The Bikeshite Thread

[andy18s]

Thanks for the replies so far.

My definition of cool wouldn't be the sports bike looking things. More something with a bit more classic styling I think - something that looks older than it is probably.

 

I'll have a look around, thanks

 

ETA: That GC125 has sold, but thats more the sort of thing I like the look of

Get yourself down to the local bike school and have a chat with the instructors.They're in the best position to help,and may let you hang around and watch other peeps do the "off road"(car park) parts of the cbt

[John F]

Fucking hell!

 

When did RG500s get so expensive?

 

The cheapest one on eBay is £12,500...!

[CreepingJesus]

It's been coming for a while. Noticed the other day cos we'd a moment at work when we couldn't remember from Suzi RG and Yam RD, which one was the V4 and which one was the square 4.

Turns out Yam RD 500s ain't cheap either. Although to be fair, neither were unless you fancied a world of pain and big bills.

[LostnotFound]

Disclaimer: I do have a 2-stroke bike - I do like taking engines apart.

 

 

So relying on there being kind people on a brown forum to help talk you through attempting a top end rebuild isn't sensible, someone should have told me this earlier 

[John F]

It's been coming for a while. Noticed the other day cos we'd a moment at work when we couldn't remember from Suzi RG and Yam RD, which one was the V4 and which one was the square 4.

Turns out Yam RD 500s ain't cheap either. Although to be fair, neither were unless you fancied a world of pain and big bills.

 

Yep, the Yam was the V4. I rode one in Germany in the 1990s, it was a bloody rocketship.

 

I've just had a look on eBay - all early 2-strokes seem to have daft prices now, even dull old things like the Suzuki GT380. Madness!

[Dave_Q]

So relying on there being kind people on a brown forum to help talk you through attempting a top end rebuild isn't sensible, someone should have told me this earlier 

 

No, of course we will offer assistance, and also it's actually not that difficult.

 

 

The point I was trying to make is that a 2 stroke is more suited to a fettler, for a new rider without much idea on bikes a 4 stroke is the sensible choice.

[Guest Hooli]

Fucking hell!

 

When did RG500s get so expensive?

 

The cheapest one on eBay is £12,500...!

 

When people who hated rebuilding them every other weekend got old enough to start thinking 'oh they were fun I might get another'.

[DodgeRover]

If you buy anything 125 that looks off roady don't park it anywhere. In some areas watch out for people trying to knock you off to steal it.

They attract thieves so much its not funny, beware of being followed home/ to work so they can come back and take it later. A pocket full of coins chucked behind bouncing off their windscreen is a good deterent as long as you are confident that you can make a clean get away.

 

2 strokes aren't really that unreliable, I've seen them clock 30k without a rebuild, the usual teenage combination of running on shit 2 stroke oil from Asda costing £2 a litre instead of fully synthetic costing £15 and being ragged silly from cold finishes them off double quick.

Aprilia 125 race rep had weird main bearings with a plastic cage, they were fine in normal use but 2 junctions prolonged thrashing down the motorway just after passing your test would see the cages melt with predictable consequences. My RD125LC would hold 70mph down the motorway uphill as well as down once derestricted as long as you were happy to work the box a bit.

 

Nobody really cares if a 125 is de-restricted unless you happen to crash into a bus queue or similar in which case if it is and you are on L plates your insurance will royally screw you.

[martc]

Re the 125 two-stroke chat above. Don't forget there were two schools of thought over two-stroke design - commuters and racers. Commuter two-strokes, for eg the MZ 125, Honda H100 etc need very little extra maintenance (perhaps the odd de-coke). It's the racing two-strokes which can be a little fragile.

 

Ironically it was MZ who developed the racing two-stroke in the 50's and 60's.

[PiperCub]

While 2-strokes are inherently less reliable, they are alot easier and cheaper to rebuild that 4-strokes in general. My 350YPVS is over 32 years old and has never been apart and has performance that would scare most people.

 

MZ had a genius chap as their chief engineer called Walter Karden who developed the two-stroke motor from a pottering commuter engine to something that won motorcycle GP's. He effectively invented the expansion chamber exhaust which is often wrongly credited to the Japanese. The latter only got a start in the 2-stroke scene proper when they 'helped' one of MZ's leading east-European GP riders defect during an actual GP (in Sweden IIRC, think his name was Ernest Degner or something like that) who then turned up working for Suzuki! 

 

With regard to the very sexy looking racy 125's esp the Italian offerings - they are fantastic things, in unrestricted form they punch out 30bhp or more with the chassis to handle it. The main issue is that they are designed for skinny teens, under 5-9 and ten stone, not really for middle aged gents tbh! Rode an unresticted Cagiva Mito many years ago - christ it was fun but at over six foot tall, not ideal. 

 

Agree with the sentiment of never leaving anything remotely off-roady parked in public, the chav-scum love them. The Yam DT125 was not the most stolen bike in Britain for years for nothing. 

[John F]

PiperCub, on 17 May 2017 - 3:49 PM, said:

While 2-strokes are inherently less reliable, they are alot easier and cheaper to rebuild that 4-strokes in general. My 350YPVS is over 32 years old and has never been apart and has performance that would scare most people.

 

MZ had a genius chap as their chief engineer called Walter Karden who developed the two-stroke motor from a pottering commuter engine to something that won motorcycle GP's. He effectively invented the expansion chamber exhaust which is often wrongly credited to the Japanese. The latter only got a start in the 2-stroke scene proper when they 'helped' one of MZ's leading east-European GP riders defect during an actual GP (in Sweden IIRC, think his name was Ernest Degner or something like that) who then turned up working for Suzuki! 

 

With regard to the very sexy looking racy 125's esp the Italian offerings - they are fantastic things, in unrestricted form they punch out 30bhp or more with the chassis to handle it. The main issue is that they are designed for skinny teens, under 5-9 and ten stone, not really for middle aged gents tbh! Rode an unresticted Cagiva Mito many years ago - christ it was fun but at over six foot tall, not ideal. 

 

Agree with the sentiment of never leaving anything remotely off-roady parked in public, the chav-scum love them. The Yam DT125 was not the most stolen bike in Britain for years for nothing. 

 

Very nearly - the MZ rider that defected to Suzuki was Ernst Degner.

[Fabergé Greggs]

2 strokes are the funnest things ever.

 

I had a lovely rxs100 for a while, alongside some Vespas.

 

Check out this absolute HONEY

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272643653440

[Guest Breadvan72]

I've never even sat on a moped, but am for some reason becoming more interested in doing my CBT... I am however a complete beginner.

 

Sorry for the noob questions, but I guess this is a good place to ask:

 

1) What sort of money are you looking at for a reasonable 125. I like my Japanese cars and gather their bikes are a good bet too?

2) What sort of money for a years riding? Insurance, tax... anything else?

3) Are 125's all toddler looking scooters? Any photos of some cool looking bikes to convince me further to do the CBT?

 

 

Nyphur, would you like to buy my Honda CG 125 CDI?  This is a mid 70s four stroke aircooled single in a classic naked bike style, but built in Japan in 1998 and registered in 2001. A bike used by many farmers and others in India and elsewhere. Maintenance schedule: wipe with an oily rag once every ten years, whether needed or not.  

 

This is an easy and docile bike.   A great trainer and confidence builder, and a pretty thing to look at.   It will do 60 mph if you take it up to high revs through each gear.  It has a rev counter.  It stops well. The handling is not sporty.  Countersteer properly, and as you become confident you can experience the bike banking smoothly around corners. It is easy to park.  It is light and easy to put on its centre stand and kick stand.  The riding position is comfortable, and the mirrors are good.  It has modern lights and a modern hooter. It has enough road presence to be safe.

 

The only two snags that it has are -

 

1.  You have to kick start it, but this is always easy.

 

2.  The gears are not the same as on most bikes.  Most bikes are one down, neutral, four or five up.  This one has neutral at the top, and four down.  But you can very quickly switch over from bike to bike. It's like LHD vs RHD on a car, or tiller vs wheel on a boat.  No biggie.  

 

Price?  I paid £1190 for it a few weeks ago.  It was perfect.  It still is, almost, but when transporting the bike in my van, I carelessly knocked a small bit of paint on the tank.  Blemish barely noticeable.   I have seen other bikes of this type in worse condition go for £1300-500 ish, but you are a shiter and a mensch.   Make me an offer?  

 

Bike includes HBOL, owner's handbook, one key, two branded keyrings.  I also have a spare pair of nearly new calf length armoured boots, black, water proof, good quality, size 8, free to you.   Also a spare silver helmet, worn about four times, full face, XL (NB it MUST fit), never dropped or fallen on.  But best to get a helmet you know fits, and maybe start open face or flip up chin.    Black helmets look cool.  White helmets are safer.  Move your head, a lot!

 

I recommend Weise armoured jackets in fabric, or RTX retro style armoured leather.  Get good gloves.  Also you can buy armoured jeans that look like ordinary jeans for cheap, and armoured shirts to wear under unarmoured leather jackets.   

 

Reason for sale -  please see my next post.

 

Honda pics below.  Nearside mirror missing in pics.  Mirror now back on. 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Reason for sale of Honda- arrival of 1979 Yamaha RD125 DX.  Air cooled two stroke twin.  I have no spanner skills, but live 400 metres or so from a very good bike workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

[andy18s]

It used to be the case that if you do your cbt/test on a scooter/moped with automatic transmission then your licence only covers you for that.

Not that it's a problem these days

Plenty of SuperScoots out the now which are plenty quick enough

[LostnotFound]

2 strokes are the funnest things ever.

 

I had a lovely rxs100 for a while, alongside some Vespas.

 

Check out this absolute HONEY

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272643653440

 

 

The place selling that is where my TDR came from, they are open to an offer as well which is how I accidentally ended up with mine. It's worth looking at their other items for sale, there are some cracking bikes there. This has to be the most autoshite of the lot, sod vespas if you want a cool scooter this has to be it:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-Zook-50cc-Scooter-Japanese-market-only-import-ideal-VW-campervan-MPV-/272643640363?hash=item3f7ad3cc2b:g:tfsAAOSwBOtY~2a3

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Riding an automatic bike is like kissing your sister, or like skiing in fresh powder snow but in someone else's tracks, or driving a Ferrari on cruise control, or playing poker for matches and not money.

 

And so on.  

[Fabergé Greggs]

The place selling that is where my TDR came from, they are open to an offer as well which is how I accidentally ended up with mine. It's worth looking at their other items for sale, there are some cracking bikes there. This has to be the most autoshite of the lot, sod vespas if you want a cool scooter this has to be it:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-Zook-50cc-Scooter-Japanese-market-only-import-ideal-VW-campervan-MPV-/272643640363?hash=item3f7ad3cc2b:g:tfsAAOSwBOtY~2a3

 

 

 

 

Granted, that is 10000% class. I may have to check that place out and ride every single thing at the weekend. 

[Fabergé Greggs]

Oh my oh my. What I wouldn't give for a blat around Brands Hatch on this: 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

This is giving me massive quantities of wantiness -

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C865505

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Nyphur, want cool but 125?  Don't want my Honda?  Try this:-

 

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C841615

 

 

[DodgeRover]

Riding an automatic bike is like kissing your sister

 

And so on.

Unless the automatic bike is a 400cc 2 stroke single mx bike with a reputation for the throttle sticking open due to carb icing when ridden wide flat out, in which case terrifying is a better description...

Rokon who were better known for snowmobiles also did an automatic enduro bike

[castros_bro]

Riding an automatic bike is like kissing your sister, or like skiing in fresh powder snow but in someone else's tracks, or driving a Ferrari on cruise control, or playing poker for matches and not money.

 

And so on.  

 

 

 

There are people who disagree with your judgement.

 

I

[John F]

Speaking of automatic bikes, and ignoring scooters & other things that aren't really motorbikes, I noticed a couple of Honda CB400A automatics on eBay a couple of days ago...

 

 

[twosmoke300]

Don't Honda still make auto bikes ? I'm sure the new Africa Twin is available as an auto

[Parky]

I've never even sat on a moped, but am for some reason becoming more interested in doing my CBT... I am however a complete beginner.

 

Sorry for the noob questions, but I guess this is a good place to ask:

 

1) What sort of money are you looking at for a reasonable 125. I like my Japanese cars and gather their bikes are a good bet too?

2) What sort of money for a years riding? Insurance, tax... anything else?

3) Are 125's all toddler looking scooters? Any photos of some cool looking bikes to convince me further to do the CBT?

You are me two years ago! Yes, definitely do it. Maybe look for someone local doing a "get on" promo where you get to play about with a bike for an hour

 

http://www.geton.co.uk

 

I like the Naked sports bikes such as the KTM Duke and Yamaha MT125 but they are pricey. Kymco make decent bikes and their CK125 looks good and costs about two grand.

 

Some pics:

[andy18s]

A decent school should have a couple of differemt bikes,to suit different body types.

A Yamaha SR125 for those short in the leg, Honda CG125 as a "std" fit for most up to Honda XLR125 for the tallest peeps

It all depends on how you want to go after the cbt

[strangeangel]

It always pleases me to find that one of my old scoots is still around. And looking well!

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/honda-ch125-spacy-/252943190768

[Guest Breadvan72]

Unless the automatic bike is a 400cc 2 stroke single mx bike with a reputation for the throttle sticking open due to carb icing when ridden wide flat out, in which case terrifying is a better description...

Rokon who were better known for snowmobiles also did an automatic enduro bike

 

I can see that an automatic could make sense for an enduro bike.  I was interested to find out that an auto Rangey was perhaps better than a manual when doing some knobbly off road stuff.  

 

Carb icing, blimey!  I haven't noticed that on the ground since I had a shonky old Alfa ages ago, although it's still very much a thing in aircraft piston engines with carbs, and can park you up in some bloke's field if you're not careful about it.

[Guest Breadvan72]

 Many thanks for the advice ref clothing/helmet and such

 

Others here know lots more about that stuff than I do, so maybe ask the troops for views on kit?