Another enthusiast joins the club

[MisterB]

Great forum, thanks for all the members who've posted so much useful info and great pics.
Moving down from a Gold Wing F6B since my new job has me commuting a little over a mile each way, the big gal was just too much work to get out of the garage and barely warmed up.
Also life changes have me sticking closer to home and this bike fits the bill.
Picked up my new 2021 after being on a waiting list for a few months, others on the list gave up. I figure I got it since it's a 21 and maybe Honda did a final purge of old models to make room for new ones? Doesn't matter as it doesn't look like there's much changed.
Perfect for my needs. I'm pushing 60 but I have to say this damn bike is really bringing out the old feeling of wanting to just load it up and hit the road and see what happens. Too many responsibilities to do that so the wife and I are gonna try to have some fun together on scooters. Picked up a Super Cub when I got on the list, now we just need to get her through the basic riders training course and see what happens. She has prior 2-wheel experience but it's been a few decades.

Now comes the difficult task of deciding which farkles and upgrades to do! Sooo much easier when I can read all of your experiences and opinions, thanks to all who have shared so much!
After looking at hundreds of top boxes and storage ideas I finally decided on a milk crate. There is a rectangular one that's a pretty close fit. Wanted red and all I could find were very expensive used ones (with legal warnings all over them) but found a red rectangular for the Trail and a red and white square crate for the Super Cub. Got one of each color so momma can swap 'em up.
Found them new from a company called Farmplast online. It's a primitive but effective solution for now.
It's 30MPH and below in town with an occasional 45 for 1/4 mile or so for my daily drive. Trail is the perfect solution. My 6cyl truck gets single digit gas mileage for the first mile or so and then does ok, I never drive far enough to get to the "ok" level so it mows through the gas. The Trail will help balance that out.

Gotta wrap it up, will post if I have something useful to add.
Robert

 

[SneakyDingo]

I'm pushing 60 but I have to say this damn bike is really bringing out the old feeling of wanting to just load it up and hit the road and see what happens.

G'day @MisterB, I don't suppose we could introduce you to Ang's series on doing the Trans America Trail on the CT125... **evil laugh**

 

[SneakyDingo]

After looking at hundreds of top boxes and storage ideas I finally decided on a milk crate. There is a rectangular one that's a pretty close fit. Wanted red and all I could find were very expensive used ones (with legal warnings all over them) but found a red rectangular for the Trail and a red and white square crate for the Super Cub. Got one of each color so momma can swap 'em up. Found them new from a company called Farmplast online. It's a primitive but effective solution for now.

Can you link to those in the mods and accessories section? Right now the only familiar option we have is the Milwaukee crate and that's $50.

It's 30MPH and below in town with an occasional 45 for 1/4 mile or so for my daily drive. Trail is the perfect solution. My 6cyl truck gets single digit gas mileage for the first mile or so and then does ok, I never drive far enough to get to the "ok" level so it mows through the gas. The Trail will help balance that out.

I'm riding near GVWR and I'm getting 110 mpg. If you look in my signature there's a fuel dashboard link that you can see my current fuel efficiency at any time (automatically updates)

 

[MisterB]

Sneaky, that video is in my queue, I watched the Alaskan tour with Ari and Zack from Revzilla, so much fun!
As you all know; there is an amazing amount of Honda Trail vides. The nerd-out level on this bike is through the roof!
I really missed out in my younger years, I could've had as many of these as I could store when younger, now an '82 at the local dealer was as much as a new one!
Better late than never, but still hurts.

I've gotta go over the rules and check out how to post pics and such but here is the crate I bought.
The used ones I was looking at were $40 plus shipping on eBay. I got 1 rectangular red, 1 square white, 1 square red, and a 3-pack of XL totes with lids for around $120 and change.
That's a lot more than $40 but I have a use for all of it and the totes with integrated lids will get a lot of use in the garage.
I'll post a pic in M&A when it arrives. Hoping it's standard, heavy-duty crate like you'd see hauling milk. I've seen some consumer crates that are a different type of plastic that would not inspire confidence. Typical milk crate plastic should have some flex and easily support a full-grown man when crate is resting upside down. Will report.

Beautiful day here in Monroe County, taking the Trail to work today!

 

[SneakyDingo]

The Alaskan tour was more about the classic CT, but much of the sameness seems to be had by the latest update. Revzilla really did a great job on that. I swear they have one more CT125 video out there that I just haven't been able to find... yet.

That pretty much looks like the crate I bought. I couldn't find one in red though, only black. Having bought one, I am very impressed. You've probably seen a few of the videos where they tilt the Trail over to do it, but I strongly suspect these crates will come in handy when servicing the spinner.

I have a strict "bicycle to work" policy so I doubt I will use my Trail for riding to work, but it'd be a near perfect option. Our big problem here is parking is a minimum of $10 a day.

 

[MisterB]

Our big problem here is parking is a minimum of $10 a day.

I don't know where "here" is but that's $200 a month if you work a standard work week!! Does the weather allow year-round bicycling? That's brutal.

G'day @MisterB, I don't suppose we could introduce you to Ang's series on doing the Trans America Trail on the CT125... **evil laugh**

Also, I've seen some of his vids, great watching while waiting for mine but the Trail-er you linked to for the TAT has the most hilarious music. I absolutely adore the Trail 125 but I laugh and laugh when they call the Trail "idiotic" and "silly", LOL where can I get the .mp3?

 

[SneakyDingo]

I don't know where "here" is but that's $200 a month if you work a standard work week!! Does the weather allow year-round bicycling? That's brutal.

Funny you mention this... There's a long description, but if you imagine us as GM and Chevy, I work for a company (Chevy) under the bigger umbrella company (GM). They wanted to open up the GM office while keeping the Chevy office closed, because "we don't know what demand will be like" despite doing multiple surveys. The generalized office I normally would go to is the Cadillac office, which is the $200 a month option. We operate out of Seattle, WA.

In a discussion over opening the offices, one of our higher ups decided to step on a landmine and state that it would be cheaper to open up the main office, and they couldn't gauge interest yet for the other office.

I responded with something close to the following (stripped of internal citations, news references, legal code references, etc.)
"The GM office would cost me ~$390 to commute to, before fixed costs and per-mile costs beyond gasoline were considered - that is I'm not factoring in insurance, increased maintenance or registration. This is due to tolling and parking which I didn't have to pay if I went to the Chevy office instead. Even for the Cadillac office, the average pay cut post-tax they are asking us to take is a 7% pay cut based on self reported income across <division> and U-Park rates for the parking lot described in <internal site referencing parking at that location>. This is during a time when rent went up an average of 18.9%, with an inflation rate of 7.9% for this year that disproportionately affects the everyday staples that we need to survive, like pasta and milk. Our employee costs have gone up substantially while our income has not. I can provide a detailed breakdown if you wish, but it will only get worse the deeper you ask me to dive into this data.

​

Compared to our current options and the potential of opening the Chevy office, you are asking is to increase our costs, increase our commute time, spend additional money on the equipment to do the job, while simultaneously our benefits are being cut and made more expensive, with no appreciable increase in compensation due to a lack of commute incentive benefit, of which we used to have one to the value of $200 but it was removed when GM bought us. If you did this to a customer, they would be seriously exploring our competitor offerings.

This makes no fiscal sense, and we will continue to see employees from GM office requesting to work from Cadillac office because they understand the costs are substantially lower, even with record fuel prices."

This ruffled a lot of feathers for everyone from peasant employees all the way up to the VP of Real Estate, who said he'd look into the office options further. Apparently most people don't consider their employment packages as heavily as I do, despite the fact we are literally a company that helps people understand their information better.

There is a break even point for every commute option, including if it becomes more costly to bicycle over other options. That's why I will pay for Home Depot deliver of 2x4's from 2 miles away, but use the Trail 125 to get Burritos from 8 miles away.

EDIT: Does the weather allow year round bicycling? Well, I mean, the old adage of there's no bad weather, just inadequate gear can apply. We can solve for the 95% which is darkness, rain and wind for the worst case scenario. For the other 5%, that's snow so deep that it wouldn't matter if you had a car or not, you're not getting to the office. So I'd say yes, it is generally a very reasonable thing to get around year round on 2 wheels. I have 6 wheels - an electrified cargo bicycle, a regular bicycle, and now the Trail 125.

Also, I've seen some of his vids, great watching while waiting for mine but the Trail-er you linked to for the TAT has the most hilarious music. I absolutely adore the Trail 125 but I laugh and laugh when they call the Trail "idiotic" and "silly", LOL where can I get the .mp3?

@SomeGuyRides - if he ever comes back you can probably ping him here, but it might be faster to leave him a message on his youtube video.

 

[MisterB]

In a discussion over opening the offices, one of our higher ups decided to step on a landmine and state that it would be cheaper to open up the main office, and they couldn't gauge interest yet for the other office.

Crux in bold. They can save money but ultimately the cost is paid by the employees.
It's funny all the effort they thought they put into your different offices and, I'm assuming, didn't check with the people who would be impacted most until after they had a plan in the works. Priorities.
You're now the company rabble-rouser.
My last employer saved money by moving 32 miles further away where taxes were lower. I stuck around for a few months to help them get going but that was all I could take.
Couldn't be happier now since I found a great company barely over a mile away with the nicest people working there. I'd lived here 18 years and was too busy with life, kids, and work to notice them. SMH. There was a pay cut but I was previously driving 520 miles each week. It's a rough way to live.
There are lots of folks in rural communities who go to the cities for better paying jobs, I'm sure these gas prices are making the local jobs look more attractive.

Regarding the Trail:
I'm still getting used to the step-through design. First time I tried it on the Super Cub I almost fell over. It's just not something I've ever, ever done and it feels bizarre.
With the basket on the back the leg-over is like a martial arts kick and kind of ridiculous, if I bend my knee and swing over it's still risky.
Stepping up on the pedal is an option but I prefer terra firma. It's easy enough now that I'm used to it but I've been getting on 2 wheel vehicles for 50+ years the normal way.

Got my mirror extenders on today. It puts my tiny portal to the world behind me in a slightly better position but I may put some bigger mirrors on at some point.

Did my time at the DMV this morning taking care of title, plates, and taxes. $500 later I'm thinking a disc of LCD polarizing film inside the speedo might be better than one of those cool Opmids until my budget recovers. The OEM display just doesn't jump out to me. If that doesn't work then maybe some internal lighting?
I know we're supposed to ride it like we stole it and all that but I have to watch my speed in town because it's mostly 30MPH or less and I've found myself going much faster than I thought because I'm always afraid I'm going too slow cuz scooter.
Cleared out my cart on Webike, eBay, and others for now. It would be a simple matter to spend %25 of the original purchase price of the bike in accessories.

For a budget mod I'll probably be swapping the emitters in the headlight. These aren't nearly as purple as the Super Cub emitters but still pretty cold.
Thinking about using amber or deep red for the halo part but I'll need to check legalities. 4500K for the mains. Doing the Super Cub was a nightmare since just getting the headlight out was too much plastic panel work. Nice that the Trail is right there. May run emitters to side reflectors for conspicuity. Half of my daily drive will be after midnight during the week, streets are dead here but we can't do enough to be seen on motorcycles.

Anxiously awaiting my big red milk crate. They're a ridiculous juxtaposition to the beauty of the Trail but my small, puke green crate has already proven itself better than a "proper" clamshell traditional top box. Since it doesn't need to close to keep your stuff in you're only limited by how big your cargo net is.
I had considered buying 2 crates and cutting off the bottom of one and using that as a top for the one on the bike. You could split it and put hinges on either side or just one hinge and have the whole top lift up. All this just to keep a unified look(!) but they are designed to nest perfectly so it would be a great top. Decided against it because I don't see myself needing it. Maybe some day.
I'm just holding mine on with nylon ties for now, noticed there are a few tapped holes but not in great locations, will probably find a way to attach from underneath. I like the idea of it being attached well enough that if I'm lifting up or even maneuvering the bike it won't pop off.

Tomorrow looks like a beautiful spring day, can't wait to ride!

 

[SneakyDingo]

Crux in bold. They can save money but ultimately the cost is paid by the employees.
It's funny all the effort they thought they put into your different offices and, I'm assuming, didn't check with the people who would be impacted most until after they had a plan in the works. Priorities.
You're now the company rabble-rouser.

Yeah, you know that Jonah Jameson clip where he asks, "You serious?" after laughing, that's basically my reaction to corporate being all, "You should go to this office."

No joke, I've been a rabble rouser for YEARS. I've punked the former CEO before. My friends are too. One of my closest friends made me proud when he said, "So... who's got their elevator pitch ready?" as the elevator doors closed for the Space Needle elevator (like a 50s elevator ride). But realistically, if we can't voice our concerns and be heard over the things that matter, then we're probably not going to work there very long.

I'm still getting used to the step-through design. First time I tried it on the Super Cub I almost fell over. It's just not something I've ever, ever done and it feels bizarre.
With the basket on the back the leg-over is like a martial arts kick and kind of ridiculous, if I bend my knee and swing over it's still risky.
Stepping up on the pedal is an option but I prefer terra firma. It's easy enough now that I'm used to it but I've been getting on 2 wheel vehicles for 50+ years the normal way.

I only swing my leg over the back if I'm stepping up on the pedal first. The shortest rider I've ever seen tip toeing his way around a BMW R1200RT taught me that trick, dude was maybe 5'1" with a short inseam. Usually if I'm getting on from flat ground, I'll grab a pant leg, lift my leg over the gap between the bars and the seat, and then straddle the bike that way. The crate is just too tall. I've seriously considered doing the Apache 4800 case mod specifically for this reason, but curse the sheer utility of the crate on the back. It's one area where those folding crates really win out.

I'm also using the crate to mod my bike and see how I want to attach a Rotopack to the back. Once I settle on something I'm happy with, I'll make a more permanent change.

Mods n stuff

I agree, the display is insanely dark. Y u so dark Honda? It would even be better if it was like the old calculators where you could flip the polarizing disk and it would be dark on light instead of light on dark.

RE: the crate, some people have used zip ties. That works fine. Bungee works fine. I used M6 bolts with wide flange washers to hold my crate down; I wrote it up here if you want to read what I did. The original bolts I got were too long so it would be nice if you could avoid that. Also, apparently there's some sort of evil bolt shortage at my local Home Depot in M6 sized bolts in the appropriate size.

The rack paint job is very soft, so you probably want to protect it somehow before you attach anything back there. Or accept that "scratched CT125 rack" is as inevitable as the other two things, death and taxes.

The rest of your customization ideas sound cool. Can't wait to see it. The only request I have is if you do something that might be interesting to someone later, write it up for mechanically inept individuals so we could do the same to our bikes.

 

[MisterB]

I'm hoping that it IS like the old calculators! Flipping the film was my first thought but it's been a few decades and LCD production might've changed and it may require a completely different film...and then I'll probably destroy it in the process and wind up with an Opmid anyway! It's worth a shot and if I don't destroy it I can see if backlight helps while it's apart. It's just flipping little bits in the display, wouldn't have been too hard to have firmware allow you to do some high beam/power switch cycle to flip black and whites. Oh well, fingers crossed!

The rack paint can't be any softer than the paint on my 2013 Gold Wing but yes, I worry obsessively about concealed wear points that will eventually rust the whole rack out while hidden away under the crate. It does happen.
Really like the Milwaukee packout stuff as an option but worry that the attachment system may not be scooter-worthy. There may be metal parts inside the attachment system that won't respond well be being ridden in the rain and left wet. They've got some nice sized small tool boxes also and the modularity would be great but I'd need to take one apart to see how it's held together.
I'm all-in on the crate though. Slots and holes for cargo net hooks, you could have a Rolex in a Walmart bag sitting in it and no one would give it a second look but... what's inside that fancy top box over there? I could talk about the damn crate all night but I think you summed it up well: "but curse the sheer utility of the crate on the back."

I love forums for hobbies and vehicles and will definitely post any mods or tips that haven't already been covered. Back in the pre-internet days information was hard to come by. Nowadays anyone can dig as deep as they want to in their hobbies. I hate much about the web, but forums like this make it worthwhile.
Thanks for you link to your crate mounting project, (LOL at amazon template material, it's quite a resource at our house), now it's got me thinking about someday getting the worlds most expensive 1 gallon gas can! Won't need it for normal use but if me and Wifey can get deep into scooter life carrying 1 gallon of gas nearly doubles my range. Inconceivable!