CBR125R Model Year 2005: From Compromise to Conviction

I purchased a Honda CBR125R (JC34) model year 2005 in 2008 as a compromise due to parking restrictions limited to small-displacement motorcycles (125 cc or less). As I explored more of what the motorcycle could do, however, my view of it changed. Although I no longer own it, the impressions I wrote in 2013 remain valid despite subsequent changes in motorcycle technology. I am therefore presenting them again with revised wording.

Pillion Seat Cover on Ninja 250SL Model Year 2016

When I started using a Kawasaki Pillion Seat Cover on my previous Ninja 250SL model year 2015 in Lime Green and Ebony, I felt odd because the front of the rubber damper frequently touched my buttocks. However, I got used to it after a few rides. The photograph above shows my current model year 2016 in Candy Plasma Blue with a Pillion Seat Cover in the autumn of 2019.

Ninja 250SL Model Year 2015 at Ohama Beach in Nishi-Izu Town, Shizuoka

The Izu Peninsula drops sharply toward the sea. From the Nishi-Izu Skyline to Shizuoka Prefectural Route 59, the road descends through dense woods. Orientation becomes unclear. Small branches lie across the pavement. Attention narrows to the immediate surface and what’s ahead.

Two-story Gate of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Yukinoshita, Kamakura

The sunlit, vermilion two-story gate of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Yukinoshita, Kamakura, photographed in the winter of 2017.

Platform Roof of Kita-Kamakura Station in Yamanouchi, Kamakura

The black-and-white platform roof of Kita-Kamakura Station in Yamanouchi, Kamakura, photographed in the winter of 2016.

Safety Cones and Scaffolding Surrounding Two-story Gate of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Yukinoshita, Kamakura

White safety cones and scaffolding surrounding the two-story gate of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Yukinoshita, Kamakura, photographed during the gate’s construction in the summer of 2014.

Votive Board at Iseyama Kotai Shrine in Momijizaka, Yokohama

The finely crafted votive board at Iseyama Kotai Shrine in Momijizaka, Yokohama, photographed in the spring of 2019.