28th Jun 2007, 19:37
I am the narrator of the review.
You regard the bike as being a dud that I purchased.
Before I bought it, I checked it over and made a mental note of any problems. Most bikes of this category (125cc), unfortunately do fall victim to abuse and neglect. There were quite a few problem; rust, worn engine, welding needed etc.
Bear in mind, I bought the bike cheap in May 2004, paid next to nothing to do it up, and it went straight through an MOT with flying colours, and continues to serve me well to this date.
The bike is almost in as new condition, even though it is seventeen years old (1990 model). It starts no matter what, and continues to clock up the miles with no fuss. I have used it for various commuting trips in all weathers for various tasks.
A good bike, considering it costs me less than £100 to insure, tax and MOT for a year, as well as getting no less than 90mpg, regardless of how hard or gentle I ride it.
Plus the very few parts I have needed to replace over the years (brake pedal, battery, seat cover), have cost minimal.
24th Feb 2009, 07:05
I purchased an import, which was originally sold in Spain, and it has so much more power.
Positives: More than 11bhp (mate thinks 20bhp, but I think more like 15-18bhp). Top speed is 80mph.
Negatives:
Toe and heal gear shift.
4-down gearbox (only 4 gears).
But the most amazing thing is that I high sided the bike at 55mph, and it landed upside down in a river, and the exhaust snapped, the mirror was bent, and front brake lever was snapped, and front and rear light where cracked.
My main problem now is that there are no spares for my model, and the other thing that cracked was the rear light bracket, and they can't get hold of this discontinued part.
Nor do I have the time to search for a 2nd hand one, so they are going to repair what's there.
26th Nov 2009, 17:42
I am the narrator of the review. I gladly still own the CG125BR. I have just overhauled the cylinder head as a maintenance procedure. The engine was running fine, but I took the time to grind in the valves, decoke the combustion chamber, ports and piston. I checked the piston, rings and bore. I re-bored it at 45000 miles because of excessive wear because the numpty who owned it before allowed it to leak oil, but didn't top it up. I have done 10000 miles since the rebore and can still see the honing on the bore, thus suggesting minimal wear, probably because I change the oil every 1000 miles and ensure it's topped up on a regular basis.
I've had the bike since May 2004 and it's been very reliable and cost me minimal to run. It has passed every MOT and never does less than 90mpg, even when ridden hard around town. The front tyre I put on when I bought the bike and has hardly worn in the 10000 miles it's done. The clutch slips very rarely when cold, but then subsides, so nothing to worry. I suspect the clutch plates and springs are original, which I consider good at 55000 miles. I will only replace them if clutch slips under acceleration or going up hill.
I recently decided to change the gearing by increasing the size of the engine sprocket from 14 teeth to 16 teeth, because I felt the bike easily ran out of steam, and in top gear sounded it needed another gear. With the new gearing, I was initially impressed. The bike can hold longer in the gears, and now loves third gear and can easily do 50 mph in third, with more to go in that gear. It's also joyful to keep the bike in top gear and plod along at 30 mph and the engine still has the torque to pull effortlessly without down shifting. I hope to see an increase in fuel economy, and would be very happy to get 100 mpg, but maybe I am being too optimistic.
All in all, the CG125 is a good little bike. I have a full licence and can ride anything, but am always keen to ride this. Big bikes just defeat the object. I ride for ease and economy, not performance. The CG125 offers brisk performance and many people are surprised.
My advice when running a CG125 is change the oil every 1000 miles and top up if needed. When starting from cold, allow it to tick over for a few minutes and take it easy for the first couple of miles. Never thrash when cold. Remember these tips, and the engine will last years and give trouble free service.
17th Dec 2012, 04:38
I have just bought a CG 125 BR-J. It's a fantastic little bike. It's been unused for nearly a year, stored outside in all weathers. Just drained the carb, let it refill, and 2 kicks later the bike was running. As you can imagine, after a year of neglect and not being used, it's not the prettiest thing around, but it's still got tax and MoT, and runs fine. When the weather gets better, I'm going to do a full clean up job, but for now it's a perfect winter hack.
30th Jul 2006, 12:12
These bikes are excellent commuters - you purchased a dud without checking it over. So I wouldn't blame Honda - it's the incompetant owner you purchased it from who is to blame for your purchase. I've owned two of these bikes and they are superb commuters for local trips.