Hi Everyone- I have a bit of a confession,
It may have been mentioned that I've been planning on getting a CBT done ASAP and getting a bike soon after- It was until I had a look at this weeks MCN... There's a brief snippet of the new incarnarion of the Honda CG125.

I've been eager to get a "new" (P reg or newer) CG125 for the past few years- even before I seriously thought about riding and the pics of the new one have only hardened my resolve but there's a slight problem, it won't be released untill 2004- possibly Feburary/March.

What I'm thinking of doing is leaving the CBT till January (So I can have it as a Christmas present saving myself a few quid) and then start riding- I don't think i want to have my first months on the road during the nasty winter period.

But the extra few months wait can mean other things- like saving up to get decent equipment and read up more on the subject, so while I'm at it does anyone have advice on what I can do to better prepare myself for life on two wheels?

Cheers

Uw.L

What's the price on that.. Are my eyes playing tricks. Now that I've fixed the upload.

Seems like a fair plan. Learning to ride in the worst that winter can through at you, is not the easist thing to do. You could also maybe do your CBT, pick up a very cheap CG, there's loads kicking around and ride it as a winter hack. The CG's are bulletproof and have been the bike that thousands of bikers have started out on.

A bike doesn't last that long in the market without being good and reliable.

wow that is cheap

No Dave- the price is right.

when the last of the CG's were rolled of the line last year (I think) the price had ben dropped to about £1'599 to compeat with the Chinese knock-offs, I doubt they will put the price back up.

The CB250 looks almost identical but with slightly tweaked exterior features (for better cooling and exhuast features I expect).

Looks like it's time to get my christmas list ready, overtime booked and my Student loan fixed up.

SUDDEN THOUGHT- I get my 2nd instalment of my loan in January (about £1000) and another at the end of April (in time for my birthday).

Fingers crossed that it all works out. You can't grumble about that price for a brand new bike.

Should give you something to look forward to. You're own transport to and from college/Uni. Its worth its weight in gold. I couldn't go back to public transport now.

Stand in the street while someone plays a high power hosepipe over you and passing cars bounce off you.





Having a birthday a few days after Christmas meant that it was snowing on my first day on the road. And we didn't have any of that new-fangled DAS, CBT or any sort of training in my day. Oh no. Just jump on the bike and figure out what to do at the end of the street. And this was on a 250 Matchless that weighed about the same as a super tanker, and had similar braking and handling characteristics. Kids these days eh? Don't know they're born blah blah blah......................

I've found an official Honda site that features the new 2004 series of bikes...
http://www.mc.honda-eu.com/flash_content/home.html

and of course I went straight to the area that mattered...


And I must say that I'm VERY impressed with the updates to the CG- but I think that they have the speedo the wrong way round- I always thought that Speedo's should be on the RIGHT- not the left, but that's just me and I'm sure you can get replacment versions to play with.

And according to a German Honda forum I stumbled into- it's going to be Euro1500- so the Uk price of £1500 is looking VERY likley

Is anybody happy? I know I am!!




NOTE: Although viewable- the site isn't friendly to Dial-Up users... I'm lucky the Uni has free broadband access in the library

Ima get your cheque book!!!!



Thats lovely!!

£1030 for a brand new cg 125? in your dreams-it might be 1500 euros in europe but you cant get a cheap maylayan/tiawanese copy for 1030 quid

Where did £1030 come from?
Thats a guess from what I can translate from that German site, and it is a bit on the optimistic side but even if they charge £1'800 it's a steal!!

What I assume they would do is keep the cost the same in all currency (like what Sony do with Playstations- release them for $299 which is almost reasonable but they [Sony] like to keep the numbers the same so the console is released for an overpriced sum of £299.

So what is ikley is that the UK will have the bike at £1500 and the European nations will be getting the same bike for 1500Euro.
It's a bit of a markup for Honda- same bike for more money after convertion.

Ahh- I can only dream of a new 125cc costing a meager grand!

sorry i thought you meant the price was 1500 euros in the uk -hence the 1030 conversion.
i still think its going to be more mind, you cant get an old model for less than £1450 up here-i dont think they'll flog the new one for less/same price.
from what i can see they've stuck a re-styled tank & panels on it-i'll bet you the zorst is the same as the pre-historic ones & the frame looks like the one currently awaiting paint in my w/shop, circa 88

It'd certainly be a steal at £1500. That's a good price for a proper bike. The scoots go for about £2000 and they're covered in expensive plastic. You drop your CG, you knock it back into shape and buy a few cheap parts. You do the same with a scoot and you have to sell your body.

BD's right! Clock the merchandise carefully! what may seem like a bargain can turn into your worst nightmare##### #Try a CD whotsit, 125cc is nice but not many left these days...Benley that is...

Its actually more to do with tax and import duties why American prices have the same numbersas UK rather than a positive pricing strategy.

The updated CG certainly looks a tidy bike!

But I'd recommend starting on an old bike. It's not such a big deal when you drop it - which WILL happen - we've all been there!

And there's the little matter of expense. Quite apart from the bike, you'll need a jacket, helmet, gloves, boots, waterproofs, plus prolly the biggest expense - insurance! (You should really have leather trousers too but I can't preach on that one cos I ride in jeans). On top of that, of course, there's the cost of training.

When I started in 1996, I did it absolutely the cheapest way I could, and this is what I remember spending..

Bike - 12 yr old Yamaha - £350 (needing fork seals - my mate did them £8)
Lid - Kiwi - £56 - there were cheaper ones but this was the one that fitted me best, be advised by the shop and don't get carried away cos you like the paint job, the fit is more important!
Jacket - £70 - proper bike jacket from a cheap leather shop, no brand name but goods thick leather and solid stitching. (You can get a Buffalo cordura jacket for about £60 if you shop around - much more 'now' than leather)
Boots - I wore some thick leather cowboy boots at first - whatever you wear MUST protect your ankles. Proper bike boots from around £50.
Gloves - £15 from the 'cheap gloves' bin at the local bikewear shop. PROPER BIKE GLOVES ARE A MUST MUST MUST!!!!!
Waterproofs - £10 - leggings from the local agricultural suppliers, don't get the ones with slots to reach your pockets thru, the rain gets in! Also used an old cagoule (sp?) over my leather, not needed with a cordura jacket.
Insurance - about £100 I think but I was female, old, and already had a car licence!
Training - £80 inc CBT- this was in the good old days of the BMF course, and before DAS.
Bike test - £35 - no theory test in them days!

So, taken altogether, doing it the cheapest way I could, I spent £724. And that was 7 years ago!

BG has pretty much hit the nail on the head here, it's the sundry expenses that gets ya.
lid,gloves jacket, waterproofs etc all essentiial bits of kit but and it's a big but (read dawn french size) they are deffo needed.

As for cost- I think that getting the new CG will cost about the same as starting from scratch with an older bike.

I havn't got the CBT yet- along with any of the kit, but the shop I'm likley to get it from (official Honda&Yammy dealer) tend to throw in quite a few freebies with the smaller machines...
CBT (they do it themselfs I think) £90
Helmet (upto RRP of £50) £50
Gloves £25
Chain&Lock £30 ish?
1 Years Tax £15
and the deal clencher....
A FULL TANK OF JUICE!!! £20?
So thats about £200 of extras (more or less) free.

The Insurance will cost me about £300. I was quoted £326 for a Y Reg CityFly I was looking at- THAT is class 3 insuance, as far as I know the CG's have been Class2 but I'm budgeting for £300.

So all need is a decent jacket- I'm allowing £80 but I might ask for that for a Crimbo prezzie.

So If I save/get my hands on about £2000 then I will have enough for a good start.
If I get my hand on an older bike then I will have to pay for everything individually- so £200, plus the cost of a decent/usable bike (£800) and risk buying a lemon 2nd hand, IF I can find a 125 second hand cos they seem to be in short supply.

I'd rather pay the extra £500 and have the confidance of a bike that has been crash free and under warrenty is anything should fall off at 60Mph (Not ME!).

As for the Frame being the old version with new sparkles- the CB250/500/600 have all been updated for 2004- and very nice they look too, imagin the CG on steroids.
and I'm assuming the CG will be too, as they bike has been more or less untouched for the last 12years (i'm led to believe).

A full tank of juice will probably be nearer a tenner and probably good for 200+ miles.


My viffer, takes about £11.50 from empty and I get around 150 miles from that, when the bike is running well.

A full tank for a tenner- way cool!!

looks like if I'm brave enough to travel from Durham to Kent- my real home then it will cost me about £15 each way.

Never going to happen till I get my full licence and tune the bike to above-spec BHP- I don't think a max speed of 60 will get me far before my bum gets numb.

Top speed 60mph?

My old 100cc Yam does 70.........

And you can go anywhere on your CG - I went touring in Normandy on my baby bike, and one of our club members went to the south of France on a step-thru Honda70!

60mph is what I'm guessig the top speed is, I'm not too sure what the actual figure is- it seems that Honda have forgoten to put it on any release press.

I've done the Durham/Kent journy a few times but as a passenger in a car, it's simple... A19, A1(m), A14, M11, M25, A2/M2 but with the three motorways it's a bit difficult untill I pass my Part2 (and theory for that matter).
A major re-plan for a route will need to be done for a learner friendly trip... I'll leave that for my old man, he a lorry driver so he'll know (probably- you know what truck drivers are like! )

We'll just have to see when I get the thing, learn and practice during the spring for a summer trip Dahn Saaf.
















If the missus will let me