Chineese 125s, opinions please

how about a nsr? i had a o2 one handles great v relible and easyer to look after than a rs, they look great aswell, when i had mine most people thught it was a 400 untill they saw the zaust

My mates daughters got one and there is some sort of owners forum for them I'll try and find out what its name is.

[Viney]

IIRC, your daughter is a bit tall, so a CG may be a bit diddly. Hows about a Varadero??

As for the chinese bikes, as long as its a copy of something, then the parts should be ok.

Originally Posted by Viney

As for the chinese bikes, as long as its a copy of something, then the parts should be ok.

This one http://www.hongdou.co.uk/4724.html is clearly a clone
of the Honda CG125. I would expect most parts to fit.

I bought an SR125 for £700, had it for a few months and did my test then sold it for £900 The chinese bikes don't sell well second hand and some dealers won't take them in part ex.
People are always after 2nd hand brand name 125's for commuting and learning so selling on a well known brand of bike should be easy.

RiDE did something comparing a CG125 and A chinese 125. The chinese one was cheap but it was also cheap build. Not for the long lasting.

I remember one chap who had a chinese 125. When he went back to the importer he was told to sod off and take him to court if he don't like it! Charming.

The Aprilia 125...not good, not for the average commuter...too sporty. Get a older, clean Jap 125.

We occasionally used to get people coming in the dealership for parts for those Hungdung bits o crap cos they said "but it's just a cheap Honda!".

Yeah right.

If you want a Honda, buy a Honda!

They maybe a 'replica' but the build quality is sporadic throughout the same bike. So some parts may fit, but others won't, and until you try it you won't know which as they all seem to be different.

They also seem to have the knock-on effect that with Honda parts being so superior in quality - everything else connected to it seemed to then fall apart even quicker. Possibly through sheer embarassment!

We ended up very quickly having a company policy put in place stating that we don't deal with them - at all.

I would steer well clear of them unless you intend to totally bin it after she's through with it - maybe even before then.

If she'd go for a more upright style of bike, a Varadero would be a good solid option. Holds its value well, Honda build quality and reliability - so a bit more forgiving opf a juvenile attitude to 'care', and whilst it may have been offroaded a bit (if you're buying second hand) its not really the style of bike to have been ragged to death by its previous owner.

It will also look and feel that bit bigger, whilst still being relatively light and easy handling - so perhaps better preparing her for the hopeful days in the future with a bigger bike.

Originally Posted by amarko5

nope that would be me and it was 200cc

Those 75cc's make all the difference

Hi

I bought a Baimo RSR125 from J & S Accessories and rode it for about 18 months and did about 6000 miles on it. J & S didn't get it ready for the road properly so had to go back a couple of times. (Like no headlight bulb or wiring)!

Apart from that the bike has been really reliable and returns over 150mpg. Still have problems getting indicator bulbs as they are not UK spec. Speedo drive packed up in February. In 2 days J & S had supplied a replacement.

They are OK if you want a cheap bike. I paid £1299 when the Honda GS125 was about £1900 to £2000. I think they are now about £1100. They have revised them and have improved lights.

Kind regards
Tim

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by Carl PO51 MYV

chinese ones should be ok, mcn did a column on them a while back

if you aint arsed about it you can keep it after she's done and we can have a play

why doesn't she do a 125 DAS like i did and ride a big bike (sv) restricted for two years?

PS. how old is she? ... are you gonna bring her to st annes and knott end?

Carl mate she is very high maintenance and well out of your league. She is 22 years old with very definate and expensive views. Currently has LLB law and at the end of her LLM, like you just the little matter of a dissatation, starts her Bar Vocational in September. Therefore very focused. If weather fine on wednesday she will be at Knott End and you can letch to your hearts/wallets content.