2002 Gilera Runner 125 SP review from United Kingdom

General wear and tear really, the odd scuff from getting in and out of garage, but nothing major.

The original exhaust was very rusty, but I soon replaced it with a lovely chrome Scorpion exhaust, which sounds and looks wicked.

I had a Piaggio NRG Extreme, which I thought was pretty quick, but then I went out and bought the Gilera and wow... I mean I'd just pulled off the guy's drive and got going down this road, and on 3/4 throttle it was lifting onto one wheel. I had practically laid a brick, I was that amazed.

Within a week of getting it, I replaced the original exhaust with a chrome Scorpion one, which added a bit more power to it. I was then advised to replace the rollers with lighter ones to make the most of the exhaust, which I did and was then even more amazed.

Top speed now stands at about 85mph, and it happily cruises at about 70-75mph.

The only other thing I've bought for the bike is some kuso GP style clocks, which are amazing. All the modifications are courtesy of adrenaline-pedstop.com, where the costs are reasonable and delivery is relatively fast.

It's really good on petrol, it's fairly comfortable, and the brakes and suspension are all good, although the brakes are perhaps a little too good for a little moped (it's not a bad thing, you just don't expect them to be this good).

As for acceleration, I've only been beaten once from the lights, and that was a copper, which to be fair I thought it would be best not to speed away from a police car.

It's very reliable; always starts first touch of the button.

This bike has the factory fitted immobilizer, and I keep it in a locked garage out of sight. Before I got the garage, I actually kept it in my living room, but due to the mother that didn't last long.

It's cheap to tax and insure, and is a really fun bike to own, whether you're like me at 17 or older.

One or two words of warning though; try to avoid buying one that's been tuned and excessively modified, as they tend to get thrashed and not looked after, and also when you do buy one, make sure you're fully legal as these bikes get lots of attention from PC Plod.

As a comparison for speed, my mate couldn't catch me on his Aprilia RS250 until I hit top speed. (obviously this was done in a safe manner...).

These bikes are fantastic, although I wouldn't advise one to a beginner unless you know what you're doing. Also when buying, don't worry too much if it smokes a bit as they all do. It's a two stroke thing.