Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

SR125s are fucking awful tractor-like machines. And you will find it too small and too low. YBRs are CBR-alikes so if the CBR is too small then that may be too.

Stretch the finances a bit and you could have this
http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/honda-varadero-125-2005-learner-legal/1000956314

Or a bit further to get http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/derbi-mulhacen-cafe-125-2011-with-warranty-yamaha-ybr-honda-cbf-yzf/1000867707

or a Mito with a new engine http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/cagiva-mito-for-sale-1400-pos-moped-swop/1000891268
If you are feeling brave...

Contacted the seller of the Varadero and it's already got a deposit put on it, but the seller will contact me if that falls through.

Really like the Mulhacen 125 but it's way out of my price bracket at the moment.

Not a fan of the last one :/

Have a look at this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-YAMAHA-XT-125-X-RED-/251145063965?forcev4exp=true#ht_696wt_1343

Could be worth a punt. Your choice in your price range is going to be limited. Bear in mind what you want the bike to do. Long distances, quick easy around town hopper, bit of everything. Being stuck to 125 is going to make distances a pain to be honest. Doable but not ideal.

Also, why are you stuck to 125?

Have been looking quite a lot at these and Honda XR as they both look good for taller riders I think.

I only have my CBT at the moment and am quite content to get a 125 to begin with, to get used to motorbikes .

I'll do my full license in the next couple of years, hopefully before the CBT runs out in Jan 2014, and then move on to bigger and better things.

That XT looks like a good deal.

I had an XT660X and a few mates have had the 125s, sound bikes. Finish on the engine on mine was a bit dodgy but I whipped it out and repainted it easy enough.

If you are stuck to 125, try and not look at it as being stuck. I owned the XT660 then a 500 Enfield, shared a 1200 BMW then owned an 883 Sportster and I'm now on a 250 Superdream and really enjoying being back on a smaller bike.

Insurance costs are much better finally bearable and the bike cost me less than my fixie did so if it has to sit out in the rain, who cares? If I drop it, meh, I'll fix it.

Ulitmately I want to get something other than a 125 but I don't think I want something ridiculously big/fast/noisy.

And I like your point about leaving the bike out and not worrying - I don't think I want a bike that I'm constantly worrying about!

Cheers for your help guys...

Am hopefully going to go to a dealer this weekend, not with a view to buying anything, more with a view to sitting on a few bikes and seeing what feels right, then concentrating on finding that on eBay/gumtree.