When I acquired the bike in May 2004, it was in poor condition.
The sump plug thread was stripped. The engine had very little oil in it.
The engine would burn oil, due to worn piston rings as a result of neglect.
The engine was loose in the frame, due to two missing rear engine mounting bolts.
The frame was full of rust. The entire bike was covered in years of accumulated grime.
The handle bars were bent. Replaced with a new set that came with the bike.
The battery had no electrolyte thus needing replacing at £14.
The F/O/S indicator stalk was bent and every indicator lens was cracked. The stalk with the indicator was replaced. Cost £7 from a breaker. The cracked lenses were never replaced (not a MOT failure).
Firstly, to get the bike sound, a full engine rebuild was necessary. This entailed a rebore, new piston and rings, new gearbox bearings, gasket set and helicoil for sump plug. Total cost about £150 for the parts. No cost of labour.
Secondly, the frame needed attention. It was stripped and then sanded down to bare metal. Then given a repaint. Prior to the paint job, the frame needed welding. This was done out of courtesy of the dealer from whom I bought the bike. Bearing in mind, I bought the bike with no MOT as a DIY repairable for £250.
The number plate was cracked. Replacement cost £25 and plus all the trouble proving that I own the bike (new EU law).
Rear fender was cracked. Repaired with plastic and industrial glue.
After the above work was done, the bike was ready for the road. It passed its MOT with no trouble.
At 46500 miles, the bike failed to start one morning. Carb jet needle detatched itself. New circlip needed.
Constant problems with electrical system. Rewired earth system and recharged the battery. Cost a few quid.
The battery goes dead after a few days of not using the bike. Suspect the ignition switch is at fault as it gives poor continuity from time to time.
At 48800 miles the drain plug thread finally gave out whilst doing an oil change. This resulted in a complete engine strip as the left hand crankcase was now permanently useless. Secondhand left hand crankcase halve cost £40 from breakers, opposed to £200 from Honda.
And again, no cost of labour.
The engine is fairly robust and reliable. The OHV, four-stroke, single cylinder motor dates back to the seventies, therefore has years of proven reliability. Despite what people say, I strongly recommend oil changes every thousand miles, thus ensuring longevity of the motor. These small motors do run hotter than normal and tend to burn a little oil.
The engine is rather underpowered at producing only 11 horses at 9000RPM.
The maximum torque, although widespread across the rev range (pulls at 10mph in top) is only 6.9 lbs ft at 8000RPM (10NM). This just about pushes the bike to 55mph.
The engine running is smooth due to a heavy crankshaft.
Acceleration thru the first three gears is good around town thanks to the relatively low gearing. Fourth and fifth gears are okay for cruising.
Fuel economy is 90mpg around town with hard riding.
The ride is a bit uncomfortable due to backlash in the final drive.
This CG125 was built in Brazil and the build quality isn`t as good as I would expect for a Honda. Bearing in mind, my 25 year old 1980 H100A has excellent build quality. I don`t think this CG will last 25years.
This CG125 would benefit from electronic ignition and a tachometer.
Beggars and tight fisted old men like myself can`t be choosers.
Hey there is nothing wrong with being a tightwad. I am not just tight, I am watertight.
The engine was designed to give 11 bhp to comply with learner regulations at the time.
Well my bike is like that. I paid £80 for it. It was cheap for like 2 days and it was not working, so I had to do it up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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