Last night we talked until the wee hours about… classics. What are they? How original or perfect they should be and what will become classics. Seems like a very recognizable topic of conversation and last night it was about a Lomax, my own interpretation of a Guzzi café racer with reversed heads and injection and my son's 125 Honda CBF2012.
Each Lomax is 2CV less
A Lomax is technically no more than a lost 2CV. The Guzzi is 100% pure in the spirit of the café racers of the 125s. The builder is one of the scarce people who has mastered the theory and practice to his fingertips, mechanically, electrically and electronically. And that Honda CBFXNUMX? That is the pimped equivalent of the most produced motorcycle in the world: the Honda Cub.
The most made motorcycle in the world
The idea behind those Cubs was just as brilliant as the one behind the 2CV. Everyone should be able to buy it and it should always be done. Those Honda step-throughs were never made for eternity. And about 100.000.000 have been made. Still, a beautiful Cub is now a sweet and appreciated property and still very nice for a Sunday round around the church. We also know someone who went to Spain with his Cub and returned without any problems. If you are not in a hurry, anything is possible. The Hondaatjes were pure utility mopeds without any pretensions or kapsones. They have become classics.
What is in a name?
The Lomax was a complete deviation from everything the duck once stood for. Nigel Whall's creation based on an old duck was a thing that was totally fun oriented. The name Lomax has often been explained as Low costs, maximum fun. But it was actually even more typically English: Nigel Whall had almost finished his project when he was tossingly in his bed worrying about the name for it. And because he was English, he thought about what last name he would like if he hadn't been called Whall. Nigel thought he would want to be called Lomax. He liked that name, that sound. In the meantime, the breeding of tricycles and quadricycles on the basis of 2CV platforms has risen almost to Olympic level up to our own 'Patrons' and 'Burtons'. And a wide circle of enthusiasts appreciate those creations as classics.
A classic of the future? NOT!
And then we get to my son's Honda CBF125. The thing was taken over from the driving school owner after realizing his driving license who realized that the 125 cc A driving license was not a business model. The Hondaatje was then used in accordance with the philosophy behind the Super Cubs: Such a thing is even cheaper in daily use than a stolen bicycle.
Garage Dad
The maintenance was done by Pa. And with that maintenance it was already noticeable that this sporty-looking, modern Honda had a lot of savings. The nameplate shows India as the country of origin. But apparently India has become too expensive. If you buy a CBF125 now, it will be from China. It is a 100% austerity story. Bolt heads that used to be 10mm are now 8mm. And many confirmations are clearly intended to be one-off. The chrome is mediocre at best, as is the paint on the block and the quality of the injection molding.
The thingy has now run about 20D working kilometers. In terms of maintenance, the third rear tire was coming. The front strap can last for another year. The only damage so far was a broken sprocket carrier bearing. Apparently, during assembly or during previous dealer maintenance, a filling can was forgotten that is on the drawings of CMSNL. With five minutes of measuring I had the measurements of that van that was then turned by friend Jan in just over five minutes.
A cheap means of transport for poor students
Such a Honda CBF 125je is a not bad-looking, because of the scruffyly mounted plating, quite maintenance-unfriendly lightweight. With a full-grown Dutchman on board, he runs just 100 on the counter with a run-up. Honda has sold quite a lot to driving school owners. Judging by the second-hand supply, most of it has been demolished. A used chain wheel carrier cost 40 euros. And there I got a complete wheel - without a filler! - but with a fresh strap. The Honda CBF125 - Made in India - will not be a classic
