The most important thing on any motorbike, is that 'NUT' between the handlebars.☺️ I started riding at 15, now at 62, I'm still riding.... I learnt it on a 60 cc TVS moped & today I ride a TVS XL 100 cc. For me CCs are directly proportionate to one's body weight. Going fast is like running the video in fast forward mode....Life becomes complex & scenes becomes blurry. I was never in a hurry to die or prove anything to myself, just wanted to enjoy the stay on this planet at bit longer, bruised but not broken. People always laugh at me but I just smile back. 😌 🙏 Live Long N Prosper
Very well said. I’ve had many gsxr 1000’s and a couple hayabusas. Definitely enjoyed the overall experience on the gsxr 600, as well as the odd scooter I’ve rented through the years.
I've got a Kawasaki Z900RS, what a beast. I've got a Honda CRF300L for green lanes, which I love riding. However, the bike that I don't have is that Puch Maxi in shining black that my mum and dad gave me for my 16th birthday present in 1976. It wasn't an FS1E, favoured by the oiks who needed to go 35mph instead of 30mph, but it was my ticket to freedom. Oh god, I was so happy. I went out on it at 1 minute past my birthday at midnight. It was in Rickling Green and I went around the back into the country. I can remember the pride, joy, exhilaration. I used it to get to school, then college, then other places. A couple of months later I rode to Ipswich to see Man Utd play Ipswich, oh god the world had opened up to me. Mind you, I couldn't walk for an hour after I got there. As much as I love my Z900RS and CRF300L, nothing will ever come close to that first feeling of all of those years ago. If only we could turn the clock back and experience the first time again. However, time is the only thing in the universe that doesn't go backwards. Please let me know if I'm wrong about that.
Wow, I said virtually the same thing a few minutes ago, I hadn't seen your comment at that point but yes, nothing compares to that feeling you get riding your first bike 👍
I like 125s for the fact that for the vast majority of the world they're seen as perfectly capable workhorses, and it's only in a few rich countries that we have this idea of "big bikes", most of which are toys. Plus, as the saying goes "it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow!"
Yes! I'm in the US and would really like to have a Honda CG125, pushrod engine. Sadly, they are not available here even though the world has oodles of them. Someday I may settle for a China made clone but, it won't be the same as having a Honda.
@@jerrym3261 no no no, do not buy a shitty Chinese copy, they may look similar but that's all. Also you can often really struggle to find parts when they go wrong (which it will)
I partly agree with you but do you not think it greatly depends on what you use the bike for? I live in Norwich and I work in kings Lynn, during the summer I often go to work on my thunderace, at least half the journey is dual carriageway and all of the journey is A roads. When my ex wife was learning I rode her 125 virago from wisbech to kings Lynn, about 11 miles, the singular most terrifying experience of my life, 45 mph max head wind on a dual carriageway with HGVs thundering past! Apart from how much longer it would take if I commuted on a 125 I'd be exhausted by the time I got to work. That said, when I lived about 7 miles from work I bought a little Honda rs 250 for 200 quid solely to get to work on instead of using my main bike and it was great but I wouldn't have wanted to ride much further on it.
@@Norfolkbiker50 I'm in the US. It's a whole 'nother world here. We don't get most of what is available to you in UK. Here you are very, very limited to where you could sanely ride a 125. If the posted limit is 45, traffic will be at 60+. A starter bike here is 500cc or more. Even the riding classes people take so they don't have to take a test to get a license will have you on a 250 to ride around a parking lot. We kill our bikes by letting them sit. We don't wear out parts. I have 11 motorcycles, none ran when they came to me and I doubt I've replaced 5 parts on the lot. I envy your bikes and even more your riders.
@@jerrym3261 yeah, the issue I have with the 125 law in the UK is that it's 40 years out of date. That law was introduced in 1982, since then the number of cars on the roads has increased 10 fold, regardless of the manufacturers claimed top speed most 125s don't go much more than 60mph and a headwind or a slight hill and that 60 quickly becomes 40, really dangerous on any road other than a built up area with a 30mph speed limit. I passed my test in 1982 specifically to avoid having to ride a 125, I haven't owned a bike less than 750cc for more than 20 years and even then the last "small capacity" bike I owned was a Honda CBR600 capable of more than 150mph, my current bike is a Yamaha thunderace YZF1000R, my 17 year old daughter wants one to go to college on but that 12 mile journey consists of 10 miles of dual carriageway with a 70 mph speed limit so I've told her that if she really wants a bike she has to pass her test and get something big enough to be safe, she's also a wrestler and luckily my view has been echoed by some of the wrestlers that ride so even if she doesn't listen to me she might listen to them!
yea i get it, it also forces you to go slower, enjoy the ride and the scenery more, its safer, lighter! I get it. My mum had one of these, i sadly never got to ride it. Maybe one day. Your video has inspired me to maybe get one, at least to try it out.
Bigger ain't always better. After you've experienced all the "big" bikes under the sun, there's nothing like riding a small bike again. It's like going back home and having your favorite food cooked by your mother. Nostalgia and comfort.
There is nothing I respect more than a grown man on a Vespa heading into work. I know motorcyclist who won't wave at scooters but to me, on my Kawasaki W800, it brings me joy to see someone getting a bike that just works for them like a Honda Navi, Vespa Primavera or Honda Trail 125.
Exactly, all you hear now is how expensive it is to live but yet you see no one on a small bike getting 100 mpg, low insurance, low initial cost to buy. And they miss the happiness of riding a simple scooter.
@@EstebanDVO I bought a scooter for my wife but she only ride it a couple of times. Scared. I used it a lot to go for groceries. Big storage box under the seat and the flat floor held a big box. I sold it because I didn't like the small tires. Scooters are for the city. Not for a village with dirt roads full of potholes.
It's the same with cars. The best car I ever owned was a 1983 Mazda 323 1.3 4-door hatchback which I bought in 2000 for £350. Apart from motorways, it did everything so well. Comfort, simplicity, economy. It had lovely light non-powered steering, skinny tyres, soft suspension and a nice gearbox action. It was a hoot around town and on B-roads. The wife hated it.
@@ianh.6825 I get it… my dad only had a few cars in his long life , all secondhand patched up kept until they died completely .. and I feel the same way .. ok so the widow won’t work and it is near its end but I love it… and My wife won’t ride in it either 🤣…
Back in the early 70s . I would miss the bus to school and have to face the anger of my Father, a Regimental Sergeant Major, who would have to come home and run me the 10 miles to school on the back of his Honda 90. Oh the joy of flying along those beautiful Hampshire back roads at 50 mph. The pleasure outweighed Dads irritation and I'm sure that by the time we arrived at our destination, He had quite enjoyed himself too. All anger dissipated! I learned from a very early age, the healing effect that even a brief ride in the sunshine on even a tiny motorcycle could have. ( It was always sunny in the 70s!} Oh how I loved that Man, despite all the thick ears! 50 years later and 35 motorcycle all inspired by a Honda Cub.
I had a 50cc cub when i was 17, rode from Holyhead to LLANDUDNO, and lived in wrexham, I see your a local Welsh lad with images of LLANGOLLEN, havenn't ridden since my teens, some 40yrs ago, you make me want to go and buy one and relive my youth😃
I started with 50cc in the 70s. I never had more than 125cc. Right now I have a RYUKA CLASSIC 110 (I live in Thailand). This bike is probably not very reliable, but it is fun to ride and so beautiful. I love it!💙
You hit it right on the nose, you feel like a teenager reliving your early memories every time I ride my Honda Trail 125. At 75 years old I’d become a young boy every time I start the motor.
This really chimes with me - after all the big bikes & fast bikes the one I look back most fondly on is the C70 I had for riding round the garden & up farm tracks when I was about 14. Cost my Dad 35 quid (a fortune) & to me it was cool as a V-Max. I can still smell that petroly smell in the shed where VJH101M lived.
Work have given me a Toyota Yaris to drive home in. It has an electronic nanny that reports you to the local general manager if you exceed the speed limit by 10 km/h, if you brake too aggressively and if you corner too harshly. A reliable runabout but soulless. All joy from driving it has been excised. I've asked for an upgrade to a bigger vehicle. If that doesn't happen, I'm switching to my own Suzuki 110 cc scooter. It definitely brings me joy with every ride, no matter what the weather.
Very interesting, I'm in my 80s now, up until last year I've always ridden big British twins from being a teenager. I sold the 650ss Norton and bought a Honda cb125 f. This is proving brilliant. Most of my trips are across the North Yorks moors or Wolds . 45to 50 tops.I enjoy every minute riding it . Many thanks, lovely article. Eric .
Totally agree with all that. I'm 67 and never been without a bike. I have been downsizing for a while. I have a Meteor and a Hunter but for reason I can't justify, I just bought an MSX 125 Grom. Unbelievable fun, absolutely love it.
Got a Meteor 350 , a CRF250 but my favourite is my Suzuki GD110 , she's converted to Motocross style .. Top Speed 65-70 kph .. Quick enough .. Cheers 🥂 *Plough* 🎉
I went from a Kawasaki Z550 to a ZR7 to an Aprilia RSV Mille. Now I have a Honda Monkey 125 and I haven't been having so much fun since I first started riding.
It's just more fun to ride a small bike at 90% of his capacity then a big one at 20%. More and more people start to realize this And the big manufacturers are also beginning to see the light.
I've had small bikes over the years and I can tell you this: I've had bigger bikes, but the most fun I ever had was riding a small bike. Little bikes can give big adventures. Like so many say, they are cheap to run and maintain, they may not be the fastest on the road, but you can go places with them!
One summer day in '65 my friend turned up at my house on his Honda 50. "I'm off to Cornwall" he said. Two weeks later he was back, no problems at all and nice weather all through. R.I.P. Brian, Died 2015, never forgotten. Thanks for a reminder of a great little bike.
I'm 70 years old and live in the US. When I was young I knew that Soichiro Honda was the greatest human that ever lived and the Honda Super Cub was the product that most improved the world. I don't know that it was his vision but, I believed that lots and lots of small motorcycles would have made the US a much better place. Clean, quiet, low cost and super fuel efficient, they were great. Sadly, too many forces that saw the little bikes as an obstacle to what they wanted to do. I have 3 Cubs and the "big" motorcycle I ride most is a CB250 Nighthawk. I know my thumb to where it joins my hand displaces 50cc of water so, cruising my 300lb body along a 40mph, I can look at my thumb and be amazed. I often say, I started on a Cub and if I get to where I can no longer ride a Cub, I'm ready to leave this world.
A mate of mine, who's sadly no longer with us, used to have a Honda Chaly which we'd push down to the banks of the River Dee in North Wales. We had hours of fun, undisturbed and not disturbing anyone else. In one spot there were loads of chunks of old quarry tiles on the ground, and one of our favourite games was for the one on the back to throw chunks ahead of us, whilst the rider weaved past them as we caught the bouncing bricks up and they whizzed past our heads. How we didn't end up in hospital I'll never know. Innocent and daft in equal measures 😊
Minimalism has a satisfying nature about it. Riding because you like to ride and not because you're trying to impress anyone. I love my RE 350 Classic. 😁
You hit the nail on the head here. The chase for max hp never ends - keeping it simple and just enjoying your ride is so fulfilling. Not to mention the nostalgia of riding like this. Beautiful words man.
Less is always more. More time to soak in the views, smell the grass, watch the asphalt unwind. and more importantly have that quiet conversation in your own head.
Had the C90, Puch city, then on to AR 80, was amazing feeling when younger.....then the ZX10, and 5 CBR 1100xx, again I love the tour......now I'm back to CZ 175, 12 BHp, and I can honestly say, more smiles per mile on a 47 year old CZ and I can have just about any bike except A MotoGP ....... there is something magical about small bikes....
I totally agree and understand. Goes for cars too… I have the most fond memories of my 1988 Suzuki Samurai “jeep”. 66 hp engine… but I took off the doors and the roof (removeable) and drove around town like that all summer. Slow, not fast by any means, but the most fun to bum around. I have had a few cars and a truck since then but that Samurai is still what I remember with most fondness. I have a Suzuki Voluscia 800 with bags and the lot for touring. I totally understand your love for small bikes.
I've gone from a 900 to a 650, then to a 300, I now ride a 125 Yamaha scooter. It's not all about speed, it's just enjoying the ride and taking in the scenery. Love my Nmax!
I completely agree with you small is beautiful. When l was a teenager, you got 4 gallons, not litres for a £1. Then in 1973 came the oil crisis in the Middle East, the government issued petrol vouchers, which l still have, with the intent of rationing petrol, petrol soared to the giddy heights 3 gallons for a £1.....When l hit 27,000 miles on my Honda CG125, l rebuilt the top end and it's still going strong, the secret to it's long life is I change the oil every 1000 miles, it takes a massive 1 litre....lol
Maybe we like small bikes because they represent our first real taste of freedom. I rode around southern BC on a 80cc Suzuki in a pair of shorts with little money and no helmet. It was high summer and hardly any people. A skinny kid with a big grin ripping along with a cloud of smoke trailing behind and more often than not, a fouled plug that required a pit stop. You can buy a small bike to relive the past, but you can never go home again.
I like my small bike because it's practical, bullet proof and keeps me under the radar of all the unwanted attention. Plus, I can store it just about anywhere.
all the best adventure blogs here on youtube come from small engine motorcycles. Vespas, honda c90's, monkey bikes, just 125cc in general . It's about the journey and the people you meet.
Completely get this after 35+ years of superbikes - my first little bikes all those years ago remind me exactly of what you’re saying. As you get older speed becomes less important, so the enjoyment of just making progress on a smaller bike all the more rewarding and fun.
These small bikes were so reliable. Years ago me and my gf at the time rode down to north africa on a couple of small 2-stroke engine bikes, her on a KE100 and me on a MTX 125. Cruising speed if it can be called, that, of 50 mph.
I must say, the best memories are from us, riding old 50cc scooters, trying to see if we can get somewhere, and just being silly. We have guys riding BlackBirds, but when we take these out, its just us being kids again. I am slowly starting to just ride on a 125CC around, not thinking about speed, or power, just enjoying it. 10/10 would recommend to all, getting a scooter and getting onto an adventure with friends.
I agree. There's something counterintuitive about riding small bikes. They make you earn every mile and often divert your travels to a slower road with greater rewards. There's nothing like wringing the neck of a tiddler on a twisty morning road to awaken the day. Grrr!
I am retired, 75 years old, and living in France. My Yamaha T80 hasn't run for over 30 years and hasn't been registered in France. I have been approached to sell it, but, those old memories will not allow it. I still expect to make it road worthy again to relive the pleasure I gained from it all that time ago. It will almost certainly have a new life after I have departed this world. Hope the new owner/restorer experiences the joy that I had! Incidentally, 'tho' I loved the sensible torque of my (heavy) BMW K1100 RS, and it's effortless long distance ability at overtaking, the little Yamaha has imprinted delightful memories in my brain that cannot be erased. I preferred my bikes to be shaft driven, and this usually meant the small capacity machines would be chain driven. Well done Yamaha for producing two step thru's (3 if you include the 30cc? shopping machine... name forgotten), the T50/T80 to compete with Honda's Cub versions. I did have a one hour test drive on Yamaha's shaft driven (French Police) bike the FJ 1300. Pretty mind-blowing, but guaranteed licence loser. No such worries with the T80 Town mate. Small bikes have an endearing charm all of their own which persists long after you have lost the ability to get the leg over!
My Z400 is a small bike here in Texas. Half the cost of a bigger bike, cheaper parts, tons of aftermarket parts, big enough for hwys, 12k redline, lighter, easier to practice low speed skills on, and way less desirable to thieves! 😃
I lived in a farm house in the country I rented. After 3 years I got a bike - push bike as it happens - for the first time in 3 years I found out that 2km away from my house was the most AMAZING lake - Id never seen it at 60mph in the car. It has swans on it and willow trees leaning over the edge, so beautiful.
Small motorcycles are great for stealth camping. You can wheel them into the tightest, unlikeliest places, kip down for the night, disappear at first light, and least not a trace.
My first bike was an MT-07, but then I got my mother an YBR125. There's something incredibly fun about trying to go as fast as possible on a small bike.
I drove down to st,ives twice from south east London for two weeks holidays camping with my girlfriend each time ! Two tents, two sleeping bags, hook up lead, double electric ring stove, clothing, towels, double blow up bed, small fridge, pots and pans, everything ! All on an Aprilla SR 125 scooter with givi massive back box ! And each time from Exeter we drove the A30 on the way down believe it or not we drove with the Hells Angels ! No one has excelled more than what i have excelled on a 125cc scooter ever !
Grew up riding that exact model. I remember the feeling of starting the rebuilt modified engine for the first time and all the joy it brought me. After a major crash I upgraded to a new underbone bike, and more recently to a drz400sm. But that bike is still dearest to my heart.
I haven't had a bike for years, but the feeling I got from riding a small-engined cheap bike was that I was somehow beating the system, and I'm not even sure why I felt like that. You also have to think ahead as you can't power or bully your way out of trouble.
Fuel efficient, mine can get you up to 65km on a 1 liter gas. Safe to drive because it drive slow but you get to appreciate small details of travels. Love the video, explain it really well. Keep it up!!!
I recently turned 65, I started riding at age 8 on a Bultaco 100 dirt bike. I have owned over 40 bikes and ridden over a million miles. I have owned everything from mopeds to large Japanese cruisers, Goldwings, a couple of Harleys, and a few dual sport bikes (NO crotch rockets) I love small bikes, but I live in a place where it is almost impossible to ride one without getting run over.
Totally agree. Had a CD175 back in 1984 an bought another again in 1990 which i still have and ride regularly. Had as big as 750 four but sold it as small bike much more fun and easy to ride. Only drawback is on busy fast roads but if you avoid these then not a problem. Riding the CD175 makes me feel 16 again.
A C-90 is reliable, easy to service and perfect for urban riding, they can be used for running down to shops or going on day out outside the city and a fry up lunch a cafe. Nno worries about parking or running out of pertol .
I got a 125 when I was 16. I rode it almost every day on local twisty roads and had a great time and lots of fun. My friends had a 125 too. When my friend turned 18 he bought a 400. I didn’t and stuck with my 125 which he couldn’t understand. We didn’t do more rides together and eventually he sold his 400 and stoped riding. I’m now 23 and last year I did a tour through the alps on my 125 together with a friend on big 1250 touring bike. He didn’t care that I was slow and we had a great time.
@@northover5023 I’ve heard this many times but I like my bike I enjoy riding it for exactly the reasons mentioned in the video. As far as I’m concerned I’m going just fast enough 😃
Every year, I do thousands of miles touring the UK on a 1971 Lambretta GP 125, I love the challenge of doing big miles (and roadside repairs), on something that was originally designed for trips to the local Trattoria.
I agree with everything said .... plus: It the speed ... I love to ride my 50cc Vespa or my Simson Schwalbe on a 2 or 3 day trip, with very few luggage and travel at just 50km/h. There's more time and I feel more relaxed to enjoy the landscape than it is on a bigger bike where you have to watch out carefully for traffic, things lying on the road or even bother if there's someone slow in front of you.
Small bikes are so much more fun for all the reasons you’ve mentioned. Small country roads on a Vespa verses multi lane highways on big v twin cruisers, I would take any day!
I live in Ho Chi Minh City and drive a Honda Cub. You don't need a license here for vehicles under 50cc. But it's such a great little bike to drive and it's got character that many Hondas don't have. It doesn't feel slow when you're on it either. Speed is a state of mind to some degree I think.
I bought a fifty recently, and I love it. It's cheap and clean, and it take me to places you don't see on a motorcycle, let alone a car. A disadvantage I've discovered, is that some people in cars are of the opinion that your status to low to actually consider your wellbeing, using you as a sorting box or turning lane, generally trying to run you of the road, a space in a row of cars that they feel entitled to occupy, or they don't respect your right of way, out of arrogance, frustration or because they have something to compensate. All this makes riding a small bike considerably more interesting, not to say dangerous, but I'm still having fun. People that need to pick on what they consider less, are generally either cowards or overly empowered. In both cases, they are confessing a lot about themselves by their behaviour.
My first bike was a 1972 Suzuki Gaucho 50, 4.9 hp, and it sure beat peddling! Owned 20+ motorcycles over the past 40 years (Honda Goldwing, Yamaha FJR1300, Yamaha Roadstar Warrior 1700, to name a few) I am ready to retire at 65 and just bought a leftover 2023 KTM Duke 200 ($2,999??) I just became 16 again, having a blast on a 330 lb. Baby Duke. She is outfitted for Sport Touring (I can average 500+ miles a day, as a member of the Iron Butt Assoc.), and this this little guy is my new steed. It's time to slow down, stop and small some roses, and cherish every mile the good Lord has left for me. See you on the road!
My Yamaha Crypton T115 is reliable, eficient, convinient and goes wherever my bigger bike goes. Love it and i'll keep it forever. If i'm going to spend the price of a car and burn gasoline as a car, then i choose the car.
There is an Argentinian guy doing Patagonia-Alaska in a C90, Pablo Imhoff, the guy has been doing that trip for the last four years and he's just enterring the US 😅
In Ireland, as well as tractor runs for charity we also have Honda 50 runs to raise money for good causes. In reality, any small bike can go on the run. Sometimes over a hundred small bikes might turn up and cover a trip of 30 or 40 miles, 40 or 50 kilometres. It's a sight to see!
I think you're absolutely right, Mr. Welsh Man. My own experience tells me that it's much more entertaining, and satisfying to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow. It's easy to prove that mastering the technique of getting every bit of performance from a small bike provides an education that isn't available any other way.
Absolutely. I started on a little Honda Nighthawk 250 (actually 234 c.c.) and all you say about learning technique on a small, non-intimidating motorcycle is 100% correct.
I still have the 1969 BSA Starfire I bought when I was 17, I'm 65 now. Nothing can replace the feel, the sound, the smell of that old bike in my life. I've ridden modern bikes of all sizes, some are fun, some are heavy, some are scary, but most do their job all too well. What they seem to lack is the rawness and simplicity that I so enjoy with the old Starfire.
I have always said that when I see someone out on one of these complete with camping gear that they are on a real adventure. Anyone can ride effortlessly for miles on a big bike but you have to work at riding a small machine like this, the challenge of power verses hills etc a test for both man and machine.
Life is certainly a big circle . When we were born , we were put in a nappy to piss and shit in , so as we aged and got out of the nappy and got older and started riding mini bikes , small capacity motorcycles , it was a whole new world of fun . Then we got older , had more money , bought bigger better bikes and still had fun . But then as we age , the thrill of speed slowly diminishes , as does our strength to go on with the bigger bikes , so then the down sizing comes in to affect to keep the motorcycling alive as we age with smaller bikes , to realise we can have just as much fun as we did when we first started out riding . So as we then get older , if your lucky enough to , like riding motorcycles when we started , you will end up back in a nappy if you live long enough . Enjoy every day , as waking up tomorrow is not guaranteed .
@kevinleberger2513 I know falls and wrecks happen, but I'm 62. I've rode motorcycles since I was 8. I've gotten better at using protective gear in the last 20 years or so.
I am flashing back to my youth in Ireland in 70s. Every bachelor roadworker had a Honda 50 … often encountered wobbling home from the pub in the wee hours. GREAT video
I had a new Honda CD90Z in 1969 when I was sixteen, did 16,000 miles in a year, had a holiday down to Lands End and across to Bournemouth from Manchester staying in Youth Hostels. I seized the engine up on the Chester road 2up, trying to keep up with a Lambretta SX200 at 60mph for ten miles lol! No problem, I got it home, and stripped it down and fixed it myself, the top cam chain sprocket had hardly any teeth, they were worn smooth. After that I went no faster than 35mph even down to Lands End, I have had 33 bikes since, up to a Harley Road King, but I still remember that little bike with fondness.
I’m completely with you on this. When the new design of the Honda Cub 125 came out in 2023 I had a BMW F800R but I just had to buy the Cub! I love it and have since sold the BMW. I agree that the appeal is the simplicity and the nostalgia (I have owned a C90 and, before that an S65).
Bought my sisters C70 off her in 1986. Used everywhere, then it got written off when a car pulled out on me. Later, after different bikes, got a SH300 in 2008. Loved it. I’m debating whether to get a SH125, or SH350.
Absolutely...had all sorts and sizes of bikes in UK...moved to a remote area in EU and purchased a Cub125. Ive never enjoyed myself more. Ambling down lanes, stopping old ruins, camping under a tarp, woodland paths, park anywhere ive totaly fallin in love with a small bike. Its my keeper.❤
Oh Gosh the memories. I used to drive from London to the West coast of Scotland in four days on a Yamaha 80. Small tent and ruck sack on the rack. I'd disappear into the highlands for months at a time. Great times.
When my stepdaughter decided to start riding, I went on a 40 mile trip to pick up a cbf125 for her. I was expecting a long boring ride back. But I loved it. It was so much fun.
1973 I ride my Honda SS50 from Oxford to Colwyn Bay. What an adventure “blasting” through the horseshoe pass. Numerous bikes over the years bigger faster more expensive but none have me that sense of freedom that that little bike did at 16.
Wow! Never had so much interest in a video before!
Thanks to everyone who’s watched, commented, liked and subbed. 🤜🏻🤛🏼
Ed Marsh approves that message
Lovely bike ,a Honda 50cc here in Pakistan
The stunningly good algorithm is promoting it (still) 👍😊
your very welcome
The most important thing on any motorbike, is that 'NUT' between the handlebars.☺️
I started riding at 15, now at 62, I'm still riding.... I learnt it on a 60 cc TVS moped & today I ride a TVS XL 100 cc.
For me CCs are directly proportionate to one's body weight. Going fast is like running the video in fast forward mode....Life becomes complex & scenes becomes blurry.
I was never in a hurry to die or prove anything to myself, just wanted to enjoy the stay on this planet at bit longer, bruised but not broken.
People always laugh at me but I just smile back.
😌
🙏
Live Long N Prosper
Its more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
I ride my 23 year old sym jet 50 2 stroke love pooling along ,I had bigger bike but prefer my cheap cheerful 50cc
Great observation.
well said
Very well said. I’ve had many gsxr 1000’s and a couple hayabusas. Definitely enjoyed the overall experience on the gsxr 600, as well as the odd scooter I’ve rented through the years.
No…it isn’t
I've got a Kawasaki Z900RS, what a beast. I've got a Honda CRF300L for green lanes, which I love riding. However, the bike that I don't have is that Puch Maxi in shining black that my mum and dad gave me for my 16th birthday present in 1976. It wasn't an FS1E, favoured by the oiks who needed to go 35mph instead of 30mph, but it was my ticket to freedom.
Oh god, I was so happy. I went out on it at 1 minute past my birthday at midnight. It was in Rickling Green and I went around the back into the country. I can remember the pride, joy, exhilaration.
I used it to get to school, then college, then other places. A couple of months later I rode to Ipswich to see Man Utd play Ipswich, oh god the world had opened up to me. Mind you, I couldn't walk for an hour after I got there.
As much as I love my Z900RS and CRF300L, nothing will ever come close to that first feeling of all of those years ago. If only we could turn the clock back and experience the first time again. However, time is the only thing in the universe that doesn't go backwards. Please let me know if I'm wrong about that.
@@SlipperyJack60 ...No your oh so right 👍
Wow, I said virtually the same thing a few minutes ago, I hadn't seen your comment at that point but yes, nothing compares to that feeling you get riding your first bike 👍
I like 125s for the fact that for the vast majority of the world they're seen as perfectly capable workhorses, and it's only in a few rich countries that we have this idea of "big bikes", most of which are toys.
Plus, as the saying goes "it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow!"
Yes! I'm in the US and would really like to have a Honda CG125, pushrod engine. Sadly, they are not available here even though the world has oodles of them. Someday I may settle for a China made clone but, it won't be the same as having a Honda.
@@jerrym3261 no no no, do not buy a shitty Chinese copy, they may look similar but that's all. Also you can often really struggle to find parts when they go wrong (which it will)
I partly agree with you but do you not think it greatly depends on what you use the bike for? I live in Norwich and I work in kings Lynn, during the summer I often go to work on my thunderace, at least half the journey is dual carriageway and all of the journey is A roads. When my ex wife was learning I rode her 125 virago from wisbech to kings Lynn, about 11 miles, the singular most terrifying experience of my life, 45 mph max head wind on a dual carriageway with HGVs thundering past! Apart from how much longer it would take if I commuted on a 125 I'd be exhausted by the time I got to work. That said, when I lived about 7 miles from work I bought a little Honda rs 250 for 200 quid solely to get to work on instead of using my main bike and it was great but I wouldn't have wanted to ride much further on it.
@@Norfolkbiker50 I'm in the US. It's a whole 'nother world here. We don't get most of what is available to you in UK. Here you are very, very limited to where you could sanely ride a 125. If the posted limit is 45, traffic will be at 60+. A starter bike here is 500cc or more. Even the riding classes people take so they don't have to take a test to get a license will have you on a 250 to ride around a parking lot. We kill our bikes by letting them sit. We don't wear out parts. I have 11 motorcycles, none ran when they came to me and I doubt I've replaced 5 parts on the lot. I envy your bikes and even more your riders.
@@jerrym3261 yeah, the issue I have with the 125 law in the UK is that it's 40 years out of date. That law was introduced in 1982, since then the number of cars on the roads has increased 10 fold, regardless of the manufacturers claimed top speed most 125s don't go much more than 60mph and a headwind or a slight hill and that 60 quickly becomes 40, really dangerous on any road other than a built up area with a 30mph speed limit. I passed my test in 1982 specifically to avoid having to ride a 125, I haven't owned a bike less than 750cc for more than 20 years and even then the last "small capacity" bike I owned was a Honda CBR600 capable of more than 150mph, my current bike is a Yamaha thunderace YZF1000R, my 17 year old daughter wants one to go to college on but that 12 mile journey consists of 10 miles of dual carriageway with a 70 mph speed limit so I've told her that if she really wants a bike she has to pass her test and get something big enough to be safe, she's also a wrestler and luckily my view has been echoed by some of the wrestlers that ride so even if she doesn't listen to me she might listen to them!
The nicest thing about a small bike it feels like it's an extension of your body and handels much better.
yea i get it, it also forces you to go slower, enjoy the ride and the scenery more, its safer, lighter! I get it. My mum had one of these, i sadly never got to ride it. Maybe one day. Your video has inspired me to maybe get one, at least to try it out.
Bigger ain't always better. After you've experienced all the "big" bikes under the sun, there's nothing like riding a small bike again. It's like going back home and having your favorite food cooked by your mother. Nostalgia and comfort.
It's more fun trying to go fast than actually going fast! My best biking memories are the days we all raced around on our mopeds.
There is nothing I respect more than a grown man on a Vespa heading into work. I know motorcyclist who won't wave at scooters but to me, on my Kawasaki W800, it brings me joy to see someone getting a bike that just works for them like a Honda Navi, Vespa Primavera or Honda Trail 125.
Exactly, all you hear now is how expensive it is to live but yet you see no one on a small bike getting 100 mpg, low insurance, low initial cost to buy. And they miss the happiness of riding a simple scooter.
@@EstebanDVO I bought a scooter for my wife but she only ride it a couple of times. Scared. I used it a lot to go for groceries. Big storage box under the seat and the flat floor held a big box. I sold it because I didn't like the small tires. Scooters are for the city. Not for a village with dirt roads full of potholes.
It's the same with cars. The best car I ever owned was a 1983 Mazda 323 1.3 4-door hatchback which I bought in 2000 for £350. Apart from motorways, it did everything so well. Comfort, simplicity, economy. It had lovely light non-powered steering, skinny tyres, soft suspension and a nice gearbox action. It was a hoot around town and on B-roads. The wife hated it.
@@ianh.6825 I get it… my dad only had a few cars in his long life , all secondhand patched up kept until they died completely .. and I feel the same way .. ok so the widow won’t work and it is near its end but I love it… and My wife won’t ride in it either 🤣…
Back in the early 70s . I would miss the bus to school and have to face the anger of my Father, a Regimental Sergeant Major, who would have to come home and run me the 10 miles to school on the back of his Honda 90.
Oh the joy of flying along those beautiful Hampshire back roads at 50 mph. The pleasure outweighed Dads irritation and I'm sure that by the time we arrived at our destination, He had quite enjoyed himself too. All anger dissipated!
I learned from a very early age, the healing effect that even a brief ride in the sunshine on even a tiny motorcycle could have. ( It was always sunny in the 70s!}
Oh how I loved that Man, despite all the thick ears!
50 years later and 35 motorcycle all inspired by a Honda Cub.
And thats how I pray my kids will remember me mate. Lovely strory btw xxx
I had a 50cc cub when i was 17, rode from Holyhead to LLANDUDNO, and lived in wrexham, I see your a local Welsh lad with images of LLANGOLLEN, havenn't ridden since my teens, some 40yrs ago, you make me want to go and buy one and relive my youth😃
I started with 50cc in the 70s. I never had more than 125cc. Right now I have a RYUKA CLASSIC 110 (I live in Thailand). This bike is probably not very reliable, but it is fun to ride and so beautiful. I love it!💙
Can probably use most Honda parts as spares? Then it will get more reliable as time goes on 🤔😅
@@thatwelshman4518 Yes 😅! But the price for a new motorcycle was 41.000 bahts = 1.100 €. To be honest, at this price I can accept some flaws...
You hit it right on the nose, you feel like a teenager reliving your early memories every time I ride my Honda Trail 125. At 75 years old I’d become a young boy every time I start the motor.
This really chimes with me - after all the big bikes & fast bikes the one I look back most fondly on is the C70 I had for riding round the garden & up farm tracks when I was about 14. Cost my Dad 35 quid (a fortune) & to me it was cool as a V-Max. I can still smell that petroly smell in the shed where VJH101M lived.
Agreed had lots of Honda 50s when I was a kid and loved them ,riding over the gravel pits pure joy….
Work have given me a Toyota Yaris to drive home in. It has an electronic nanny that reports you to the local general manager if you exceed the speed limit by 10 km/h, if you brake too aggressively and if you corner too harshly. A reliable runabout but soulless. All joy from driving it has been excised. I've asked for an upgrade to a bigger vehicle. If that doesn't happen, I'm switching to my own Suzuki 110 cc scooter. It definitely brings me joy with every ride, no matter what the weather.
Very interesting, I'm in my 80s now, up until last year I've always ridden big British twins from being a teenager. I sold the 650ss Norton and bought a Honda cb125 f. This is proving brilliant. Most of my trips are across the North Yorks moors or Wolds . 45to 50 tops.I enjoy every minute riding it . Many thanks, lovely article. Eric .
Totally agree with all that. I'm 67 and never been without a bike. I have been downsizing for a while. I have a Meteor and a Hunter but for reason I can't justify, I just bought an MSX 125 Grom.
Unbelievable fun, absolutely love it.
Got a Meteor 350 , a CRF250 but my favourite is my
Suzuki GD110 , she's converted to Motocross style .. Top Speed 65-70 kph .. Quick enough .. Cheers 🥂
*Plough* 🎉
Hello Tim. You haven't mentioned that 125 Grom 😂. Great fun though I imagine for all the reasons our host here mentions. 👍
I went from a Kawasaki Z550 to a ZR7 to an Aprilia RSV Mille. Now I have a Honda Monkey 125 and I haven't been having so much fun since I first started riding.
It's just more fun to ride a small bike at 90% of his capacity then a big one at 20%.
More and more people start to realize this
And the big manufacturers are also beginning to see the light.
I agree, the fact the Royal Enfields have done so well is probably enough for the rest to take notice!
I've had small bikes over the years and I can tell you this: I've had bigger bikes, but the most fun I ever had was riding a small bike. Little bikes can give big adventures. Like so many say, they are cheap to run and maintain, they may not be the fastest on the road, but you can go places with them!
One summer day in '65 my friend turned up at my house on his Honda 50. "I'm off to Cornwall" he said. Two weeks later he was back, no problems at all and nice weather all through. R.I.P. Brian, Died 2015, never forgotten. Thanks for a reminder of a great little bike.
I'm 70 years old and live in the US. When I was young I knew that Soichiro Honda was the greatest human that ever lived and the Honda Super Cub was the product that most improved the world. I don't know that it was his vision but, I believed that lots and lots of small motorcycles would have made the US a much better place. Clean, quiet, low cost and super fuel efficient, they were great. Sadly, too many forces that saw the little bikes as an obstacle to what they wanted to do. I have 3 Cubs and the "big" motorcycle I ride most is a CB250 Nighthawk. I know my thumb to where it joins my hand displaces 50cc of water so, cruising my 300lb body along a 40mph, I can look at my thumb and be amazed. I often say, I started on a Cub and if I get to where I can no longer ride a Cub, I'm ready to leave this world.
With such machine you get the carefree childhood feeling back of not worrying about things.
Who argues with a Honda Super Cub?? It is literally the most popular motor vehicle in human history, for very good reason!
A mate of mine, who's sadly no longer with us, used to have a Honda Chaly which we'd push down to the banks of the River Dee in North Wales. We had hours of fun, undisturbed and not disturbing anyone else. In one spot there were loads of chunks of old quarry tiles on the ground, and one of our favourite games was for the one on the back to throw chunks ahead of us, whilst the rider weaved past them as we caught the bouncing bricks up and they whizzed past our heads. How we didn't end up in hospital I'll never know. Innocent and daft in equal measures 😊
Minimalism has a satisfying nature about it. Riding because you like to ride and not because you're trying to impress anyone. I love my RE 350 Classic. 😁
That’s my other bike 😄👍
You hit the nail on the head here. The chase for max hp never ends - keeping it simple and just enjoying your ride is so fulfilling. Not to mention the nostalgia of riding like this. Beautiful words man.
It's the thrill of making it out alive!
Hello 🖐️ from bankrupt 🇬🇷 Greece!
Hi! I was riding a scooter on Kos this summer, beautiful place 👍
Less is always more. More time to soak in the views, smell the grass, watch the asphalt unwind. and more importantly have that quiet conversation in your own head.
I'm 70 now and still riding and the feeling NEVER leaves you👍👍
@kevinhendon Hi I am 68 have a yamaha mt03 fast enough for me
軽量でシンプルなスーパーカブを走行させるには良い自然と景色
これからも御安全に。
Had the C90, Puch city, then on to AR 80, was amazing feeling when younger.....then the ZX10, and 5 CBR 1100xx, again I love the tour......now I'm back to CZ 175, 12 BHp, and I can honestly say, more smiles per mile on a 47 year old CZ and I can have just about any bike except A MotoGP ....... there is something magical about small bikes....
I totally agree and understand. Goes for cars too… I have the most fond memories of my 1988 Suzuki Samurai “jeep”. 66 hp engine… but I took off the doors and the roof (removeable) and drove around town like that all summer. Slow, not fast by any means, but the most fun to bum around. I have had a few cars and a truck since then but that Samurai is still what I remember with most fondness.
I have a Suzuki Voluscia 800 with bags and the lot for touring. I totally understand your love for small bikes.
That Cub looks sweet. This video is a gem. It makes the viewer contemplate exactly WHY he ride bikes and why it's such fun.
I've gone from a 900 to a 650, then to a 300, I now ride a 125 Yamaha scooter. It's not all about speed, it's just enjoying the ride and taking in the scenery. Love my Nmax!
51 anos de idade. Fiz o mesmo aí longo dos anos. Aqui no Brasil a nmax é 160cc. Boa pilotagem!
No fun to ride a fast bike slow, all the fun is riding a slow bike FAST, like the man said 🙏
I completely agree with you small is beautiful. When l was a teenager, you got 4 gallons, not litres for a £1. Then in 1973 came the oil crisis in the Middle East, the government issued petrol vouchers, which l still have, with the intent of rationing petrol, petrol soared to the giddy heights 3 gallons for a £1.....When l hit 27,000 miles on my Honda CG125, l rebuilt the top end and it's still going strong, the secret to it's long life is I change the oil every 1000 miles, it takes a massive 1 litre....lol
Maybe we like small bikes because they represent our first real taste of freedom. I rode around southern BC on a 80cc Suzuki in a pair of shorts with little money and no helmet. It was high summer and hardly any people. A skinny kid with a big grin ripping along with a cloud of smoke trailing behind and more often than not, a fouled plug that required a pit stop. You can buy a small bike to relive the past, but you can never go home again.
I like my small bike because it's practical, bullet proof and keeps me under the radar of all the unwanted attention. Plus, I can store it just about anywhere.
all the best adventure blogs here on youtube come from small engine motorcycles. Vespas, honda c90's, monkey bikes, just 125cc in general . It's about the journey and the people you meet.
Completely get this after 35+ years of superbikes - my first little bikes all those years ago remind me exactly of what you’re saying. As you get older speed becomes less important, so the enjoyment of just making progress on a smaller bike all the more rewarding and fun.
I am the same they just make you smile and theres more reward .My last couple of years at work I used a Moped and loved it .
My Nan lent me £27 to buy a C50 in 1968. That bike meant freedom 😍
It brings back the feelings of my kidself, 70s honda c50 & c90....and my navi.
It will get you anywhere in a more happier way down to earth feeling
I been riding bikes 50 years . I get all you say m8 . Glad we lived in that era . Love it . Best feeling ever
These small bikes were so reliable. Years ago me and my gf at the time rode down to north africa on a couple of small 2-stroke engine bikes, her on a KE100 and me on a MTX 125. Cruising speed if it can be called, that, of 50 mph.
I think it great seeing anyone riding regardless of the cc. Always nod to your fellow rider's.
I must say, the best memories are from us, riding old 50cc scooters, trying to see if we can get somewhere, and just being silly. We have guys riding BlackBirds, but when we take these out, its just us being kids again. I am slowly starting to just ride on a 125CC around, not thinking about speed, or power, just enjoying it. 10/10 would recommend to all, getting a scooter and getting onto an adventure with friends.
I agree. There's something counterintuitive about riding small bikes. They make you earn every mile and often divert your travels to a slower road with greater rewards. There's nothing like wringing the neck of a tiddler on a twisty morning road to awaken the day. Grrr!
I am retired, 75 years old, and living in France. My Yamaha T80 hasn't run for over 30 years and hasn't been registered in France. I have been approached to sell it, but, those old memories will not allow it. I still expect to make it road worthy again to relive the pleasure I gained from it all that time ago. It will almost certainly have a new life after I have departed this world. Hope the new owner/restorer experiences the joy that I had!
Incidentally, 'tho' I loved the sensible torque of my (heavy) BMW K1100 RS, and it's effortless long distance ability at overtaking, the little Yamaha has imprinted delightful memories in my brain that cannot be erased.
I preferred my bikes to be shaft driven, and this usually meant the small capacity machines would be chain driven. Well done Yamaha for producing two step thru's (3 if you include the 30cc? shopping machine... name forgotten), the T50/T80 to compete with Honda's Cub versions.
I did have a one hour test drive on Yamaha's shaft driven (French Police) bike the FJ 1300. Pretty mind-blowing, but guaranteed licence loser. No such worries with the T80 Town mate.
Small bikes have an endearing charm all of their own which persists long after you have lost the ability to get the leg over!
We ride 'em because they're just plain fun!
its just tough in the US, the roads here are a bit too fast for small displacement bikes, its not impossible, just more unsettling
My Z400 is a small bike here in Texas. Half the cost of a bigger bike, cheaper parts, tons of aftermarket parts, big enough for hwys, 12k redline, lighter, easier to practice low speed skills on, and way less desirable to thieves! 😃
In Bali, Z400 still big bike. 😂
@@novricahynobudi1888 Yes it's a little big bike. I call it Mighty Mouse 😃
among many 1 more advantage of small & slow bike... as slow speed YOU SEE & ENJOY MORE AROUND😊
I lived in a farm house in the country I rented. After 3 years I got a bike - push bike as it happens - for the first time in 3 years I found out that 2km away from my house was the most AMAZING lake - Id never seen it at 60mph in the car. It has swans on it and willow trees leaning over the edge, so beautiful.
@@piccalillipit9211 ... so nice to hear your beautiful experience... hope life treats you kind always... tc
@@RC-wx3ks It does not ALWAYS treat me kindly - but mostly. THANKS
@@piccalillipit9211 may be... hope... your luck favours you more... tc
Small motorcycles are great for stealth camping. You can wheel them into the tightest, unlikeliest places, kip down for the night, disappear at first light, and least not a trace.
My first bike was an MT-07, but then I got my mother an YBR125. There's something incredibly fun about trying to go as fast as possible on a small bike.
Lovely... we did several tours in Vietnam on such bikes, the last trip was 4 months with 10.000km. It is.a wonderful way of traveling.
I agree, I’ve got six bikes, all Japanese classics from 350 lc to Gpz 900 , I’ve had hayabusa’s and R1’s but I’d rather ride my C90 than all of them
I drove down to st,ives twice from south east London for two weeks holidays camping with my girlfriend each time ! Two tents, two sleeping bags, hook up lead, double electric ring stove, clothing, towels, double blow up bed, small fridge, pots and pans, everything ! All on an Aprilla SR 125 scooter with givi massive back box ! And each time from Exeter we drove the A30 on the way down believe it or not we drove with the Hells Angels ! No one has excelled more than what i have excelled on a 125cc scooter ever !
Grew up riding that exact model. I remember the feeling of starting the rebuilt modified engine for the first time and all the joy it brought me. After a major crash I upgraded to a new underbone bike, and more recently to a drz400sm. But that bike is still dearest to my heart.
I love small bikes. Nostalgia, fun, easy to work on, cheap to run, green, not over powered, not too fast, light weight. What is there not to like!
I haven't had a bike for years, but the feeling I got from riding a small-engined cheap bike was that I was somehow beating the system, and I'm not even sure why I felt like that. You also have to think ahead as you can't power or bully your way out of trouble.
Fuel efficient, mine can get you up to 65km on a 1 liter gas. Safe to drive because it drive slow but you get to appreciate small details of travels. Love the video, explain it really well. Keep it up!!!
I love my YBR125 for my commute. It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
I recently turned 65, I started riding at age 8 on a Bultaco 100 dirt bike. I have owned over 40 bikes and ridden over a million miles. I have owned everything from mopeds to large Japanese cruisers, Goldwings, a couple of Harleys, and a few dual sport bikes (NO crotch rockets) I love small bikes, but I live in a place where it is almost impossible to ride one without getting run over.
Interesting alternative view on biking, but...riding without gloves. Braver man than me.
Totally agree. Had a CD175 back in 1984 an bought another again in 1990 which i still have and ride regularly. Had as big as 750 four but sold it as small bike much more fun and easy to ride. Only drawback is on busy fast roads but if you avoid these then not a problem. Riding the CD175 makes me feel 16 again.
After riding big bikes for years, I discovered the benefits, ease and fun of riding small engine bikes.
A C-90 is reliable, easy to service and perfect for urban riding, they can be used for running down to shops or going on day out outside the city and a fry up lunch a cafe. Nno worries about parking or running out of pertol .
I got a 125 when I was 16. I rode it almost every day on local twisty roads and had a great time and lots of fun. My friends had a 125 too. When my friend turned 18 he bought a 400. I didn’t and stuck with my 125 which he couldn’t understand. We didn’t do more rides together and eventually he sold his 400 and stoped riding. I’m now 23 and last year I did a tour through the alps on my 125 together with a friend on big 1250 touring bike. He didn’t care that I was slow and we had a great time.
You should get a faster bike so you can enjoy the alpes quicker
@@northover5023 did you even watch the video on WHY people ride slower bikes?
@@shinren_ yes
@@northover5023 I’ve heard this many times but I like my bike I enjoy riding it for exactly the reasons mentioned in the video. As far as I’m concerned I’m going just fast enough 😃
@@m.schlumpf4485 fair I was only joking
Smaller bikes are more practical for everyday commuting I would say
Every year, I do thousands of miles touring the UK on a 1971 Lambretta GP 125, I love the challenge of doing big miles (and roadside repairs), on something that was originally designed for trips to the local Trattoria.
I agree with everything said .... plus: It the speed ...
I love to ride my 50cc Vespa or my Simson Schwalbe on a 2 or 3 day trip, with very few luggage and travel at just 50km/h. There's more time and I feel more relaxed to enjoy the landscape than it is on a bigger bike where you have to watch out carefully for traffic, things lying on the road or even bother if there's someone slow in front of you.
Small bikes are so much more fun for all the reasons you’ve mentioned. Small country roads on a Vespa verses multi lane highways on big v twin cruisers, I would take any day!
I live in Ho Chi Minh City and drive a Honda Cub. You don't need a license here for vehicles under 50cc. But it's such a great little bike to drive and it's got character that many Hondas don't have. It doesn't feel slow when you're on it either. Speed is a state of mind to some degree I think.
I bought a fifty recently, and I love it. It's cheap and clean, and it take me to places you don't see on a motorcycle, let alone a car.
A disadvantage I've discovered, is that some people in cars are of the opinion that your status to low to actually consider your wellbeing, using you as a sorting box or turning lane, generally trying to run you of the road, a space in a row of cars that they feel entitled to occupy, or they don't respect your right of way, out of arrogance, frustration or because they have something to compensate.
All this makes riding a small bike considerably more interesting, not to say dangerous, but I'm still having fun.
People that need to pick on what they consider less, are generally either cowards or overly empowered. In both cases, they are confessing a lot about themselves by their behaviour.
My first bike was a 1972 Suzuki Gaucho 50, 4.9 hp, and it sure beat peddling! Owned 20+ motorcycles over the past 40 years (Honda Goldwing, Yamaha FJR1300, Yamaha Roadstar Warrior 1700, to name a few) I am ready to retire at 65 and just bought a leftover 2023 KTM Duke 200 ($2,999??) I just became 16 again, having a blast on a 330 lb. Baby Duke. She is outfitted for Sport Touring (I can average 500+ miles a day, as a member of the Iron Butt Assoc.), and this this little guy is my new steed. It's time to slow down, stop and small some roses, and cherish every mile the good Lord has left for me. See you on the road!
It's the simplicity of things that makes it beautiful. And the sensation. Riding a small bike at 40mph it's not the same as a big bike.
Slow living + slow bike = perfect
Any biking is better than no biking, large or small.
Very true!
My Yamaha Crypton T115 is reliable, eficient, convinient and goes wherever my bigger bike goes. Love it and i'll keep it forever. If i'm going to spend the price of a car and burn gasoline as a car, then i choose the car.
There is an Argentinian guy doing Patagonia-Alaska in a C90, Pablo Imhoff, the guy has been doing that trip for the last four years and he's just enterring the US 😅
In Ireland, as well as tractor runs for charity we also have Honda 50 runs to raise money for good causes.
In reality, any small bike can go on the run. Sometimes over a hundred small bikes might turn up and cover a trip of 30 or 40 miles, 40 or 50 kilometres.
It's a sight to see!
Awesome! I keep saying I need to get over to Ireland on the bike.
I think you're absolutely right, Mr. Welsh Man. My own experience tells me that it's much more entertaining, and satisfying to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow. It's easy to prove that mastering the technique of getting every bit of performance from a small bike provides an education that isn't available any other way.
Absolutely. I started on a little Honda Nighthawk 250 (actually 234 c.c.) and all you say about learning technique on a small, non-intimidating motorcycle is 100% correct.
I still have the 1969 BSA Starfire I bought when I was 17, I'm 65 now. Nothing can replace the feel, the sound, the smell of that old bike in my life.
I've ridden modern bikes of all sizes, some are fun, some are heavy, some are scary, but most do their job all too well.
What they seem to lack is the rawness and simplicity that I so enjoy with the old Starfire.
That’s great! Bet you’re glad you never sold it :)
@@thatwelshman4518 That's thanks to my brother, who saved all the old bikes we had in his capacious shed, while I was busy with family life.
Yup, you hit the nail on the head.
I’m not a small man and I look super awkward riding a small bike, but I love it nonetheless.
I have always said that when I see someone out on one of these complete with camping gear that they are on a real adventure. Anyone can ride effortlessly for miles on a big bike but you have to work at riding a small machine like this, the challenge of power verses hills etc a test for both man and machine.
Any bike you do an adventure on is an adventure bike already! ❤❤
Life is certainly a big circle . When we were born , we were put in a nappy to piss and shit in , so as we aged and got out of the nappy and got older and started riding mini bikes , small capacity motorcycles , it was a whole new world of fun . Then we got older , had more money , bought bigger better bikes and still had fun . But then as we age , the thrill of speed slowly diminishes , as does our strength to go on with the bigger bikes , so then the down sizing comes in to affect to keep the motorcycling alive as we age with smaller bikes , to realise we can have just as much fun as we did when we first started out riding . So as we then get older , if your lucky enough to , like riding motorcycles when we started , you will end up back in a nappy if you live long enough .
Enjoy every day , as waking up tomorrow is not guaranteed .
The thing I like about small displacement bikes is you don't have to get all geared out, just put on you helmet and go. Plus they are so lightweight.
I am still geared out. A fall at anything over 20mph is gonna hurt LOL
@kevinleberger2513 I know falls and wrecks happen, but I'm 62. I've rode motorcycles since I was 8. I've gotten better at using protective gear in the last 20 years or so.
@@kevinleberger2513pedal bikes can go faster than 20mph ...
@@markmurray5659 and still hurts if you fall’off 🤪
I am flashing back to my youth in Ireland in 70s. Every bachelor roadworker had a Honda 50 … often encountered wobbling home from the pub in the wee hours. GREAT video
I had a new Honda CD90Z in 1969 when I was sixteen, did 16,000 miles in a year, had a holiday down to Lands End and across to Bournemouth from Manchester staying in Youth Hostels. I seized the engine up on the Chester road 2up, trying to keep up with a Lambretta SX200 at 60mph for ten miles lol! No problem, I got it home, and stripped it down and fixed it myself, the top cam chain sprocket had hardly any teeth, they were worn smooth. After that I went no faster than 35mph even down to Lands End, I have had 33 bikes since, up to a Harley Road King, but I still remember that little bike with fondness.
I’m completely with you on this. When the new design of the Honda Cub 125 came out in 2023 I had a BMW F800R but I just had to buy the Cub! I love it and have since sold the BMW. I agree that the appeal is the simplicity and the nostalgia (I have owned a C90 and, before that an S65).
Bought my sisters C70 off her in 1986. Used everywhere, then it got written off when a car pulled out on me. Later, after different bikes, got a SH300 in 2008. Loved it. I’m debating whether to get a SH125, or SH350.
@@ML-qk1px both would be good I reckon, I’d go for a cub 125 though 😁
Absolutely...had all sorts and sizes of bikes in UK...moved to a remote area in EU and purchased a Cub125. Ive never enjoyed myself more. Ambling down lanes, stopping old ruins, camping under a tarp, woodland paths, park anywhere ive totaly fallin in love with a small bike. Its my keeper.❤
Oh Gosh the memories. I used to drive from London to the West coast of Scotland in four days on a Yamaha 80. Small tent and ruck sack on the rack. I'd disappear into the highlands for months at a time. Great times.
Sounds like a lot of fun.
When my stepdaughter decided to start riding, I went on a 40 mile trip to pick up a cbf125 for her. I was expecting a long boring ride back. But I loved it. It was so much fun.
1973 I ride my Honda SS50 from Oxford to Colwyn Bay. What an adventure “blasting” through the horseshoe pass.
Numerous bikes over the years bigger faster more expensive but none have me that sense of freedom that that little bike did at 16.
@@rdaxthedog awesome 😎