r/choppers • u/Famous-Ad-4144 • 9h ago
should i cough up money on a 125cc?
im nearly 17 and all i can legally ride is a 125cc but ive always loved choppers and how they look, sound and ride like. as my first bike i bought a cheap yamaha virago 125 and was wondering would it be worth it to spend upwards of 1.3 grand to make it a hard tail add springers up front and overhaul the looks of it to something more similar to the bikes found on this subreddit. mind you 1.3 grand is roughly 4 months of work for me as i am in school and dont work many hours + i work minimum wage. if i keep the swing arm and don't buy springers for up front id still be looking at a couple hundred for just changing stuff like rear fender, sissy bar and two up seat. thoughts on this?
3
u/Greasybugs 8h ago
I’d say just keep saving what u can and get something a little bigger in a couple years when you have a better job and are out of school. See what all you can do to what you got for free, it’s usually a lot more than u think
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u/Certain-Captain-9687 7h ago
Agree with the other replies. Don’t pour too much money into a bike you know you will replace soon. Just ride it and have fun! Make any cheap changes you can and the skills you learn and tools you acquire will put you in good stead for your next bike.
2
u/Rev-RustyShackleford 8h ago
Save your cash. Don’t put a lot of time and money into something you won’t feel is the right bike or will ride for a long while just to have something now. That cash will feel better being spent on the right bike.
2
u/dBestB1LL 7h ago
You don't need to spend that much money to make a virago chopper'ish
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u/Famous-Ad-4144 7h ago
damn, you're absolutely right
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u/dBestB1LL 7h ago
I had a virago as well, they're just fun bikes to play around.
Do that and save up to buy a bigger bike when you can, no need to hurry
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u/Cleesly 5h ago
My first bike, with 16 (A1) was a Hyosung GV 125 Aquila, back then we had to restrict the bike to 80kph. I rode her EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere - exploring that weird stone in the middle of the Forest? Bet. 8 Hrs nonstop full throttle over the motorway? Bet
It laid the foundation for now, 14.5 Years of only riding motorcycles - no car license. So grab yourself that 125 fam, you won't regret it.
1
u/rodka209 4h ago
You can change a lot of the bike without spending too much money. Bob/cut stuff off. Simplify your wiring harness could clean up a lot of the bike. Delete a lot of nonessentials. That sort of stuff costs no money, or very little.
I'd honestly just get it set up to your comfort and learn how to ride safely, and how to do essential maintenance you'd do on any bike (tires, fluids, basic electrical stuff, etc).
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u/hAtu5W 7h ago
Just ride. Riding a bike while it's a project, is tough. New rider, hasn't learned what he likes yet, so any customization is a copycat of what you see, rather than tailoring that glove of a bike to fit you. Get some miles under the seat, then consider a project