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Scotland In Winter - Which Bike?
Blog Date - 19 November 2014
In case you don't know I'm planning and hoping to take a trip around the Scottish Highlands this winter. In a tent. If I am brave enough. Now, which of my 2 motorcycles should I use?
Oh, as an aside I was accused the other day of being an extravagant show off for having 2 motorcycles. I did a brief calculation as to the total purchase price of my 2 motorcycles which came to £2,850. When I pointed out my accuser's car cost her husband in excess of £20,000 the matter was mentioned no further.
I have a Honda CBF 125 and a Honda CBF 250. I just need the 500, 600 and 1000 to complete the CBF range.
CBF 250, complete with luggage.
CBF 125, complete with luggage.
Fuelling.
The 125 is fuel injected and super efficient. It regularly returns 140mpg, with the camping gear that can drop to 130mpg which is still impressive. The 250 typically returns 85mpg so in that sense there's just no contest. The 250 is carburetted and regular readers will know this has been causing me some issues though it has never let me down. The electronic wizardry of the 125 has also been reliable but if that breaks there'll be no roadside repairs. My RAC cover extends to the furthest outreaches of the highlands so I guess if the worst comes to the worst I can still get home.
Fuel injection...reliable enough but impossible to fix at the roadside.
Handling.
Both the 125 and 250 ride well under normal conditions. The 250 is certainly the better machine on wet surfaces and dry roads will be rare in a Highland winter. In wind the 250 is much more grounded and secure. The 125 though has an upright riding position which brings confidence if I'm caught on really bad surfaces like gravel or even snow. To sum up the 250 is better in typically adverse weather, the 125 is better when it's really adverse.
Power.
Lets face it neither machine is going to accidentally rip my arms out their sockets with an unplanned twist of the throttle. The extra power of the 250 is always welcome but it is not my desire to attack the gnarly roads in a frenzied blur of speed. Actually I'm rather endeared to the notion of dawdling along empty highways taking in the scenery as opposed to scaring myself witless during unfavourable climatic events. Both bikes do dawdling very well but the 125 does it that little bit better as you might expect.
Comfort.
I rode the 250 some 1,300 miles to, from and around the highlands this summer. I had no concerns as to comfort and found only the stiffness you'd expect on any long day's ride, nothing worse. But then I've found the same with the 125. In fact overall the more upright sit and beg position of the 125 is just that bit more relaxed. The 125 does have heated grips fitted and while I worry about frying the feeble electrics with the extra consumption. There's very little in it between the 2, the 125 just has the edge though.
Fuel Distance.
The Scottish Highlands are not some remote backwater country but there are considerable stretches of road that are sans petrol station. You need AT LEAST 100 miles between fill ups in the highlands, 200 miles is a much more comfortable safety margin. Luckily the 250 will do at least 200, usually 250 before going on to reserve. The 125 takes in 300 miles without trying, I've managed 380 before now. Both machines have large enough tanks to take on the highlands, it's not a problem.
Re-reading this I can see that I'm leaning towards the 125. I still have time to change my mind though.
Reader's Comments
Latchy said :-
Which one is easier to pick up when you bite the dust, sorry ice.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Cheers for the vote of confidence Latchy...
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Jorge said :-
I think the two options are excelent but if you ride with another guy, i think the cbf 250 is a better choice. But alone the two bike are fine :D
Regards from Argentina!
PD: and sorry for my bad english
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Jorge - Your English is a million times better than my Argentinian! I am likely to be riding alone so speed is not an issue. There's no rush :-)
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
David said :-
Honda have just announced "new" cb125f will be @ NEC show all week.
looks like it will be made in Taiwan, rather than the "old" model from India, so build quality should be improved.
Maybe this site could run a guess the price comp.?
Available early 2015.
Ren, bet you are tempted to trade in your old CBF 125/250 for one of these!
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Hi David
Yeah I've seen the new CBF 125. Looks good :-) They've done away with the (in my opinion) pointless fairing although it's got a rather weird cowl all around the headlight. Slightly less power but more grunt allegedly. I shall at least be interested if not desiring.
Lets hope it remains or even improves on the impressive economy and sturdy reliability. My 125 is already at 30,000 miles now.
I'd love to do a "guess the price" prize...but...how do I know you don't work for Honda and already know the price...huh......huh?
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
David said :-
Re: new cb125f.
The guess the price comp. could be just for fun.
I do not work for Honda (honest)self employed Gardener.
I do not think any one in UK knows what the price will be right now.
My guess =£2799
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
David - I'm reckoning £2699 for the first few months then there'll be "incentives" like free CBT or insurance of helmet.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Graham said :-
Flip a coin, and whilst the coin is in the air you will know.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Graham, you're right. You realise you hope it lands a certain way up, and that's the one you should choose.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Harry Hayes said :-
Take the 250 - it'll keep your legs warmer!..
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Jon Mos said :-
Hi, great pics.
I am planning a round the world trip (UK to AUS). It will take 8 months and I am determined to do it on a CBF125 (or the new CB125F not sure yet). I really like the look of your soft panniers on the cbf125, what is their capacity? What is their model and where did you get them?
Thanks,
Jon
09/02/2016 18:53:24 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Cheers Jon Mos. The panniers were given to me quite some time ago. All I can tell you is that they are Hein Gericke and as far as I know they are no longer in production. Yes, they're a great piece of kit but other than that I have no stats or details. Sorry!
Personally I'd lean towards the outgoing CBF as it is proven technology with plenty of information online and lots of parts around. There's nothing wrong it seems with the new CB125F but as it's a new model...who knows! I did a short test ride on one recently, I'll add a link.
I would dearly love to hear your story. Do you have a website? Facebook page? Some means of following your progress?
www.bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=812...
09/02/2016 20:16:08 UTC
Jon Moss said :-
Thats a shame they're no longer in production, oh well...
Unfortunately do not have a website yet as departure is still over a year away, but I am in the process of putting a blog together and I promise I will post the link on here!
A short summary: My partner Sadie and I decided to do this trip after spending the summer biking all around Europe. I have travelled quite a bit and have driven through Africa. We will be heading up to the scottish highlands for around 4 weeks this summer for a bit of a "dry run" with the cbf125s (Previous trips outside of the UK have been on my mighty BMW F800gs).
I agree that the CBF is proven technology, and they are absolutely everywhere in Asia so repairing them should be easy when they inevitably break down... Repairing a big BMW roadside is a nightmare...
I will be at the HUBB rally in wales in June if you're about, let me know if you are.
Jon
13/02/2016 14:41:56 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Sharon and I are off to The Netherlands and Germany in June so I won't be at the HUBB. Where are you from Jon?
I have heard the various versions of the CBF 125 in Asia have carburetors, just bear that in mind if you're having fueling issues.
15/02/2016 08:25:02 UTC
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