Is this the bike for you?

[Scimitar]

I use a motorbike in London. The most badly behaved riders there seem to be the ones on those wierd scooters with 3 wheels,

My theory is that they take the attitude that "I might look like a bit of a tool, but look how fast I can go".

You find that with small-engined scoots (and motorcycles, too). Keep the throttle pinned and speed up and don't slow down for corners or peds and it's amazing how quick you can be. Until you come a cropper, of course.
Totally daft in London, as I've proven to myself time and again in London and every other city of size - a 125 is a perfect city tool (personally, I'd go for a 200 or so) in that it's fast enough to keep up with the traffic, no slower overall than something twice or three times faster, and gives 80 or 100mpg. No problem with looking a tool if I'm wisping along on a breath of petrol fumes every week.
I've ridden bikes of all sizes in London and elsewhere: if I lived in the city and my journeys were exclusively within the city, I'd have a 125. Living outside London and commuting /delivering into London, I preferred 500cc +, finally settling on a brace of 850s, which had the legs for countrywide journeys and could hack the traffic too. Running costs of them were high, though; and if I knew I had a day of London running within the crap zone, I'd nip home and pick up a 250 for the town.
I was the first to wear a full-on gas mask in City traffic (at least, I saw nobody else wearing one), it was so bad.

 

[overlander]

You find that with small-engined scoots (and motorcycles, too). Keep the throttle pinned and speed up and don't slow down for corners or peds and it's amazing how quick you can be. Until you come a cropper, of course.
Totally daft in London, as I've proven to myself time and again in London and every other city of size - a 125 is a perfect city tool (personally, I'd go for a 200 or so) in that it's fast enough to keep up with the traffic, no slower overall than something twice or three times faster, and gives 80 or 100mpg. No problem with looking a tool if I'm wisping along on a breath of petrol fumes every week.
I've ridden bikes of all sizes in London and elsewhere: if I lived in the city and my journeys were exclusively within the city, I'd have a 125. Living outside London and commuting /delivering into London, I preferred 500cc +, finally settling on a brace of 850s, which had the legs for countrywide journeys and could hack the traffic too. Running costs of them were high, though; and if I knew I had a day of London running within the crap zone, I'd nip home and pick up a 250 for the town.
I was the first to wear a full-on gas mask in City traffic (at least, I saw nobody else wearing one), it was so bad.

100% agree all i would add is i feel safer on my bike if i am moving about 10% quicker than the general traffic it keeps you out of trouble and in control.

 

[tillson]

Is there any danger of the front forks failing when transmitting 1500 Watts? I suppose that they are designed to transfer braking / stopping forces, but the load is in the opposite direction when stopping and for a short duration. I wonder what happens when you continually load bicycle forks in a +/- cycle (excuse the pun)?

 

[overlander]

Is there any danger of the front forks failing when transmitting 1500 Watts? I suppose that they are designed to transfer braking / stopping forces, but the load is in the opposite direction when stopping and for a short duration. I wonder what happens when you continually load bicycle forks in a +/- cycle (excuse the pun)?

But that is the whole point, thats why we test components on vehicles that go over 20 mph.

 

[themutiny]

if I lived in the city and my journeys were exclusively within the city, I'd have a 125.

To be honest, if I had the luxury of only travelling in the City, I would use one of my e-bikes!

 

[benjy_a]

Is there any danger of the front forks failing when transmitting 1500 Watts? I suppose that they are designed to transfer braking / stopping forces, but the load is in the opposite direction when stopping and for a short duration. I wonder what happens when you continually load bicycle forks in a +/- cycle (excuse the pun)?

There is no torque on the axle from braking unless it's regenerative braking from a direct drive motor or a drum brake. Disk brakes transfer the torque through spokes.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tillson]

There is no torque on the axle from braking unless it's regenerative braking from a direct drive motor or a drum brake. Disk brakes transfer the torque through spokes.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

.........but there is a bending moment on the forks about the headset.

 

[tillson]

But that is the whole point, thats why we test components on vehicles that go over 20 mph.

So that's a yes then? If so, you have confirmed my thoughts.