AMERICANS: Would you buy a 125cc motorcycle for the street?

[Piotrsko]

Back in the day there was two ways to get slick tires with minimal tread: buy them or make them. The owner made them. Still not good for low traction surfaces like rain or center of traffic lane, fine for drag strip

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I'm sure that was not intentional anyway...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

The newest of this version of the 5th-generation Honda CG 125 is already 15y.o. but they're still soldiering on...



4th-generation Honda CG 125, still featuring the pushrod engine, and a 9th-generation 160 already fitted with the OHC engine



It's no longer so easy to find a 4th-generation Cargo still stock, as most were converted to 2-seater in order to get a better resale value.



AFAIK the 5th generation of the Honda CG 125, the last to be fitted with the pushrod engine, is the most copied motorcycle ever.

[JSH]

There is an interesting book call "Old Man on a Bike" about a man in his 70s that decided to buy a Honda Cargo 125 "Pizza Bike" in Mexico and ride it to the bottom of South America. The follow up book is "Old Men Can't Wait" about him riding a different small motorcycle back north. (The original bike was destroyed in a crash that badly injured the author)

The author very correctly decided that a small bike that is sold all over the region he was going to be riding would be: cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, easier to handle at his age, and able to be repaired by any mechanic he could find. A very different perspective than most long distance riders from Europe that bring a big foreign bike and then have to have every little thing like even tires or tubes special ordered and shipped in for their journey.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

There is an interesting book call "Old Man on a Bike" about a many in his 70s that decided to buy a Honda Cargo 125 "Pizza Bike" in Mexico and ride it to the bottom of South America. The follow up book is "Old Men Can't Wait" about him riding a different small back north.

Not sure if those books were ever translated to Portuguese or available here

The author very correctly decided that a small bike that is sold all over the region he was going to be riding would be: cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, easier to handle at his age, and able to be repaired by any mechanic he could find.

That was a very good point.

A very different perspective than most long distance riders from Europe that bring a big foreign bike and then have to have every little thing like even tires or tubes special ordered and shipped in for their journey.

Even some locals often get larger motorcycles for their road trips, yet at one moment or another there will be someone on a CG 125 coming to the rescue.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Americans may not understand why this model is quite relevant in Brazil. Its earlier versions enabled Honda to stand its ground when the Chinese dumping was stronger in the early 2000s.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Lately I have seen some Korean motorcycles from late-'90s roaming around, with that "generic Harley-Davidson" design. Sure a 125cc engine might not be so inviting for a road trip, but there were times it sounded tempting to do so...

[Piotrsko]

Big heavy bike reduces road shock considerably. A small bike will beat you to death after 150miles. Did the trip both ways on both sizes.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Big heavy bike reduces road shock considerably.

You mean fewer rebounding due to the bigger weight?

A small bike will beat you to death after 150miles.

Might be worse on a CG or something similar, while the longer suspension travel in a dual-purpose makes it more comfortable. That's what I usually hear from folks who upgraded from a basic utilitarian motorcycle to a dual-purpose, even though some dual-purpose motorcycles are still quite lightweight.