Was looking at the mrs getting a 125 so we can both be a bit more comfortable doing some wee trips. As theres not a lot of room on the new 950 hyper for both of us. Found a great deal for a ktm duke 125. And could just about justify it. So did some insurance quotes HOLY S***. Safe to say shel no be getting a bike anytime soon. A 125 is ment to be cheap transport and to get younger people into riding. How on earth can anyone justify the absolutely ridiculous quotes for a 125cc bike. The mrs is 20, has a car with 2yr ncb. bike in a garage with locks ect, 2000miles a yr. and the quotes are coming in at around 1200 fully comp, 800 tpft, and 600 third party only I remember my 125 insurance about 8 yrs ago was about £260 Motorcyling is going to die a death if this keeps up
Try a quote on a suzuki Van Van - great starter bike and less likely to attract thieves and the high premium
A 20 year old with no no claims bike insurance (very few take into account car insurance unless on a multi vehicle policy) in a capital city and a rather nickable ktm is always going to be high. Are there any manufacturers doing a free insurance deals at the moment?
That's serious money for a 125. Does it drop over the first couple of years if she does not have a claim?
At 20 she has 2 years experience driving on the roads. Its normally 17yr olds with no experience buying these bikes. Im not in the city, juat a vilage 10 miles outsdie Edinburgh. Its Scotland though, not exactly comparable to london with regards to bike theft. £1200 policy and about a £1000 excess. Evsn if u bought brand new by the time u put 5 miles on it it wouldnt be worth more than £2200 in the eyes of the insurance if u were to make a claim. And the theft aspect cant be what drives the price up as third party only is still £600. Absolutely absurd. How much damage are u likely to do to someone elses property with a 125. Iv just insured a brand new hyper 950sp, fully comp, 1yr ncb. For less than a 125 third party. If paying monthly the bike would cost around £70 and the insurance about £110. How can motorcycle manufacturers survive if new riders are being castrated before they even start
I trust you've tried all the usual suspects on comparison sites? It will drop quickly but that is eye-watering for 1st year. Maybe try pricing different bikes - but if you want the KTM you want the KTM
Tried a YBR125? We got Hattie a YBR125 Custom when she was learning. Cheap as chips to buy and insure, but she was 42 at the time rather than 20. I think that being young carries a hefty tax these days. Tell her she should have been born a bit more in the mid seventies, as the 90's were a great time to be young and in love with bikes. You're right though, go to any bike meet / haunt / cafe and it's full of men in their 40/50/60/70's. Anyone under 40 is regarded as a whippersnapper now.
YBR 125 is a really good motorcycle, especially suitable for a first time rider imo. More so than the little KTM which only really comes to life when you wring it's neck, so it's more of a hooligan machine. I was privileged to be lent Steve Hislops widows YBR when I was at the I.O.M T.T a few years ago and I had a fantastic week riding the little thing flat out around the course. I love riding little bikes, you really have to work hard to maintain speed, and it teaches you to anticipate and prepare more. If I had the room I would definitely love to have one in my collection.
would a 125 scooter be any cheaper I wonder and if so would it be acceptable? The ktm 125 is a cracking looking bike and I wonder if sports 125's are a higher insurance cost than a 125 scooter?
Had the same issue myself with 125 insurance, when I was 17 I picked up a used Yamaha WR125X for £1900 and iirc it cost me around £1000 for my insurance (I live in the middle of nowhere, Aberdeenshire and have a garage too!). I got 1 years NCB on the Yamaha and then switched bikes midway though my second year. I purchased my Hypermotard when I was 19 and it cost me £420 fully comp with 1 year NCB and now with 3 years it's down to £315. The cost of insurance pretty much caused none of my peers to ride, with logic along the lines of "why waste that much on insurance for a slow 125 when you can insure a car for cheaper?". I've literally never ridden with anyone else (other than instructors).
Also check out some Chinese 125's, some of them are pretty decent (Namely Lexmoto) . The insurance for them is piss cheap in my experience, I had a Lexmoto Michigan which I purchased for £700 (11 months old, 300km on the clocks and pristine condition) and with my 1 year NCB it cost me £98 fully comp when I was 18.
My mates wife has one. Theres a big wheel conversion for the front which makes them look way better..
