Honda cg 125

Pretty much bulletproof is the CG. Like just about every Jap 4-stroke the cam runs in its own metal (more-or-less) so excessive noise from the top end is concerning. However very often its just the engine's way of saying 'change the bludy oil' which you would ideally do about every 3 thousand or so. But if it doesn't chuck out blue smoke and will reach 60mph without too much drama there's probably life left in the old dog.

So mainly look to see any obvious issues with the cycle parts / frame (an example would be rust around the rear shock top mounts which is not good). Check the swing arm and fork stem bearings for play (put it on the centre mount and see if you can detect any movement other than in the way its supposed to). Its not too bad to have to replace the bearings in either case but isn't a particularly pleasant job. Rusty or pitted fork sliders are not cheap to repair, and changing the seals is an arse. Have a glance at any visible wiring. If it looks like its been messed with more than a bit it could spell trouble but Jap electrics are quite good. Check that all the switches work - new replacements can cost, and second-hand ones will probably be no better than what you already have.

There's a million in the breakers yard so parts are easy to come by. Workshop manual available for free onn't web.

ETA another usual casualty of neglected oil changes are the valves but the row from the top end will be obvious should this be the case.

Never owned one but they have a reputation for robustness and long life (for a small engined bike that you can drive pretty much flat out for a lot of the time). If it were me I’d go for a CB125 (overhead cam) rather than the CG (pushrod) just because the former seems more elegant and I suspect is a bit faster.

edit: yes just thinking about it after reading nemesis’s post, jap bikes of that era did tend to suffer from dodgy steering head bearings so put it on the centre stand, get someone to hold the back wheel down and check the steering moves smoothly from side to side without any hint of a notch in the straight ahead position, and that there isn’t play when you pull on the front wheel (notch tends to form in the straight ahead position because braking forces go through the steering head, and the front brake is generally applied when going straight).

Have you not considered something a bit more natty, Dread?

So did you buy it?

I'm hoping to go have a look at this at the weekend if it hasn't sold. Piaggio Liberty 125cc on an 06 plate. It's in Telford. Cheap at £600 with 9months' MOT. I'd still keep the Clockwork Banana for taking away on the boat but this would be more practical for riding around locally. Needs a bit of tidying up but that's nothing really.

I find the scooter type things with small wheels quite dangerous, especially on loose surfaces or damp roads.

And I was like "what's it going to be like riding it back from Telford to Warwickshire?