Threewheelbonnie,
You make a lot of very good points that I totally agree with.

I do intend to go off the beaten track and will happily cruise at 40mph all day on gravel backroads and passes - that's one of the attractions of travel for me. I dont have a GPS and within reason I will follow my nose and see where the roads take me. I dont intend on ragging it around doing >60mph everywhere. I dont intend on doing more than 150 miles a day (6 months booked off to ride TDF - Yellowstone). I just 'need' to have options and where it's safe and responsible to do so, I want to be able to open the taps and ride - I love riding bikes! Not too quick mind, because I'm not that good a rider!

I dont know much, but I have enough experience to know that it isnt the bike, it's the rider. I think I have the right attitude to travel and so the rest is down to personal preference.

Also..Part of my thinking was that we'll be 2up and I will be responsible for my better halfs' well being for 6 months on our upcoming trip. 2up changes things compared to solo travel I know, so perhaps I should've mentioned that in my earlier post....

This was a thread about economy and I just wanted to make the point that some people might get a bit frustrated by being restricted on the speed side of things on a 125cc machine. That done, I'll shut up