Honda CB125M

During a clean up of my computer photo files I found some screenshots of this neat concept than was shown at EICMA in 2018 with the oh-so boringly Honda monicker of CB125M. The photos are 18 months old now, but the design is still doing it for me, so I thought I'd share it.

At the time it really caught my eye. Sure, it's more supermoto than street tracker, but Sideburn isn't afraid of straying out of its lane. The 125M's has a modern, almost aggressive look, but far more together than many of Kawasaki's or Yamaha's edgy road bike designs.

The red CB125M has a mini-adventure bike sibling, the CB125X. Now Honda have registered the designs with the patent office, the next step towards them becoming production bikes. While they are concepts, they look very 'productionable' (I made that word up). The rear wheels would need those sticky out brackets to mount the plate and cover more of the rear wheel. The red one needs a front mudguard. They both need indicators and mirrors. Isn't it funny that concept bikes hardly ever have those necessities rather than trying to incorporate them into the overall design?

Both were designed at Honda's Rome design HQ by Project Leader, Valerio Aiello, who was also in charge of the Honda CB1100TR street tracker concept we featured in Sideburn 29.

#Honda #concept #adventurebike #Sideburn29

The Barbara Fritchie Classic

We have a great story on the Barbara Fritchie Classic in Sideburn 41. This is the oldest dirt track race in the world, coming up for its 99th year (Covid-19 allowing).

A huge fan of the event, Ted Ellis, wrote the piece for us. He knows what he's talking about. That's him, leaning on the fence, white, untucked baseball shirt with green sleeves, red hair, at the very same Maryland race back in 1976.

Buy Sideburn 41 to learn about the race and see great photos from its history.

The same race, in the 1920s, from nearly the same perspective.

#BarbaraFritchieClassic #1970s #1920s #Maryland

For Sale: Sideburn's Honda 650 Flat Tracker

You are viewing Sideburn's own Honda 650, race-winning sand racer that has been refreshed and converted to flat track spec and is ready to race*.

This 650 is an affordable way to get into the sport, suitable to race in the DTRA's Thunderbike class, and a 'skills' class (so Rookie, Inter or Pro, meaning you can race two classes at one race meeting with one bike). Obviously it is also suitable for the Scunthorpe and Rye House championships.

This bike has been improved an tweaked over several seasons and has a tuned, reliable motor. This engine is as powerful as most Rotaxs racing in the UK and has some very tasty parts in it and with the right rider has Thunderbike podium potential.

At the end of the sand racing season it had a couple of cracked brackets, which have been replaced, and then has undergone a lot more improvements since then. It was on the podium in the Unlimited Road Bike class at the last Mablethorpe Sand race of 2020. The bike didn't have a brake, now it has a brand new Honda CRF450 caliper, brand new disc and disc bolts and the swingarm modified by Co-Built to take the CRF450 caliper hanger.

It is half the price, or less, than people are asking for modified CCM road bikes converted to a similar spec.

ENGINE

Honda 650 (Dominator/SLR650 with kickstart bottom end conversion)

Brand new old stock head at beginning of 2018-19 season. Tuned by Pikes Peak class winner Travis Newbold.

Wiseco forged piston

Kibbelewhite valves and springs

Web cam

Co-Built stainless exhaust

ProX conrod kit (fitted four race meetings ago)

Mikuni carb

Ignitech DCCDI ignition

CHASSIS

Honda SLR650 frame, converted to twin shock

Honda CB250 front end

Hagon shocks

Same wheelbase as a Wood Rotax framer

THE REST

Renthal bars

Powder coated XL185 tank (straight, no filler)

LiPo battery

Maxxis DTR-1 tyres

19in rims

Honda CRF450 rear brake

K&N air filter

Lanyard killswitch

BRAND NEW STUFF FITTED REBUILD

Venhill clutch cable

Venhill throttle cable (not pictured)

HRC-style brake fluid reservoir eliminator (not pictured)

Renthal rear sprocket

Chain

Front and rear wheel bearings

Rear caliper and pads (brand new, not from a breaker's)

Rear disc

Disc bolts

Fork seals

Grips

Oil and filter

Sideburn alloy side number plates (powder coated white)

£2350. No offers.

Email sideburnmag @ gmail.com if you're interested.

* The bike is fitted with Maxxis DTR-1s so check with the race series to plan to compete with ensure the tyres are allowed for the class you plan to enter.

#forsale #Honda #TravisNewbold #Thunderbike #DTRAThunderbikes