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

[Fat Charlie]

The American market defines fun as overweight, high powered bricks. The country that invented the muscle car and honestly believes racecars can only turn left is not a country that values real automotive fun.

I drive a Fit. I have a lot of fun with it. If I could fit a motorcycle into my life, you bet it would be small.

[woodsrat]

For the past four years I've ridden 125's exclusively, mostly repowered Honda step-throughs with Lifan semi-automatic engines. I travel on two-lanes and back roads so there's absolutely no liability in riding one. Geared with a 17/36 combo my bikes will cruise all day long at 50-53 MPH and top out in the low 60's. My biggest trip was a multi-day adventure from Indy to the Smokies and back with a childhood friend who rode a Harley Tri-Glide and another on an Ultra Classic. Talk about being the odd man out!!

That was in 2016 and upon returning I bought a KYMCO K-Pipe. It's a really nice bike but were recalled because they came into the U. S. with an "international" shift pattern. This required a linkage setup to reverse the shift pattern and didn't shift very well with it. I changed it over to a heel-toe shifter and tried to remember that it shifted backwards from my other bikes, often unsuccessfully.

Unfortunately there are no tires available for this bike* other than the OEM's from KYMCO at $92 and $137 each. Because I refuse to pay this much for Cheng Shin tires I'm going to put it up for sale.

I'd like to have a 125cc street or dual purpose bike with a liquid cooled engine and a six speed gearbox. The problem is weight. Bikes sold in other markets like this weigh 275 lbs. or more, not much less than a bike twice it's displacement. Unless there's a reason to buy one (tiered licensing?) there's not much reason to buy one of these modern 125's. They're expensive, too.

By contrast my wired-together step throughs weigh in at around 175 lbs. (no battery, AC lighting) and are a total hoot to ride. I run Michelin City Pros or Gazelles in a 2.50" width and they generally cost me under $35 each. Using a 22mm Mikuni carb I generally get around 70 MPG. Insurance is giveaway cheap, too. With careful shopping you can find old step throughs for pocket change and can build a nice one for under a thousand bucks.

So yeah, I'd like to be able to buy a new and modern 125 but I'm afraid the weight and price would be prohibitive.

I did try a Honda Grom. It ran perfectly with it's fuel injection but was no faster than my old step throughs. The 12" wheels and Indy's bombed-out streets just didn't mesh so it went off to Arizona for an inseam-challenged lady to ride. Perhaps that motor in a chassis with 17" wire wheels might work.

*Update--I found a tubeless tire for the rear!! Kenda offers a K764 at a reasonable $62 delivered from an eBay vendor. Looks like the critter will stay in my fleet after all!!!

[roosterk0031]

IMO after cost and maintenance bikes don't pay unless your are not going to not own a car. If owning 2 the mpg saving is probably less the registration and insurance.

Put 100,000 miles on bikes in 5-7 years, my 40 mpg Cobalt is way cheaper per mile 200,000 miles later.

[ksa8907]

I voted no, but I have ridden a 125cc 4 stroke dirt bike about 15 years ago and it seemed to have plenty of power.

I have no need for a motorcycle and no desire to have one.

[woodsrat]

Suzuki U. K. offers a GSX-125 that sells for $5224 U. S. and weighs 266 pounds. While the weight is tolerable for a modern 125 with all the bells and whistles the price is prohibitive for the U. S. market. You'd have to really, really want a 125 to justify the cost especially since you can get a 390 KTM for the same money.

This is why we'll never see them in the U. S.--unless tiered licensing were to become commonplace and give us a reason to buy one.

[Daschicken]

Yes I know cost would be prohibitive, and weight would be a real issue. They would have to be under 300 pounds to make sense. These kind of 125s have ABYSMAL 0-60 times of around 12 seconds. BUT JUST LISTEN TO IT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HP5fC69cDc

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

IMO after cost and maintenance bikes don't pay unless your are not going to not own a car. If owning 2 the mpg saving is probably less the registration and insurance.

Put 100,000 miles on bikes in 5-7 years, my 40 mpg Cobalt is way cheaper per mile 200,000 miles later.

Well, the point of me getting a 125 wouldn't be to save money, it would be to have more fun within the law. Tires for motorcycles are probably the main source of their unfavorable cost per mile, expensive and they don't last long. Having worked at two tire shops, I have access to equipment. Even if that access dissapears I would sooner BUILD MY OWN tire changer than pay another person to change my tires.

[woodsrat]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

...Well, the point of me getting a 125 wouldn't be to save money, it would be to have more fun within the law...

I'm hip. I used to own a Honda MB-5 just to take to the True Grits 50cc Fun Run and racing that critter around in the mountains of north Georgia was a total hoot especially after I put a chamber on it. It sounded like I was going a zillion miles an hour but was doing good to make 55.

And yeah, that Varadero sounds sweet...

[jamesqf]

I think your poll needs a "No, because I don't travel on streets much" option. Basically all my travelling is either in rural areas, or on divided highway going through the city to get to the other side. And there are a lot of mountains to climb...

My first motorcycle was a 305 or maybe 350 cc Honda, which was fairly adequate. Never owned anything bigger than a 650, and rode that across the US and Canada.

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by woodsrat

I'm hip. I used to own a Honda MB-5 just to take to the True Grits 50cc Fun Run and racing that critter around in the mountains of north Georgia was a total hoot especially after I put a chamber on it. It sounded like I was going a zillion miles an hour but was doing good to make 55.

And yeah, that Varadero sounds sweet...

Sure does! I would love to have a dream 50, but they are STUPID expensive, and very rare. The ones that do exist are likely in the hands of collectors, not being ridden.

Originally Posted by jamesqf

I think your poll needs a "No, because I don't travel on streets much" option. Basically all my travelling is either in rural areas, or on divided highway going through the city to get to the other side. And there are a lot of mountains to climb...

My first motorcycle was a 305 or maybe 350 cc Honda, which was fairly adequate. Never owned anything bigger than a 650, and rode that across the US and Canada.

Well, that's what being able to reply is for! To give your opinion/explain your choice.

[woodsrat]

Honestly I see very few liabilities in traveling by 125. I've found I have plenty of power to get up the mountains. Yeah, I can't climb 'em running 70 MPH like I could on "big bikes" but it's not like I'm pushing. I more than make up for it coming down the other side.

It's more of a mental adjustment than anything.

When I found myself no longer wanting to travel the autobahn and spending most of my time on back roads suddenly the idea of riding a 650 seemed kind of silly when most of the time I was cruising at 45-50. All of a sudden riding a 175 lb. 125cc bike made a lot of sense.

It ain't for everybody but it works for me. When folks figure this out and realize bigger ain't always better we'll see a demand for small bores again.