‘Lightweight jam busters’

Aside from the fact that riding in London can be fraught, our trip to the capital demonstrated there is much to be applauded about the current crop of retro 125s. If you live in a busy city, even if you have a full licence, there is a lot to be said for getting one of these lightweight traffic busters purely for zipping around town. And if you don’t have a full licence, passing a CBT (if you are over 17) and commuting on one of these makes so much more sense than relying on expensive and packed public transport – especially in a world where Covid is still very much on the scene. Just be sure to invest in a decent lock. Amazing fuel economy, next to no effort when it comes to filtering, easier to keep to the speed limit than a big bike and fantasticlooking, what’s not to like?

In terms of the Husky there are a few annoyances, although nothing that dramatically ruins the ride, you just need to take into account the poor mirrors and lower comfort levels. There again, you get a bike that is a guaranteed head-turner in a way the CB and – to a lesser degree – the XSR aren’t. If style is your thing, it’s the pick and is bang on fashion yet still costs basically the same as the other two. Which bike would we pick? Choosing with our heads rather than eyes, it is a split decision between the CB and XSR with the Honda’s classy feel appealing to Matt and both Saffron and myself preferring the Yamaha as an overall package. Not only that, its better fuel economy will help pay for a few bus lane violation fines.