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Have you just bought a motorcycle and are about to learn how to ride? If so, hopefully these motorcycle riding tips will help you have a safer ride in the future.

There are some important steps you can take to make your next ride an even safer ride. First, if you haven’t done so yet, consider signing up to take a motorcycle safety course. These courses cover all skill levels, but for beginning riders they are crucial – and even mandatory in some states. In a motorcycle safety course, you will learn the most important basic skill you need to know to ride safety on the road. Most of the beginning courses start with off road practice, so that those who are brand new to motorcycle riding get some practice before doing on road riding. They will also teach you important information about safety gear (including helmets) and defensive riding techniques.

After you have completed your course, you may also want to gain some additional on road riding experience in a sparsely populated location. This is particularly important if you live in a busy town or city. This way you can gradually build up your skills before attempting often chaotic inner city riding.

Besides location, also consider the time of day you will be riding your bike. Beginning riders should certainly not set out during rush hour traffic early on, but instead should aim to ride during off peak traffic hours.

Also, make sure you protect yourself by making yourself as visible as possible to often unaware drivers. Wear reflective clothing and be sure that your lights are all functioning and on. If your helmet or clothing are dark color, reflective tape can help make you much more visible when riding.

In the 1970s, Japanese motorcycles were becoming a common sight on UK streets. Simple machines with excellent fuel efficiency, they were also much cheaper than the larger UK bikes or US imports. The CB125 entered the arena in 1972 as a basic commuter motorcycle that could also quicken your heartbeat! A single-cylinder, four-stroke bike, the CB125 had an overhead camshaft (OHC) engine with a 122 cc displacement (increased to 124 cc in 1976).

Honda designed this to be a rev-happy engine, with a 9500 rpm red line encouraging you to twist the throttle. For a small motorcycle in the 1970s, it performed brilliantly. Riders managed to cross 65 mph at top speed, while the bike could effortlessly cruise at 55 mph. A real beauty, the Honda CB125 engine could last forever, provided you kept a close eye on the oil levels. Most owners stuck to oil changes every 1000 km to keep everything in tip-top condition.

The Honda CB125 provided exciting performance to the average biker, yet managed to stay frugal. Part of the reason was that it was light with a kerb weight of less than 90 kgs. Depending on how it was ridden, a 1970s Honda CB125 could manage over 40 kilometres on a single litre of petrol. The 5-speed transmission also helped improve both control and mileage. With a torque of something like 18.5 bhp @ 9000 rpm, the Honda CB125 was a versatile motorcycle that could be used for commuting, work or just riding pleasure!

Honda did not make a lot of variants and most survivors bear CB125, CB125S and CB125J designations. Interestingly, the US-manufactured models (1976-89) all carry the Honda CB125S model designation. In any cases, the changes were minor, such as the upgrade of the electrical system from 6V to 12V in the 1980s. Also, from 1974-79 the CB125 came with disc brake as standard for the front wheel. Later models reverted back to the rather weak drum brakes, a strange decision for such a zippy motorcycle.