CBR125 Dirty Bars Project

And it was an awesome trip, too.

Funny thing is that having the Givi box and the tank bag and the tent on my bike, didn't seem to really affect how the bike ran. If anything, I think the tank bag and the stuff on the back fill in some air pockets. I can't tuck in with the tank bag in place ... but I didn't really have to, either. Bike buzzed along OK with me sitting bolt upright.

On the gravel roads - like the entrance road to the park, and that 10 km stretch on highway 129 - the knobbies and the light weight made Ride_Safe's bike uncatchable by the rest of us with street tires. I think the wide handlebars hurt the aerodynamics - but only a little bit. We encountered a long train of cars on highway 10 on the way home, stuck behind one dawdler in a Honda van crawling along slowly and two more dawdlers behind who didn't want to pass. And by golly, two 12 horsepower bikes eventually got by the whole lot of them and left them behind ... otherwise the trip home would have taken another hour at the rate they were going!
 
Brian P said:
We encountered a long train of cars on highway 10 on the way home, stuck behind one dawdler in a Honda van crawling along slowly and two more dawdlers behind who didn't want to pass. And by golly, two 12 horsepower bikes eventually got by the whole lot of them and left them behind ... otherwise the trip home would have taken another hour at the rate they were going!
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Gotta employ the Deal's Gap passing method. Fastest guys passes first, then slows down the cars to allow the 125's though.
 
Brian P said:
On the gravel roads - like the entrance road to the park, and that 10 km stretch on highway 129 - the knobbies and the light weight made Ride_Safe's bike uncatchable by the rest of us with street tires. I think the wide handlebars hurt the aerodynamics - but only a little bit.
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Having the GPS made it a lot easier to rip down those roads, because I was able to see what the corners looked like before I went into them. Otherwise, I probably would have taken it a little slower. But I was able to prove how useful those knobby tires are in rough conditions. :)

Even though almost any 250 enduro would probably have left me in the dust, I still think turning my bike into a dual sport was the best idea I've ever had. I also think having matching 17 inch rims makes the bike drown through sand and deep gravel. But if I had proper rim sizes, it might perform a little better.
 
The pics look awesome, knew I saw Brian in on of them. Nice meeting you and checking out the bike in person yesterday.
 
Just snapped two pictures on a short ride through Holland Landing, and at the entrance to a new trail I explored.

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I also bought a new rear tire... the old one is getting down there. But not too bad for almost 10,000km.

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Hey Ride_Safe,

How much are the off road tires and where did you order them from? Love your mods, thinking of biting your style!!!
 
I originally bought them from a powersports shop in BC and got them shipped to me, but they should be available now at most shops in Ontario. They're probably the least expensive tires you'll ever buy... and they lasted me 8,000-10,000km on the 125. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't last as long on a bigger bike, due to more weight and power causing more friction.

The tires I used are called the Shinko 244 (They are interchangeable between front and rear). These tires are great, but they're only rated up to 120km/h. You get an unreal amount of traction both on/off road. No need to worry about uncontrollably sliding around corners.
Link: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co.../Shinko-244-Dual-Sport-Front---Rear-Tire.aspx
They require tubes to be installed inside, so you need to buy tubes the same size as the tires.

The sizes I used are:
Front - 2.50-17
Rear - 3.00-17


You could also optionally buy a tire called Michelin Gazelle. I haven't tried them yet myself, but they're Michelin, so they should be excellent quality. Plus they aren't as knobby, so they will corner a lot smoother and they are rated up to 90mph(145km/h)! They don't need tubes, but you can if you want. You could use the same sizes.
Link: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/32/404/11893/ITEM/Michelin-Gazelle-M62-Moped-Tire.aspx
 
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Wow, Michelin on sale for $20/25. Thought that would have been the most expensive mod. I'm new to bikes, sorry if this is a dumb question...

Why change the Handlebars, why benefits does it give you?
 
Maxdar said:
I'm new to bikes, sorry if this is a dumb question... Why change the Handlebars, why benefits does it give you?
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This entire thread is filled with people, new and old, asking that same question. So it definitely doesn't make you dumb asking it. Almost everyone who asks says the same ting, "Why not just go out and buy a bike more suitable?". Well, I enjoy riding a bike that is MINE, not some stock replica that everyone else has. We also live in a day when most people would rather go buy something new, instead of working with what they already have.

To answer your question...

Firstly, it's "because I can", not because I needed to. Second, it's because I wanted to make riding the tiny 125 more comfortable. The higher handlebars make cornering a little different, so you need more confidence to go down as low as you would with the stock bars. But for long distance trips, your wrist/neck/back feel a lot better. There is also a lot less vibration from these handlebars compared to stock, mainly because there are more ways reducing it.

My original intention when attempting this project was to turn the little 125 into a street fighter. However, the more research I did, the more I realized it wasn't exactly what I wanted. But I had already started working on it, so I kept experimenting until I found something that worked and looked good.
 
I'm totally no questioning why you're going through the convertion. Makes total sence. I can get a decent 125 for 1500, put 500 into it and get a dual sport bike. Makes even more sence for me as a new rider looking for a first ride. I can resell once I out grow OR turn into dual sport and keep it for fun.

LOL ... I don't even have my first bike and I'm plotting how to own multiple bikes!

Thanks for the answer, I thought it had to do with turning leerage off road.
 
Newbie question but how did you manage to fit the puig windscreen on? I totally screwed up and used Super degooper to remove glue left over from a vinyl (even though it specifically warns you not to use any chemicals on the windscreen) and it just ruined the windscreen further. Now I need to find a replacement windscreen for my black 2008 CBR 125 and I ran into this forum after searching all over the internet for a windshield that mildly resembles the OEM. The tinted puig touring windscreen would be great but I don't understand how it would fit in. I would greatly appreciate some help!

Here's my damaged windscreen

IMG_20150729_150347.jpg
 
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greenride15 said:
Newbie question but how did you manage to fit the puig windscreen on? I totally screwed up and used Super degooper to remove glue left over from a vinyl (even though it specifically warns you not to use any chemicals on the windscreen) and it just ruined the windscreen further. Now I need to find a replacement windscreen for my black 2008 CBR 125 and I ran into this forum after searching all over the internet for a windshield that mildly resembles the OEM. The tinted puig touring windscreen would be great but I don't understand how it would fit in. I would greatly appreciate some help!

Here's my damaged windscreen

View attachment 37300
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In a nutshell, the Puig windscreen does not fit the CBR125 very well. You kind of have to jam it on without breaking it. The screw holes don't always line up, and the plastic flange isn't perfectly molded. I used a Dremel to widen the holes and cut the flange to make it fit. Then I used some marine adhesive around the flange to prevent water from finding its way in through the gaps. If you go to a motorcycle wreckers you can probably find a used CBR125 windscreen that will definitely fit. Or you can try getting one through Honda. I can't recall the price of the Puig windscreen off the top of my head, but I do remember it being way too expensive for the quality that you're given.
 
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You seem to have come along way from wanting to pay someone to put bars on to ripping her down the eddy match near chapleau. thats commendable. I have a crf not a cbr but I would be interested in doing a trip with your group it looks like you guys go the distance on the little bikes.
 
I'm impressed. I tried running a 125 on the 404 north and had it WOT to get up to 120km/h. Couldn't imagine that for 1500km!

Just did 1500km on my gixxer1000 (was not as fun as one might think).
 
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