When Andrew decided he wanted a Honda CT125, he didn't let anything stop him. Not even a little bit of red tape. The result is a Honda CT125 with a twist. Watch the video and let Andrew tell you in his own words. Andrew Fraser on UA-cam: youtube.com/@Andrew_Fraser
When I first rode my friend’s CT90 a long time I thought the lack of a hand clutch was a deal breaker. That said I took a chance on a CT125 and have to say that is a non issue. It still has a manual clutch. With a little reprogramming of your brain you can feather the clutch if needed off road. Since it actually has two clutches (foot operated and centrifugal) I like to refer to it as my DCT Halfrica Twin. I’m also 6’2” and don’t have a problem fitting on it. I’ve had several Airhead BMWs, KLR’s as well as other bikes in the past and I can say the CT puts the most smiles on my face of all of them.
I've only ridden as a tourist, but tried my best not to look like one. Zero issues for me. I have read a few stories of people paying a bribe or two but it seems to be the exception to the rule.
I saw the 2023 CT125 in Taiwan earlier this year. Absolutely gorgeous looking beast. Looked it up back in NZ and it was only slightly cheaper than my Royal Enfield Classic 350 signals marsh grey. A bit disappointing, but will keep buying lotto tickets so may get it one day!!
Really enjoying this series such a great idea and I'll be getting in touch at some point got a couple of bikes I can do a video on. More on the topic of this video I wonder if the same thing could be done in the UK as Honda never brought the CT125 here.
Thanks for commenting, and thanks for watching. For the UK, an importer called Seven Seas has bought in a wee chunk of CT125's, so they are available in the country. I see one up for sale every now and then from people that bought them and didn't use them as much. Certainly not cheap, but it's nice to know there are a few around.
That's quite the dedication building a bike from parts. Which also speaks of how amazing Honda support is in Thailand that you can get all the parts. Even if you can't get a whole engine. Honda have brought a few differences to the engine with the 2018 ASF Wave. Similar with the Monkey and CT125. Not sure how they differ in real world terms, but the internal part numbers do differ for Crankshaft, piston, head,..... From what I've seen, it's not the gearing at least from the part numbers that I looked at. I think it's all in the sprocket sizes? The gear have the same ratios between all 4 speed engines. Still an amazing build. I certainly wish him the best of luck in Vietnam, which is quite a remarkable country. For best off-road performance and additional height for tall people, I can't recommend fitting taller tires enough.
Tom, you always bring the most insightful comments. How good was it to see the Future too? I think Andrew has done an awesome thing building this from parts. It's not something I ever would have considered. But seeing it done, it makes sense.
Thanks mate. It certainly was heartwarming, seeing one. IMHO the forgotten premium Wave that people didn't buy very much. At least when I was there, most bought the cheap carby Wave 110 / Wave Alpha 125, or they went to something automatic. It was great seeing some real step through appreciation by a foreigner in Vietnam. Very had to the usual Honda Win clones everyone got when I went there. I'm honestly amazed by the whole story.
Late to viewing after following your channel. Surprised that the rear disc brake and presumably ABS on rear wheel wasn't mentioned as a mod. Reason they stopped importing to Australia was drum rear and no rear ABS.
They all came out of the factory with disc front and rear - however it's single channel ABS - to only the front wheel where as Aussie requirements are dual channel ABS I believe.
Personally while I think the CT125 is one of the best looking bikes out there I really dislike it as a bike... That being said. This one is an exception, just based on the epic story. However, I think it was a missed opportunity to not put a manual transmission on it. LOL I wonder if Andrew ever thought of just tricking out his future to better fit his needs as opposed to the aboslutly insainly awesome build he did... Unfortuantly the CT125 was given a bad rep by some British iditot riding one around SEA. What he said about being able to get it wrenched on anywhere is also true in Thailand, if you have a Honda Wave, you can basically bring it to any Somchai on the side of the road and he can rebuild the engine for you.
Initially, I eyed a manual transmission with a 2017 Grom/MSX engine. But buying a new bike is so much simpler than handling transfer paperwork. Surprisingly, I don't miss the clutch control much since I mainly use it for touring and scrambling, not intense off-roading. I'm gearing up for a Laos trip soon with the Future (It is just as illegal but I would miss it much less than the CT if it gets confiscated at the border crossing), tricking it out a bit to better suit my lanky-ass frame. I still find I really miss the rear flat rack, especially for quick access to my drone and camera gear.
In any case there are now manual kits for the CT125 on Webike Japan. So it's nice to know the option is always there. Laos on the future will be a dream of a trip. Can't wait to see the footage.
@@Andrew_Fraser i have my Yamaha Exciter, which is similar in style to your future fitted with a top box, i have a few different sizes that all go on the same mounting plate so when i go out shooting i just pack the big box. i custom cut foam to hod my primary rig so i can just pull it out and in ready to go if needed. might be an option for the Future. The way i have it set up holds my cine camera with baseplate, mattebox with filters, 4 lenses, 2 shotgun mics, monitor, top handle, 4 V-mounts. and then a few bags on top for cables, lavs, timecode. stuff like that. I keep my ZV-1 and a pop on VND up front in case i need to stop and film something quick. its far from a perfect setup. but gets the job done. Regardless. Laos will be a dope trip!!
@@IdeaStudioBKK Dude, why didn't I think of getting custom padding for a top box sooner? That's genius. I will be stealing that idea for Lao. I usually strap on a Nanuk wheeled carry-on or my camera bag in a way that allows quick access to the cameras, otherwise, I'm too lazy to stop for shots. You're hauling a wild amount of gear! I try (and usually fail) to "pack light, go fast": Fujifilm X-H2s or XS20, a single zoom lens, an action cam for vlogging, drone, Zoom F2 lapel for audio and a shotgun mic that I forget to use half of the time. I sometimes bust out the top handle and monitor etc but never on bike trips.
@@Andrew_Fraser its a game changer, and such a cheap mod. Generally, I pack my FX3, top handle, a standard zoom, a tele zoom, a wide prime and a tele cine prime with a follow focus, My matte box with my VND a few shotgun mics for capturing good ambient sound and my rode lav kit for dialog. I put an action cam on the bike and then keep my ZV1 on me for quick shots. I keep the time code generators in case I ever want to set up multip cam shots so they are easy to sync in post. I have a 5in monitor that I love using cuz I can lock in my focus better when I am pulling manual and of course the V-Mounts for powering everything. My setup takes a while if I am gonna break out the FX3, but I am ok with that because generally once I set up in a location I am gonna be capturing a ton of footage. the ZV1 captures everything else.
When Andrew decided he wanted a Honda CT125, he didn't let anything stop him. Not even a little bit of red tape. The result is a Honda CT125 with a twist. Watch the video and let Andrew tell you in his own words. Andrew Fraser on UA-cam: youtube.com/@Andrew_Fraser
Cheers for featuring my bike man🙏! I'm a big fan of the channel, so it's really thrilling to see my mini beast on here.
Thanks for being a part of it. Your channel growth in the past week is wild my friend and I love to see it. Keep at it!
really nice clean build.
small bike is a lifestyle.
not everything is about speed and lean into corners
When I first rode my friend’s CT90 a long time I thought the lack of a hand clutch was a deal breaker. That said I took a chance on a CT125 and have to say that is a non issue. It still has a manual clutch. With a little reprogramming of your brain you can feather the clutch if needed off road. Since it actually has two clutches (foot operated and centrifugal) I like to refer to it as my DCT Halfrica Twin. I’m also 6’2” and don’t have a problem fitting on it. I’ve had several Airhead BMWs, KLR’s as well as other bikes in the past and I can say the CT puts the most smiles on my face of all of them.
Thanks!
Holy damn! Thank you so much. I genuinely appreciate it so much. Thanks for watching.
In Vietnam, as long as you don't crash, cops won't have a reason to check your VIN number. Most of them are cool enough to ignore foreigners too.
I've only ridden as a tourist, but tried my best not to look like one. Zero issues for me. I have read a few stories of people paying a bribe or two but it seems to be the exception to the rule.
Awesome, make me want to ride my CT125 more often, remembering how great it is to be able to buy one.
Yeah the countries that have them are super lucky! Far too many places have been ignored with the CT125 release.
Interesting build and thanks for doing the joint video.
I saw the 2023 CT125 in Taiwan earlier this year. Absolutely gorgeous looking beast.
Looked it up back in NZ and it was only slightly cheaper than my Royal Enfield Classic 350 signals marsh grey.
A bit disappointing, but will keep buying lotto tickets so may get it one day!!
Yeah it's a shame what some bikes cost over here. But we're such a small country it makes sense.
Really enjoying this series such a great idea and I'll be getting in touch at some point got a couple of bikes I can do a video on.
More on the topic of this video I wonder if the same thing could be done in the UK as Honda never brought the CT125 here.
Thanks for commenting, and thanks for watching. For the UK, an importer called Seven Seas has bought in a wee chunk of CT125's, so they are available in the country. I see one up for sale every now and then from people that bought them and didn't use them as much. Certainly not cheap, but it's nice to know there are a few around.
@@SmallBikeStuff Yeah the last one I saw pop up was £5000 as much as I want one that money would buy several other bikes.
That's quite the dedication building a bike from parts.
Which also speaks of how amazing Honda support is in Thailand that you can get all the parts. Even if you can't get a whole engine.
Honda have brought a few differences to the engine with the 2018 ASF Wave. Similar with the Monkey and CT125.
Not sure how they differ in real world terms, but the internal part numbers do differ for Crankshaft, piston, head,.....
From what I've seen, it's not the gearing at least from the part numbers that I looked at. I think it's all in the sprocket sizes? The gear have the same ratios between all 4 speed engines.
Still an amazing build. I certainly wish him the best of luck in Vietnam, which is quite a remarkable country.
For best off-road performance and additional height for tall people, I can't recommend fitting taller tires enough.
Tom, you always bring the most insightful comments. How good was it to see the Future too? I think Andrew has done an awesome thing building this from parts. It's not something I ever would have considered. But seeing it done, it makes sense.
Thanks mate. It certainly was heartwarming, seeing one. IMHO the forgotten premium Wave that people didn't buy very much. At least when I was there, most bought the cheap carby Wave 110 / Wave Alpha 125, or they went to something automatic.
It was great seeing some real step through appreciation by a foreigner in Vietnam.
Very had to the usual Honda Win clones everyone got when I went there.
I'm honestly amazed by the whole story.
First thing I noticed was the mismatched engine😄 What an absolute legend building this thing out of parts!
Aussie dedication can't be beat! ....and thats coming from a Kiwi.
Late to viewing after following your channel. Surprised that the rear disc brake and presumably ABS on rear wheel wasn't mentioned as a mod. Reason they stopped importing to Australia was drum rear and no rear ABS.
They all came out of the factory with disc front and rear - however it's single channel ABS - to only the front wheel where as Aussie requirements are dual channel ABS I believe.
Andrew Fraser channel link in description appears to be broken
Thanks! I’ll sort it.
Should be sorted now. Be sure to check out his latest video! It’s had a tonne of views in the last few days. Super well made doco.
I checked out the gold mining one 😮
I thougth it was vietnam's bike engine, with konck off honda parts frame / body
They are all genuine parts with a Future 125i engine.
Personally while I think the CT125 is one of the best looking bikes out there I really dislike it as a bike... That being said. This one is an exception, just based on the epic story. However, I think it was a missed opportunity to not put a manual transmission on it. LOL I wonder if Andrew ever thought of just tricking out his future to better fit his needs as opposed to the aboslutly insainly awesome build he did...
Unfortuantly the CT125 was given a bad rep by some British iditot riding one around SEA.
What he said about being able to get it wrenched on anywhere is also true in Thailand, if you have a Honda Wave, you can basically bring it to any Somchai on the side of the road and he can rebuild the engine for you.
Initially, I eyed a manual transmission with a 2017 Grom/MSX engine. But buying a new bike is so much simpler than handling transfer paperwork. Surprisingly, I don't miss the clutch control much since I mainly use it for touring and scrambling, not intense off-roading.
I'm gearing up for a Laos trip soon with the Future (It is just as illegal but I would miss it much less than the CT if it gets confiscated at the border crossing), tricking it out a bit to better suit my lanky-ass frame. I still find I really miss the rear flat rack, especially for quick access to my drone and camera gear.
In any case there are now manual kits for the CT125 on Webike Japan. So it's nice to know the option is always there. Laos on the future will be a dream of a trip. Can't wait to see the footage.
@@Andrew_Fraser i have my Yamaha Exciter, which is similar in style to your future fitted with a top box, i have a few different sizes that all go on the same mounting plate so when i go out shooting i just pack the big box. i custom cut foam to hod my primary rig so i can just pull it out and in ready to go if needed. might be an option for the Future.
The way i have it set up holds my cine camera with baseplate, mattebox with filters, 4 lenses, 2 shotgun mics, monitor, top handle, 4 V-mounts. and then a few bags on top for cables, lavs, timecode. stuff like that.
I keep my ZV-1 and a pop on VND up front in case i need to stop and film something quick.
its far from a perfect setup. but gets the job done.
Regardless. Laos will be a dope trip!!
@@IdeaStudioBKK Dude, why didn't I think of getting custom padding for a top box sooner? That's genius. I will be stealing that idea for Lao. I usually strap on a Nanuk wheeled carry-on or my camera bag in a way that allows quick access to the cameras, otherwise, I'm too lazy to stop for shots.
You're hauling a wild amount of gear! I try (and usually fail) to "pack light, go fast": Fujifilm X-H2s or XS20, a single zoom lens, an action cam for vlogging, drone, Zoom F2 lapel for audio and a shotgun mic that I forget to use half of the time. I sometimes bust out the top handle and monitor etc but never on bike trips.
@@Andrew_Fraser its a game changer, and such a cheap mod.
Generally, I pack my FX3, top handle, a standard zoom, a tele zoom, a wide prime and a tele cine prime with a follow focus, My matte box with my VND a few shotgun mics for capturing good ambient sound and my rode lav kit for dialog. I put an action cam on the bike and then keep my ZV1 on me for quick shots. I keep the time code generators in case I ever want to set up multip cam shots so they are easy to sync in post. I have a 5in monitor that I love using cuz I can lock in my focus better when I am pulling manual and of course the V-Mounts for powering everything.
My setup takes a while if I am gonna break out the FX3, but I am ok with that because generally once I set up in a location I am gonna be capturing a ton of footage. the ZV1 captures everything else.
I don't understand what Honda Indonesia think. They selling this bike for 4800$ thats as expensive as 250cc firing bike😅😅
Same in New Zealand - the CT125 wasn't so cheap.
9000 rpm red line
I carnt even talk to a human being that's not running a 4 valve....Nada...nish...🤐
4 valve the world!
You talk too much... so I left the video
Cya!
That was wholly unnecessary 🤣🤦🏼♀️