New Member from the UK - Looking to Buy, A

[wrighty]

Hi all, nice place and a long time lurker

I am very near to pulling the trigger on a PCX however I have a few questions If I may.

Firstly I am from the UK - yes I filled the location tab in... good start eh and my main reason for getting a PCX is to commute to work having ditched one car - Mrs needs the other for the kiddie.

I am a complete newbie to the world of Scooters so I am started from nothing!

I can't decide on colour I was going to get the black but then thought whites nice then matt grey came into play which is the best guys??

I will also be riding through all weathers bar snow so need some clothing recommendations please.

Finally, can anyone in the UK tell me If I can ride a 125cc? my license looks to me like I can but maybe I've read it wrong - shows A with valid and valid to date.

20160912_203802.jpg (839.71 KiB) Viewed 2716 times

Sorry, not sure how to re size it


Bit confused with the license part to be honest

Thanks for your time.

wrighty.

[Alibally]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
To answer the most important question first is yes, you can ride a 125cc with an L plate once you have completed a CBT training course at a certified training school.
The course is usually about £120 ish depending on the area your in and depending on you using your own bike or one of theirs. Note that you can't legally ride your own bike to the training school before the CBT so it might be easier to use a training school bike. This has to be done every 2 years unless you do a full test.

White would be the best colour for visibility for other road users, especially if you going out in dark mornings, but that's really up to you as to what colour you want. Black is the hardest to keep clean and shows scratches easier.

Equipment wise, get the best helmet you can afford and if possible try a few in a shop first as a large in one brand might not fit but it might in another. What I did was try a load in the bike shop and the order it online afterwards once I found one. I saved £50 doing this.

I've got textile jacket and trousers as keeping warm makes things a bit more enjoyable. You'll probably find when the outside temperature is below 10 degrees C it can get a bit chilly on the fingers so get a decent pair of winter gloves.
It doesn't sound that cold but once up to speed the wind chill sets in.

The initial set up costs of the training and gear bumps the price up to start with but give that a PCX get 100mpg + the running costs week on week aren't bad.

The only other thing to remember is you need to factor in servicing costs unless you able to do this yourself.

Hope this helps a bit.


Sent from my iPad

[gn2]

If you're buying new (or nearly new) the Yamaha Nmax 125 is arguably a superior scooter to the PCX.
The Nmax has ABS and a longer service interval.

Always buy a white scooter and a white helmet.
Two reasons, 1: visibility 2: its the fastest colour for scooters.

[iceman]

It seems you can ride 'Motorbikes up to 25kW power output and power weight ratio up to 0.16kW/kg; motorbikes with sidecar and power weight ratio up to 0.16kW/kg; any size motorbike, with or without a sidecar if you’ve completed the large motorbike direct access scheme' so the 'A' entitlement would suggest you can ride 125's which have a limit of about 11KW for a 125 (but this is best guess from info on the WWW as I have a paper driving licence and CBT)

[ScooteringAbout]

I looked at an N-Max perhaps it was the one in the dealership, but the plastics felt loose and given the extra mileage between services, the increased cost quite literally made it even!.

[Geoffers]

I ride all-year round in the UK. One of the biggest favours you can do yourself is to get a larger windshield (and there are plenty of threads on here about which one to buy).

As others have said, you'll need GOOD gloves for the winter, and probably a decent set of waterproofs as well to go over your jacket & pants.

[kramnala58]

Colour = White .... because it is simply the best .... oh ya, because it makes for better visibility as well .... and being the owner of a white one, did anyone really think I would suggest something else?

[wrighty]

Thanks all for the replies, very helpful.

I looked at the N Max and I like that too but I think I prefer the look of the PCX plus the 12v socket is handy.

What Helmets do people wear? Are there any decent looking ones out there that a priced reasonably? looked at some and they are like £200+

[Mel46]

I thought red was the fastest...if you don't believe me, look around over there and see if you can actually 'see' a red PCX. :-)
What, they don't sell that color over there?? ...or is it that they sell them but they are so blindingly fast that you don't see them... :-/ :-)

[kramnala58]

I thought red was the fastest...if you don't believe me, look around over there and see if you can actually 'see' a red PCX. :-)
What, they don't sell that color over there?? ...or is it that they sell them but they are so blindingly fast that you don't see them... :-/ :-)

[wrighty]

Any thoughts on this deal?
It is a few hundred cheaper than anywhere else, must be a catch!

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/121556011198?_mwBanner=1

I am looking for a white one now!

[honkerman]

Thanks all for the replies, very helpful.

I looked at the N Max and I like that too but I think I prefer the look of the PCX plus the 12v socket is handy.

What Helmets do people wear? Are there any decent looking ones out there that a priced reasonably? looked at some and they are like £200+

GN2 likes the Nmax a lot, and likes to tell folks so.

At least here in the US, the PCX sells better and feels better. The NMax has ABS, but the feel of the scoot is different, and it just does not look as good. It also has a higher center of gravity due to fuel tank placement, and there are accounts of people having issues with stability due to fuel moving around in the tank. Having ridden motorcycles with a high center of gravity, I'll say I never had a disconcerting experience like that on a regular bike, but the tank on the NMax is nearly over the front wheel, which could account for the experience some have had.

This is all second hand as I've yet to ride one myself. I'd like to at some point, but have not had opportunity.

For myself, the lack of ABS is not a make or break issue.

[Alibally]

What Helmets do people wear? Are there any decent looking ones out there that a priced reasonably? looked at some and they are like £200+

I have an AGV K4 evo, I had a Caberg Konda Flip before that.

All helmets worn on UK roads must meet one of the following:

British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI Kitemark
UNECE Regulation 22.05
a European Economic Area member standard offering at least the same safety and protection as BS 6658:1985, and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI Kitemark
It really means that even a cheaper helmet will to be up to a standard but check out the sharp helmet website as they test and rate them.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

I would try a few on though. You need to bear in mind that a new helmet might be a bit tight at first until it's been used for a while.

[ScooteringAbout]

GhostBikes.com I use a flipfront from them with a tinted visor.

http://www.ghostbikes.com/8890-shox-bul ... visor.html

White with Iridium Blue visor. Looks great, is really comfortable and the price is pretty good too.

[Simon0867]

Welcome to PCX-ing in the UK.

I ride my PCX throughout the year too.
I currently have an LS2 flip front helmet which seems good quality without breaking the bank.
I've also got a Caberg which is fine and had AGV in the past which are more expensive but great quality helmets.

I've had a lot of Buffalo clothing over the years and always found it excellent quality, jackets and gloves.
Get yourself a pair of good quality waterproof over trousers then you'll never be caught out by the rain. I'm using Richa ones at the moment which are excellent.

My PCX is white, my jacket is hi vis yellow and so is my helmet, I'm all about visibility !

Good luck.

[you you]

Thanks all for the replies, very helpful.

I looked at the N Max and I like that too but I think I prefer the look of the PCX plus the 12v socket is handy.

What Helmets do people wear? Are there any decent looking ones out there that a priced reasonably? looked at some and they are like £200+

GN2 likes the Nmax a lot, and likes to tell folks so.

At least here in the US, the PCX sells better and feels better. The NMax has ABS, but the feel of the scoot is different, and it just does not look as good. It also has a higher center of gravity due to fuel tank placement, and there are accounts of people having issues with stability due to fuel moving around in the tank. Having ridden motorcycles with a high center of gravity, I'll say I never had a disconcerting experience like that on a regular bike, but the tank on the NMax is nearly over the front wheel, which could account for the experience some have had.

This is all second hand as I've yet to ride one myself. I'd like to at some point, but have not had opportunity.

For myself, the lack of ABS is not a make or break issue.

Or make or brake

[lolofigo]

Thanks all for the replies, very helpful.

I looked at the N Max and I like that too but I think I prefer the look of the PCX plus the 12v socket is handy.

What Helmets do people wear? Are there any decent looking ones out there that a priced reasonably? looked at some and they are like £200+

Just got myself this one. It fits under the seat of pcx and has got double glazed lens so no fogging. Tried it today in the UK finest weather and stayed dry.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[wrighty]

Just got myself this one. It fits under the seat of pcx and has got double glazed lens so no fogging. Tried it today in the UK finest weather and stayed dry.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Whats that one? looks decent.

Do I have to get a Pin lock one? also I wonder about getting sweaty hot in one is that an issue with helmets?

Apologies for all the daft questions can you tell I'm new

[lolofigo]

Just got myself this one. It fits under the seat of pcx and has got double glazed lens so no fogging. Tried it today in the UK finest weather and stayed dry.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Whats that one? looks decent.

Do I have to get a Pin lock one? also I wonder about getting sweaty hot in one is that an issue with helmets?

Apologies for all the daft questions can you tell I'm new

Shark vancore. Goggles are with double glazed lens so no need for pinlock. Not easy to find full face helmet that fits under seat of pcx. This helmet has quite good ventilation just bought it last week so not sure how it's like in the winter. Last helmet I had was caberg full face and was going all year with visor slightly open to avoid fogging.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[wrighty]

Shark vancore. Goggles are with double glazed lens so no need for pinlock. Not easy to find full face helmet that fits under seat of pcx. This helmet has quite good ventilation just bought it last week so not sure how it's like in the winter. Last helmet I had was caberg full face and was going all year with visor slightly open to avoid fogging.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Thanks for that buddy, bit pricey!

Yes, I've just been reading about helmets not fitting under the seat is there a list of helmets that do anywhere? guessing not.