[Omar]

Motorcycle insurance costs are an important consideration for any bike buyer. That's why MCN is highlighting some of the best cheap-to-insure motorcycles out there. This time it's the Cagiva Planet 125 (now known as the Raptor 125).
Insurance group: 6
Engine: 124cc 2-stroke single, 6 gears
Power: 23bhp
Top speed: 95mph
Weight: 125kg
The Cagiva Planet 125 is basically a naked version of the screaming Cagiva Mito. If the Mito is a mini 916, then the Planet is a mini Monster. It looks gorgeous, handles well and stops even better. At group 9 it's cheap to insure, too.

• Get a motorcycle insurance quote now

The Cagiva Planet 125's engine is taken from the Cagiva Mito 125, but the two-stroke single has been detuned to provide the Planet with more town-friendly grunt and a little less manic top end. It works a treat. Plenty of acceleration is perfect for filtering through traffic and leaping away from the lights and it’s all delivered in a neat, controllable but fun little package. Derestricted it's capable of showing just over a ton on the clocks.
The brakes on the Planet 125 are phenomenal - it has beasty Brembo calipers that are really over-kill for such a light little bike. Accidental stoppies are on the cards. Since it has the Mito chassis handling is sharp, but thanks to high bars it's much eaiser to chuck about in town.

• Read the Cagiva Planet 125 review
• Find a Cagiva Planet 125 for sale

In terms of trick bits you get USD forks, tasty odd-shaped can, the aforementioned Brembo stoppers and a mirror-finish tank that has a handy helmet storage bay under it... however in practice you'll be lucky to get more than an open-face lid in there.
The Cagiva Planet 125 looks like a teenager's dream but it's so much fun anyone can appreciate it. Still, when buying bare in mind that parts can be hard to get and good quality 2-stroke oil is expensive.

 

[D-Drz]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....... burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....... BANNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG! *Oooooo damnn!!! Engine rebuild time AGAIN!*

 

[MrWhite]

yeah or you could buy a restricted Bandit 600 with your 33hp license and enjoy life without the use of hearing aids.

 

[MrAndy979]

do they really put out 23bhp?

 

[D-Drz]

do they really put out 23bhp?

Most 2 strokes, yeah. Older ones produced more!

 

[MrAndy979]

Most 2 strokes, yeah. Older ones produced more!

yea suppose i just thought they would produce less for some reason!

 

[D-Drz]

yea suppose i just thought they would produce less for some reason!

Right here's what I know, and what I've been told:


The only reason why there is two strokes on the market is because they where made for race use (there easy to tune and get into high power band) , however they couldn't be classed in the race unless 500 or whatever figure it was at the time where on market, obviously after the '500' sold, they saw a demand for 2 strokes, so thats when the niche for 2 strokes came in, because people demanded for them, but there not great bikes to use daily due to emissions, fuel economy and what not, there not reliable, there for race use, race bikes always get full re-builds etc after every race! I wouldn't want to do that to my r125 every weekend for sure!

but hey if Benji or someone knows more information or wants to correct me feel free im learning too!

 

[Killachipmunk]

At some point, Benny boy's gonna start to hate this tagging system

 

[MrAndy979]

At some point, Benny boy's gonna start to hate this tagging system

hahaha!!
i get 2 strokes but im not a big fan of them!
i just dont like the feeling that it could go bang down the road on me!
just personal prefrence!

 

[D-Drz]

hahaha!!
i get 2 strokes but im not a big fan of them!
i just dont like the feeling that it could go bang down the road on me!
just personal prefrence!

The main purpose was for race and not road use so if you had a 2 stroke for the correct reason you wouldn't worry about it going BANG down the road hehe

 

[Benji]

At some point, Benny boy's gonna start to hate this tagging system

No not a problem.

Sounds like homologation and simplicity have got mixed up. Lots of bikes were 2-stroke and weren't raced, they give good power to weight, and are simple so very easy to maintain, changing a barrel or head on a 2 stroke is a doddle compared to a 4 stroke. Bikes like the Yamaha R7 were homologation specials, so many had to be produced to be eligible to race in WSBK.

 

[MrAndy979]

shame they got rid of the 125 class in the gp!
use to get great racein there!

 

[Killachipmunk]

Mhhhm, the reason the strokers get such a bad rep is people don't maintain them.
I'll be honest, I'm a training mechanic and I didn't give mine quite as much attention as it would have liked.
Generally the problem with them is that the previous owner will have been a 17 year old who wanted a lot of power; so it's unlikely to have been warmed up properly before being ragged, and it's unlikely to have been given the care it really wants.

This is why I always give the advice of "If you can look after it properly, a 2 stroke will be amazing, if you're not going to give it the attention it's not worth doing".
I think buying one from new is the only way to guarantee it's sound, moreso than a 4-stroke.

 

[Scott Murphy]

shame they got rid of the 125 class in the gp!
use to get great racein there!

I'm sure the replacement 250 bikes will give a pretty good racing season.

 

[D-Drz]

No not a problem.

Sounds like homologation and simplicity have got mixed up. Lots of bikes were 2-stroke and weren't raced, they give good power to weight, and are simple so very easy to maintain, changing a barrel or head on a 2 stroke is a doddle compared to a 4 stroke. Bikes like the Yamaha R7 were homologation specials, so many had to be produced to be eligible to race in WSBK.

thanks for clarifying. Please don't take this personally or anything but what is your experience in biking? just curious you know so much!

 

[Gweglez]

He's 38, all you need to know

 

[Benji]

thanks for clarifying. Please don't take this personally or anything but what is your experience in biking? just curious you know so much!

Not at all, i'm 38, been hanging around with bike people since i was 14ish, grand father was a foundary man with paxman marine diesel engines, great uncle was an engine designer with chrysler so it's kind of in the blood. Did some time with a road race team, on the spanners (you get to see no racing, just the aftermath), built a few cars for people including a shell up project, now work as a vehicle technician, worked in the oil and gas industry, so time offshore, of an evening before you crash out you get to read a book or too, never read fiction.

Finally got round to getting my own bike a couple of years ago, would have done it a year earlier but I had a fairly major eye operation which curtailed that, and previous to that, I drove around like a loon, vowing I would be dead by 30, it's a great way to find the limits of a vehicle, but gets expensive. As for personal questions, I have an open life policy, if someone has the guts to ask you the awkward question, have the decency to answer the question, this has got me in trouble before now, with a manager I had on my industrial placement at university (nsk-rhp bearings), asked me to tell them what I thought of them, calling them a bleeping bleeper was not what they were expected, nor self-centred egotist, but they did ask.

 

[MrWhite]

:yoda:

 

[D-Drz]

what a pleasant read. I think everyone would agree that your a great contact to have. And in advance i would like to say Im sorry if i annoy you with my million and one questions over the course of time we are here! i know you'll be getting loads of questions from me!

i also agree with you about it running in the blood all the men in my family where car mechanics my brother who Im close to is currently manager of Mercedes garage but looking to start his own. by watching Him i know my stuff about cars the ins and outs etc but still learning with bikes!

 

[MrAndy979]

thats what i want to do...work on deisle engines well HGV so to speak