Mini Thumper

[Richard]

I have acquired a new (mini) Thumper to keep the Skorpions company.

A 1988 CG125 made in Brazil.

First impressions:

Bouncy, incredibly light and twitchy, small drum brakes ARE as exciting as I remember, it sips fuel - the engine is a gem, lights that only do anything when you rev the engine.

Amazed to find washable oil and air filters, and oil changes every 1500 miles or so. 

I have acquired a replacement chaincase as the old one was held together by its paint, and am looking for a new front mudguard for similar reasons (the brace has rotted badly).

Could be a winter laugh but is going to be passed on to wife and/or son No 2 once fettled.

[Ian]

I remember my son had one of these "beasts" for his first bike. Everything you said rung true....the only memorable thing was the number of people who wanted to buy it when it was time to sell it on 🤔

[Moto63]

Yes.. I bought one for my ex wife 😡😡.... the only memorable thing was that she was a bitch. No I’m not talking about the CG😉
Best of luck with it Richard. Brilliant little winter runabout 👍

[CrazyFrog]

I love them. As you say, the engine is a real gem. Sadly, a lot that come up for sale now have been traumatised by idiots with angle grinders and a totally unwarranted belief in their own abilities...

[Moto63]

I love them. As you say, the engine is a real gem. Sadly, a lot that come up for sale now have been traumatised by idiots with angle grinders and a totally unwarranted belief in their own abilities...

“Angle grinders” ....... love em I do 😉👍

[CrazyFrog]

Yeah, but you know what you're doing with one, unlike the spotty teenagers who turn their CG125's into some sort of horrid bobber or cafe racer...

[johnr]

a mate of mine had one, only had 4 gears, and iirc the box was upside down, one up, 3 down. when he was doing some work, it turned out that the bike had 5 gears, but the gear selector drum only engaged 1 to 4 5th gear was there, it just couldnt be selected!

[Richard]

I think the early ones did have four gears tbh, this one definitely has all 5 in the 1 down, 4 up configuration.  Was it the RD250 that had six gears but they blanked one off for the UK market or something?

My CG is still on drum brakes all round whereas the later ones got a disc front and electric start - posh.

Amazing how many have been made in Japan, Brazil, Pakistan and China - where I suspect the engine lives on.

I remember seeing them about in the 1970s when you had a choice of CG125, CB125 with the ohc, and the CB125T twin eurostyling jobby at the Earls Court show.

[johnr]

if you look at the current crop of chinese 125's many of them are running a remanufactured cg motor, ive even seen them with twin exhausts, still a 125 pushrod single but they remade the head to fit twin exhaust ports from its single valve, theyre even sold in bikes bored to iirc 220cc! useful if you have a cg in the shed cos its a long list of options to modify it.

[CrazyFrog]

Yep, I had a Chinese Lexmoto Vixen with a CG125 clone engine. I went the whole hog, and fitted a big bore 150cc kit, oh, the power! 🤣🤣