9th December 2013

Sure, it got you around when you were still in training but it would be nice to move out of the left hand lane once in a while and not get overtaken by every tractor, milk float and slow moving vehicle on the road.

White-lining (or ‘traffic filtering’ as it’s officially known) is one of the biggest lures of riding a motorbike but it doesn’t quite have the same appeal when you’re restricted to travelling at 40mph… A 125cc motorbike is fine for learning on but once you’ve passed your test and gained some experience on the roads you’ll be hungry for something more.

So, why not trade in your 125cc motorbike for something bigger?

At WeWantYourMotorbike.com we’ll give you a fair quote on your training wheels so that you can upgrade to one of these bad boys.

Ducati Hyperstrada

With a 821cc, eight-valve, liquid-cooled V-twin engine that Ducati developed for the Hypermotard family, this great model delivers a top-speed of around 130mph and 110bhp of pure power. It doesn’t quite reach the performance of the Multistrada, but there’s enough speed and power to enjoy yourself and its 204kg weight when the tank is 90% and wide bars mean its super flexible and a joy to ride.

Yamaha MT-09

The Yamaha MT-09 comes with an 847cc, three-cylinder engine and aluminium-framed chassis to provide plenty of manoeuvrability on the road with a top speed of 140mph. A six-speed gearbox, smooth engine and a ride-by-wire throttle control with a choice of three riding modes (selectable by a button on the right bar when you’re on the move) make this a fun ride. With a light and rigid aluminium beam frame, handling the Yamaha is relatively easy too.

Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade

The Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade offers combined braking which means that the rear brake will be automatically engaged when you apply the front brakes. This has the effect of keeping the bike stable when the front dips after braking. This bike is the first ever production motorcycle to have Showa’s Balance Free Rear Cushion which keeps the rear tyre in better contact with the road and dampens more effectively.

These are just some of the models available with larger engines. All those listed have prices within the range of £11,000 and represent good value for money. Before committing to purchasing any of the models listed here or any others it is advisable to give them a test ride. You may want to upgrade your 125cc motorbike to something with a bit more meat but it’s important you can handle the extra power.

Don’t run before you can walk, and don’t race before you can ride!