Best Beginner Motorbikes in Ireland (A1 and A2)

What is a beginner motorbike in Ireland?

A beginner motorbike is a bike that fits the licence category you can hold when you start: A1 or A2. The NDLS defines A1 as a motorcycle of up to 125 cc and 11 kW with a power to weight ratio of no more than 0.1 kW/kg, with a minimum age of 16. A2 covers motorcycles of up to 35 kW, a power to weight ratio of no more than 0.2 kW/kg, and not derived from a vehicle of more than double its power, with a minimum age of 18.

The limits are written in kilowatts, not engine size. A 125cc motorbike sits in A1 by capacity, but an A2 motorbike can be 300 cc, 400 cc or 500 cc as long as the manufacturer's figure is 35 kW or less. If you still need the licence itself, start by comparing IBT centres.

Below are 125cc and A2 motorbikes with their list price in Ireland on 10 November 2026, seat height, weight and power, taken from the importer or brand website where it publishes prices and from named Irish dealers where it does not, followed by the checks that matter for a first bike.

125cc motorbikes for an A1 licence: prices in Ireland

A 125cc motorbike is the usual first bike for riders aged 16 and over, and the cheapest listed below costs under €4,000 new. Prices here are list prices on 10 November 2026, in alphabetical order by brand. Honda Ireland publishes prices on its own site. Yamaha, Aprilia, Suzuki and KTM did not show an Irish list price on their sites that day, so the figure comes from the Irish dealer named in the table.

Model	List price	Seat height	Weight	Power	Source
Aprilia RS 125	€6,495 on 10 November 2026 at megabikes.ie	820 mm	144 kg wet	11 kW (15 HP)	Megabikes, Aprilia technical specification (PDF)
Honda CB125F	€3,999 on 10 November 2026 at hondaireland.ie	790 mm	117 kg kerb	8 kW	Honda Ireland
KTM 125 Duke	No Irish list price on ktm.com/en-ie	800 mm	154 kg fully fuelled	11 kW (15 PS)	KTM Ireland
Suzuki GSX-S125	€4,650 on 10 November 2026 at megabikes.ie	785 mm	135 kg kerb	11 kW (15 PS)	Megabikes, Suzuki GB
Yamaha MT-125	€5,999 on 10 November 2026 at danfay.ie	810 mm	138 kg wet	11 kW (15 PS)	Danfay, Yamaha Ireland
Yamaha YZF-R125	€6,100 on 10 November 2026 at motoworld.ie	820 mm	141 kg wet	11 kW (15 PS)	Motoworld, Yamaha Ireland

Some dealers had offers on 10 November 2026; ask for the current price.

Some of what the table shows:

The Honda CB125F is the lightest bike with a published figure, at 117 kg kerb weight and 790 mm seat height. Honda Ireland lists it at €3,999 on 10 November 2026, with WMTC fuel consumption of 1.4 l/100 km (Honda Ireland).
The Yamaha MT-125 makes the full 11 kW allowed in A1, with fuel consumption of 2.0 l/100 km, according to Yamaha Ireland. Yamaha Ireland lists it at 810 mm seat height and 138 kg wet.
The KTM 125 Duke lists 800 mm seat height and 154 kg fully fuelled on KTM Ireland. KTM did not publish an Irish price on that site on 10 November 2026, so ask a dealer.
The Aprilia RS 125 is the tallest of the 125s at 820 mm, the same as the Yamaha YZF-R125, and the Suzuki GSX-S125 the lowest at 785 mm. All four of the Aprilia, Suzuki and Yamaha 125s make 11 kW (15 PS), the A1 limit, according to their manufacturers' specification sheets.

Where the Irish importer or dealer page did not publish seat height, weight or power, the figure comes from the manufacturer's own specification sheet, linked in the Source column. Weights are quoted as the manufacturer states them: wet, kerb or fully fuelled figures include fluids and fuel, and dry figures do not.

A2 motorbikes up to 35 kW: prices in Ireland

An A2 motorbike makes up to 35 kW, three times the A1 limit, and new prices in Ireland on 10 November 2026 ran from about €5,750 to just under €9,000 for the models below. The list is alphabetical by brand. BMW and Honda publish Irish prices on their own sites. Royal Enfield's Irish importer site publishes prices too. Aprilia, Kawasaki and Yamaha did not show an Irish list price, so the price comes from the named dealer.

Model	List price	Seat height	Weight	Power	Source
Aprilia RS 457	€8,795 on 10 November 2026 at megabikes.ie	800 mm	159 kg dry	35 kW	Megabikes, Aprilia
BMW F 450 R	From €8,150 on 10 November 2026 at bmw-motorrad.ie	790 mm	175 kg fully fuelled	35 kW (48 hp)	BMW Motorrad Ireland, F 450 R page, technical data
Honda CB500 Hornet	€8,599 on 10 November 2026 at hondaireland.ie	785 mm	188 kg kerb	35 kW	Honda Ireland
Kawasaki Ninja 500	€8,750 on 10 November 2026 at megabikes.ie	785 mm	172 kg kerb	33.4 kW	Megabikes, Kawasaki Europe
Royal Enfield Hunter 350	From €5,749 on 10 November 2026 at royalenfield.ie (€5,849 in one colour)	790 mm	181 kg kerb	14.87 kW (20.2 bhp)	Royal Enfield Ireland, Royal Enfield UK
Yamaha MT-03	€7,349 on 10 November 2026 at motoworld.ie	780 mm	166 kg wet	30.9 kW (42.0 PS)	Motoworld, Yamaha Ireland

Other A2 bikes sold new in Ireland include the KTM 390 Duke, which KTM Ireland lists at 33 kW (45 PS), 820 mm seat height (800 mm with the low option) and 165 kg fully fuelled, without an Irish price on the site, and the Triumph Speed 400, listed from €5,295 on 10 November 2026 at triumph.ie, the Dublin Triumph dealer. Honda Ireland also lists the CMX500 Rebel at €8,499 and the NX500 at €9,099 on 10 November 2026 (CMX500 Rebel, NX500).

Two notes on the figures. The Aprilia RS 457 weight on the Megabikes page is a dry weight, so it is not comparable with the kerb or fully fuelled figures of the other bikes. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 figures come from Kawasaki's European site because kawasaki.ie did not publish specifications on 10 November 2026; the Irish price list there is a downloadable file, so the price in the table comes from Megabikes.

How to choose a beginner motorcycle: five criteria

1. Seat height against your height

Seat height decides whether you can put both feet down at a stop, and the range among A2 bikes is wide. Honda Ireland lists the CMX500 Rebel at 690 mm and the NX500 at 830 mm, a difference of 14 cm between two bikes with the same 35 kW limit (Honda Ireland, Honda Ireland). The manufacturer's number is only a starting point, because seat width and suspension sag change how far your feet reach. Sit on the bike with your riding boots on. If you are on the shorter side, look at bikes around 780 to 800 mm first, and ask whether a lower seat is offered: BMW lists a low seat at minus 15 mm for the F 450 R and KTM lists the 390 Duke at 820 or 800 mm.

2. Weight

Weight matters most at walking pace: pushing the bike off its stand, turning it in a car park, holding it on a camber. The figures in the tables run from 117 kg for the Honda CB125F to 188 kg for the Honda CB500 Hornet. Compare like with like. "Kerb" or "fully fuelled" weight includes fuel and fluids, while "dry" weight does not, and the difference can be 15 kg or more once a tank is full. Weight also enters the licence rule, since the NDLS limits are set as a power to weight ratio.

3. ABS

ABS stops the wheels locking under hard braking, and on a new bike over 125 cc it is not optional. EU Regulation 168/2013, which has applied since 1 January 2016, requires new motorcycles of more than 125 cc to be fitted with an anti-lock braking system. For two-wheelers of 125 cc or under, the regulation leaves the choice between ABS, a combined braking system or both to the manufacturer (EUR-Lex summary of Regulation 168/2013). So every A2 bike above is sold with ABS, while on a 125 you should check. Of the 125s listed, Megabikes describes the Suzuki GSX-S125 as having Bosch ABS as standard and the Aprilia RS 125 as having ABS, and KTM lists cornering ABS on the 125 Duke. For the others, check the specification sheet.

4. Insurance cost

Insurance can cost as much as the deposit on the bike in the first year, so get quotes before you commit. Citizens Information says the larger the engine, the more expensive the vehicle is to insure, and that a learner permit instead of a full licence can add hundreds of euro to a premium (Citizens Information). It does not publish motorbike figures, and neither do we here, because quotes depend on the rider as much as the bike. Our guide to motorbike insurance for new riders explains what moves the price. Get a quote for two or three of the bikes on your shortlist, not just one.

5. Fuel consumption (WMTC)

Manufacturers publish fuel consumption on the WMTC test cycle, and it is the only figure you can compare across brands. From the pages read on 10 November 2026: Honda CB125F 1.4 l/100 km, Yamaha MT-125 2.0 l/100 km, Honda CB500 Hornet 3.5 l/100 km, BMW F 450 R 3.8 l/100 km, Kawasaki Ninja 500 3.8 l/100 km and Yamaha MT-03 4.0 l/100 km (Honda, Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki, Yamaha). A 125 uses about half the fuel of a 500. Real use is higher than the test figure, but the ranking between bikes holds.

New or used: which is the better first bike?

A used bike costs less to buy and costs less to drop, which beginners do. A new bike comes with a warranty, current ABS and emissions standards, and no unknown history.

New: pros and cons

Manufacturer warranty and a dealer who has to put faults right.
Known history from day one.
A higher price, and a first-year drop in value if you sell to move up.

Used: pros and cons

Lower price, and 125s and A2 bikes are often sold on after a year or two when the owner moves up, so supply is good.
No warranty in a private sale, and the condition is only as good as your inspection.
Older bikes, and many 125s, may have no ABS.

Used bikes in Ireland are advertised on DoneDeal among other places. We do not quote used prices here, because asking prices change daily and are not the same as sale prices. Whatever the listing says, ask for the Vehicle Registration Certificate, check that the engine and frame numbers match it, and look at the service record.

Before money changes hands, pay a workshop for a pre-purchase inspection. A mechanic will check chain, brakes, tyres, bearings, fork seals and signs of a crash the seller may not mention. You can find workshops near you in our motorcycle mechanics directory. Budget for gear at the same time: a helmet, gloves, jacket and boots are not optional, and the motorcycle gear shops listed in our directory can fit them.

Naked or faired?

Several bikes in the tables come in both forms: the Yamaha MT-125 and YZF-R125 share an engine, as do the MT-03 and YZF-R3. A naked bike gives an upright position and wide bars, which most beginners find easier at low speed. A faired bike leans you forward and shields you from wind on open roads. Our guide to naked versus faired motorbikes in Ireland goes through the trade-offs for Irish roads and weather.

Sources

Information checked on 10 November 2026. Prices, offers and specifications change, so confirm them with the importer or dealer before you buy.