125's Were Never Made For This!

[Fozzie]

My train of work demanded that I do a couple of sites, one in Exeter and one in Kewstoke over 2 days. Convinced I could do it in one I even took on the challenge of doing it completely by back roads and more importantly... Using a 125

The 125 in question was a CBR125, with a standard exhaust it lacks the grunt of the one with a Micron exhaust. I briskly set off and after an hour and only 40 miles... With nearly 8 times that to cover again I wasn't exactly looking forward to the trip. I boom out down the A30 chugging along with no music and a heavy rucksack.

Overtaking is more of a chore with the CBR being bog standard. It lacks the top end snippyness it used to have.

Eventually almost 5 hours in and some interesting back roads mixed with some painful dual carriageways I reach exeter. I do what I have to do quickly, turn my tail and head on up to Kewstoke. The roads are much more agreeable. I dont have to go above 50mph for a start which makes a change. I can just bimble around having some fun.

Pulling into Kewstoke my arse feels like its been passed around a prison shower room... I am not walking properly anymore and the staff notice this and have a laugh.

Job done... Now just another 150 miles to cover to get home...

Oh how marvelously it slips off the tongue..

I ride back, stopping a lot to rest my arse. The bike needs a gel seat and about 3 more horse power and it would be perfect... I wish I had a YZF-R125...

When I pass heathrow I start to absolutely gun it. I dont care anymore, I just want to be home, I want to climb into bed, I want to forget the stresses of the day and I just want to be comfortable again.

Pulling in, Im broken... I loved every second but the CBR just isnt a cross country bike.

It took:

£20 of petrol

370 miles

12 Hours

5 pit stops

a litre of redbull

All the will power in the world

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sourc ... 410767&z=8

[Jimmi_929RR]

my respect to you Sir! I can remember aching after doing the 10 mile trip to work on my 125 - how you coped with 37 times that i just don't know, i'd have given up at Bristol i reckon! Impressive

[Edgey]

It's not about the Redbull. Monster = win.

[Guest]

Thats quite a trip!

[Fozzie]

I doubt many people have done that many miles in one stint in one day on a 125

In long way round they were lucky to cover 600 miles in a day when using the fast roads!

I have bigger trips planned to do in a day, and hopefully on a bike that can take it better. Need a Yamaha YZF-R125... As plastic and racer chav boy as it is it would have munched up the miles with a lot more effect than the CBR could. It does have 25% more power and 30% more torque with the same weight after all

[cruz]

Fozzie,

I salute you, I used to travel weekly Bristol to Abingdon on my '76 CG125. That was enough.

[NearOn]

Long trip that, though there is another guy on a 125 bikers forum who travels from france on his CG 125, to the uk to see his friends,and then rides up and down the country visiting them.

[Fozzie]

Fozzie,

I salute you, I used to travel weekly Bristol to Abingdon on my '76 CG125. That was enough.

 

Did you go over the A433 through Cirencester?

When I went from London to Bristol I took a detour heading north and then came back round your way and followed on that route. Was a fairly nice bimble come to think of it

[wannars125]

The R125 would have done this nicely I reckon. Not uncomfortable really either. Bet you can't wait!

[TeamMCS]

Good man! Not to far from me either! I'll use your ride as a shining example when I go for a ride on my CBR

[SYMC0X]

wow congrats on making it.. must of been a right ball ache.. i think the furthest i have gone in a day is rotherham south yorkshire to northampton and back which i thought was alot but its only 4 hours return..

[Fozzie]

I remember exeter was a good 5 hours slog away which the CBR with its 12BHP and 10NM of torque just couldnt deal with well... I feel the need for about 3 or 4 more horse power and certainly more torque as it loses almost 20mph on the really steep hills. Bike magazine confirmed this was because the CBR just doesn't have a usable torque band at all. It pulls early on and then loses it all.

Whereas the YZF-R holds its max power and torque within 1000rpm of each other which is a good compromise and means I could have held the higher speeds with more general ease. Plus it has a big increase in power and torque on the CBR with the same weight and is even so bold to have a wider rear tyre that holds it with more stability.

Took just over 4 hours to get back at full pace. I gave it absolutely everything the bike had to offer. The heat in a 125 just isnt enough to wear out the over designed little things so it didnt have problems with doing it.

After the trip though I was broken physically and mentally as everything just crept in on me. My own doing of course.