I’ve nothing to prove!

Do you really need a big bike? Smaller bikes are unthreatening to ride, easy to work on, easier to store, cheaper to run and most of the time just as much fun! In the first of a few features looking at small bikes from different continents, we look at some Japanese classics.

OLI HULME MORTONS ARCHIVE

JASON CRITCHELL/

LUSTING AFTER CLASSY British twins, lithe Italian stallions or big Japanese fours is part and parcel of classic biking. Most of us want one, many of us have got one, and some more than one. But sometimes a big beast isn’t what is needed. Perhaps something cheaper to own, run and ride might appeal. Something that will slice through 21st century traffic like a Stanley knife, but still has that classic feel. Something smaller, such as an easy-tolive-with 1960s or 70s 125 could be what’s called for, something you can just jump on every day and just ride when the idea of mounting a great chunk of iron and alloy is too much to handle.

The engineering might be less complex to look after. They’re easy to start, and easy to ride to their full potential. Maybe you’re returning to motorcycling years, or even decades, after last taking to the road. There are classic fans who never passed their tests back in the day, exchanging their 250 Yamaha for a Mk.II Ford Escort as the realities of day to day life caught up with them.

There are youngsters interested in classics they can ride on L-plates and benefit from cheaper insurance, and there are parents and grandparents who would like their offspring to get the classic bug from day one.

Compared to modern machines, there are no ECUs, no fuel injection or ABS to worry about. In most cases they were built with points and coils instead of electronic ignition and faults are easy to diagnose. There are engines that are as basic as they come, easy to start and to keep running.

If you are still on L-plates, a pre-1983 125 doesn’t need to be restricted. And unlike a modern 125, which will plummet in value the moment you wheel a new one from the showroom, an old one can sell for pretty much what you paid for it. And they are cheap to run. Get a 40-year-old 125, and you’ll pay no road tax, won’t need an MoT, you add it to an existing policy, and some will sip petrol like a reluctant participant in dry January.

Here then, is a guide to the classic

Jap tiddler, the motorcycles that got the world mobile and caused so many to get the biking bug. Prices are ranged from complete running examples to nut and bolt restorations.

HONDA

If you want a four-stroke engine, and reliability, you’ll have the nicest time on a Honda. The only real issue for the modern rider is that these little Hondas were smaller than their equivalents today, and you might feel a little silly draped over such a diminutive steed. One way round this is to buy the trail bike version of these machines, which were often physically bigger, though a trail bike is likely to have led a harder life.

1960S HONDAS

There are two things to consider when looking at small capacity Hondas. One is going to be parts availability, and the other is affordability. We asked David Silver, the go-to supplier for classic Honda parts for his take on Hondas little offerings.

David said: “The C92 and SS125 models can be hard to find spares for, especially things like exhausts. You just can’t get exhausts for the ss125 at any price, and other bits can be quite expensive. The SS125 is also getting quite expensive now too and is very sought after.”

C92

Honda started making performance 125s in 1959, with the C92 Benly. The C92 had an ohc twin cylinder sloper engine in a pressed steel frame. Styling was very much of its time, and you either loved or hated it. There were big pressed steel mudguards, leading link front forks and enclosed shock absorbers. The two valves per cylinder engine had a chain-driven overhead camshaft. The primary drive was by gear to a multi-plate clutch running in oil which lubricated both the engine and the four-speed gearbox, and there was a fully enclosed chain final drive.

The electrical system was six volts, but which managed to spin an electric starter. The C92 pushed out 11.5bhp when new, about the same as a modern, restricted 125. The later CB92 was a good deal sportier, with slimmer mudguards and no enclosure for the rear chain. It had an eight-inch TLS front brake that rivalled that fitted to many a much bigger British bike, and produced an impressive 15bhp at 10,500rpm. Prices for the C92 range from £1500 for a complete project to £3000 for a good clean runner. A restored CB92 can cost upwards of £6000.

SS/CL125 TWIN

An update of the C92, the SS125 twin launched in 1966 was a good deal sleeker. With a slimmed down engine and a tidier pressed steel frame, the twin looks like it should be a sprightly little performer but was actually less powerful than the CB92.

Originally released as the CB125 sports, CD125 tourer, and CL125 street scrambler, the following year Honda used the same package to offer eight models. At the top of the range was the SS125. On this Honda had ditched the electric start, and there was a neat part-pressed steel part tubeframe, and a pair of tiny carburettors. At time of going to press Classic Motorcycles of Northwich (see our back pages) had two smart restored bikes in stock, at just under £3000 each.

CB125S/J

The CB125S joined the twins in 1971 and was a more conventional looking bike. With a 122cc OHC single cylinder engine in a part tubular, part pressed steel frame, the 125S was made by Honda from 1971–1985, though it had left UK showrooms by the early 1980s. The engine redlined at 9500rpm. Honda tried to give the 125S sporty pretensions by adding a rev counter.

Later engines were marginally bigger at 124cc and there was work to the cylinder head, which was badly needed, providing a separate cam cover rather than a single casting. The camshaft ran straight into the head and this wore rapidly, especially in the hands of impoverished youths who could not afford regular oil changes, which are needed every 700 miles.

Apart from the modification of the cylinder head, the only changes to the 125S were to paint schemes and trim. It’ll keep up with the traffic, maintaining a steady 55mph and sips petrol, using just a gallon every 100 miles. The CB125J was the same machine, but fitted with a cable operated disc.

David said: “The 125S and the J are a good choice, they were smart little bikes, and were easy to run. The parts are available and there’s a lot of second-hand stuff out there too.”

You can pick up slightly dog-eared but running 125S from £800. Restored models are closer to £2500.

CG125

A hard-working commuter 125, the CG arrived in the mid-1970s and was fitted with an OHV engine that was close to bulletproof.

David: says: “The CG125 is a good bike, there are tons of parts out there and the bike didn’t change a great deal. The CG is the most practical of the lot.”

Designed to work day in, day out, the CG was produced from 1976 to 2008 in Japan. It is still being made in Pakistan. Production for the European market was eventually moved to Brazil in 1985 and it was also made in Turkey. Simple and easy to work on, hard wearing and devoid of frills and fancies, the CG was one of Honda’s longest-lived models and remained largely unchanged until EU emissions regs finally caught up with it.

You’ll see lots of CG 125s as embryonic customs with tiny brown seats and no mudguards. A stripped-down CG can be a hoot. The design was ‘borrowed’ wholesale by Chinese manufacturers and used around the world until those pesky regulations forced the retirement of the design and its replacement by the engine from

Suzuki’s GS125.

Late CG125s are available from a few hundred pounds, while earlier ones come at £800-£1200. You will see bobbed and café racered CGs being offered for £3000 but whether they sell at that price is anyone’s guess.

CB125T

Looking for the ultimate, unrestricted 125 four-stroke? Look no further than Honda’s little late-1970s jewel, the CB125T.

David said: “The CB125T is about the best choice for you. It was sold in Europe but not in the USA. It’s got quite a sophisticated little engine, even though it doesn’t have an electric start. It’s a lot less restricted than the later CB125TDC, and a much nicer bike. Service parts are readily available and most of the rest are easy to find too.”

Stripped down to its bare essentials, the tiny twin poked out 16bhp (just three

less than a new Royal Enfield 350 Bullet Classic). The styling was a of its time and a little angular, and the quality of some of the component parts could be iffy, but it went like stink. The major weak spot was also found on the later CB125S, a cable operated disc brake which was awful, lacked any kind of feel and suffered badly in wet weather. Discs had become de rigeur on sports bikes, even 125s and the cable operation was simply cheaper to make.

But you got a 125T to go fast, not to stop. A custom version, the CM125, was popular, and you can see its genes in the styling of modern offerings from Lexmoto and AJS. The CB125T can still be found for less than £1000 if you are prepared for something that needs lots of work. A good restored one will cost around £2500.

BIGGER BROTHERS

If you aren’t limited to a 125, then some of Honda’s bigger small bikes are worth considering. David said: “The CB175 was a pretty bike, with an electric start, two carbs and nice lines and the CB200 that came after it was also a good bike. The CD175 was a lot more agricultural, though the CD185/200 Benly from the early 1980s is worth a look too.”

The CB/CL175 from the 1970s (the CL only available as an import) are sweet little things, with twin carbs and an electric starter. They’re light enough to make them easy to handle, with that little bit of extra punch to make them less hard work over longer distances. The CB200 that replaced the 175 wasn’t quite as nice as the CB175, with angular styling and, on the Mk.II, a cable operated front disc. The mid-70s commuter CD175 was a cooking model with a single carb and only a kick-start. It had big mudguards and chrome tank panels and other styling cues that made it look a little like a two-thirds size British twin. CD175s have something of a cult following, and this is reflected in rising prices.

The CL175 is currently easier to find than the CB, having survived in kinder weather conditions abroad. Expect to pay £1000 for an import project, and £2500-3000 for a nice runner. CD175s start at £800 and rise to £2000.

KAWASAKI

Kawasaki didn’t go big on 125cc road bikes in the UK in the early 1970s, preferring to sell learners their 250cc triples and KE trail bikes. Meanwhile in the USA and elsewhere they sold a lot of smaller trail orientated two-strokes.

FIRST STEPS

The first motorcycle to bear Kawasaki branding was the Meihatsu 125-500, launched in 1955, a basic 125 with a plunger frame and fitted with a Kawasaki KB-5 engine, which had the Kawasaki name stamped into the engine casings. A Japanese roadtest reported that the engine had covered 50,000 miles without breaking down and the bike had the highest top speed in its class. It was later rebadged as a Kawasaki.

In 1962 Kawasaki launched their

B8 125 which sold well in Japan. It had a significantly updated version of the piston ported B7 engine that produced 11bhp and had styling common to many Japanese motorcycles of the time, with shrouded shocks and forks and a large slab-sided petrol tank. A tuned motocross version took the first six places in the

1963 Japanese 125 championships. It was badged as being made by Kawasaki Aircraft, which was pretty cool.

KH100/125

Kawasaki didn’t have an official factory presence in the UK until 1974, but the machines were imported by Bill Smith in Chester from 1968. The first officially imported 125s arrived in 1976 with the KH125, a sporty little number that took its styling cues from the bigger KH models and had a two-stroke disc valve five-speed engine with the carb under the right-hand engine casing. It was simple and well-built and to emphasise its quality spec had a cable operated front disc. It had reported top speed of 74mph. In 1982, just as the 125 learner laws kicked in the KH was restyled, being given the look of the GPz fours with square headlight and angular tank and a slightly smaller carb to take the power down to a legal 11bhp.

The KH left the UK market in the mid-1980s, being replaced by the watercooled AR125, but stayed in production for worldwide sale until 1998 largely unchanged which means there’s pretty good spares availability. £400-£1500

The was also a KH100 version, Originally called the G7 and launched in the late 1960s, unlike many manufacturers who simply reduced the bore of their 125s to get them into cheaper tax and insurance brackets, the G7/KH100 was a completely different bike with a different engine, frame and sleeker lines from the 125. Fitted originally with a drum brake, the 100 later got alloy wheels and a hydraulic disc. £500-£1500.

KC100

To sell alongside the KH100, Kawasaki introduced a basic commuter model, the KC100 Companion. This was a revival of the original G series and used the same tank as the 1970 model. While it was built down to a price, the engineering was up to Kawasaki’s usual standard. It sold in reasonable numbers, and not being a sports model is likely to be easier to find in good condition lurking in the back of sheds. It’s small, so won’t suit the larger of build. £250-£1500.

Z200

You also might consider Kawasaki’s smallest 1970s four-stroke, the Z200

single launched in 1976. It won’t get you enormously excited, but as a budget classic Jap the Z200’s OHC electric start single is well worth a look and has the dimensions of a full-size machine. The engine is good, strong enough to be bored out and end up in the Z250 roadster and KL250 trail bikes. £300-£1500

SUZUKI

Suzuki embraced the tiddler market with a vengeance and if you are looking for a small two-stroke, they’ve got something for everyone. Their two-stroke tech was ahead of the game thanks in no small way to the former MZ racer Ernst Degner, who defected from East Germany in 1961 and took a lot of the German company’s expertise with him to Japan.

There were two streams of 100cc and 125 manufacture at Suzuki – you could have a simple piston-ported commuter from the early 1960s or an out and out twin cylinder sports offering.

THE BLOOP

The B100/B120P singles arrived in 1966.

With a 118cc two-stroke engine and a pressed steel frame, the B100 was a straightforward conservative model with reasonable performance and good reliability, producing 10bhp and more importantly fuel consumption a miserly 100mpg plus. Renamed the B120P, production continued until the mid-1980s, but the model was dropped from UK catalogues in 1978. £400-£1200.

A100

Alongside the B120, Suzuki sold the disc valve two-stroke A100, a lighter and slightly sportier single which had the same dimensions as the much loved AP50 sports moped. Unlike the AP50, the A100, launched in 1966 had a practical enclosed chain and shrouded forks and shock absorbers. Named the Go-Fer in the USA, for a 100 the A100 developed a healthy 9.3hp. Early models with chrome tank panels are among the best 1960s small bikes and hold their value well. £300-£2500.

GP100/125

In 1978 Suzuki replaced both the A100 and the B120p with the GP100 and 125 singles which were, apart from the capacity, identical. The biggest difference between Suzuki’s singles and their twins was that the twin-engine used reed valves while the single cylinder engines had rotary disc valves. The first GP had a drum brake, but this swiftly became a disc. In production for just three years from 1978-1981 they were straightforward and a little bland but still excellent cooking models for the beginner rider, and the beginner restorer. £250-£1500.

T125/STINGER

Alongside the singles were the twins. Starting with the T125 in 1967 the little twin followed Suzuki’s styling practice used on their bigger T-series bikes with a chromepanelled humped tank over a conventional cradle frame. It had twin carbs and produced an impressive 15bhp.

Good as it was, the Suzuki 125 you really wanted in the late 1960s was the dynamic T125 Stinger. It was racer styled with a pair of high level exhausts and a five-speed box, two near horizontal cylinders and a pair of down draught carbs. Weighing in at less than 230lb, 305lb less than the original T125, it produced slightly more power, revved higher and was considerably faster thanks to the weight loss. The Stinger, if you can find one is a real gem and will turn heads everywhere you go. £2000-£5000.

GT125

In 1974 Suzuki introduced the GT125. This model had ram-air cooling of the cylinder head, which for the 125 was more of a styling exercise as the bigger Suzuki twostrokes also got the ram-air treatment. It was similar in layout to the bigger GT185 but had a shorter wheelbase and a physically smaller engine so there are not a lot of interchangeable parts. Unusually for a

125 of the period, it had 12v electrics and weighed around the same as the Stinger, while producing 16bhp. Later models had a hydraulic front disc, which wasn’t up to much in the wet. Parts will be hard to find, and the littlest GT would have been thrashed unmercifully as the original teenage owner tried to keep up with 250cc rivals. £500-£4000.

GT185

The GT185, launched at the same time as the GT125, might be a better bet for those looking for extra performance and easier starting. It had an electric starter/ generator combination in which the starter got things going and then became the source of electrical power once the engine got spinning. With a 21bhp engine and more substantial componentry than the GT125, the GT185 has the major advantage of being included in the Suzuki Vintage Parts programme with many new parts still available. £600-£2000.

YAMAHA

Like Kawasaki, Yamaha weren’t big on providing small bikes for commuters in the UK market, concentrating on more powerful sports models. Their 250 and 350 two-stroke twins and 500 and 650cc twins established Yamaha’s reputation for sporting prowess and quality engineering. But they still did amazing things with their tiny two-strokes.

YG/YB100

Yamaha’s long lasting YG and YB100 commuter is a smart little bike that bears some resemblance to the much vaunted FS1E sports moped. A simple two-stroke single with a pressed steel frame, it has much to recommend it, and with other