It's a learners bike but still great in it's own right (Honda CG125)

Member Name: GizmoPig

Product:	Honda CG125
Date:	11/06/09 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: nothing much to go wrong, apparently indestructable

Disadvantages: Is a small bike - I haven't topped 45mph on it. Kick start can sometimes be a pain

My Honda CG125 is a 19 year old Brazilian import in white with grey and red markings. From that description to a new rider it sounded like a potential death trap dressed up in a 1980's shellsuit , but I wouldn't change it for the world!

The best thing about these bikes is that despite their age they go on and on as there is really not a lot to go wrong. The other big advantage is that most of the parts can be bought on ebay for less than £40 and often less than £20. When I bought it from a work colleague of my husband's, we cleaned it completely, using a Haynes manual to take it apart and put the pieces back on again. One massive tip I learnt from this is that rust can be removed from the surface of metal really easily with tinfoil and water- just wet the foil rub it on the metal, and the rust comes off! After the chain had had a good clean the bike ran beautifully.

I've only really had two problems with this bike and they are reletively minor. Firstly, after a week of not using (I try to use it every day for work but occasionally need the car) the battery can run down a lot and as it is a kick start, extra time is required the first morning to encourage the engine to fire up. Also, my headlights sometimes flash with the indicators but I have been advised by a bike workshop to clean around the metal where the electrics have been earthed and that should solve the problem. Apparently the electrics are earthed directly to the metal in the frame where the light is mounted.

In terms of riding, it is a learners bike or a commuter bike. I don't expect it to go very far or fast but it is saving me £40 in petrol every month. The car costs £15 a week in petrol, the bike costs less than £5! My insurance came in at £180 (bit more than I anticipated but not bad for a new rider) and tax is £15. The bike itself was £400 but it is in very good condition - just was a little dirty and needed some maintainence. Last expense was my CBT course at £120 to allow me to ride for two years on L plates.

I love riding my bike and although I do want a big bike, this one I am very fond of and will certainly be fun to nip around the city on for the time being.

Summary: Great first bike to learn on and cheap to run

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