1991 Yamaha SR125 SE
Summary:
A really reliable bike if you do basic maintenance often
Faults:
Within a week of buying the bike, I had to replace the brakes as they looked like they hadn't been replaced for a long time.
After a few weeks I began to notice the engine was running very hot and quite loud. I did an oil change, and again the oil looked like it hadn't been changed for a very long time.
Had to replace the chain and sprockets not long after that.
Most recently I began to change the exhaust gasket, but the screws holding it sheared and I had to spend several weeks waiting for someone to drill it out for me.
General Comments:
Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic bike when it works, not a speedy bike, but far more reliable than most 125s (with the exception of the CG, of course).
It's a comfort to ride, and I've ridden it from here to Clitheroe and back (about 75 miles), and it was absolutely fine. Really comfortable seat and handles like the little cruiser it is.
Acceleration is fantastic from 1st to 3rd, after that though it's not a quick bike. Definitely good for getting around town on.
Fuel consumption is FANTASTIC; I can go 2 weeks on a full tank.
Insurance costs are incredibly cheap.
A few things that annoy me, are with it being the older version, the parts always seem to be for the newer version, and you have to make sure you get the right ones, and also it does drink a lot of oil.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 22nd November, 2006
25th Nov 2006, 15:36
I have a Honda CG125 Brazilain specification. Although certain elements of the build quality are an issue, such as certain chromed parts and plastic parts. However, the structure of the bike itself and the engine are very robust.
The engine in particular, is very reliable when properly serviced.
I must admit, these small air-cooled four-stroke units, mainly because of the higher operating temperature in particular, will tend to use a bit of oil.
Unfortunately, because they are so reliable and also they tend to be at the hands of lads with no mechanical knowledge, servicing such as the vital regular oil changes are often neglected, thus leading to worn engines and hence excessive oil consumption.
For example, when I went to look at my CG prior to buying, I asked to dealer to start her up, bearing in mind I could see the bike was in a neglected state (intentionally a project for a couple of hundred quid), whilst the engine was running, I noticed a very fine haze of blue smoke emanating from the exhaust (worn engine). The dealer said, "it`s not burning oil". I kept quiet, knowing I was going to rebuild the motor anyway. Upon delivery, I removed the motor and dismantled it. Evidence soon appeared that the cylinder and piston were severely worn past the service limit. Bearing in mind the crankcase should hold a liter of oil, when I drained it, there was less than 100cc of oil that had been there for some time. No wonder the dealer thought it wasn`t burning oil, because there was no oil to burn!
A rebore, new piston and rings, etc soon revived the engine to its former reliability. Despite all this, the motor does use a bit of oil, but not a lot, and certainly doesn't show any smoke.
My advice with these little air-cooled motors:
Use a good quality mineral oil, tried using semi which is too thin, bearing in mind the roots of the CG engine date back before synthetic oils were available for the automotive industry, thus is designed to accommodate mineral.
Regular oil changes, although service intervals are 8000 miles, this is far too long to keep the same oil in a little motor like this. I manage oil changes every 1000-2000 miles.
Check the oil regularly and top up if necessary, because they still us a bit here and there.
Allow the engine to tick over for a few minutes, when starting from cold before riding it hard.
Follow these simple rules and your little four-stroke motor should last years without any trouble or major expense.