Ah...here goes the funky little Suzuki GN125 which, with its retro styling, great fuel efficiency, super reliable engine and little need for maintenance, is a really trusty little steed for getting around town. It is great as a runabout and equally useful as a learner bike so is an all round good hearted biddable cheerful little machine.

The engine is the descendant of the 1984 GS125 and as such has been well and truly run in and has stood the test of time. It really does the job in town, "driven on the wind that sweeps the gloomy hills of London, Hampstead and Clerkenwell, Campden and Putney, Highgate, Primrose and Ludgate" and if sometimes you might get one which is a little temperamental and grumpy to start on cold days, once it is running all your problems will be forgotten.

Once the rider is used to the fact that it needs lots of braking (brakes leave a little to be desired), lots of revs and someone to push it up steep hills – then when it is driven accordingly "all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well" – well apart from the finish but hey you can't have everything. It does have a tendency to accumulate rust around welds and the paint work can leave a lot to be desired – especially as there was a propensity for the Suzuki GN125 to be made – for reasons of economy – in China in a Suzuki managed factory, and the Chinese manufactured bikes were not as good, with inferior parts, engineering and bodywork. "Here is a place of disaffection."

The ride is comfy with a good riding position which can eat miles without causing extreme pain (unless you are supersized in which case you will need to be folded to ride it and this may not be uber comfy for riding many miles) and the handling is light and well balanced and so inspires confidence. The seat is long too with plenty of room for a pillion and a grabrail for them to hang onto – not that this will be entirely necessary as huge excesses of speed may not be likely two up.

One interesting idiosyncrasy is that the GN125 has lovely clocks which are simple and classic but nestling in between them is a learner friendly and all round useful gear indicator – how marvellous and unusual in a 125 – but no fuel gauge – strange but true.

It has large mirrors too which stick out like a desert fox's ears – great for seeing behind but not so great for filtering through traffic without the occasional whack on a passing car – oops. In their favour though the Suzuki GN125 mirrors and indicator stalks are chrome, not a plasticy bit in sight, which all adds to the vintage look of the bike.

Cheap as chips well almost – maybe with fish as well that is...Parts are cheap to buy and it is a really easy bike to work on, so it can be a satisfying DIY mending job. Insurance is a relative steal and the fuel consumption is superlative. It is - as the owner of the one in the pictures says - also really light to lift so easy to get into a van if you need to, or to manhandle into a tricky garden or parking space - pretty ideal you might think and you might be right.

Specs:

1994 GN125 launched
2001 GN125 discontinued

Top Speed: 70mph
Max Power: 12 bhp
Weight: 105kg
Fuel capapcity: 10 litres
Av Fuel Consumption: 80 mpg
Tank range: 175 miles
Engine Size: 124cc
Engine Spec: 2v single cylinder 5 gears
Frame: steel cradle
Front brakes: single disc
Rear brakes: Drum

So basically this is a fundamentally good egg, if you want a comfortable easy to manage, cheap to run and mend, learner or commuter bike. If, on the other hand, you want to leave a GSX-R standing at the lights then no – not gonna happen - it is a practical bike and it is a 125 remember. It will do motorway speeds if you are kind to it and are not in a hurry to reach top speed and once there it will chug along happily, bombproof and running on fumes - so what's not to like?