Champ - anyone heard of this motorbike manufacturer???

jimster · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Karma :

Hi everyone,

I've seen a 125cc Champ "Roadcruiser" motorbike on ebay - it looks almost identical to a Honda CG125 (except much, much cheaper!) It has a model number XT125. Has anyone heard of Champ motorbikes? And if so, do you know whether it's possible to use Honda CG parts as and when needed? Or is the similarity only skin-deep? And can you recommend them? Or should I steer clear?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated; I'm a total newbie in this area Smile

Cheers!

James

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 May 2004 Karma :

Firstly, welcome, greetings, salut, wilkommen and all that! Enjoy your stay, try not to feed the trolls and don't walk on the grass. Wink

I couldn't find it on Ebay, any chance of a link? The chances are that if it is a cheap Chinese import, you probably want to stay reasonably well clear. Just because it is brand new doesn't mean that it is any better than a ten (or more) year old Honda CG. I bought a Hongdou for my sins, which is pretty much indestructable, but has shoddy electrics and diabolical clocks, as well as rapid rust chrome and an already pitted left fork. Rolling Eyes

Depreciation is terrible on a new bike full stop, and on something which costs a grand or so new, you're going to lose half it's value in a year or two. I'm not sure what I'd get for mine, but in it's relatively battered state, I'm not sure it'd be an awful lot, despite it being only a year or so old.

Assuming that you are going to be riding it for a few months - a year on a CBT before passing your test, a CG125 costing £500 would be fine. You can abuse it during that time, drop it all you like and it will just bounce, bar a mirror or lever perhaps. Once you've done with it, you can sell it for as much as you got it for and move on up.

It is also worth bearing in mind whether you want a two stroke or not. Despite the fact that they sound shrill and puny, they do go an awful lot faster than a four stroke 125, and can be derestricted to go even faster, although that is technically illegal on a CBT.

Useful sites are:

https://www.biketrader.co.uk
https://www.ebay.co.uk
https://motorbikes.uk.freeads.net
https://www.adtrader.co.uk
https://www.loot.com

There may well be others which I've not found yet. Also see the guides at the top of the New bikers section, which should prove pretty useful in explaining things. In particular, this one: https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=16187

Always feel free to ask advice, there's bound to be someone on here who will be able to help you. Thumbs Up

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jimster · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Karma :

Wow, thanks for the quick reply! I've just discovered the joys of this site and it all seems lots of good fun so far.

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4534294923&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

is the link, with a nice picture. It is apparently in roadworthy condition, so the seller assures me (but he is a dealer) - although that does give lots of helpful consumer rights under the Sale of Goods Act Laughing

And you're right, I think it is a cheap chinese import, but it isn't brand new - it's on an 03 plate with 4k on the clock. However, the price is right - only £325! Of course, there's no point spending £300-ish if the first thing that breaks makes it useless, so I wonder whether it's possible to use Honda CG125 parts? Any ideas on that - or am I being a fantasist?

Also, how much wear and tear does doing 4000 miles do to a bike? I guess it'll need new tyres, but will the chain and sprocket need replacing? Will it last a while before it disintegrates?

PS it wouldn't be my first bike - that was a comedy 50cc scooter called a Siamoto Caddy with 0-30 time measured in minutes rather than seconds, and such shoddy design that driving down the street was ultra-hazardous as passers by tried to avoid the many parts detaching themselves at high speed. Actually, it wasn't (quite) that bad, and I liked it, but alas it was stolen from outside my house in Oxford a few months back. Partly my own fault for leaving it in the driveway not locked to anything with only a chain round the front wheel, but I honestly didn't believe anyone would *want* to steal it! I don't suppose anyone has any tips on recovering stolen bikes? I've given up hope of ever getting it back, hence the need for a new comedy cheap bike!

The#Doctor# · Spanner Monkey Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

Ive ridden a champ on my cbt last year and to be honest they were rubbish talking to the instructors found out they were rubbish and broke all the time brakes are RUBBISH which makes emergency stops very long!!

Best bet is to go for a cg with there bullet proof engines, low cost and easy to find parts

jimster · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Karma :

Hmm, thanks! I'm sure you're right, but you wouldn't get a 2-year old CG for £300 Crying or Very sad

Although maybe that also says something about the quality of the Champ!!

I'm still not sure whether it'd be possible to source spare parts from a CG125 - does anyone know anything about this?? I wouldn't mind if it was a bit unreliable if I knew that I could mend anything that fell off

Thanks very much for all your help everyone, much appreciated! I'm largely fumbling in the dark here...

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 May 2004 Karma :

It's entirely probable that the engine is essentially the same as the CG125, so you probably could use most of the same parts. I should frankly be amazed if it needed new engine internals in less than ten years though.
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Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush. Very Happy

0ni · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Karma :

My honda cb125 is 23 years old and still runs like a charm. Just watch out for the usual wear and tear and itll run forever. This is me abusing the bike, I never ride it calmly (to keep up with the traffic youve pretty much got to rag the tits off it) and it still doesn't brake.

An old honda will do you good. There isnt anything on them that can break.

0ni · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Karma :

For example, 25 year old Honda CB 125 twin that is in good nick.

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9806&item=4535783793&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

A J · Scooby Slapper Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Karma :

The 125 champs are what i had to do my CBT on and if you are only keep it for a short time just to pass your test then there fine but after a year it will just die on you when the Honda cg will keep on going and going and going and going. its INVINCEBLE!!!

lilredmachine · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Karma :

Does anyone ever notice that the really old bikes that are in really good nick have hardly done any miles? That cb has done 20000 in 25 years, less than a thousand a year. I do more than that a year to school and back. If it's dead after that then it's crap. The only reason they last is because people get so bored of them that they get rid of them, before they put many miles on them.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

jimster · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Karma :

Unless it's been clocked....

How far does a bike have to go before it needs major repairs? (like chain/sprocket replacement, if they count as major, and bearings and stuff like that. And what does a dealer charge for that sort of work?

Scooby · Scrappy Doo Joined: 26 Mar 2002 Karma :

We have 3 Champ's at work for training use. They are bags of shit, I would not advise anyone to buy one. They are made in Bourneville. We have 2 on 52 plates, and an 03 plate. All of them have had throttles snap, one has siezed, they corrode quickly, have no power even compared to a CG. Don't go there.
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