Hey there @Adge ☺️🌺
CB125’s are very nimble, all day riders.. I used to have one of these when I did deliveries many many years ago! Loved it 😊
ok the first and foremost thing I do when getting back on a bike that hasn’t been used for a while is (depending on how long), get a new set of tyres.. tyres have an expiry timeframe - they become hard, lose their grip, and no longer behave or wear as expected, and if they have been sitting for some time, they become brittle and don’t flex in the sidewall as much as necessary at correct pressures to maintain correct distortion when on lean angle, which reduces the contact area (the tyre distorts to maintain a larger contact area when on lean angle), so this combined with loss of traction of the material itself, there tends to be front wheel wash-out (low-side drops) towards the outside of a corner when on lean.
Having said that, I check spark plugs for gunk, change the oil and filter, and check battery charge before kicking over the engine, to ensure it has the best chance of reducing engine wear and electrical poor performance.
I make sure all the globes are new (changing headlight globes, blinkers and tail lights), just in case they have experienced corrosion.
I adjust and lube the chain and sprockets, and check suspension seals to ensure no leaks. I also check and pack grease in steering bearings and swing arm bearings. As well as check the front and rear wheel bearings for dryness (put on bike stand and check for play in the wheel bearings).
sometimes I drain and renew brake fluid, and I lube all cables, checking attachment points for fraying. The CB125 has a cable clutch (not hydraulic), so I pay particular attention to the cable attachment at the lever because there are lots of gear changes in a smaller engine CC to maintain power optimisation in the right rev range, and losing a clutch cable when riding is no fun when you need to make a lot of gear changes (unlike a larger CC engine which can handle greater ranges of road speed in each gear due to wider rev ranges of power and torque).
I usually drop the fuel filter and replace it, while draining the tank to ensure the fuel isn’t off/got water in it/separated/gone sludgy, before starting. And I usually replace the hand grips so they aren’t hard or uncomfortable, both brand new soft silicone grips with a larger diameter to make it easier to grip for long rides (I have massive hands so a larger diameter makes it easier to hold the grip, and use the levers.. just a suggestion if you have long hands).
I check my gear (helmet, leathers/protective pants/jacket, boots, gloves, etc) for wear or repair/replacement, before using.
Oh, and I check/replace brake pads/drum/discs if needed.
that’s about it for equipment, besides always having a small manual pump handy to check tyre pressures regularly - tyre pressure is essential to correct tyre function in emergency evasive manoeuvres, so I check it twice a week.
in terms of riding, if I haven’t ridden in a while, I go to a Carpark and practice all the manoeuvres included in the licence tests: emergency braking to full stop and immediate quick take-off, swerve and correct, cone weave (using lines or other markers - I don’t have any cones), super slow ride without putting foot down, complete u-turns while in motion, and hazard avoidance (eg: non-attentive pedestrians that do not observe motorcycles).
Then, I’ll go for a longer ride on a road that doesn’t have much intersections or traffic, like a winding country road, to bed in the bike, and get reacquainted with how it feels at speed (now that I have gotten used to it again at low speed/controlling under emergency/hazard situations).
once I’ve done that, I ride on street roads with intersections, lights, etc, when it’s not busy (usually at night) so I can get used to being in traffic streets, and become accustomed to the limits of the lights in darkness (headlight behaviours when turning the ‘bars, limitations of the headlight when on lean angle). Then, I’m pretty right to go, just paying attention from this point where I am positioned in traffic at all times to maximise visibility and braking (wheel track area on the roadway as opposed to the greasy bit in the middle of the lane where vehicles drop their grease and oil), and intelligently using other vehicles as shields from danger at intersections (like if someone runs a red light, I’m not the first vehicle that will be impacted).
If I find people around to ride with, I do go for rides with them, but I tend not to start out with them straight away because I do not want to pick up any potentially bad or lazy habits.
Cornering skill is paramount, and never go above the speed at which one can correct an emergency (eg gravel half way through the corner on the road creating a differential loss of traction across both wheels - usually front wheel wash-out), or see beyond the corner.
This skill has saved me at least a thousand times in all the years I’ve been riding, from dropping it in a corner or on the exit of a corner! 😊
Ok that’s about all I can think of for now, so I hope there’s something in there which is helpful to you 💜🌺🙂
most of all, enjoy the wind in your hair!
🦩🌺🏍️
