Meldrew u do right on a bike.. i was ther in York quite a while ago, i opened the new then sainsburys in york ( manager ) and had a place up by the cadbury place, if i remember it well it is a very flat place... which made my MZ not feel the need to breakdown

I love my 125cc i have ridden BIG powerfull bikes at biker meets ( illegaly ) and it dosnt give me no thrill, 2 months back GSX1100 test rode down the road, got up to 90mph, didnt make me feel anthing, no adreline rush, i Thought wow it got there fast but.....boring i missed everthing inbetween 0mph -90mph....

thats why i love my 125, at the speeds and slowness of 125s you get to see the view and the places your riding pass and take it in, and then i wounder why my mates on big bikes want to fly about everywhere at speed and think to my self where is the enjoyment of riding.

I can get up to 75mph and it will hold 70-mph GSP on the dule carrigaways and has power to over take, thats me happy, i always told my self that having a bike with lots of power will just make me want to wizz about everywhere fast and at the speed limit like my mates and i will lose the joy of enjoying a nice ride out and taking in the view. once of the reason i love to do london on my 125 like the last 5 times...i enjoyed it!

Well thats my view on owning a 125 and some of the reason i love been on a 125 and not bothered about test and big bikes, i just LOVE 125's they do it for me. loads people have tempted me with ''oh test this bike it can do 0-100 in so and so sec' then you will want your full licence and BIG bike '' , i am like no thanks it just dont intrest me, i ride a bike for the enjoyment of riding from A to B and enjoying everthing inbtween.

SOLO wrote:I love my 125cc...etc...

Well said! For years I travelled all over the country on 125 or 200 vespas.
Now, I just like to have a bit more power when using motorways and dual carriage ways.
It makes for easier riding

i am glad to see you are now taking a break and staying overnight. well good luck on your trip early Sunday mornings are much quieter on the roads until about 7am
if your leaving at 5am at least you should be past Manchester area as that is a busy area even on Sunday morning,,

Also check your route for marathons and local events on internet this weekend is a busy weekend not trying to put you off just trying to help so you get there and back safe.

good luck ride safe

Being rather well endowed I can stick to my diesel

The mp3 is more common now but it always gets positive attention and when I take it for mots etc the whole garage wants a spin on it. They are very clever and stable all year around commuters although my 2009 model has a more traditional scooter riding position which is unsuited to my lanky frame for anything over 45 mins. Not a bike that stirs the soul but very practical and i have owned two without problems.

Ps would not recommend the 125 version though bike too heavy for engine.

c4aok wrote:Ps would not recommend the 125 version though bike too heavy for engine.

Yeah that we can agree on. I had one as a loan bike once and it was a dog struggling to get any speed at all.

I've tried the MP3 yourban too whuch didn't feel any more stable than a two wheeler. It was very nicely made though.

Liam wrote:

SOLO wrote:I love my 125cc...etc...

Well said! For years I travelled all over the country on 125 or 200 vespas.
Now, I just like to have a bit more power when using motorways and dual carriage ways.
It makes for easier riding

+1 Lots of respect for you Solo.

The mp3 is ingenious. You lock the suspension and park up and bike does not fall over. It handles very differently to a two wheeler but the main difference is in the wet. A few years ago I got caught out by snow on a journey home and while I would not for one second recommend riding on snow or ice the mp3 kept me upright for long enough to get to a place of safety. The 400cc is very nippy. My main dislike is the crashy ride and the lack of leg room

SOLO wrote:I love my 125cc i have ridden BIG powerfull bikes at biker meets ( illegaly ) and it dosnt give me no thrill, 2 months back GSX1100 test rode down the road, got up to 90mph, didnt make me feel anthing, no adreline rush, i Thought wow it got there fast but.....boring i missed everthing inbetween 0mph -90mph....

thats why i love my 125, at the speeds and slowness of 125s you get to see the view and the places your riding pass and take it in, and then i wounder why my mates on big bikes want to fly about everywhere at speed and think to my self where is the enjoyment of riding.

I can get up to 75mph and it will hold 70-mph GSP on the dule carrigaways and has power to over take, thats me happy, i always told my self that having a bike with lots of power will just make me want to wizz about everywhere fast and at the speed limit like my mates and i will lose the joy of enjoying a nice ride out and taking in the view. once of the reason i love to do london on my 125 like the last 5 times...i enjoyed it!

Well thats my view on owning a 125 and some of the reason i love been on a 125 and not bothered about test and big bikes, i just LOVE 125's they do it for me. loads people have tempted me with ''oh test this bike it can do 0-100 in so and so sec' then you will want your full licence and BIG bike '' , i am like no thanks it just dont intrest me, i ride a bike for the enjoyment of riding from A to B and enjoying everthing inbtween.

Weren't you practicing and going to take your test on a 650 Burgman not long ago? What happened there then?

I agree with Solo, you do miss out with a bigger bike.

On my Joyride 200i (171cc) it's nice and quiet (60-65mph has less wind noise) and just plods along in a nice predictable way and I enjoy looking at the scenery.
On my X10 350 I tend to ride around 70mph - I actually find it difficult to ride slowly on a powerful bike. The journey is noisier, I have to do more overtaking and I see less as I'm usually looking at the car in front ready for the next overtake.

I also used to ride a CBR600 and that was similar - very difficult to just roll along at 45mph looking at the fields etc.

That's why I'll sell the X10 next year and either keep the Joyride or chop it in for a smaller bike - max 250cc, possibly even a 125. 125s are great due to price and availability but I guess more of a target to get stolen - few people get the hots for 171cc