Then the delays seemed to get longer, the blood pressure higher, more flat capped, pipe smoking Marina drivers trapped me behind them on the once alluring but now claustrophobic twisties. Something had to change, something had to be done, and then on a rain soaked 10mph M25 revelation came in the shape of two lads on a green Kawa plastic rocket, filtering through the jam... I had to do it, freedom, a bike!
Two things had stopped me considering bikes before. One was my unenlightened parents. My mum still can’t work up much interest in that bloody thing, though dad likes a spin on the pillion once in a while. The other was a yellow streak down my back a mile wide. So, to accommodate the yellow streak I decided to enrol in the BMF learner's course with a mate who was similarly pissed off with car travel and felt the lure of two wheels.
One happy Sunday morning we pitched up for our CBT, which went something like this: Here’s the bike, here’s the kickstart, here’s the clutch, here’s the throttle... ooh, you’ve stalled it... Here’s the brake, here’s the indicator, here’s a road... oh well done, you didn’t fall off; here’s your CBT certificate. Hmmmm, all very brief, but afterwards we were legal to get out on the road. It was better than nothing.
The course was very good in that it was a great introduction to different types of L-bikes. We both used the school bikes to start with, the idea being to hire bikes to take the test. I took my CBT astride a CB125, on subsequent Sundays had the joy of 3 hours each on an MZ 125, Suzuki GS125, Honda MTX50 and Kawasaki 80 trailster.
The GS125 impressed most with its big bike feel, power and smoothness. It tracked eagerly and sure-footedly around corners whilst the gearchange was a smooth, slick delight. The previous week I had battled the smoking MZ, with its agricultural gearbox, around the district. This machine did not impress. Though it was big and felt right, it just refused to be ridden and endlessly flicked out of gear into neutral. When in the hands of a more experienced rider, it could be made to perform, much to my annoyance, but if I came anywhere near it, the blasted thing coughed and spluttered, lurched in and out of gear and was an out and out pig. Sorry, MZ fans, if it’s an acquired taste it’s not one I want to acquire.
We would have been happy to potter about on the school’s bikes for several months but three things happened. Firstly, the weather started to improve, and with it came many spotty youths out to pass the CBT. They had first call on the bikes so it became pot luck every Sunday whether we'd get a machine. This was a heavy pisser.
The second event occurred to me on the MTX50. Hurtling along at the breakneck speed of 35mph at 7000 revs, I braked to a stop at a junction. The engine didn’t want to stop with me. Despite taking my hand off the throttle and pulling the clutch in as I braked, the rev counter stayed resolutely at 7000rpm. A cloud of blue smoke surrounded me. I dropped into neutral and manually tried to wind the throttle closed... no go.
By then the instructor was getting fed up, thinking I was taking the piss, he dismounted from his machine, marched over and snatched the keys from my mount. The engine kept going af 7000 revs. The instructor reckoned the throttle was stuck - I could leave the machine there or ride it back. I chose the latter, slipping the clutch and belching smoke all the way.
The final event was the seizure of the disc brake on one of the bikes, throwing the hapless learner on to the tarmac. Much though I valued the BMF’s teaching, in which many of the instructors gave very valuable pointers on safe riding, the school bikes were far from ideal.
It was time to buy my first bike. The excitement was unbearable. Being boring by nature and anti two-stroke after my MTX and MZ experiences, I wanted a four stroke. However, my limited budget would not run to a decent GS125, try as I might to get one. I quite fancied a CB125 Superdream, but again, those in my price range were dogs. In the end, I went for a two year old CG125. How proudly I rode her home. She was in good if not perfect nick, starting well second or third kick.
I rode the CG all through what was left of the winter, much to the amusement of my Sierra bound work mates who couldn’t see why I would give up the heated, dry interior of my box for an icy, windswept perch atop a buzzing blue 125. Heathens... I was very happy with the machine, it never let me down, apart from two times when I flooded the engine. It seemed prone to this, it burnt quite rich all the time I had it, needing the plug cleaned every 1000 miles. This appears to be a unique problem to my bike as I have never read of it elsewhere.
The bike performed adequately for a learner. It cornered well and could be coaxed up to 65mph on a good day, which with my six foot frame on board was not bad. My mate had purchased a KH100 which though a nice little bike had tiny tyres which never inspired confidence. In comparison, the CG’s tyres were monsters and cornering twitches never an intrusion. The TLS front drum was a fine stopper with the SLS rear being surprisingly effective, especially in the wet.
The only thing I had to fix on my machine was the brake light switch at the pedal. This had seized up with road crud and required replacement. I bought a new switch with cable attached and settled down to replace the old one. Imagine my dismay when I discovered the new switch had a female connector and the old one a male connector. Easy enough to remedy with wire cutters and a cable connector, but bloody annoying. Here was a two year old bike still in production but the new spares won't fit it. And what was the point of changing the connectors around?
I would still heartily recommend the CG125 to any learner or economy minded commuter for that matter. 3000 miles together saw us still on very friendly terms. She was easy and pleasurable to ride, every journey was filled with excitement, tinged with sadness when I arrived at my destination. Still, June came, I took my test and passed first time. Within two weeks my CG was traded in for a bigger bike.
If you've ever thought of taking up motorcycling, the training courses are a very good idea. You don’t have to splash out on a machine as you can use the school’s bikes to see how things go. And, of course, the tuition and advice will set you on the right course for safe and enjoyable riding.
Matt Toy