New member. So far so good - it's what I expected. But in researching this forum and scouring YT videos on the bike, I have observed an interesting phenomenon. I don't have enough data to suggest this is common, but I've seen it enough to wonder if it's a trend. When people get this bike, they seem to love it, and sing its praises. But after perhaps a year of riding, invariably I've seen people selling it for something else. While they continue to claim they love the bike, nonetheless they sell it for something faster. QuasioMotard seems ready to sell his, claiming it's not a city bike. On2Feet took his on an amazing loop of some incredibly technical terrain, but is selling his. I see the user Bryan Church, after his somewhat unlucky first attempt at the Continental Divide trip, has sold his (though for medical reasons, it seems). Of the ones for sale, some people seem to get them home, discover they are not fast enough, and sell them with less than 20 miles on them.
I have a theory about this observation. As I understand it, this is the single most popular bike in the world, selling over 100 million units. But, for lack of a better way to explain it, this is not an "American" bike. This bike thrives in East Asia, Asia, and South Asia. But the style of riding and highways systems in those countries is nothing like what it is in the US. I spent three weeks in Pune, India, about 12 years ago, and 125cc bikes were all over the roads, vastly outnumbering cars. But I never saw them on highways. They are used as service vehicles/commuters. I witnessed families of five riding on one scooter, and a propane delivery man balancing 5 20lb propane tanks on his scooter for delivery. Women ride the rack sidesaddle with skirtguards over the chain. They are the modern equivalent of an oxcart.
Americans do not use 125cc scooters like the Trail Rider this way. The common complaint is lack of highway capability, something not even considered in other countries. To cut to the chase, Americans want performance, while the rest of the world wants utility. When the CT125 doesn't "perform" to the expectations of Americans used to the US highway system, they grow tired of it, and give it up for something faster. The TW200 seems to be the bike of choice when they get a replacement. The SuperCub is also in that category. The ADV150 also seems to be an up-and-coming choice. So far, I am quite happy with the Trail, having numerous amounts of back roads, state forest land and trails to ride within my area. I have bought a Mototote C3 so I can haul it to further locations, set up a base camp, and ride in that region. By nature I am more of a utilitarian person, so the Trail fits me very well right now. Its low weight is also a great advantage for me as I get older. I would welcome any thoughts on my theory, and I will to stress in the strongest terms it is JUST a THEORY based on limited evidence and my experience in India.