Old and Withered

Sorry I forgot to add. Never learn to drive a bike drunk in a pub car park. FFS Nobody is going to give 2 poo poos about someone learning to ride a bike on a private industrial estate out of hours. Wheelie training, drifting or drag racing maybe. Sorry for crediting the OP with a bit of common sense.

A lot of Japanese bikes of this time used common parts so although the bike may not be listed if you can find a part number list for your bike. Pop the part number in Google and even the vaguest of things will turn up. The photo you have posted (lovely bike by the way) the barrels and head looks disproportionately small for the bottom end and the bike itself looks quite similar to the cb200 of that era.

As long as it's off road there are no laws applying so it doesn't have to be a 125 or anything else. If you just want to learn the mechanics of riding a geared motorcycle maybe contact a few off road experience centres. Or if you know anyone with a geared bike whether it's a sports moped or an old dirt bike in a field. A lot of us probably learnt that way as kids. One of the places I used to go was a showground. They had asphalt roads and junctions to practise on. I'm sure if you asked them and explained they would let you ride around for a couple of hours. Not sure where you are but places like the bath and west showground, Kent county showground etc. Another option is private industrial estates. It is surprising how many of them there are and they are normally quiet on a Sunday or on the evenings. You referred to yourself as old and grumpy, so I assume you passed your car test before 2001 (check that date first) so you don't need a CBT to use your full entitlement to ride a moped without a CBT anyway. If you could borrow a moped for couple of hours, find some quiet roads and get a bit of confidence on that it may help your progression a bit. Finally I would say don't be told what's best for you. You're the best person to determine that. Take everything at a pace you're comfortable with in a timescale that suits you. If you don't like what they are telling you go somewhere else. All the best and really hope to see pictures of you on your Panigale soon.

Hope you are all having a lovely day on your bikes. I am so jealous but still stuck at work. If any of you are riding round Cornwall particularly Liskeard/Bodmin/Tavistock area there's a Morrisons artic with a little old and withered bloke driving it. Seriously though have a great day and stay safe.

Why can I ride with Stevie wonders sunglasses on but can't have a tinted visor. Never been able to figure that one out.

Hi

One caveat I will add to this bike is that I use this for my commuter and just popping out bike and occasional for the hell of it rides (when it's not raining) and it makes the journey really pleasant but I am not sure I would buy one if I didn't have other bikes. I think there are better all rounders out there. Not new for under 4k but used there are plenty of options.

I've got one too and my real name's also Steve What he said basically. I am absolutely loving mine. There is something about it that just makes it a delight to ride. It has a certain charm. A charm which would probably be lost if you started putting free flow filters and the Yoshi pipe etc . I read all the time comments on reviews really wish it was a 500 or wish it had an extra 10 bhp but it just wouldn't be the same. The way the power delivers is a lovely relaxing way to ride. Sure it's not fast but what's the way the power comes in, riding position etc. doesn't encourage speed. Its positives way outnumber the negatives and there is a plethora of bikes that give you that extra speed and a bit more hustle. There is only really the Enfield Hunter that compare to this and personally don't think the 2 bikes compare in quality. Its a lot of bike for the price of a 125.

That Bobber is gorgeous.

Mine is identical minus the touring gear and a neta pipe. Its having a bit of an overhaul at the moment as the camchain adjuster was rattling a bit. A few other minor jobs but getting increasingly difficult to get spares for them. They do walk a very fine line between scarey and exciting. I thought about about putting a 17" front wheel on to calm it down a bit but have to say I do kind of like it the way it is. Still a great looking bike for best part of 40 years old.

Isn't it more likely to be cable routing rather anything wrong with the carbs. If ever I have had this problem it's because someone has passed the throttle cables the wrong side of the headstock.

The first thing I look for in a bike is the number of previous owners. I was looking at a gsxr750 recently but the fact it had 12 owners in 16 years was a massive warning flag for me so I walked away. One thing I have found is a majority of the expense on old bikes seems to come from the cycle parts rather than the engine. Worn linkages, cracked tyres, fairing bits, chains and sprockets can easily far exceed the cost of a replacement engine. As long as an engines not smokey it should be fine. I always ask a seller to make sure the engine is cold before I view it. And quiz the owner about service info. If there are no receipts and they have no idea the oil capacity then there's probably a couple of litres of marmite in the sump.

CBR 1000F is £88, GPX750R £82, GB350......£272. The 3rd party element can't make sense as I'm much more dangerous on the gpx putting 90 ps through an old tank slapper on crossplies than the 21 asthmatic donkeys on modern sticky(ISH) rubber. I always thought it was the commuting element that put it up as the others are only insured for sdp. The cynical side of me thinks insurance companies just take advantage of popularity. I'm sure some of you remember the old bennets and Norwich union rider policies. Pick a cc and ride and own as many bikes as you like up to that cc. I think the groups were 100, 225, 350, 600, 900 and unlimited. Perfect for a 350lc and you cad have as many X7s , Hustlers, ERs, and KHs you could fit in your garden at no extra cost. Happy daze.

I used to love going on the back of my father's bike but he stopped taking me once I got too big to shut the top box properly.

I genuinely thought cfmoto would buy them out. It would give the brand a really good platform for the future but that video to me would suggest BMW the more likely to dissolve the brand and competition. I was looking at a duke 390 for my commuting bike but the uncertainty around their future put me off. That and the fact I couldn't touch the floor not even on tippy toes. Perhaps if they made shortarse friendly bikes they might have a chance. Especially if they're hoping to shift their stock in Asia and China where I would be considered average height. At least MV Augusta might survive. Hopefully long enough for me to get an f4 as a retirement present anyway. I don't want to ride it just looks at it all day.

There is that of course.

They were saying that about Japanese bikes in the seventies. "Won't have that jap crap. I'm sticking with me bantam".

I am never sure whether they were great bikes or I look back through a distorted haze of nostalgia. The thing is with the 2 strokes of the late 70s early 80s was they were so cheap and accessible. I picked up various piles of junk in my teens for under £100 and my first 350 lc at 18 for £600. They were easy to work on. Cheap to fix and fantastic to tune. We used to send the barrels to Stan Stephens or Bob Farnham to work their magic on them. The turning point for me was the gpz900r that changed the world. But I'm a relic of my own past and still yearn for those 2 stroke days. I think bikes are like music. The ones you grew up with you have the most fondness for.

This is going to sound weird but it's everything I expected and less. The reviews I saw absolutely raving are right it is a cracking little bike but I can't help feeling some reviewers have gone over the top. The obvious things about the lack of power are irrelevant really because you know that before you buy it. The torque makes up for it a bit and it does justify only having 4 gears and an overdrive. I appreciate Honda are going after the Enfield and I sense it's almost an act of war as they seem to have targeted every aspect of them. But there is one thing about it I really wasn't expecting and nobody has really made a big deal of. For those of you that remember the xl185 it is uncannily similar in it's ride characteristics. The geometry, wheel sizes, engine characteristics, seating position, balance and height. I think they may have missed a trick. Put a high level exhaust on it and you have a very capable small trail bike. I live in deepest darkest Somerset and the 10 mile commute each way for work involves country lanes which are not much more than tracks complete with grass growing up the middle. And it loves them. As a commuter it's probably the perfect bike for me and my requirements. I wouldn't fancy riding it on a motorway, it does invoke a very lazy way of riding with slow cornering and short shifting and I imagine it's a great town bike. But it won't suit everyone. For me though I love it.

Thanks all. I work nights so sorry for late response. At the risk of alienating myself further I'm a truck driver.

Just to say hi. Someone had already taken the username Steve so here we are. Not sure what I can tell you. I grew up on a diet of fs1es and 2 strokes and still yearn for those simple days. I have short legs and can't ride anything later than 1998. Id love to go back to riding liquid cooked 2 strokes but the prices are just silly so 80s sports bikes with skinny crossplies are de rigeur. My wife hates bikes and refuses to get on them so tend to spend loads of time on them for some peace and quiet.

I had one of these back as a skinny 17 year old and absolutely loved it. If it's an early 82 model they were plagued with exhaust valve issues. They used to bend or break and write the heads off. I think it was due to weak valve springs allowing them to bounce and clash with the piston. As for parts a few of Chinese bikes run copies of the gs125 engines so these should be ok to act as donors or complete engine swaps. In UK also these early ones came in 2 forms. The standard gs125 which had a 5 speed box and the es(?) version that had a six speed, electric start and gear indicator. There were other. Differences but as far as I know they were the only engine differences.