Considered one of Honda’s most enduring bikes can also be certainly one of its most incognito. The Honda CG125—a petite single-cylinder commuter—has been in fixed manufacturing since 1976, profitable hearts and minds by its sturdiness and affordability. Despite the fact that it’s now not in manufacturing in Japan, it lives on in nations like Pakistan, Brazil, and China, manufactured by numerous Honda subsidiaries and companions.
This peppy Honda CG125 is a Chinese language-made mannequin, constructed below the Wuyang-Honda label. It’s been masterfully tweaked by Jesse Liu of Kicker Storage, influenced by the favored brat style established by the legendary Go Takamine.
The pleasant simplicity of Kicker’s CG125 belies the quantity of labor that Jesse has poured into it. Via a bunch of delicate, but properly judged, modifications, he’s turned the standard commuter bike right into a good-looking café hopper.
Beginning with the chassis, Jesse reduce and looped the rear body, then lifted the tail with a set of longer-than-stock adjustable shocks. The entrance forks are inventory, however the rims are new. Jesse retained the OEM drum bake hubs, however laced them to 19F/18R hoops, choosing a basic H-shaped design.
Transferring to the bodywork, Jesse swapped the CG125’s gas tank for a basic CB100 unit. Subsequent, he changed the bike’s triangular facet covers for a extra bubbly set, including extra classic type to the bike. With the Honda’s airbox gone, there’s not a lot occurring behind the covers—however Jesse fitted them anyway, in order that the bike wouldn’t look too skinny.
For the lighting, Jesse intentionally went with pretty normal classic fare. A 5.75-inch headlight with a yellow lens does obligation up entrance, with a Lucas-style taillight perched atop a trials-style fender on the again.
The rider triangle includes a set of seagull-style handlebars, a mini-loaf seat, and the unique Honda foot controls. The bars are kitted with contemporary grips and micro-switches, with all the wiring hidden inside. A chromed off-the-shelf speedo sits entrance and heart.
Below the hood, Jesse rebuilt the CG125’s motor and ditched the gas injection in favor of a Keihin carb. A hand-crafted exhaust header is matched to a classy aftermarket reverse cone muffler.
When it got here to the livery, Jesse settled on a timeless metallic crimson paint job for the gas tank. However though it was impressed by Honda’s conventional hue, it’s not an actual match. “Prospects nonetheless love Honda Purple,” he explains, “however Honda Purple continues to be related to bike taxis regionally—so Mazda’s ‘Soul Purple’ was used as an alternative.”
The crimson base coat is damaged by white scallops with gold striping. The facet covers are wrapped in a shiny checkered flag motif—a cheeky addition, given the dimensions of the CG125’s engine.
Kicker’s customized Honda CG125 isn’t going to interrupt any land pace information, however it has type for miles. And with nowhere to place a passenger, it’s in no hazard of being mistaken for a taxi.
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