I literally only ride my 125cc on the dual carriageway and motorway, the experience you will have depends massively on whether you have a 15hp 6 speed 125cc with fairings compared to a 10hp 5 speed naked bike... there's about a 15 to 20mph top speed difference between those 2 types of bikes, my 125cc sits in the fast lane non stop at 70mph+ minimum speed going past all the lorries and i've still got a gear left which is really nice, very different to riding a 5 speed air cooled 125 which might just keep up with the lorries if you're lucky (that's my experience anyways), after owning 5 different 10 to 12hp air cooled 125cc bikes, now I finally own a water cooled 15hp 6 speed "sports style" bike, I do actually see what all the fuss was about. TL;DR Your 125cc motorway experience will be so much more enjoyable on a premium 125cc "sports" bike.
Good lad.. when I was young (in 1983) I was 2 up on a honda c70 on the M3 motorway. We was going to Mc Donald's at Fleet services just to get a thick milkshake lol. Your right about more fun on a small bike, I've sold my big uns and kept a Chinese 125cc Dax, 190cc Dax and a 190cc thumpstar big wheeled pit bike. Good video. Stay safe. 👍😎
"Variable Valve A.. p.. p.. p.. whatever the fcuk it means" 6:34 hehe... you made my day ;) "The Variable Valve Actuation system uses two cam profiles, controlled by a solenoid, to optimize valve operation across the engine’s rev range. Below 7,400 rpm, the first cam profile is active, providing better low- to mid-range performance. Above 7,400 rpm, the VVA system switches to the second cam profile, which offers increased valve lift and a more aggressive cam profile, resulting in improved high-rpm performance."
I get on the motorway daily with my honda CB125R. It does 50mph or 60mph. It's just once you hit 50mph the vibrations on the handlebars and footpegs are not to my liking. Now that i got my full licence I'm getting the NC750 to effortlessly glide on the motorways on my daily London commute. I could still keep the cb125 as a spare bike! It does the job brilliantly and very economically on non-motorway roads below 40 mph. 🤷♂️ 🏍🏍
Bang a windshield on and do everything you can to reduce drag - I have a CB125R 2023, these mods made a huge difference for me. Before motorway after 60mph was awful, after can sit at 70 with throttle spare
When I was a student I used to travel round the M25 on a Yamaha RXS100. It had the power and could do a genuine 65mph but the handling at that speed was a tad agricultural and front and rear drum brakes were amusing😅. I spent a year riding a 125 recently as part of a cheap bike challenge and it was a great laugh..
Agree you can use a 125 on a motorway. No hate from a fellow biker /petrol head. My issue with a 125 on the motorway is the screaming engine and constant gear changing. It's not a great riding experience.
Done many kms on the motorway with my varadero 125, it did it but it didnt do it great. 100kmph is really gonna be the max ur gonna comfortably cruise at, any higher is just no good. Happy to have a bigger bike now.
My cb125r would struggle a little on the motorway, it has the full 15bhp (2021 or newer) but without the fairing it barely gets to 70mph much like this mt125, also the revs are so high and the vibrations get uncomfortable after large stretches flat out, still do able i just wouldnt recommend it myself
always remember the caravaner's philosophy... slow vehicles are always at the front of the queue & have a lovely clear road ahead of them.... fast vehicles are more often at the back of a queue & pissed off.
If youre overtaking a lorry on the motorway, you'll start off getting a tow from it in the dead air behind it, then as you pull out, you'll be riding in normal air and so will lose the tow and slow down. If youre on the limit of your bike, you'll be left hanging out in lane 2 for a long time so just make sure theres nothing coming too fast behind.
@NathRides your 6th gear shouldn't be useless buddy :) either the bike has a small problem like a bad wheel bearing, binding brake or low tyre pressure etc. if all of those things are good then you may need to add just 1 tooth to the rear sprocket to bring the RPM a tiny bit higher for the given speed, this will bring the engine closer to the peak power at the same speed and put you right into that sweet spot! you should be able to accelerate no problem at all in 6th gear, if you lose speed after changing from 5th to 6th gear with the throttle pinned then simply the gearing is too long (it only has to be 1 tooth out on the rear sprocket), the 125cc are VERY sensitive to changes in gearing. Hope this helps :)
I'll look into this mate, thank you! All my 125ccs in the past were like it where gear 6 is more of a cruising gear at higher speed haha. I know the bike is all good so maybe a new sprockets with more teeth? :)
@@NathRides My old duke 125 6th gear was weaker than 5th, only ever used it down hills. My 6th gear is useless on my Fazer because i barely ever get enough road to reach it lol
Interestingly same speed as most 125 nakeds even those with 12hp, the fairings really do make a big difference, most riders spend their time in back roads and A-roads, much more fun, the bike community need to respect any type of biker because end of day two wheels take a lot of skill and confidence, a scooter rider who is riding all year round is arguably more experienced and skilled than a dude taking a Triumph out once in a blue moon during the summer
I don't like motorways, but even though my Intruder vs800 have no problem keeping up with traffic, I have (I sit as a sail in the wind). I hardly ever go faster than 110 km/h (65 mph). 110 is fine on most motorways.
I did my A1 because my MT-125 was a perfect motorway commuter. 2015 engine so deffo has a little more than this model. Mine sat easy at 78-84. Vids on my page of me lapping an MT10 and R6 on track (three sisters) 😅 best 125 on the road. Regret selling it. On XSR700 now. Don’t think it’s as enjoyable more speed, I loved ragging the hell outta it.
How's your hands with the vibration? I can only ride for about an hour before I can't feel my fingers. What's your opinion on throttle locks for these sort of roads?
Have a look into bar end weights, these change the resonant frequency of your handlbars to move the harsh vibration to a different RPM range, ideally out of the range that you're in when you're on the motorway/dual carriageway. I recommend "Oxford bar ends 3" The vibration problem you're having is very common with single cylinder engines and high RPM, have a look into foam handlebar grips too if you need to, I think they also exist to help with numb fingers caused by vibration but I didn't end up needing them myself after fitting the end weights best of luck and take care
Aslong as its maintained absolutely fine! Problems arise when you start modifying the bike, an exhaust on my cb125 adds 2 wheel hp, a remap and filter ontop turns a 15bhp bike into 20hp, might sound great but a single cylinder 4 stroke won't like hitting the limiter continuously for miles, stock the bike will handle it fine
@@johnjackson2349 good to know. Mines brand new 24 plate. As long as I get all the services done everything should be sweet. Not going to mod anything on it....was just curious back then as you're pretty much always on the limiter lol
Computer game graphics are becoming more more realistic every week. Just kidding, 😀 You can ride a modern 125cc on the motorway, but I think the engine would feel struggling after more than about 10-15 miles IMHO I have a Honda CB300R, and I feel it struggles at 70 for longish distances on the motorway (20 miles plus). That's the reason that middleweight bikes start at 500 to 650cc, it's best to have some power in reserve on the momoway There again, Yamaha MTs have a reputation for having hooligan engines compared to modern Honda CB's
Fuel is ridiculously cheap on 125s, motorways are defo not the best place but they can do it, the thing you need to be aware is bludy potholes and uneven road, hitting a pit at 70 isnt fun,also, if you see in the vid there are cars going way over the limit and even at 80 cars will be going faster than you so it's best not to get into it half of em prob don't have license or insurance anyway
I don't know what's happened to your channel, but it seems to have fallen off a cliff. I really don't understand why. Maybe your original audience have moved on from the 125 and are maybe no longer riding or have moved into cars. Think maybe you need a new directive moving forward. Come borrow some bikes from me and do some real world reviews with them
Possibly mate but it's also because I've taken massive breaks between uploads. I am looking for new directions to take my channel in but for now, I'm still researching :)
@@NathRides I cant wait to get off of my 50cc. awful to ride. no acceleration at all. 32mph tops on it, I wanna get an mt-07 or an r7 ( possibly honda cbr650) when i get an a2 later in life.
My grom gets the motorway experience everyday 😆 28,000 miles and still going 😄👍
Ay nice!
I literally only ride my 125cc on the dual carriageway and motorway, the experience you will have depends massively on whether you have a 15hp 6 speed 125cc with fairings compared to a 10hp 5 speed naked bike... there's about a 15 to 20mph top speed difference between those 2 types of bikes, my 125cc sits in the fast lane non stop at 70mph+ minimum speed going past all the lorries and i've still got a gear left which is really nice, very different to riding a 5 speed air cooled 125 which might just keep up with the lorries if you're lucky (that's my experience anyways), after owning 5 different 10 to 12hp air cooled 125cc bikes, now I finally own a water cooled 15hp 6 speed "sports style" bike, I do actually see what all the fuss was about.
TL;DR Your 125cc motorway experience will be so much more enjoyable on a premium 125cc "sports" bike.
Completely agree. I need to borrow a grom for a motorway video
What bike do you have bro
Good lad.. when I was young (in 1983) I was 2 up on a honda c70 on the M3 motorway. We was going to Mc Donald's at Fleet services just to get a thick milkshake lol. Your right about more fun on a small bike, I've sold my big uns and kept a Chinese 125cc Dax, 190cc Dax and a 190cc thumpstar big wheeled pit bike. Good video. Stay safe. 👍😎
"Variable Valve A.. p.. p.. p.. whatever the fcuk it means" 6:34 hehe... you made my day ;)
"The Variable Valve Actuation system uses two cam profiles, controlled by a solenoid, to optimize valve operation across the engine’s rev range. Below 7,400 rpm, the first cam profile is active, providing better low- to mid-range performance. Above 7,400 rpm, the VVA system switches to the second cam profile, which offers increased valve lift and a more aggressive cam profile, resulting in improved high-rpm performance."
Thank you 🤣🤣 everyone read this
Thanks
I found years ago the 125cc (cbr125) was too light and not planted on the road.
I found I seemed blown all over the place.
Sometimes it does feel like that but my Yamaha 125ccs always feel planted even if I'm being blown about :)
I get on the motorway daily with my honda CB125R.
It does 50mph or 60mph. It's just once you hit 50mph the vibrations on the handlebars and footpegs are not to my liking.
Now that i got my full licence I'm getting the NC750 to effortlessly glide on the motorways on my daily London commute.
I could still keep the cb125 as a spare bike! It does the job brilliantly and very economically on non-motorway roads below 40 mph. 🤷♂️ 🏍🏍
Smart move to use the whole gear before shifting, holds the top speed easier
Yeah it does :)
Bang a windshield on and do everything you can to reduce drag - I have a CB125R 2023, these mods made a huge difference for me.
Before motorway after 60mph was awful, after can sit at 70 with throttle spare
That might be worth doing, I think my next upgrade will be to a bigger bike haha. I miss the power of my 700cc
When I was a student I used to travel round the M25 on a Yamaha RXS100. It had the power and could do a genuine 65mph but the handling at that speed was a tad agricultural and front and rear drum brakes were amusing😅. I spent a year riding a 125 recently as part of a cheap bike challenge and it was a great laugh..
It is fun, at least you can use 100% of the engine haha
Agree you can use a 125 on a motorway.
No hate from a fellow biker /petrol head. My issue with a 125 on the motorway is the screaming engine and constant gear changing. It's not a great riding experience.
Hahah, I can agree
Try a Forza 125, no gears and indicated 80mph+ flat out
Done many kms on the motorway with my varadero 125, it did it but it didnt do it great. 100kmph is really gonna be the max ur gonna comfortably cruise at, any higher is just no good. Happy to have a bigger bike now.
My cb125r would struggle a little on the motorway, it has the full 15bhp (2021 or newer) but without the fairing it barely gets to 70mph much like this mt125, also the revs are so high and the vibrations get uncomfortable after large stretches flat out, still do able i just wouldnt recommend it myself
always remember the caravaner's philosophy... slow vehicles are always at the front of the queue & have a lovely clear road ahead of them.... fast vehicles are more often at the back of a queue & pissed off.
If youre overtaking a lorry on the motorway, you'll start off getting a tow from it in the dead air behind it, then as you pull out, you'll be riding in normal air and so will lose the tow and slow down. If youre on the limit of your bike, you'll be left hanging out in lane 2 for a long time so just make sure theres nothing coming too fast behind.
Great advice here!
10:57 hey you caught up with that green audi!
I'm just too fast
125’s are fine for the most part but it definitely will be nice to have that extra power… 😢
It's so nice having that extra power haha, you can actually hit 75
@@NathRides I’ve had 86 show on the dash that can’t be correct tho as when I go past those signs that show your speed it’s usually a few mph under 🤣
@@xZenoRides Even if the dash is 10% out that's still about 78mph which I would expect from a well maintained premium 125cc sports bike :) take care
@@jaredkain3021 yeah its not bad for a 125 i suppose and cheers mate, you too!
@NathRides your 6th gear shouldn't be useless buddy :) either the bike has a small problem like a bad wheel bearing, binding brake or low tyre pressure etc. if all of those things are good then you may need to add just 1 tooth to the rear sprocket to bring the RPM a tiny bit higher for the given speed, this will bring the engine closer to the peak power at the same speed and put you right into that sweet spot! you should be able to accelerate no problem at all in 6th gear, if you lose speed after changing from 5th to 6th gear with the throttle pinned then simply the gearing is too long (it only has to be 1 tooth out on the rear sprocket), the 125cc are VERY sensitive to changes in gearing.
Hope this helps :)
I'll look into this mate, thank you! All my 125ccs in the past were like it where gear 6 is more of a cruising gear at higher speed haha. I know the bike is all good so maybe a new sprockets with more teeth? :)
@@NathRides My old duke 125 6th gear was weaker than 5th, only ever used it down hills. My 6th gear is useless on my Fazer because i barely ever get enough road to reach it lol
@@Masher8559 don't you just put the fazer in 6th just to lower the rpm. I would imagine 50mph was OK in 6th
Interestingly same speed as most 125 nakeds even those with 12hp, the fairings really do make a big difference, most riders spend their time in back roads and A-roads, much more fun, the bike community need to respect any type of biker because end of day two wheels take a lot of skill and confidence, a scooter rider who is riding all year round is arguably more experienced and skilled than a dude taking a Triumph out once in a blue moon during the summer
I don't like motorways, but even though my Intruder vs800 have no problem keeping up with traffic, I have (I sit as a sail in the wind). I hardly ever go faster than 110 km/h (65 mph). 110 is fine on most motorways.
tuck in 🤣🤣✅✅
Might as well lay down
Strange seeing you on a 125 again😂
I did my A1 because my MT-125 was a perfect motorway commuter. 2015 engine so deffo has a little more than this model. Mine sat easy at 78-84. Vids on my page of me lapping an MT10 and R6 on track (three sisters) 😅 best 125 on the road. Regret selling it. On XSR700 now. Don’t think it’s as enjoyable more speed, I loved ragging the hell outta it.
Theyre great bikes but I miss having some power. Your comment proves that the rider is more important than the cc haha
As long as you don’t have l plates on your ok its only if you have only pasted a CBT
Yeah, you need at least A1 for this
Info there's not a slow lane on a motorway . The other lanes are for overtakes only .
You are holding 65-70 so just fine for a motorway.
If they'll do a steady 60 no problem
How's your hands with the vibration? I can only ride for about an hour before I can't feel my fingers.
What's your opinion on throttle locks for these sort of roads?
Have a look into bar end weights, these change the resonant frequency of your handlbars to move the harsh vibration to a different RPM range, ideally out of the range that you're in when you're on the motorway/dual carriageway. I recommend "Oxford bar ends 3"
The vibration problem you're having is very common with single cylinder engines and high RPM, have a look into foam handlebar grips too if you need to, I think they also exist to help with numb fingers caused by vibration but I didn't end up needing them myself after fitting the end weights
best of luck and take care
I had this issue on the RS125 but every other bike I've had has been okay. I can do some research into how to reduce vibrations for you
@@NathRides It's not so bad now, I'm using those oxford 225g weights and not holding so tight
What are you riding?
@@nickwinn7812 GSXR-125
what website r u buying the r1 and make a vid of you picking it up pls :D
I'm not sure yet, I'm looking everywhere
‘Ignore them they’re on Reddit’ haha so true I think a lot of these people who answer questions on Reddit are very sheltered from the real world
Pretty much how an mx5 feels on the motorway
Is it Km/h or MPH. Note: I ride a 150 cc at 90 Km/h on the highway and I only have 5 gears.
This is MPH
I’m getting a Honda cm 200 twinstar on the 25th of this month ❤
Is it not too much for the engine? The high rpm, vibrations worries me
No, I've always found it to be okay
On a 3 lane motorway there is no slow lane. There is a driving lane and 2 overtaking lanes.
Whats it like for the engine constantly pinning these?
Aslong as its maintained absolutely fine! Problems arise when you start modifying the bike, an exhaust on my cb125 adds 2 wheel hp, a remap and filter ontop turns a 15bhp bike into 20hp, might sound great but a single cylinder 4 stroke won't like hitting the limiter continuously for miles, stock the bike will handle it fine
@@johnjackson2349 good to know. Mines brand new 24 plate. As long as I get all the services done everything should be sweet. Not going to mod anything on it....was just curious back then as you're pretty much always on the limiter lol
Remember HGV's can only go 56mph
Computer game graphics are becoming more more realistic every week.
Just kidding, 😀
You can ride a modern 125cc on the motorway, but I think the engine would feel struggling after more than about 10-15 miles IMHO
I have a Honda CB300R, and I feel it struggles at 70 for longish distances on the motorway (20 miles plus).
That's the reason that middleweight bikes start at 500 to 650cc, it's best to have some power in reserve on the momoway
There again, Yamaha MTs have a reputation for having hooligan engines compared to modern Honda CB's
Hahaha, small CCs are surprisingly capable
what exhaust?
Stock exhaust here :)
@@NathRides Wow!
Reddits 99% woke karens on any subject. Its painful to read.
I agree
How much do you weigh? I would be lucky to get to 60 with good conditions.
I'm 68kg:)
@@NathRides Well that makes more sense haha. No way anyone over 90kg is going that fast on a 125 to justify riding on the motorway.
@@FatBiscuitYT I'm 95kg and my 2021 mt 125 did 72 with out any issues. also did 70 with my gf behind me and she is around 50kg. So its not an issue :)
@@Karajcsonthow was the suspension with a passenger? I want my partner on the back but fear the bike will be way too soft to handle that lol
@@johnjackson2349 it can hurt tbh. But even under my weight. She needs to be ready :D
Let’s go bro how is it compared to the 700😂😂
Uhh, it certainly moves hahaha
Fuel is ridiculously cheap on 125s, motorways are defo not the best place but they can do it, the thing you need to be aware is bludy potholes and uneven road, hitting a pit at 70 isnt fun,also, if you see in the vid there are cars going way over the limit and even at 80 cars will be going faster than you so it's best not to get into it half of em prob don't have license or insurance anyway
I don't know what's happened to your channel, but it seems to have fallen off a cliff. I really don't understand why. Maybe your original audience have moved on from the 125 and are maybe no longer riding or have moved into cars. Think maybe you need a new directive moving forward.
Come borrow some bikes from me and do some real world reviews with them
Possibly mate but it's also because I've taken massive breaks between uploads. I am looking for new directions to take my channel in but for now, I'm still researching :)
Don’t do motorways no fun like twisys
Twistys are fun
It won't work in America where people all go 90 mph.
get out of that middle lane as soon as you have overtaken.
downgrade????? HUHH. ima try get a zontes zt125 u at christmas :D SHEESH hitting 70 in gear 5. thats got power
Hahah, you'll love it mate!
@@NathRides I cant wait to get off of my 50cc. awful to ride. no acceleration at all. 32mph tops on it, I wanna get an mt-07 or an r7 ( possibly honda cbr650) when i get an a2 later in life.
Loved my Zontes G1. ONly time it came unstuck was on the motorway/dual carriageway uphills. Couldnt maintain 70.
@@daddystu7046 when i get a U ima remap the ECU, put an exauhst on it. try get as much performance on it
@@IAmSwordless- Only had mine a year - started DAS training then. Ride an MT07 Tracer now.