500 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway
2021 Honda Trail 125
For the first 150 miles of my Blue Ridge Parkway adventure I was having a case of deep buyer’s remorse. I hadn’t experienced the seemingly repeated childhood brain trauma of Ed March, and I’m too old for the love loss motivation of Nathan Millward. I was yearning for my old beat-up GS, or “Goat” my trusty Yamaha TW200. But after accepting the little trail for what it is, and not for what it isn’t, some deep breaths, relaxation techniques and attitude adjustments, I got in the groove and truly enjoyed the remaining few hundred miles of smelling the Appalachian pines.
Lets get the obvious out of the way: The Honda engineers in a sake bar scribbling on napkins with sharpies were not envisioning an up and comer to the GS here.
The CT125 is NOT a motorcycle. All of the weight is on the rear wheel including the rider in a permanent upright stance. This leaves little weight on the front tire and wheel for cornering response. I found picking and holding a line in a corner difficult if not impossible at any speed. Especially since down shifting and rolling on the throttle with the semi-automatic transmission is out of the question. Of course, it is not a scooter either. To say otherwise would bring on a hoard of red faced, die hard, torch waving scooter fanatics to burn my online avatar in effigy. God the horror of it all.
Pick whatever label you choose, but you have to ride the CT for the bike that it is. That was the first step in my learned appreciation for the CT. Slow down and take the corners more like on an upright Huffy. SLOW DOWN in general. As the Scooter Cannonball saying goes: “This is not a race”. I mistakenly had the saying rolling in my head about “riding a slow bike fast is more fun than a fast bike slow” I have yet to ride a Grom but I would imagine that philosophy might fit in that situation, not here.
Channeling my inner Ed and Nathan and hundreds of hours of Youtube postie bike videos like those from Biker Bits and itsRDtime I went full postie. I bolted on an aftermarket Harley type tour box to the back rack courtesy of my coworker Frank. I also borrowed the windshield off my Guzzi Cal2. I also added an ebay purchased center rack.
After about 150 miles of test ride back home I came to my biggest, yet to be overcome obstacle. Honda did not have my 6’ frame 32” inseam in mind when they designed the bike. Fine when running errands or getting groceries but the first time you stretch out a bit you find your tailbone directly on top of the rear rack front rail. I have read this many places and it is spot on. First I added a piece of cut off foam floor pad. Unsatisfied, I added an Airhawk seat cover. This necessitated the need to add 30mm bar risers. In honesty the Airhawk does squat, all of the air just pushes forward when sitting to the rear of it. Strike me down, but I think the only solution will be to cut off the rail and make a custom seat extension. The thought of cutting on that beautiful red rack makes me nauseous.
The ride was the section of the Blue Ridge Parkway I hadn’t already ridden on previous trips, mile post 350 at Mount Mitchell to the end of the Parkway outside of the town of Cherokee, mile post 469.
I stayed at the Hampton Inn off of interstate 40 in Marion North Carolina. To the parkway via NC80, the Devil’s Whip, is just under 20 miles. A great way to wind up and wind down a day of riding. NC80 drops you to about mile post 343 of the parkway, just South of Little Switzerland. A downed tree just South of Mt. Mitchell turned me around on the first day and I rode North to just past Linn Falls mile 310. The second day I rode to the Parkway visitors center in Ashville mile 385. On the third day I van’d the bike to the visitor center in Ashville and rode to Cherokee, had some ice cream and rode back to the van.
I really had no problem with the foot peg, gear shift and brake levers and my size 11 touring boots. Since I was not constantly shifting as I would be with a manual gear box, it just didn’t seem like such a big deal to slide my feet inward and outward on the pegs, and they seemed wide enough to do so with comfort. I did get my pantleg stuck on the kick starter once or twice while throwing my leg over to mount. I have yet to use the kicker to start the bike.
The hand controls are perfect and tactile. I wish the turn signal switch on some of my other bikes were as easy to operate. The anti-lock brake works as it should and prevents front end dive. I did get the front tire to squawk to avoid t boning an inattentive driver who reentered the parkway from and overlook without seeing me.
After a 160 or so mile, 5-6 hour riding days, other than a slight bruising from the rear rack rail, I felt good. No stiff shoulder or neck or back muscles. The upright seating position at a slow pace is relaxing. Stopping, stretching and gawking at overlooks helped too.
The Blue Ridge Parkway truly is the road for small cc bikes with it’s 45 mph speed limit. At times the cars would stack up behind me but I would swing over into one of the dozens of overlooks to let them get on with it. Once in touch with the topical Xanax of the CT pace I began to feel some sorrow for those still velocitized to the freeway pace. How can a person really enjoy the purposeful engineered beauty of such a road when focused on the bumper in front of you?
The great twisties and elevation changes of the parkway truly proved out the Trail’s engine. Elevation in Cherokee is 1991’ and the highest point on the parkway 6053’ a 4,000’ climb. Although the fuel injection handled the extremes without a hitch the 8.7 horsepower was plodding in 3rd gear at 30mph up the steepest climbs. Downhill of course was a breeze, braking before the corners and mild attempts at keeping it bellow the parkway 45mph speed limit. Again, like riding a Huffy bike. Coasting downhill after a hard ascent.
I must admit I chickened out adventuring down any of the many unpaved off shoots from the parkway. I have ridden hundreds of them on my TW, but the thought of those skinny CT skins leaves me green. The humbleness of “Some Guy Rides” YouTube channel is misplaced in my opinion. The guy is true hardcore!
Yes, it is true, you meet the nicest people on a Honda. As horribly cliché as that is to write. I had some of the best interactions with people on this short trip than I have had on any other. Actual 30 minute or longer discussion about this bike, their bikes, and riding philosophy in general at overlooks and gas stations. Even Harley riders gave their 2 fingered acknowledgment and dual sport riders waved energetically.
And one final shout out to the old boy at his “Vintage Garage” YouTube channel. At about halfway through this trip I caught the meaning of his Zen videos. “Ramen Time At Crystal River Preserve.” “Lunch At Long Lake” and all the others. I no longer have buyer’s remorse with the CT. I have new appreciation. What next? The Great River Road from Minnesota to Louisiana? On this bike?
2021 Honda Trail 125
For the first 150 miles of my Blue Ridge Parkway adventure I was having a case of deep buyer’s remorse. I hadn’t experienced the seemingly repeated childhood brain trauma of Ed March, and I’m too old for the love loss motivation of Nathan Millward. I was yearning for my old beat-up GS, or “Goat” my trusty Yamaha TW200. But after accepting the little trail for what it is, and not for what it isn’t, some deep breaths, relaxation techniques and attitude adjustments, I got in the groove and truly enjoyed the remaining few hundred miles of smelling the Appalachian pines.
Lets get the obvious out of the way: The Honda engineers in a sake bar scribbling on napkins with sharpies were not envisioning an up and comer to the GS here.
The CT125 is NOT a motorcycle. All of the weight is on the rear wheel including the rider in a permanent upright stance. This leaves little weight on the front tire and wheel for cornering response. I found picking and holding a line in a corner difficult if not impossible at any speed. Especially since down shifting and rolling on the throttle with the semi-automatic transmission is out of the question. Of course, it is not a scooter either. To say otherwise would bring on a hoard of red faced, die hard, torch waving scooter fanatics to burn my online avatar in effigy. God the horror of it all.
Pick whatever label you choose, but you have to ride the CT for the bike that it is. That was the first step in my learned appreciation for the CT. Slow down and take the corners more like on an upright Huffy. SLOW DOWN in general. As the Scooter Cannonball saying goes: “This is not a race”. I mistakenly had the saying rolling in my head about “riding a slow bike fast is more fun than a fast bike slow” I have yet to ride a Grom but I would imagine that philosophy might fit in that situation, not here.
Channeling my inner Ed and Nathan and hundreds of hours of Youtube postie bike videos like those from Biker Bits and itsRDtime I went full postie. I bolted on an aftermarket Harley type tour box to the back rack courtesy of my coworker Frank. I also borrowed the windshield off my Guzzi Cal2. I also added an ebay purchased center rack.
After about 150 miles of test ride back home I came to my biggest, yet to be overcome obstacle. Honda did not have my 6’ frame 32” inseam in mind when they designed the bike. Fine when running errands or getting groceries but the first time you stretch out a bit you find your tailbone directly on top of the rear rack front rail. I have read this many places and it is spot on. First I added a piece of cut off foam floor pad. Unsatisfied, I added an Airhawk seat cover. This necessitated the need to add 30mm bar risers. In honesty the Airhawk does squat, all of the air just pushes forward when sitting to the rear of it. Strike me down, but I think the only solution will be to cut off the rail and make a custom seat extension. The thought of cutting on that beautiful red rack makes me nauseous.
The ride was the section of the Blue Ridge Parkway I hadn’t already ridden on previous trips, mile post 350 at Mount Mitchell to the end of the Parkway outside of the town of Cherokee, mile post 469.
I stayed at the Hampton Inn off of interstate 40 in Marion North Carolina. To the parkway via NC80, the Devil’s Whip, is just under 20 miles. A great way to wind up and wind down a day of riding. NC80 drops you to about mile post 343 of the parkway, just South of Little Switzerland. A downed tree just South of Mt. Mitchell turned me around on the first day and I rode North to just past Linn Falls mile 310. The second day I rode to the Parkway visitors center in Ashville mile 385. On the third day I van’d the bike to the visitor center in Ashville and rode to Cherokee, had some ice cream and rode back to the van.
I really had no problem with the foot peg, gear shift and brake levers and my size 11 touring boots. Since I was not constantly shifting as I would be with a manual gear box, it just didn’t seem like such a big deal to slide my feet inward and outward on the pegs, and they seemed wide enough to do so with comfort. I did get my pantleg stuck on the kick starter once or twice while throwing my leg over to mount. I have yet to use the kicker to start the bike.
The hand controls are perfect and tactile. I wish the turn signal switch on some of my other bikes were as easy to operate. The anti-lock brake works as it should and prevents front end dive. I did get the front tire to squawk to avoid t boning an inattentive driver who reentered the parkway from and overlook without seeing me.
After a 160 or so mile, 5-6 hour riding days, other than a slight bruising from the rear rack rail, I felt good. No stiff shoulder or neck or back muscles. The upright seating position at a slow pace is relaxing. Stopping, stretching and gawking at overlooks helped too.
The Blue Ridge Parkway truly is the road for small cc bikes with it’s 45 mph speed limit. At times the cars would stack up behind me but I would swing over into one of the dozens of overlooks to let them get on with it. Once in touch with the topical Xanax of the CT pace I began to feel some sorrow for those still velocitized to the freeway pace. How can a person really enjoy the purposeful engineered beauty of such a road when focused on the bumper in front of you?
The great twisties and elevation changes of the parkway truly proved out the Trail’s engine. Elevation in Cherokee is 1991’ and the highest point on the parkway 6053’ a 4,000’ climb. Although the fuel injection handled the extremes without a hitch the 8.7 horsepower was plodding in 3rd gear at 30mph up the steepest climbs. Downhill of course was a breeze, braking before the corners and mild attempts at keeping it bellow the parkway 45mph speed limit. Again, like riding a Huffy bike. Coasting downhill after a hard ascent.
I must admit I chickened out adventuring down any of the many unpaved off shoots from the parkway. I have ridden hundreds of them on my TW, but the thought of those skinny CT skins leaves me green. The humbleness of “Some Guy Rides” YouTube channel is misplaced in my opinion. The guy is true hardcore!
Yes, it is true, you meet the nicest people on a Honda. As horribly cliché as that is to write. I had some of the best interactions with people on this short trip than I have had on any other. Actual 30 minute or longer discussion about this bike, their bikes, and riding philosophy in general at overlooks and gas stations. Even Harley riders gave their 2 fingered acknowledgment and dual sport riders waved energetically.
And one final shout out to the old boy at his “Vintage Garage” YouTube channel. At about halfway through this trip I caught the meaning of his Zen videos. “Ramen Time At Crystal River Preserve.” “Lunch At Long Lake” and all the others. I no longer have buyer’s remorse with the CT. I have new appreciation. What next? The Great River Road from Minnesota to Louisiana? On this bike?
