Winter hack bike

[ThunderGuts]

Hi Everyone,

I've been a "lurker" of PH for years (lots of useful info!) and have now finally got around to signing up!

I'm on the lookout for a simple, winter bike - something easy to fix (and ideally reliable!), cheap to buy and own so I won't end up worrying about having it out on the salty winter roads. It'll only be doing urban work (Manchester) so I don't need much power and on this occasion, I'm taking the approach of "small is beautiful"!

I hold a full bike licence so although I could get anything (I do have a "big bike" for the summer), something simple really appeals, but I'm also after something that isn't going to attract attention so I won't have to worry about it being nicked (irrespective of it being chained up!).

My current thoughts are a Honda C90 - hardly advanced and it's likely to be a few decades old these days, but supposed to be solid, economical and I can't image they're a joy-rider's dream either? Insurance is dirt cheap too (for a similarly priced but significantly younger Innova type, insurance is doubled!), plus there's a degree of weather protection from the front "shield".

Should I be thinking about something else?

Cheers all!

Rob

[MotorsportTom]

C90's are hard to find in a decent condition and a sensible price but as you say, fits the bill relatively well although I definitely wouldn't say it won't attract scrotes... as it will! As do lots of bikes

Don't forget about the humble CG125 though, ever so slightly faster than a C90 however much cheaper to buy but may be a bit more to insure, you'd have to do your own digging on that to be sure.

Can be bought with a front disc and electric start after 2002 I believe and parts are incredibly cheap.

I bought a genuine 10k mile, full history bike for £450 last year. All I did was wash it & pump up the tyres for the MOT.

Deals can be had if you can be patient. Real world 90-95mpg and not much to do maintenance wise other than valve clearances and chain adjusting.

[ThunderGuts]

Cheers - yeah I did consider a CG125, I (perhaps naively?!) assumed they'd be more of a scrote magnet. You're right about the prices of C90's though - I'm sure they used to be a lot more affordable, although they can still be had for not massive notes.

[CAPP0]

Old CB500 would fit the bill?

[thatdude]

CAPP0 said:

Old CB500 would fit the bill?

My first thought. Simple in how it all works, easy to work on.

Whatever you get, still look after it - just because it's a winter stter doesnt mean the chain wont need lube so on so forth.

What about some sort of single cylinder enduro type jobbie?

[pessimal]

scooter?

plenty of protection, belt drive so no lubing, big comfy seat, boat loads of storage for helmet, gloves, balaclava, under gloves, and all the other winter cr@p you need

[ThunderGuts]

Thanks. The other ideal feature is a fairly narrow profile so I can get it past my car on the drive (about 700mm max). I must admit the CG is looking an attractive option although there doesn't appear to be many on Autotrader - is this not the best place to look for bikes for sale?

How do the CG125's ride? I've ridden a CB125F and it was quite good fun actually (albeit pretty hopeless out of town), although I realise this is a much more modern bike!

Cheers

Rob

[cbmotorsport]

NT650? One of the naked ones?

Shaft drive, bullet proof, low maintenance, cheap, will do a million miles.

[MotorsportTom]

ThunderGuts said:

Thanks. The other ideal feature is a fairly narrow profile so I can get it past my car on the drive (about 700mm max). I must admit the CG is looking an attractive option although there doesn't appear to be many on Autotrader - is this not the best place to look for bikes for sale?

How do the CG125's ride? I've ridden a CB125F and it was quite good fun actually (albeit pretty hopeless out of town), although I realise this is a much more modern bike!

Cheers

Rob

This is like my perfect thread me and my girlfriend rode these from Somerset to Scotland in August!


Firstly the CBF is a better bike overall in terms of use, however I feel it's built to more of a budget than the CG was (comparing a 2014 CBF vs a 2005 CG for reference).

To ride the CBF is faster, more fuel efficient and a slightly larger bike in terms of seat height.

I love my CG but only because of the price I paid and my plans for future with it. I'm tending to use it as my touring bike purely for the cheapness to fix and the ability to fix it wherever I am (the CG125 is the next most popular bike in the world following the C50/C70/C90 bikes).

Out on the open road I can cruise at 55-60mph indicated on the flat and in still wind. best I have managed is an indicated 74mph on a long downhill in full tuck! Worst is on an incline dropping to 2nd and 25mph, so large open A-roads are not it's friend. It works best between 20-45mph on back lanes.

It's unfair to compare the brakes on the 2 models I've ridden as the CBF's have been neglected slightly where as they haven't on my CG but I imagine the CBF in fine fettle will be as good if not better than the CG where it is easy to overpower the forks.

If you buy either I found setting the rear shocks to the highest pre-load improves the ride considerably! The front end will be soft and bouncy but you get used to it, I thought about heavier oil but it really won't make much difference and just risks moving the problem somewhere else so I have left it be.

Best place to find cheaper 125's in my experience is Facebook marketplace or gumtree.

Hope that helps!

[ThunderGuts]

Thanks for the reply - the bikes look good!

To be honest, for what I'm going to be using it for, speed isn't really an issue and the idea of something easy to work is very appealing! A physically smaller bike is going to be easier to store too. I get the impression from people I've spoken to that the CB is a typically more modern bike; better to ride but a bit less well screwed together and probably a bit harder to work on with things like fuel injection etc.

The hunt begins!

Rob