10 Best cheap new commuter bikes

One of the most attractive aspects of ‘commuter-type’ small motorcycles and commuters has been how affordable and cheap to run they are – quite often two wheels are the cheapest of all forms of commute. Not only are they far cheaper than a car to buy, they are cheap to run, even when you dial in the cost of clothing, training and insurance.
If you want the cheapest two-wheeler, buying used is the way to go. But if you want the reassurance and warranty a new purchase brings, which are the current cheapest new commuter bikes you can buy? We found out, over a variety of different categories…

For years, Auto Trader’s best 50cc scooter recommendation, and the repeated Auto Trader bike of the year awards, has been the Echo 50 from Lexmoto, and, at just £1749.99 plus on-the-road costs and also available on HP finance from just £37.61 a month, it remains one of the cheapest (and most popular) machines of its type.
As for THE cheapest, however, things have now changed. Launched in Autumn 2022, the TTR is a budget, sports-styled, 50cc, AM-class scooter (so eligible to be ridden by 16-year-olds) that, priced at just £1499, undercuts the Lexmoto and is currently the cheapest available. (Incidentally, WK is, like Lexmoto, an established British brand that specialises in importing budget Chinese machines). It's only a 50, obviously, so is restricted to 30mph and is also naturally quite basic, so may not be suitable for longer commutes. But as a starter city commuter and, incidentally, one that’s claimed to do an impressive 134mpg, and comes with a two-year warranty, there are none cheaper. Find a Find a WK TTR 50 here.

If you’re 16, can’t face a small-wheeled scooter and want a ‘full-sized’ motorcycle with gears – albeit one restricted to AM class 30mph just like any other 50 – the cheapest offering curently available in the UK also happens to be by WK Bikes – its Scrambler 50.
It’s an ultra-straightforward, retro-style, air-cooled roadster single with two wire wheels, seat, handlebars, twin shock rear end and… not much else – but then, that’s the whole point with this style of bike. We can’t vouch for its performance, rideability, quality etc as we haven’t tested it. But then we don’t expect much, either. But it IS a WK with a two-year warranty, like any 50 is up to city speeds (but might be stretched outside of town) and will be cheap to run – if not quite as simple as a twist ‘n’ go scoot. It IS, however, the cheapest ‘proper’ motorcycle available, for just £2049, plus OTR costs. Find a Find a WK Scrambler 50 here.

If you’re 17 or over and fancy a machine with a little more ‘go’ than a 50 restricted to 30mph can muster, your most affordable option is an A1-class 125, which you can ride on L-plates for two years if you get a provisional motorcycle licence and complete a (usually) one-day Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course.
And, as with their 50cc little brothers (above), not only is the cheapest a fairly-basic, Chinese built scooter, it’s once again produced by WK Bikes. But the all-new SX125, which, incidentally, costs just £1999 plus OTR costs, has quite a lot more going for it than ‘just’ being cheap: the engine is both fuel-injected and Euro5 compliant; it has smart sports styling with underseat storage; there’s a USB charging port, LED indicators and rear light and it also uses the larger 14in wheels for added stability. As before, it also comes with a two-year warranty. Find a WK SX125here.

Again, if you qualify for an A1-class 125 but don’t want an automatic scooter, you’ll be looking for a full-sized, geared motorcycle and thankfully, unlike the 50cc class, there’s a far wider choice available.
This time round, however, the cheapest currently available is by rival British-based, budget Chinese bike importer Lexmoto, which has a long history of supplying affordable, popular bikes. It’s worth pointing out here that a huge choice is available – Lexmoto alone offers 10 different 125cc motorcycles ranging from retro roadsters to modern sportsters. But it – and the UK’s current cheapest – is its ZSB 125, a traditional, easy to manage, no frills, single-cylinder cruiser style machine which makes a more than adequate (if not particularly fashionable) commuter, is capable of about 65mph and costs just £2049.99 new – or on HP over five years of just £44.45 a month. Find a Lexmoto ZSB 125 here.

If you’re looking for a cheap 125cc commuter but find the cheapest125 scooters a little small and basic (perhaps you’re doing longer distances so want more room, comfort and luggage capacity) then you’ll be glad to know you also have the option of 125 ‘maxi-scooters’ – ones that are a little larger and luxurious, although you pay a tad more for the privilege.
The cheapest of these again comes from budget 125 specialists Lexmoto whose Titan 125 is priced at just £1999.99 (plus OTR costs) or can be had on HP over 5 years for just £43.31 a month. For that you get a slightly bigger 125 twist ‘n’ go scoot with a more substantial and comfortable seat, greater road presence, extra under seat storage and yet is still a relatively lightweight 118kg for easy manageability. Rival WK’s cheapest 125cc ‘maxi scoot’, incidentally, is the £2599 MXI 125. Find a Lexmoto Titan 125 here.

For those who are after an affordable, 125cc commuter scooter but are willing to pay a little more for one from one of the larger, more established brands (which usually offer not just a far greater dealer network but also more proven reliability and residual values), there’s still plenty to choose from.
Indeed, a perennial best-seller in this class for many years has been Honda’s proven, economical and popular PCX125, which currently costs £3599 and can also be had on PCP finance over three years for just £59 a month. But it’s not the cheapest – that honour goes to the all-new Avenis 125 now being offered by Japanese rivals Suzuki for just £2699. For that you get an engine capable of a claimed 148.6mpg and around 70mph, slick modern styling, agile handling, a smartphone charging port and 21.5litres of underseat storage. It’s also worth pointing out that Suzuki also currently offers the cheapest Japanese ‘maxi-scoot’ – it’s refreshed Burgman 125 which costs just £2999 and is arguably the best balance of commuter ability and budget value of all… Find a Suzuki Avenis 125 here.

We’re making an exception here – but only just. Of the mainstream Japanese (and other) manufacturers, Honda has far and away been the leading and most popular make over recent decades when it comes to affordable commuter motorcycles, which is why we’ve chosen its latest CB125F here.
For £3049 (or 49 per month on a three-year PCP deal) you get a smart, decently-equipped single cylinder roadster that’s ridiculously easy to ride, effective, capable of over 150mpg (and around 70mph), is as proven and reliable as they come and will, we have no doubt, be one of the very best, and most economical, commuter two-wheelers you can buy. Strictly speaking it’s not ‘quite’ the cheapest though. Although rivals Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki no longer offer budget 125 commuters, Brituh/Chinese firm Herald does have the stylish Classic 125 for just £2795, although it can’t match the Honda’s reputation and dealer network… Find a Honda CB125F here.

If you qualify for a larger-than-125cc machine there are two or three ways you can go. You can opt for a 300cc+ ‘midi’ scoot, such as Honda’s popular Forza 300/350, although, now priced in excess of £5700, we’re not sure it qualifies as ‘cheap. There’s c.300cc modern motorcycling equivilents, such as Honda’s own excellent CB300R, although again, by starting at just over £5K, it’s not exactly ‘baragin-priced’.
Or you can for some of the cheaper, c.300cc bikes, where two stand out. First, there’s Chinese/British brand CF Moto’s decent 300NK naked roadster, which costs £3499. But for sheer quality, economy and bang-on-trend retro style, we’d be tempted to spend just £100 more and go for Royal Enfield’s all-new HNTR 350, a retro roadster based on the soft, economical but effective 24bhp single introduced on the 350 Meteor cruiser that’s easy to ride, stylish, well-built, completely unintimidating, cabaple of around 80mph and, at £3599, a bargain. Find a Royal Enfield HNTR 350 here.

Machines of around 300cc apart, you’re other option if you’re after an affordable commuter but one bigger than 125cc is – assuming you qualify – for a full-phat, A2 licence category machine.
Again, there’s a huge choice, with some purpose-built machines such as Honda’s CB500 twin family, deservedly popular. On the other hand, with the CB500X, for example, now costing £6700, they’re not the cheapest, either. Our favourite, for those wanting something a little ‘more’, is the BMW G310R roadster. No, with 34bhp from its 321cc single, it hasn’t the full 47bhp allowed, but it’s got a classy badge, is a joy to ride, has enough performance certainly for affordable commuting and has that little bit ‘more’ while still being temptingly cheap. Find a BMW G310R here.

With electric bikes starting to become popular we had to include an electric offering in our ‘cheap commuter’ round-up. In truth, however, even though there are now plenty of 125cc-equivilent electric scooters available, there are actually very few you’d call ‘cheap’ – even though they cost virtually nothing to run – with almost nothing available below £3000.
One, however, stands out. The tongue-twistingly-named UQI GT from upcoming electric scooter specialists NIU (which are styled and designed in Europe but built in China), is the firm’s entry-level, cheapest offering by virtue of not really being a scooter at all, instead being more like a chunky electric bicycle. That said, for just £2499 it’s fun and stylish; its 14-inch wheels make is nimble and easy to ride; its motor and lithium ion battery give a top speed of around 30mph and accompanying range of around 40 miles and, overall, if that kind of commuting is for you (and considering it costs virtually nothing to run) it’s surely one of the most economical commuters of all! Find a NIU UQI GT here.