Yamaha YBR 125

I currently ride a Yamaha YBR125 and I can assure you that they are brilliant. Particularly if you are new on the road. As the CBT licence allows the rider to ride anything up to a 125 motorbike this fits nicely into the "1st Motorbike" category.

Like all 125's she has the tendency to struggle up hills, steep hills are a guarantee to be completed in at most 3rd gear, not exceeding much more than 30 mph. I can honestly say this is the only criticism I have about it.

It's also good as a first bike due to the controlling of it. There is very little to fuss about, particularly as all modern bikes now have automatic lights that only switch between main beam and dipped. The indicators are in useful positioning , that are easily accessible and simple enough to switch off with no major distraction from the road.

The lights themselves are ideal (12V). This is fantastic opposed to the 6V lights that bikes were previously built with, that had the tendency to be useless leaving the rider desperately chasing cars to follow for the light.

Image-wise, like most Yamaha's, the YBR is very charismatic. The only image flaw is the thin size of the wheels. Although they do not really stand out as a terrible flaw. Its easily ignorable (I found this…I'm particularly attracted to larger tires, however I'm satisfied with the ones on the YBR).

Petrol wise, the costs and running distance are impressive. I personally live in the country, and my boyfriend is living an hour away (in another countryside area) and not only can I make numerous trips there without having to fill up for a while, my YBR seems to handle the rough countryside roads very well.

A motorbike in general is a fantastic investment. Not only are they so much cheaper to run than a car but they provide fun and they're obvious advantage of cutting queues (teehee). They do however have downsides, the rain really does spoil all the fun and you can only take one other person on the motorbike with you (providing you have a full bike licence - not just the CBT). However overall, if you are thinking of getting one, I highly recommend them, and if you are likely to be a fair-weather rider, they are cheap enough to run alongside the costs of a car.

My insurance (even for the young person I am, and taking into consideration I'm registered as a university student) is amazingly low, I'm currently paying £150 per year. When I received a quote for tax, I will admit, I laughed. It cost £15 a year, in comparison to cars or even other bikes that are not 125's this is incredible.

Overall, despite it'll minor flaws, I would recommend the Yamaha YBR125 to anyone.