HONDA CM125 CUSTOM - BUYERS GUIDE

OUR VERDICT:

For:

• Good build quality
• Impossibly simple to ride
• Comfy
• Looks larger than it is
• Good tank range
• Economical and cheap to run
• Low seat height

Against:

• Slow
• Custom styling won't appeal to some
• Slow
• Chinese copies not far behind quality wise but much cheaper
• Slow

INTRODUCTION:

The CM125 Custom was launched in the early 80's and ran for a few years along side the sportier CB125TD Superdream. Those versions had drum front brakes, spoked wheels and no rev counter. The new ones have cast wheels and a disk brake at the front but are essentially the same machine. They also have cooler paint schemes.

WHICH ONE TO GO FOR:

Old model, newer model or Chinese copy, those are your three options. The old ones had drum brakes but were faster. Most will be knackered by now. The new ones will all be much nicer (Honda's attract a higher quality of learner) condition wise. The Chinese copies are plentiful and cheap. You can get one for around £599 on the road which is a bargain. But you have to take into account spares availability and the fact there will be no real warranty. Also be aware that they might not be what they seem. Many of them have single cylinder engines that look at first glance like twins. They may also have strange things like gearboxes that work the wrong way round, i.e. all gears are down as opposed to 1 down 4 up. They certainly make a compelling case though.

RELIABILITY AND COMMON FAULTS:

Reliability is excellent. The ancient twin cylinder engine was designed to put out 18 b.h.p. so it's totally underwhelmed in the new restricted form. Very little goes wrong, just service it properly and it will keep going and going.

Tyres and chain/sprockets and other consumable last forever too, it's a very cheap bike to run.

CB125TD Superdreams, which share the engine, can suffer from engine wear (bores and valve guides) later in life, but only when they're abused.

The chrome work isn't the best I've seen, protecting the underneath of the mudguards is time well spent.

MODEL HISTORY:

Launched in the early 80's to form an entry point for Honda's range of CM Customs. They were dropped from the range after a few years but somehow reappeared in 2002 in a slightly revised form. The new model was dropped from the range in 2004. The later models are all grey imports, but spares are available through Honda dealers as long as you can get the part number. Many parts are from other Hondas.

HOW TO AVOID BUYING A LEMON

Before seeing the bike:

• If it is a private sale make sure you view the bike at the sellers premises - this will help determine if the seller is genuine
• Always ask the seller to make sure the bike is cold when you come to view it - warm engines can hide a multitude of sins

Find out whether the bike:

• Has got an MOT certificate, is it taxed and for how long?
• Has got a race can fitted and if so is the original included?
• Has it ever been crashed?
• Has got a current V5 and is registered in the sellers name?
• Is there any outstanding finance, if you're in doubt buy a HPI report or similar?
• Does the bike still have both original keys and the toolkit?
• Does the bike have a service history, and if so is it a main dealer one?

How to check the bike:

• On liquid cooled engines check for a film of oil in the radiator header tank before warming the bike up - the presence of oil would signify internal engine leaks or a blown head gasket.
• Make sure the oil on the dipstick or in the sight glass is smooth and has no bits in it or milky scum - again this could mean internal engine leaks.
• On starting from cold make sure the engine does not turn over sluggishly - this could mean a worn starter motor and/or a defective battery.
• Check for oil leaks around the engine and on the ground where the bike has been stood - any leaks could indicate expensive oil seal replacement or crash damage.
• Check all the lights work and that both levers activate the rear brake light.
• Run a finger up the fork stanchions and check for oil and rust - leaking fork seals are fixable, but it will cost you if the forks need re-chroming, also sometimes dismantling forks will damage the fork bushes and they'll need replacing.
• Check to make sure the rear shock isn't leaking oil and that any shock linkage is moving smoothly.
• Find out how old the tyres are regardless of their apparent wear - some old tyres can appear fine until the conditions get slippy. If in doubt, factor in replacement.
• If the bike is a European or American import check to see if the headlight has been altered for UK use.
• Check the brake disks for obvious signs of wear, hairline cracks between the vent holes can indicate critically thin disks. Check the brake pads to make sure they still have plenty of material left.
• If possible spin each wheel off the ground and check for damaged rims and worn wheel bearings.
• With the front wheel off the ground carefully move the steering left and right of centre and feel for any notches in the head stock bearings
• Check the Engine and Chassis numbers match the V5, sometimes, especially on imports there will be no engine number on the V5 but this does not necessarily mean a problem, it's optional when you are registering the bike in the UK.
• Check the sprockets to make sure they're not 'hooked' and check the chain is not at the end of it's adjustment.
• Check behind as many panels as possible for signs of repair. They may point to more serious accident damage, the quality of bodywork repair should indicate the quality of any other repairs. There's no substitute for original panels.
• Check for bent levers, scuffed mirrors/bar ends/indicators for signs of a drop.

Road testing the bike:

• Make sure the bike starts and idles easily, the tick over may have been set high to cover up idling problems or a rattly clutch basket.
• Check for smoke on start up, a bike in good condition that has been run regularly should be smoke free, unless it's a 2 stroke of course.
• Make sure the brakes do not bind and feel for pulsing through the brake levers, this indicates a warped disk.
• Make sure you can select all the gears easily and that you can find neutral when you come to a stop.
• Check for a slipping clutch by accelerating hard in top gear from a lowish speed.

Finally, trust your instincts about the motorcycle and the seller and do not let your heart rule your head - if you are not happy, just walk away!!

Professionally filmed on location in the stunning Lake District National Park, you can watch Nick Hine put the Honda through it's paces in this 5 minute DVD. Instead of just reading about it in a magazine, you can actually see it in action!

The CM125 Custom is a reworking of a 1980's Honda by the same name. This one isn't built in Japan though and the quality isn't as good. However, as learner bikes go, it's about as easy to ride as a tricycle and about as scary too. In it's favour, it is very comfy and doesn't look like a 125, but boy is it slow!

We pride ourselves on our independent and informative DVD road tests because just like you we own and ride bikes in the real world - but don't just take our word for it, here's what some of our customers had to say:

• Excellent video...very professionally done! 5-stars!!!
• Excellent Transaction. Just as Described. Highly Recommended
• Excellent! Just what I needed! A perfect compliment to my books! A+

All DVDs are covered under strict copyright law and are not for distribution or copying. International customers please be aware that each DVD is in PAL 4:3 format on a Region 0 (region free) DVD, they will play in most modern suitably equipped computers.