Our little bike joins the HJ fleet
Surprise, sometimes we run long-term motorbikes. See why Georgia has opted to run a Lexmoto Tempest 125 for the summer.
Date: 24 June 2019 | Current mileage: 1187 | Actual economy: 102mpg
We haven't run a long-term motorbike since the Kawasaki Z250 SL in 2016, so I thought it was about time we got back into the swing of things. Pictured it the the Lexmoto Tempest, a little 125cc bike, that I'll be running for the next few months.
Firstly, why did I choose the Tempest? Well, I'm in the process of stepping up to a full motorcycle licence - meaning, for now, I can only ride 125cc bikes. Lexmoto is an exceptionally popular brand with learners, in no small part due to the very low prices, selling more Chinese bikes in Britain than anyone else. Simply put, I want to see what all the fuss is about.
Learners often want the cheapest bike they can get their hands on. And, without knowing too much about buying a bike and what to look out for, many learners want to buy new. Enter, the Lexmoto Tempest. Priced at £1800, or a measly £36 per month on finance, the Tempest is significantly cheaper than obvious rivals (Sinnis Scrambler: £2379; Herald Classic 125: £2229). Although, I'll get into the ins and outs of buying the Tempest on finance in another update...
My little 125cc offers 9.5PS, which is plenty of oomph to get around town. When you aren't in the urban jungle, this little street scrambler will work its way up to 60mph without too much trouble - but when trying to go up into the mid-60s, I can feel the bike struggling a bit.
The five-speed gearbox is decent, although can sometimes slip into false neutrals. Brakes are firm but, at this price, it's no surprise we don't get ABS or adjustable front forks. The twin rear shocks come with five-step pre-load adjustment only. On the plus side, handling is easy and should give learners more than enough confidence on corners and when filtering. At 126kg, Lexmoto's chic cafe-racer is the same weight as the Honda CB125R - although, it doesn't feel quite as balanced on the move.
Despite some minor gripes, the Tempest is a bike that I'm always excited to get back on. It's the type of bike that makes me pleased when my other half asks me to go to get some more bread from the shop because it means getting to go out for a ride. It's not flawless by any means, but it does put a smile on our face. Stay tuned for more updates.
You get what you pay for...
Georgia walks you through finance options on the Lexmoto Tempest 125.
Date: 3 July 2019 | Current mileage: 1298 | Actual economy: 101mpg
The Lexmoto Tempest 125 starts at £1800, which is what makes it so appealing to learners who want to buy a new bike. It's significantly cheaper than rivals like the Sinnis Scrambler (£2379) and Herald Classic 125 (£2229) - but is it actually a good deal on finance? Let's take you through it...
At a glance, finance offers seem very reasonable on the Tempest. With a £100 deposit, you can pay £36 per month over 60 months - however, you'll end up paying £462 extra this way (taking the total to £2262). So, let's say you pay a higher deposit, say £300 - which is doable, even for young'uns who've just done the CBT - and shorten the contract to 48 months, you'll be paying £38 per month and £322 over the asking price.
Many learners don't want to be tied into long contracts because they want to step up to a bigger bike before the CBT expires after two years. So, taking that into account, with a £400 deposit and spread over 24 months, you can pay £69 per month and only pay £149 over asking price. That's not so bad.
It's worth remembering that these deals were calculated with the lowest possible APR that Lexmoto offers (9.9%) and, to receieve that, you must have an excellent credit score - which you may not have. A fair credit score will get you 19.9% APR, meaning that 24-month contract is £71 per month and you'll pay £308 over the retail price.
While these aren't bad, it's very dependent on your credit score. Plus, if there's any possibility of your financial situation changing (needing to move house, losing your job etc), finance payments don't just suddenly stop if you can no longer afford them. So make sure finance is the right choice before you commit.
As far as equipment goes, the Lexmoto is pretty scarce. You get the basics, including and analogue rev counter that features a small digital section with speedometer, fuel gauge, mileometer. It's easy enough to read on the go and there's a USB point by the headlight for recharging devices as well. There are features of the Tempest 125 where we can tell where cash has been saved on quality, too. For example, when sitting at a red light or in traffic after riding for a few minutes, the exhaust has actually burned our leg through trousers a couple of times because it gets so hot.
Should I buy a Chinese motorbike?
Chinese motorcycles are a big talking point considering their rise in popularity over the last few years. But are they unreliable like some say or is that brand snobbery talking? Well, let's get into it.
Date: 6 August 2019 | Current mileage: 1396 | Actual economy: 97mpg
If you do so much as a quick Google search into opinions on Chinese motorcycles, you'll quickly find yourself down the wormhole. It would be easy to class those that claim they wouldn't touch a Chinese bike with a bargepole as brand snobs, but there is some element of truth when it comes to the falibility of brands like Lexmoto.
When it comes to buying a 125cc bike, most riders just want to spend as little money as possible. At the end of the day, it'll mostly be used for commuting, ragged within and inch of its life and then sold on. If you'll be leaving your bike locked up outside year round, rust is also a problem for Chinese bikes - so bear that in mind. You don't want to be pumping money into a cheap bike to keep it going.
Our Lexmoto Tempest 125 retails at £1800. If you're buying new, that's a very appealing number for a new motorbike, especially one with the cafe racer looks of the Tempest. However, having searched the classifieds for bikes you could get for the same amount or less - there's a few keenly-priced contenders that would appeal with the backing of a bigger brand name.
Firstly, a 2009 Suzuki Maradauer 125 with 12 months MoT, 4 previous owners and 24k miles on the clock is up for £850. A nice looking 2011 Honda CBF125 with 51k miles on the clock and 2 previous owners is also up for grabs for £780. Both bikes are in good condition, albeit not new - but both being Japanese with big dealer networks, a strong customer base and reputation for reliability and quality mean that a lot of folks looking for a learner-legal machine would opt for the Suzuki or Honda over the Lexmoto.
Having ridden a fair few 125s in our time (Honda CB125R, Honda Monkey, Lexmoto ZSX-F, Lexmoto Tempest, Suzuki GSX-R, Suzuki GSX-S etc) we liked the newest incarnation of the Honda CB125R, granted a near-£4000 price tag definitely places it at the premium end of learner bikes. But that's not to say we're snug in the corner alongside those who wouldn't buy a Chinese bike like a Lexmoto, Sinnis and Zontes.
While there's the argument that Chinese bikes are cheap for a reason and you might find it difficult to sell on if it survives being battered for a few months or years, that opinion is arguably a bit long in the tooth considering many firms have closed or amalgamated in recent years, leaving the better ones to continue selling better bikes. This gains even more weight when we consider that some Japanese manufacturers share factories with Chinese bike manufacturers.
Taking bike maintenance into account, which is a big part of motorcycle ownership, some new riders are a bit wary of tinkering and possibly voiding a warranty on a new bike. Used bikes should always come with a detailed service history so you know what you're getting yourself into. Plus, you can always ask friends, watch YouTube videos or go on a course if you aren't too sure about maintenance.
Bottom line: Japanese bikes are more reliable simply because of higher quality parts and frankly a better availability of parts, but that comes at a high price unless your willing to buy a bike with a few previous owners. If it was our money and we were expecting to clock up a lot of miles then we'd probably put it into a an older Honda CB of some sort because we simply prefer the performance and the way they ride. But if we were dead set on a new bike then we'd happily hoon about on a Lexmoto considering it costs us about £6 a week to fill up currently - as we have been doing for the last three months/1300 miles. Just don't expect a high resale value.
