First bike - CG125?

[Jammy-G]

Hello,

Don't know much about bikes really, looking for something cheap and fun to get me to and from college/work.

Am 17 in about 2 weeks so looking for a 125, is a CG125 any good for a first bike?

I have limited funds so any sports bike is out the question,

Any help would be appreciated,

Cheers.

[G]

How limited are you funds?

What sort of roads are there on the way to college? (ie any fastish dual carriageways).

[bikedudextrm]

The two stroke 125's are alot more fun and you can pick up some cheap ones (old DTR, TZR, TSR, etc).

[Jammy-G]

Probably 400-500 for bike, no big roads.

Don't really want a sports bike, too many speed cameras round my way, and I would get cocky and fall off.

James.

[G]

I fell of my cg more than I fell of any other bike ... though it was probably lucky it was the cg I fell off, as most of the time you can just get back on and ride off .

I got a cg with the exact same intentions as you. However I very quickly wanted a faster bike, not really for speed, but for acceleration. Also the cg brakes aren't that good.

If you look around you can get something like a NS125 or RG125 for around £500. You won't be getting 100mph performance... more like 85 if you're lucky. You will get a bike that you will be able to use more as you learn about riding, rather than starting to get frustrated by it.

I did have some fun on my cg, which I got for about the same reasons as you. I also told myself how I'd be happy with it etc, I wasn't. With hindsight I would have gone straight for a 2st 125.
However at that price you shouldn't loose that much money when you come to sell, so it's not too big an issue.

[Jon]

[m i k e]

[mr.z]

Like i have gotten into a habit of saying...

depends what your using it for + how much money you have..
personally i'd have a 4stroke over a 2, 4strokes are allot cheeper to run (maintainance wise and 2stroke oil e.t.c.)
CGs are easy to get along with + cheeeeeeeeap, the only thing cheeper to run is a honda 90, depends on your pride levels..

cg bad bits -

-not the coolest 125 around

-brakes, i think i used my boots to stop more often, though its not a problem if you just ride within the limits of the bike i.e. leave more time to stop, simple as that (apart from the obvious emergency situations, then just dive off instead ).

-performance, no 125 4 stroke is great, this is no different you wont get to do more than 65 generally, and if you do its so scarey you wont want to anyway.

cg good bits-

-Cheap, cheaper than a cheap thing on 90% sale, cheap to buy, cheap to run (120mpgish), cheap insurance, cheap to maintain (and no reason to pay anyone to do it as its so easy).

-indestructible, these bikes refuse to die, i have heard storys of cgs running for weeks with no oil and surviving, don't know how true they are but give you an idea they are a bit on the sturdy side. Also if you drop a 2stroke race rep you can expect to pay £100/200 for new plastics, if you drop a cg - £5 for a new brake/clutch lever is about it..

-reasonably comfortable, not very but better than a trial or race rep, most i ever did on it was 200miles and it wasn't too bad + its cost about £6 for 200miles i think, not bad eh?

-Less stealable, 2stroke trials are about the most stolen bikes around, then scooters and such as nsr125s, who is going to steal a cg? really? they do get nicked but not nearly as much as 2strokes.


If i was loaded i would have had something like an nsr125, but i decided that i'd get a better second bike instead of an expensive 125, mainly because i didn't plan on having a 125 for long (had my cg about 9months) i'm seriously considering buying another CG for bad weather riding (such as snow) but everyday ridding 125s are allot harder work than a bigger bike.

All just my opinion of course, i'm only 22 but am more from the boring old git school of motorcycling i think...

[Crash it for fun]

[Jammy-G]

Thanks for your replies.

As for the pride value, anything has to be better than walking a mile to the bus stop and then catching a bus with a load of screaming chavs.

The price suits me best, think i could pick up one around 1995 upwards for about £300? and what magazines are best for ads.

Cheers,

James

[Kickstart]

[Jammy-G]

Ok,

Not sure about this -

I've seen a CG125 advertised but it doesn't say its Honda, it's Wuyang, a chinese copy.

Although its a copy, I read somewhere it was a project Honda were involved in, so i'm not sure.

Is it worth getting or shall i disregard it (it's practically brand new and £500).

Cheers.

[Bendy]

Be worth having a look at.

Someone asked about these copies in another thread (which is the only reason I know this) and the jist was that they're sometimes better value than the Honda to buy, plus Honda parts will fit if things need replaced. The resale value can be affected by it being a bit obscure though - cos people ask the very thing you're asking now.

Can't say I've ever heard of Wuyang though.

[Jammy-G]

Aha.

Just done some research and apparently Wuyang-Honda is a joint project by Japanese Honda and Chinese Wuyang to deliver quality bikes at a cheap price.

So if Honda is involved, I would take it the Honda quality should be there, and parts from original Honda Cg's should fit .. I hope.

Cheers,
James

[mr.z]

Yep there re a couple of chinese companys building cgs- supposedly the build quality is very good (not as good as a honda but...) they seem to use the design from the first of the cgs, they are a bit 70's looking..
Parts are exactly the same, just a different badge and made 1/2000 miles away. definitely worth a look at! check the chain adjuster, it it looks like its never been moved it probably hasn't, which means its probably not been looked after... or if the adjustment is as far back as it will go then it will need a new chain and sprocket.. thats 100 knocked off for starters, check the suspension is not too bouncy, check the tyres won't need changing soon (about the same price as push bike tyres! but still some more off)..
The only disadvantage will be coming to sell it, like you said not many people have heard of this company, so you wont get allot for it, for the amount you will get back you should keep it for a spare bike..
Good luck with it though, you cant buy a better 125 for that money, nothing else comes close!

[Crash it for fun]

[Dusty]

Ste posting:

Smaller bikes & MX bikes are generally nicked by kids to trash around and then dump/crash. A big bike is of no interest to them as they can't ride the thing.

Big bikes are stolen by generally semi orangised people to break them and sell the parts, or are rings. At a profit. Or stolen by general theifs and riden. Big bikes are quite likely to not be found again after nicked IMO.
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[Mattastic]

I looked at a CG125 as my first bike but too many of them were in bad shape and had over-inflated prices on them. I ended up buying a low milage (15k) C Plate Suzuki GS125 for £400 and it is great shape considering it's age.
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Too skint to buy a bike

[Keith]

I bought a MINT condition 1989 F reg Honda NS125R/K for £650, about 2 weeks ago..and its a monster of a machine!
just cant wait to use it, legally that is
one of the main reasons i got this was because i'm sick of kids hangin round my Derbi Senda which cost over twice as much as the honda!
I'm sure if you've got big hefty locks on it, i.e. the oxford monster, its not goin anywhere

My dad said that when he done his test, the CG is a cracking bike, very reliable and a nippy little commuter
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Aprilia RSV Mille R Edwards Replica - Aprilia RS250 - Suzuki GSXR600 Supersport Race Bike

[Mez]

The best thing to do mate is to start buying Bike Trader regularly and have a good long read. Don't rush into buying anything you're not too sure about. You've got to make sure that it's what you want. I spent 2 years thinking about what I wanted and ended up getting a CG125 converted for field use.

Hope I was of any help.

Good luck and happy hunting!
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Honda CG125 -> Baotian BT49 -> AJS JS125 -> Honda CG125-> Kawasaki ZL400 -> Kawasaki GPZ500

[askew]

I reckon you should concider a Yamaha Tw125. It's pretty much a CG125 performance bike jammed into a very cool looking trails bike frame. I think You'd be spending around a grand to get one. The 2001 model looks the best too
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[badlydamaged]

Think Jammy brought a Yamaha RXS100 a few months ago, old thread.
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[Jammy-G]

Digging up old threads are we !

I have a bike sorted now, thanks anyway.
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[Josh]

[carnislick]

what size rear tyre does the tw125 have?
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Paul