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

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Motorcycles are allowed to serve as a taxi in some Brazilian cities, such as this Honda CG 160 which had been previously registered in Foz do Iguaçu.




For those who wonder if a 125cc motorcycle might serve as an all-around commuter, they might get surprised to find out about the Honda Pop 110i available in Brazil...



Brazilian Honda Biz 125, which has basically the same powertrain of the Super Cub C125 but misses the front ABS brake

[JSH]

Honda USA is selling the 2021 CT-125 for $3900. Only $150 for than the Super Cub.

[woodsrat]

I had money down for a CT but got disgusted with American Honda refusing to commit to bringing it to the U. S. and seriously considered buying a Super Cub instead. I even ordered up a billet rack and a shop manual for one so I could be studying it.

Boy, am I glad I did. These things are the two wheeled version of a Honda Acura. They have lots of high tech features like ABS and it's "keyless" ignition and these gizmos add a lot of complication to what should be a relatively simple motorcycle. Underneath the plastic that makes it look like an old pressed steel step through is a tubular framed motorcycle (a good thing) with miles and miles of wiring and electronic do-dads that complicate anyone trying to repair it.

My fear for bikes like the Super Cub and the new CT is that while they'll have the usual Honda reliability once out of warranty it won't take much of a repair to "total" a bike, i. e., it's repair cost exceeding the bike's resale value. Unless you're an electronics technician and possess the patience of Job chasing problems on bikes like the Cub and CT isn't going to be much fun given that everything is hidden under a layer of plastic.

This is one reason I ended up buying the Monkey instead of the Super Cub or CT. While it's F. I. system is still pretty much a "hands off" thing for the home mechanic at least everything is exposed and relatively easy to access much like a bike from the 70's. It's 113 to 127 MPG on a recent trip really impressed me and it proved to be amazingly comfortable.

If the threads I've read are any indication the CT-125 is going to be an incredibly popular bike and will sell well in the U. S. I really thought I wanted one, too until I read the Super Cub shop manual.

[JSH]

That is an interesting choice because the guts of the Monkey are the same as the Super Cub and CT125. Same EFI and ABS. I've never had an ABS or EFI issue with a motorcycle so they don't really concern me and they are way simpler than the systems on cars.

I think the CT-125 will be very popular for a year - just like the Monkey and the Super Cub.

Personally I prefer the larger wheels and full size of the Cub to the minibike size of the Grom. I'm still on the fence for a motorcycle for the hitch rack on the campervan. I like the light weight of the Cub and CT-125 but the top speed is just under what I'm looking for. Maybe a Honda ADV 150...

[woodsrat]

My Monkey is a non-ABS model which gives me a huge storage area under the seat...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by woodsrat

My fear for bikes like the Super Cub and the new CT is that while they'll have the usual Honda reliability once out of warranty it won't take much of a repair to "total" a bike, i. e., it's repair cost exceeding the bike's resale value. Unless you're an electronics technician and possess the patience of Job chasing problems on bikes like the Cub and CT isn't going to be much fun given that everything is hidden under a layer of plastic.

Had it been so excessively complicated at all, I guess Honda would not be able to keep its foothold in a country like mine.

[woodsrat]

The neat thing about Honda's horizontal singles in most of the world is that they're still relatively simple machines with carburetors. This is changing what with their PGM-FI but in many markets they're still fed via "controlled leaks".

The incredible fuel mileage my Monkey has delivered is making me a believer in this newfangled fuel injection thingie. I've been studying everything I can find about PGM-FI in an effort to understand how it works even if I can't fix it.


One cool thing about the new CT is that it'll run without a battery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDel8EaEpBo

A kicker is one thing I'd like to add to the Monkey but I hope I don't have to take the motor that far down for a long, long time.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by woodsrat

The neat thing about Honda's horizontal singles in most of the world is that they're still relatively simple machines with carburetors. This is changing what with their PGM-FI but in many markets they're still fed via "controlled leaks".

Even though PGM-FI is becoming widespread, favored by economics of scale even in low-income markets, the Honda horizontal-single engines retain most of their simplicity and ruggedness.

The incredible fuel mileage my Monkey has delivered is making me a believer in this newfangled fuel injection thingie. I've been studying everything I can find about PGM-FI in an effort to understand how it works even if I can't fix it.

It may not allow the same degree of makeshift fixes as a carburettor, but it's no rocket-science either.

One cool thing about the new CT is that it'll run without a battery

That's an interesting feature.

A kicker is one thing I'd like to add to the Monkey but I hope I don't have to take the motor that far down for a long, long time.

It's not so hard at all, unless the lower block design has changed when PGM-FI got introduced.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Spotted this Kymco Zing 150 yesterday.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]