For a second bike - AM I INSANE?

J

JustPassinThru_imp

Been there
Thread starter
There's a Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for sale nearby for about $900.

Two thousand miles on it.

Yeah, I know..."trainer." I'm looking for something small and fuel efficient, to get me around town. And I want to stay away from the Scooter thingy.

The CB1100 is okay for that; but traffic here during the daytime is literally jammed. Air cooled big engines are not what you want, when the summer temperature sizzles.

A cheap lightweight won't overheat as fast and if it DOES...no great loss if the engine's trashed.

Thoughts?
 
Go for it. I've got XR650l that does very well in town for those very reasons, but the mileage is not great, a 125-300cc would be a much better choice. Depending upon your body mass, the 125 may be a good choice or - not so much. Or if you are too tall. The only two reasons to think twice about it. :)
 
JustPassinThru_imp said:
There's a Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for sale nearby for about $900.

Two thousand miles on it.

Yeah, I know..."trainer." I'm looking for something small and fuel efficient, to get me around town. And I want to stay away from the Scooter thingy.

The CB1100 is okay for that; but traffic here during the daytime is literally jammed. Air cooled big engines are not what you want, when the summer temperature sizzles.

A cheap lightweight won't overheat as fast and if it DOES...no great loss if the engine's trashed.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Like it !

I went through the same quandry with the CBR250R and it turns out that I find great joy in being able to do with less on it...
The crankcase holds less than 2 qts of oil.
The radiator fan, as far as I know, has NEVER come on...
Best MPG so far, an actual 80 mpg steady cruising on a twisty highway...
 
Are you sure you can handle the 12 HP :P
 
Thread starter
It's a slick little deal.

Seen it; but there was something that couldn't be taken care of right away.

I should be picking it up next week.

Started right up, though...after poor prep on winter storage. It's like a 5/8 scale chopper. I like it.
 
Thread starter
Lord Popgun_imp said:
Are you sure you can handle the 12 HP :P
Click to expand...
Any other town...I would have my doubts. It's not fun, when you can't hold to the speed of traffic.

But this city I'm in...a college town; the state's highest per-capita pot-usage. The main drag...speed limit is 45; and it's a REAL challenge to get people to drive THAT fast. Everyone's...like, zonin' off, dood!

If I can get that 125 up to 40...I'll be okay.

According to the stats, 80mpg. Doesn't much matter NOW; but if/when the price of gas takes off again...
 
Fun fact.. The original 1949 Honda Dream D was 98 cc would run 45 mph and got 212 mpg
 
Ferret,

Trying to learn here. How did it get 212mpg? My Honda Elite scooter with a 108cc FI engine would only get around 110mpg at 45mph. Why does a 1949 engine get so much better mileage?
 
I don't know popgun. it's in one of my reference books. 98 cc 2 stroke, 2 speed ( high and low) no emissions to worry about, not much of an exhaust.

Quick google search turned up this about the Honda Cub from 1959

The Honda 50's single-cylinder overhead-valve engine produced 4.5 hp, enough to propel the 143-pound bike to 43 mph. Humming like a well-oiled sewing machine, this $249 ride delivered more than 200 mpg. Fifty years after it arrived here, the Honda 50 is universally regarded as the two-wheeled Model T, with more than 60 million sales to its credit. It's still manufactured in fifteen countries on three continents.

I have to go to Drs appt but will try and find more for you when I get back. But Google 1949 Honda Dream D and you should find some info.
 
I have a 1978 Honda XL175. Those engines were turds. Think it puts out 9-10 hp. It'll run 62-63 flat out and cruises pretty decent at 45-50.

If I were after an around town bike, I'd look for a 250. I had a Kawi KLX250SF and it was a blast in the city with decent power up to 60 mph. My problem is that I live in the burbs, so it didn't get used much in that capacity.

That said, if you just need it to run 40-45, the 125 will be fine. I would ride a 125 motorcycle any day over a scooter.
 
Ferret, The 4.5hp may explain it. The Elite was around 8.5hp. So I guess uses twice the gas?
 
Thread starter
the_undecider_imp said:
I have a 1978 Honda XL175. Those engines were turds. Think it puts out 9-10 hp. It'll run 62-63 flat out and cruises pretty decent at 45-50.

If I were after an around town bike, I'd look for a 250. I had a Kawi KLX250SF and it was a blast in the city with decent power up to 60 mph. My problem is that I live in the burbs, so it didn't get used much in that capacity.

That said, if you just need it to run 40-45, the 125 will be fine. I would ride a 125 motorcycle any day over a scooter.
Click to expand...
The draw here is twofold: First, PRICE. Then, styling.

A Yamaha Virago 250 would set me back about $2200, unless I stumbled on a panic-seller. A TU250 (nice bike!) about $2700.

The Eliminator 125 is, plainly, a joke. Nobody's even tested it...although some riders have commented on blogs that it was a "nice ride."

2000 miles. $900. Starts right up.

About 80 mpg.

Styling, is slick. Retro-chopper.

If I want faster, I can get the Honda out.
 
Thread starter
the_undecider_imp said:
JustPassinThru_imp said:
"RLETs"?
Click to expand...
You are not living until you put a set of them on your CB. I think they look good on other bikes, but some warn against mixing Honda parts with other brands. A few have told tales of gruesome tragedy when Suzukis and Yamahas have rejected these. Robber Lever End Thingies. This 34 page thread will explain:

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2491
Click to expand...
Oh...oh.

Well, I'll have to slip them on...see if they make the Kawasaki wildly unstable and hard to control. I might just have to cut them off on the side of the road, if I go into a death wobble.

:dodgy:
 
JustPassinThru_imp said:
There's a Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for sale nearby for about $900.

Two thousand miles on it.

Yeah, I know..."trainer." I'm looking for something small and fuel efficient, to get me around town. And I want to stay away from the Scooter thingy.

The CB1100 is okay for that; but traffic here during the daytime is literally jammed. Air cooled big engines are not what you want, when the summer temperature sizzles.

A cheap lightweight won't overheat as fast and if it DOES...no great loss if the engine's trashed.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Thoughts? Well, what in the world has you being insane got to do with buying another bike? Quite the contrary, an entirely rational decision I would have thought. Just ask Hondahoarder. ;)

Cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top