Yamaha TDR 125 Vs Honda Varadero 125

Dr Pepper

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of downgrading the bike and I'm looking at the above 125's. I currently have a V-Strom 650 and I really like the comfortable upright sitting position.

The reason I'm selling is because I'm tired of spending the large sums of money regularly required to keep a big bike on the road. Also, I only use the bike for commuting these days and a 125 would be more suitable and economical. I am looking for something reliable that doesn't require too much maintenance. I'd also like to be able to go 70mph+ every now and then on motorways, etc. Is that possible on these bikes? I used to own a GN125 and it struggled to get to 60mph most of the time. I'd rather a 250 now but they are rare here and way over-priced IMO (because they're rare and all the young lads are mad for them!).

Anyway, enough babbling... Opinions on these 2 bikes please? The TDR is a 2-stroke. Does that mean it's really noisy? Because I hate that! I haven't seen any advertised with top box. I assume it's possible to get one for a TDR. Cost?

Cheers,
Brian

KamiKazi

Might be a silly question, but what big costs do you have with the Vstrom that you won't have with a smaller bike?

Dr Pepper

KamiKazi wrote: »

Might be a silly question, but what big costs do you have with the Vstrom that you won't have with a smaller bike?

Hmmm... I was hoping that wouldn't be asked. I've kept a record (fairly well) of all maintenance and repair costs and in the 2 years, 2 months (20,000km) since I bought the bike, I've spent about.....
...wait for it....
...drumroll please...
€2450! :eek: (Incl things like tyres, chains, oil, service consumables, couple of indicators and similar bits after unfortunate incidents on ice/snow days). That's obviously not including tax, petrol and insurance.

Nearly half of that figure went on fork seals and other fork-related bits. Forks seals burst 2 days after I got it. They were replaced twice by my local incompetent motorbike shop and once more (whole fork assembly replaced) by the seemingly very competent Declan in the Harley place on Mountjoy Corner.

Compare that to the GN125 I used to own 7-8 years ago. Hardly spent a penny on it in 2-3 years and it never gave me any bother. Petrol and insurance cost half what the V-strom does. There was never a question of having to replace chains/tyres with the GN. A litre of oil every 6 months and it was happy! I had a Bandit in between and that was fairly reliable but had a habit of eating chains and tyres!

So... In conclusion. I don't need 600cc+ bikes and I'm sick of paying through the nose for them. Besides, I'm getting old (all of 29 years) and I don't need the speed buzz any more

Dr Pepper

Just came across this thread on biker.ie with a very similar title just in case anybody's interested. Beware the dim-witted, irrelevant, txtspk banter that is not uncommon on that site

KamiKazi

€1200 on forks in a year? :eek:

But if you're intent on downgrading, how about a CB400SF? I just sold one, ~250KMs per tank (~€19). 16,000KMs out of a set of decent tyres and 6 months or so out of a set of chain and sprockets. They've taken a nose dive recently pricewise, you'd get a nice one for just over a grand.

Dr Pepper

Forks - Tell me about it, it's a forking joke

I know the SF have a great reputation but, call me snobby, but I don't like the idea of buying a bike that's nearly 20 years old! - most of them seem to be early 90's. Don't suppose it makes a whole lot of difference but I'd find it hard to justify spending over a grand on a '92 when I can get a decent (if small) '04-06 bike for the same money.

I'm half thinking of just going for a Yamaha YBR or a Honda CG 125. They seem to be fairly reliable, low cost and there's loads of them for sale for 1,000 or less. Many with low mileage and relatively young years.

KamiKazi

I see where you're coming from yeah, didn't bother me as I knew it'd be a lot more fun than a 125.

Dr Pepper

KamiKazi wrote: »

I see where you're coming from yeah, didn't bother me as I knew it'd be a lot more fun than a 125.

You've got me thinking now, damn it Those SF's are a fairly good-looking machine for their age, plus there are plenty around in good nick. And over-taking ability is always a handy feature on a bike!

Back on the TDR, I was just talking to a lad in work here and he says he reckons the 2-strokes are more temperamental and require more TLC than the 4-stroke. Anybody got an opinion on that? It seems they're also faster.

KamiKazi

Dr Pepper wrote: »

Back on the TDR, I was just talking to a lad in work here and he says he reckons the 2-strokes are more temperamental and require more TLC than the 4-stroke. Anybody got an opinion on that? It seems they're also faster.

He's bang on unfortunately.

Do you not think you'd get sick of the low power of a 125 after being on a 650?

I know I would

Dr Pepper

KamiKazi wrote: »

He's bang on unfortunately.

Do you not think you'd get sick of the low power of a 125 after being on a 650?

I know I would

That's definitely a possibility. My mood re bikes changes about every hour so tomorrow I'll probably be looking at Hayabusas and Blackbirds I think Honda is the way to go for reliability, which is my main concern (today anyway!).

cojomo2

I used to have a DT125 for about a year and a half..much prefer the look of it to the TDR..was a realy fun bike, cost me f all to run..

seamus

The TDR is quicker, but it's a two-stroke.

I've had a Varadero. Great bike, works like a horse, feels and rides solid like a bigger bike, bulletproof too, but you'll top out at 65mph on the flat unless you're happy pushing very high revs.
I miss it

You will get sick of it if you're motorway riding. You'll be stuck in the left lane all the time. I'd stick with the 650. The fork problems were probably bad luck, and if you work out the rest of your costs, it comes to about €50 a month, which isn't much for maintenance.

Dr Pepper

I got the TDR in the end mainly because, by coincidence, a work colleague's husband was selling one. Got a great deal on it I reckon. 2004, only 5000miles, perfect condition and running order - €1000.

I'll give it a try for 3-6 months and see if I get bored with the lack of speed. Drove it in today for the first time and I think I could get used to it. Easily kept over 60mph into a very strong head-wind. Took it up to 70 without too much difficulty. Not bad for a bike that has been lying up for a year! There's a good review of the bike here in which the guy mentions swapping the 16 tooth front sprocket for a 17 tooth one. I've priced the 17 tooth one and it's only around €20. Anybody got any opinion on that? I'll see how it goes for a while first before trying any mods.

The next thing that needs to be sorted is the gearing. The most popular modification is to swap the 16 tooth gearbox sprocket for a 17 tooth version. This will lower the rpms by about 500rpm for each gear. So 60mph will be 7,500 rpm, 70mph will be 8,500 rpm, 80mph will be 9,500rpm and 90mph will be just going into the redline at 10,500rpm. The bike will happily buzz along at 70mph all day without revving its nuts off like it did before. This will help to preserve the life of the engine and cut down on top end rebuilds. Always use top quality fully synthetic oil with 2 strokes.

Next challenge is to get a top box fitted. It appears Givi still have a monopoly on top boxes and they still charge ridiculous money for them. Bracket/rack = €100+, decent sized box of 45L or more = €240 in my local bike store. Call me crazy but I'm not inclined to fork out €340 or more for a big plastic box. Anybody know of any cheaper, ebay-type ways of doing this?

seamus

Dr Pepper wrote: »

I've priced the 17 tooth one and it's only around €20. Anybody got any opinion on that? I'll see how it goes for a while first before trying any mods.

It'll be less nippy away from the lights and acceleration in the lower gears will be noticeably stunted - though not to the point where it'll be sluggish. Climbing serious hills will be affected too, but we have very few of them in Ireland.

If you're going to be doing a good deal of distance riding, motorways and N-roads, then it's a good purchase and should save on fuel.

If you're doing mostly traffic/city runs - i.e. lots of stopping and starting - then you will be putting more stress on the engine.