A bit more power from my little Honda

[HondaCityExpr...]

[Ste]

[HondaCityExpr...]

If I buy an engine from the 80s for £200, in a years time I can almost guarantee it won't devalue by the time I'm done with it, with vintage stuff, the price only ever goes up. I sold a push bike last week for 20% more than I bought it for after about 5 years of use and I didn't change anything on it. I've bought and sold camera lenses for more than I've bought them for, again after years of use. That's why I don't want to let my two bikes go, they're an investment and I love them to bits

If I shop around and get a deal, when I sell the engine I might even make enough to cover the cost of the test! Or keep that engine and sell the smaller one for what I buy the bigger one for.

I also really don't think I'll ever really want to ride anything bigger, the 100cc scares me enough haha. Sure maybe in time, but by then I'll have more motivation to pay for it, right now I'm happy on my 100cc, I'm only 5,6 so it feels like a beast to me!

[Ste]

Bigger bikes are easier to ride and you'll no longer be going shit slow getting in the way of impatient drivers.

Many many people say what you're saying about not wanting a bigger bike but then they try riding one and find out that what everyone had been telling them is completely true.

A £200 engine isn't going to last long if it even works at all.

Selling a pushbike for 20% more than you paid five years ago means either you got a bargain when you bought it or your buyer wasn't very clever.

[HondaCityExpr...]

Ok so I did a typical journey to meet my mates last night, Tottenham to Hackney (London) and 90% of my journey was in 20mph zones, right now I honestly don't want or need a bigger bike. I know you're totally right and I will end up wanting a bigger one eventually, but I know that won't be any time soon. And when that time comes, my bike that currently feels huge, heavy, powerful and intimidating, will feel small and pathetic and I'll be much more willing and confident on a big boys bike. I'll again then need less lessons or will even buy my own bigger bike to do my training and test on.

And yeah, you're right about the push bike, but there's no reason why those conditions can't be repeated. There's always bargains to be found and always people with more money than sense/time.

I've seen a few 1980s CG125 engines for £180-£300. There's no way they'll lose value, older engines like that will become fewer and fewer and only increase in value or at least stay the same.

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

Fair enough you don’t want a bigger bike but this is really a pointless endeavour and waste of money to get only 25 more cc. You won’t notice a difference in speed or acceleration.

The amount of difference you’ll see is probably comparable to the performance difference you’d see if you rode after dropping a log in your toilet compared to if you rode with full bowels

If it was me I would do DAS and get a bigger bike (even a 300-400cc). If it was me but I handicapped myself to only riding A1 then I would punt the ancient Honda and buy a new 125cc and get all the quality of life improvements that come with it.

If you’re dead set on swapping the engine then good luck to you, I look forward to reading the build/swap thread as I sip my fifth coffee of the morning
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PRESENT: 2018 BMW S1000XR SE Sport.
PAST: 2009 Kawasaki ER-6F. 2021 Zontes ZT-125U.

[HondaCityExpr...]

Yeah I'm well aware that most people won't have the same perspective as me but that's OK, I'm not doing it for the power, I'm doing it to keep a bike I love and to be able to do the test on that bike.

[Ste]

Lots of people had the same perspective when they were on a small capacity bike and now they're attempting to help stop others from making the same mistakes they did.

It might be that they spent lots on buying a shiny new 125 thinking that they'll want to keep it for years and they won't need anything bigger or it might be that they spent lots on repairing a worn out old money pit because they think it's wonderful.

Perspectives change once they've got a bit of experience under their belt and when they've ridden something which isn't a tiddler.

On the plus side, in a year or two you'll be well qualified to advise others against making the same mistakes.

[Nobby the Bastard]

[HondaCityExpr...]

[Nobby the Bastard]

There is not point taking atest on a 125 because you will be restricted to riding a 125 which you can ride on L plates anyway....

As with buying a bigger bike and doing training and test on that, have you looked into insuring a bike that you will only be able to ride whilst in the company of an instructor or tester?
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Fat Angry Scotsman]