Honda CG-125 > Reviews > Cheap but dull

Author's product rating:   

Comfort	Good
Handling	Satisfactory
Looks	Poor
Features	Satisfactory
Fuel consumption	Excellent

Advantages:	Economy and reliability
Disadvantages:	Lack of power and looks

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I bought my 1992 registered CG-125 about 6mths ago after returning to motorcycles following a 13yr break... I'd never sat my test so had to complete my CBT (Compulsary Basic Training) first to get back on the road and then seek out a reliable, learner legal bike to commute to work on.

Previously I'd owned a couple of other small Honda's and found them thoroughly reliable machines, the goal this time again was reliability and also economy for the daily round trip to the office.

Value for money-wise I can't grumble one bit, the bike clears almost 90mpg urban, so it's saving me a fortune over the car. Insurance wise I'm 32yrs old and with zero years no claims it came in at only £75ish for third part fire and theft. Road tax on smaller bikes comes in at a paltry £15 a year so there is another huge saving.

Parts for the bike are very cheap, but you do need to avoid the dealerships - a battery will come in at £10 if you shop around and a chain+sprocket set at about £17, from a dealership these prices pretty much double.

Looks and features wise, the bike is about as interesting as the colour grey, there is simply nothing exciting about the machine. There's no electric starter and instrumentation is a minimal speedometer and lighting panel. Again though this knocks onto the insurance for the bike, who'd want to steal something this boring looking!

Performance wise the bike is also pretty dull, I find my bike will average 60-65mph with a top speed of a little over 70mph. As you might expect, as with other small bikes this machine struggles in windy conditions, speed is soon stripped down to 50mph in a strong headwind. But this is all moot if you are simply doing as I am and travelling to work along urban routes, the bike is nippy enough when pulling away from junctions to keep you ahead of the traffic and it's small enough to dodge in and out of the heaviest tailback, getting you there on-time every time.

If there is one thing I'd improve it's the handling though, the ride is a little too bouncy, though the rear suspension is adjustable and it may simply be the age of my bike too... overall though it's an OK machine. If you want a functional and reliable work horse then this is probably a good choice for you, there are plenty of 125cc machines on the market with better looks and features, but those all add to the overall costs involved...