exciter. I've read lots of positives & a few negatives re this bike.

Any info, advice on the Exciter... or something similar will be most appreciated.

Cheers..... Mal.

[malt25]

Re above.

I'm not interested in resale value. I look after my toys & this will probably be the first & last bike I ever buy.

Thanks..... Mal.

[AllanB]

When I started reading your post the first bike I thought of was the Exciter, on paper it seems to have everything and fits me quite well.

If you are used to a Wave, it has slightly wider tyres and a slightly longer wheelbase making it good for highways, but then all the attributes of an around town Wave.

Also take a look at the new Benelli TNT25, which is pretty too for a bit more money.

I guess it depends on your build and budget.....

[Just1Voice]

Try a CBR 150.

I had 2 of them before moving up to a CBR 250, and now I'm looking at a new CB300f. The 150 is light enough for in-town traffic, and will easily do 130 kph on the highways, and is a fun ride. And a good looking bike.

I would love to go back to a Ninja 650 like I had in the States, but since my stroke, my leg muscle strength just ain't what it used to be.

[Headgame]

Mal,

I too am a novice rider with a few years on you - 71.
I just purchased my first ever bike, a 2015 Honda CBR 150R. Perfect for me. Not too heavy. Very easy to handle. Peppy enough and lots of fun. I don't know anything about the Exciter.
Good luck and ride safe.

Headgame.

P.S. I purchased all my riding gear before I bought my bike - full helmet, jacket w/armour, kevlar jeans, boots and gloves. Do the same.

[papa al]

exciter /vs/ cbr 150s, both good.

easier to mount + handle /vs/ 25km/hr faster and +tankage, if trippin

biking is the best activity for old farts

well, 2nd best, but a lot cheaper

get it while ya can

[pchansmorn]

I have some Great Advice for you, Get Life Insurance for your love ones, I live on Prachachuen & every single night a bike goes down, and people speed on this road, so the out come is never good. I rode a bike for 30 years in the US, 1000 BMW. Original owner, sold it when I moved here. Riding here means Death, only question is when, craziest drivers in the world are in Thailand, think about what your life is worth to you & your family before you decide to ride in Thailand. Good Luck.

[englansi]

I have some Great Advice for you, Get Life Insurance for your love ones, I live on Prachachuen & every single night a bike goes down, and people speed on this road, so the out come is never good. I rode a bike for 30 years in the US, 1000 BMW. Original owner, sold it when I moved here. Riding here means Death, only question is when, craziest drivers in the world are in Thailand, think about what your life is worth to you & your family before you decide to ride in Thailand. Good Luck.

There is always at least one spoilsport on TV about bikes. I have ridden here on a big bike for 9 years now accident free. I'm a bit younger at 51 than the op. If your road craft is good, Thailand is perfectly ok to ride in. You just have to be able to adapt. Certain people from certain places seem to have a problem with that.

I would recommend the yamaha 400 for a step up. Beautiful torque and stability at low revs and very good fun. When I have some spare cash, that will be my local runabout.

BTW. I'm off to chiang Mai for another glorious and fun run on the triumph. If I die, I'll let you know. Hasn't happened yet. Perhaps I'm too adaptable?

Edited December 4, 2015 by englansi

[recom273]

If this will be your one off purchase - why not try a cb300 .. I thought I'd be happy with a cbr150 and after a year i became really bored. It's great for fuel and the servicing on a 150 is peanuts.

I regret buying it new, but I still run it everyday and it's a nice ride.

I have a 650 which I'm still learning after 9 months, I now know the everyday petrol cost, valve check and servicing is pricey.

I would say, go and look at the 300, you might be a good purchase giving you a nice balance between size / power / handling.

[NoshowJones]

If your looking for a bike around 150 cc, the Honda PCX 125 has no rivals, I can't think of any negatives at all.

The biggest danger you have to look for is the state of the roads, there are potholed roads near me that have not been touched in years.

Edited December 4, 2015 by possum1931

[kiniyow]

Shopping? Carry Food Home? Honda PCX 150 is all the Bike you will need...CBR are hard on the Backbone when your no longer young

[papa al]

If your looking for a bike around 150 cc, the Honda PCX 125 has no rivals, I can't think of any negatives at all.

The biggest danger you have to look for is the state of the roads, there are potholed roads near me that have not been touched in years.

wow

thought the PCX125 was discontinued years ago in favour of the 150.

that i why papa loves this forum

free access to the wisdom of other posters

lifelong learning

[maximillian]

Hi Mal

Bought myself a Yamaha Exciter 150 a few month ago.

It is bike number 8 within six years in Thailand. Honda Click, Kawasaki Boss 175cc,

Kawasaki Estrella 250cc, Yamaha SRX400, Yamaha TDM 850, Kawaski D-Tracker 125cc,

Honda CB500X and the Exciter.

To be honest, I would not buy it again.

1. Very hard front suspension

2. Gas consumption higher than the Honda

3. More difficult to clean than a PCX 150.

Automatic gear bike is much more suitable for elderly novice rider.

My advice for you is either Honda PCX150 or Yamaha Nuovo135.

Both of them are automatic.

Why not test ride them before buying. Aren't there any motorbike rental shops near you ?

Good luck, ride safely

[salim94]

Tuk tuk Is best for u

[malt25]

Tuk tuk Is best for u

And why would you suggest a tuk tuk ?

[Just1Voice]

I literally spent 4 years living on my Ninja 650 back the the states, after my wife of 18 years passed away. I traveled to every state in the continental U.S. and had more fun than what is probably legally allowed. lol.

Then I came to Thailand. I rented a 650 for a week and traveled around, then decided a 650 was too big for my needs here, not to mention the dangerous road conditions and insane drivers. That, and my new Thai wife went crazy every time I got on it. Ok, went with the old model CBR 150. It was fun, but.....

Sold it and bought the new f/i 150. Better, but still not what I was looking for.

Bought a 250 CBR. Okay, that's more like it. No where near my old Ninja, but definitely a good bike for Thailand.

Then I had a stroke and lost the use of my legs. Good bye CBR. (sniff, sniff).

That was 2 years ago November. I've got my legs and left arm back, and now I'm looking at a CB300f.

But, I like road trips. Correction - LOVE road trips, with a good bike and all the proper body armor. But for tooling around Chiang Mai, my PCX 150 can't be beat. To me, for someone like the OP, that would be a perfect bike. Bigger than the average scooter, much more comfortable, and very good power to weight ratio . Add a big box to the back, and you're all set to go! That's what I'm riding now, although from time to time I grab my son's 300cc Forza just for fun when he's not home during the week. Great bike, but damn it's heavy!

Okay, to the OP, go rent a PCX for a day and try it out. You won't be disappointed.

[Headgame]

Sorry, but just because you're "elderly" and a novice doesn't mean you are not up to the challenge of clutch and gears. If you are fit and competent, why not? Elderly is not necessarily frail.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NoshowJones]

If your looking for a bike around 150 cc, the Honda PCX 125 has no rivals, I can't think of any negatives at all.

The biggest danger you have to look for is the state of the roads, there are potholed roads near me that have not been touched in years.

wow

thought the PCX125 was discontinued years ago in favour of the 150.

that i why papa loves this forum

free access to the wisdom of other posters

lifelong learning

Sorry Papa typo.

[RedQualia]

I ride a 650. That said, I looked at the Exciter 150 quite a bit while researching a new bike to replace my daughter's Wave 100. The Exciter has all the specs I could possibly want in a 150cc bike: disc brakes all the way around, water cooled, 15+ horsepower, five speed manual transmission. The local shop was also selling new ones for a discounted price of 64,000 Baht two months ago when I was looking. Seemed pretty much like an outstanding bike and an outstanding buy. In the end, I got the daughter a Yamaha GT-125 for 43,000 Baht. Not because I didn't like the Exciter. But because I thought she needed something a bit more girly... Automatic transmission, step through frame so she could wear dresses and skirts, Something a young Thai girl could "look cool on," when talking on her mobile phone. The Exciter was much more in line with what I would want, and not necessarily her. By the way, the GT-125 seems quite a good bike and value as well, for what it is.

I have no difficulty at all in thinking that the Exciter could be quite a good bike for you. You might also want to consider a D-Tracker 250 (the 150s are semi-automatics). Kawasaki also has something called a Z250 that looks as if it could be interesting. I don't think there are too many of those around second hand, however, and you'd probably have to bring a fair amount more money to get one. Even so, worth doing an internet search for to see what you think. (You did say you'd want to spend time on highways, no?)

Whatever you might decide to get, make sure there's a reputable service center somewhere near where you live. Off-brand bikes (and even top name brands) can be a bit problematic if the only one who can work on it is the guy out by the rice paddy (no offense to the guy out by the rice paddy, either).

Edited December 4, 2015 by RedQualia

[NickJ]

I was at the bike show in Rayong last week. I really liked the Honda 500 it was priced at 220k.....Im thinking about buying one. It fit well and the price is right. Couple guys there with me are long time riders and both agreed it was a nice bike to take trips on.

[matador007]

I was at the bike show in Rayong last week. I really liked the Honda 500 it was priced at 220k.....Im thinking about buying one. It fit well and the price is right. Couple guys there with me are long time riders and both agreed it was a nice bike to take trips on.

Yes the CB500X is nice. I sat on it at the dealership, and was just about comfortable with my toes/feet touching, and I am ~166cm or 5'6".

A slight lowering of the seat can be done at the dealership, and suspension also, to make it more comfortable at a stop and slow speeds for us "shorter" riders.

[AdamRich]

A hurricane (CBR) for a 67 year old? You guys have got to be joking. Those bikes are for racing. I am 43 years old and have been riding for the last 30 years. I just got rid of my Ninja in the States for a Yamaha 1100 cruiser. Sports bikes are for young guys. They are hard on your back and your legs. I am talking about 20km of riding and ready to give up and rather walk kind of hard. At this age I want to sit back and relax, not have all kinds of cramps and aches from bending over. In Pattaya I have a simple Suzuki 125. There is no reason to have a lot of speed and power in a traffic-filled city. Plus because the bike is smaller, I am able to easily go around stopped traffic. If I was rich and had to do much highway driving like the OP stated, then I would go for the Honda PCX 150. Although super comfortable, I am not sure that bike would be as agile as the one I have now.

[Pinot]

The PCX 150 is the perfect bike for me in Phuket. Fast as I need it to be, stable and handles perfectly. It's a huge step up and a steal at 80k

I did a review awhile back on the PCX that's gotten over 200k views on Youtube. Long term review in the works, meaning whenever I get off my ass and do it.

https://youtu.be/fqXk1rpQpS4

[GSPaul]

Don't - it becomes an itch that you just have to scratch! It starts with a scooter, then a bigger scooter, then a bike, then a bigger bike. I just placed an order today for the new Triumph Bonneville T120 - will I sell my BMW R1200GS no way!

An expensive but most rewarding pastime. Wear the right protective gear, assume at all times the bar stewards are trying to kill you and you will be fine! (I am 63 and won't sell the GS until I am 70 and then only to swap it for an R nine T) Go for it! Have fun - age is a state of mind.

[RedQualia]

A hurricane (CBR) for a 67 year old? You guys have got to be joking. Those bikes are for racing. I am 43 years old and have been riding for the last 30 years. I just got rid of my Ninja in the States for a Yamaha 1100 cruiser. Sports bikes are for young guys. They are hard on your back and your legs. I am talking about 20km of riding and ready to give up and rather walk kind of hard. At this age I want to sit back and relax, not have all kinds of cramps and aches from bending over. In Pattaya I have a simple Suzuki 125. There is no reason to have a lot of speed and power in a traffic-filled city. Plus because the bike is smaller, I am able to easily go around stopped traffic. If I was rich and had to do much highway driving like the OP stated, then I would go for the Honda PCX 150. Although super comfortable, I am not sure that bike would be as agile as the one I have now.

You're 43, and you're too old for a Ninja? I'm 63 and still ride mine. Just back from a 3,400KM trip around Thailand on it, in fact. I can't handle cruisers at all. My particular back requires I sit a different way. The typical cruiser position would leave me crippled after a few days.

In fact, however, OP hasn't really said what his needs are, nor how much money he has to spend on things. He did suggest the Exciter 150, and that seems quite a nice bike. But he also indicated that 90% of his riding would be highway riding, and I do worry that any 150 is going to end up being too small for him over the long term. Especially if he's going to try traveling any distance. Load a 150 anything up with a couple of people and bags, and it's going to be a miserable experience. Should he get something bigger? Probably, but he didn't talk about that at all, and we've no idea how much money he has. Used, high KM Kawasaki 650s can be had for 100,000 Baht these days, if you look a bit. Reliable bikes, too, and I wouldn't worry much about high KMs on one.

OP - More info, please... Can you afford, or do you want, something in the 500-750cc range? My first bike was a 650, btw... Triumph Bonneville, way back when. So don't let bigger put you off necessarily. Just because they'll have more power (enough to be useful) doesn't mean you have to use it all, all the time. Buicks can go fast, too, but you don't see that so often...

[malt25]

I was at the bike show in Rayong last week. I really liked the Honda 500 it was priced at 220k.....Im thinking about buying one. It fit well and the price is right. Couple guys there with me are long time riders and both agreed it was a nice bike to take trips on.

So, Nick J. what does your response have to do with my post, request for advice ???

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[malt25]

I was at the bike show in Rayong last week. I really liked the Honda 500 it was priced at 220k.....Im thinking about buying one. It fit well and the price is right. Couple guys there with me are long time riders and both agreed it was a nice bike to take trips on.

Yes the CB500X is nice. I sat on it at the dealership, and was just about comfortable with my toes/feet touching, and I am ~166cm or 5'6".

A slight lowering of the seat can be done at the dealership, and suspension also, to make it more comfortable at a stop and slow speeds for us "shorter" riders.

DELETED

Guys... advice on something in the 125.... 250 range is what I'm on about.

I really DO appreciate the sensible replies.

Thanks..... Mal.

[seedy]

Posters above were offering you advice. No where until post #27 do you mention that you have a specific cc range in mind.

Take the advice offered in the spirit that it is given - this would be my advice to you.

[guzzi850m2]

Well still consider the CB300 despite it's bigger than your 250cc max cc.

Naked bike, same engine as the CBR300 has.

Considered a beginners bike and/or a super economical touring bike for 1 person.

I uses a pcx150 downtown Pattaya and I must say it's the best small Thai made bike/scooter I ever owned.

I ride a 650 on the highways as I want fun out there.

[thrilled]

I believe when he mentioned A Tuk Tuk he was saying that to maybe keep you from getting crippled up.The problem is you might

Have an accident and never see the vehicle that hit you.Motorcycles are near the bottom of the list as far as accidents.The only

2 below it is bicycling and walking.Good luck with yourself.