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Who's going to do it? Honda CT125 Who's going to do it? Honda CT125
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Giovanni Lamonica, Aralsk, Kazakhstan.

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Giovanni Lamonica,
Aralsk, Kazakhstan.



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  #31  
Old 20 Jan 2023
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
I've put my money where my mouth is.
a standard C125.

I want something I can ride all year and maybe do a few winter trips on, so the added protection of leg shields is a bonus.


Currently at the stage of trying not to double it's weight by adding stuff that might be useful.

Andy
Congrats and welcome to the world of micro biking. There is, as someone once said, 'plenty of room at the bottom' Have you got any trips planned yet, or even ideas for some floating around in your head? Pity there isn't a UK HUBB meet this year as all the 125 riders could have met up in the corner of a field, circled the wagons to keep the GS's out and given a joint talk about the delights of 40mph. The leg shields btw will be worth their weight in gold on a long winter trip. I tried to make some for my Suzuki out of small snow shovels a few years back but without much success.

Good choice of bike btw. You'll soon be experiencing the joys of being invisible on the road (cops hardly ever pull you over and other rider on 'real' bikes completely ignore you). Being new tech as well you'll be riding happily on your way while I'm being taken away in handcuffs for killing the planet with a two stroke. Sound like a win - win to me. After all 100 million chicken farmers can't be wrong
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  #32  
Old 20 Jan 2023
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As I still have to work trips are going to be limited to a few days here or there. I'm actually tempted to give the Altes Elefant Treffen at Nurburg ring a go. A couple of 200 mile days, a winter crossing of the Ardennes, huge sleeping bag strapped to the poor little 125. What could possibly go wrong

Andy
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  #33  
Old 21 Jan 2023
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
As I still have to work trips are going to be limited to a few days here or there. I'm actually tempted to give the Altes Elefant Treffen at Nurburg ring a go. A couple of 200 mile days, a winter crossing of the Ardennes, huge sleeping bag strapped to the poor little 125. What could possibly go wrong

Andy
I’m seriously considering this year’s Altes Elefantreffen as well. I’d be going on my 125 Suzuki and tbh I can’t think of a better package for that trip - other than the same bike with another 5bhp.

This year would be the 50th anniversary of my first Elephant - back in ‘73 when there was only one rally and it was at the Nurburgring - so it seems worth putting the effort in. We ran out of fuel in the middle of the Ardenne section and had to sleep rough in the snow, but that wasn’t as bad as two blokes on a Velocette we met on the ferry. They mixed up the Nurburgring and Nuremberg and went off down towards Munich.

It’s 250 miles each way from Calais so not too bad but logistics from the port are tricky if you don’t want to arrive when it’s pitch black. I’m still working on that one.
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  #34  
Old 21 Jan 2023
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Crikey, talk about great minds thinking alike

Next year I will be 50. This birthday is the excuse for a decent midlife crisis and as I didn't fancy the MG and driving gloves and getting a 22 year old girlfriend just strikes me as more hassle than it's worth (is this a sign of old age in itself?) I'm setting up to do a few old rallies and trips. I'm going to need the year to get my stuff sorted for the really cold one.

My first Elefant (The Bavarian one ) was in 2004 and the third/last in 2010. I'd love to do that, but these days wouldn't find it fun unless I had a week there and a week back. Maybe I'll get that in 2054

Andy
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  #35  
Old 30 Jan 2023
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So here it is



114 miles yesterday to buy a sausage sandwich

So far I see no reason you can't ride one anywhere you like. The amount of cack the leg shields keep off is amazing. The Jerry can is probably a must, range is barely over 100 miles.

Andy
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  #36  
Old 30 Jan 2023
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The memorial behind is something I have passed hundreds of time but never had cause to see.

It's a little sad. The Halifax bomber flew into the hill on a training flight in bad weather. All seven on board and a man on the ground died. The memorial was put up by the bomb aimer. It reads like he had to give up his place on that flight to make room for the instructor

Andy
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  #37  
Old 31 Jan 2023
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
So here it is



114 miles yesterday to buy a sausage sandwich

So far I see no reason you can't ride one anywhere you like. The amount of cack the leg shields keep off is amazing. The Jerry can is probably a must, range is barely over 100 miles.

Andy
One of the many reasons I love the Rieju Tango is that fully fuelled it has a range of 350km and weighs less than an empty CT125 ... I think a range of less than half that would drive me barmy!

What does the fuel consumption work out at?
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  #38  
Old 31 Jan 2023
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
So here it is



114 miles yesterday to buy a sausage sandwich

So far I see no reason you can't ride one anywhere you like. The amount of cack the leg shields keep off is amazing. The Jerry can is probably a must, range is barely over 100 miles.

Andy
Both my small bikes have a 100 mile max range. With the B120 I'm looking for my next 'fill fix' after about 75 miles. It'll do more than that but who knows where the next fuel station is. In winter spec, when it's loaded up with junk and riding into a headwind, I've run it dry in under 120 miles. Having to stop and pour fuel in from a can at the side of the road is a messy annoyance (especially in the dark when you can't see what you're doing) but it's better than pushing. We depended on Google maps to tell us where the nearest garages were when we were in France / Spain / Morocco back in the summer.

Impressive looking gloves (in front of the seat) btw. Are they skiing gloves? They don't look like traditional bike gloves.
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  #39  
Old 5 Feb 2023
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Fuel use on the single test ride to date gave 130 mpg (Imperial, apologies for those who use metric, I have no feel for decilitres per megameter so would only get it wrong).

The gloves are a motorcycle glove, but old. Before heated gloves we used to wear:



Ladies silk opera gloves (which come past the elbow), plus



Two finger and thumb gloves. You wouldn't ride moto GP wearing them, but given the 125 won't support heated kit and I'm using my battery weight allowance for a heated shirt I think are worth a go.

Andy
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  #40  
Old 6 Feb 2023
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That's 2.2L/100KM in metric, lol

I have motorbike gloves in the same format, they're about 5 years old now, made by RST.
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  #41  
Old 10 Mar 2023
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Proof of concept ride today



The light weight, narrow tyres etc. work well. There is a certain subtlety to down changes required, just ease the gear lever up so drive doesn't lock the back wheel, nothing any driver of a manual car can't learn.

My search for better tyres however is proving difficult. No one seems to have current production of a tubeless M&S. I'll wait until autumn and decide between what's available then and the tube option.

Andy
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  #42  
Old 10 Mar 2023
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Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
I personally don't get the obsession with slow and gutless small capacity bikes.

Unless it's all you can ride due to licence, age or legal restriction; why would you ride something so dull, slow and tedious.

Lightweight, yes !! I get that. But they don't weigh significantly less than a 250cc or 300cc

Enlighten me.
whats that saying .............. you can ride a big bike slow ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but you carnt ride a small bike fast !

I think you need minimum 250 cc , ideal 400 cc
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  #43  
Old 13 Mar 2023
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Eh? Small bike fast is the best kind of riding - if you've never dragged knee on a 125 at full throttle trying to squeeze every bit of momentum from a corner, are you really living?
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  #44  
Old 13 Mar 2023
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As someone who has just cycled across India a 125cc motorcycle sounds like a bloody good idea at the moment.
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  #45  
Old 13 Mar 2023
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I think you need minimum 250 cc ,
All those poor walkers, bicyclists, electric bike people must just be stood there wondering when the next 250cc bike will be along to give them a lift

It's all in the head. Pack lighter, improve navigation skills to avoid motorways, see a different bit of the world.

It's amazing who talks to you BTW. Horse people and walkers are far friendlier than if I bring the Guzzi along. The Village People and Cruiser Appreciation clubs less so when worried their mates might see them. Now who would I rather talk to, the ex-model lady on a very smart grey or a bloke called Knuckles who needs to show his tatooists spell check?

Andy
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