That's pretty pimp, right there

I think we're just about there as far as outer-wear goes.

That's the bike with a Pioneer Nevada front mudguard on - cheers to Llexeter for a next-day delivery when they finally sourced it - and rear crash bars.

That's two gambles that paid off. The mudguard is sized for the slightly smaller and not quite-so slightly wider 110/90 16 tyre that's fitted to the 125 Harley clones. In the event, it fits just fine over the Huonaio 3.25 18 wheel, but not quite so fine between the forks. I had to wiggle it in this way and that way to get it in place, and it's compressed just a little. It also needs to sit above the mounts on the HN125. I briefly considered cutting up the stock mudguard that I'd removed, but was struck with a rare attack of common sense: what if I couldn't get the Nevada guard fitted? Instead, I just fabbed up some brackets from... well.. I considered chopping up one of the missus' baking trays, but I have to admit that the mounts currently holding the guard on are made of a re-purposed tin of Quality Street covered in black Japlac. As an aside, this is an amazing paint; even when put on with a stiff scraggly brush, it spreads out into a lovely even coat. I'm slightly tempted to see if it can give a smooth coat on the tank and panels without resorting to 25 coats of wafffer thin spray paint. Slightly tempted.

The rear crash bars are 20 year old "new on the shelf" Britax branded bars labelled as being for a Honda CM200 T, in nice condition for their age. The brackets on the end of the bars rotate, which would allow them to fit a variety of bikes, and they went on the Huonaio no problem at all, attaching to the top suspension mounts, and the pillion footrests. They'd get in the way of a pillion rider's foot, but since The Man won't let me carry a pillion anyway, that's not a problem. They also make putting the bike on the centre stand a little more difficult, and can catch a trailing leg when pulling away, but I can live with that for the added protection from a drop or side impact. Plus... more chrome. Mmmm, chrome.

As the final touch, I fleaBayed some decal injket paper and printed up some labelling to cover up the Huoniao logos on the tank and side panels, to confound interested onlookers. I swithered over a DOOP logo, or War Rocket Ajax, but in the end I had to revert to type. The tank now sports an "Ad Astra per Aspera" Starfleet logo from one of those fictional Star Trek series, and the side panels boats a portentous name... the Reliant. Nobody - nobody - tell my daughter why she's called Miranda.

With the bike set up just so (the chain needed half a turn of tightening), I went for a jaunt today just for larks. About 40km - whatever that is in real money - across some gently windy A roads (the old, safe bit of the A77) and then back over the B764 Eaglesham moors road. Interesting road; it's a full width road which since it was bypassed is now marked out as "single track with passing places", with wide "cycle" tracks on either side. In practice this just means that road traffic going both ways does a little 60mph shimmy as it meets. Since our little Chinese bikes can easily sneak down a cycle lane, it's a fun ride. Later, I indulged in an outing on the local dual carriageways.

On this run, the bike's strengths and limitations become clear. It's a joy to ride, stable and composed at anything up to 50mph. Note the up to. When trying to achieve more than that, the vvviiibbbrrraaatttiiiooonnnsss start to come in. Nothing overly unpleasant while riding, but my feet were tingling when I got off! Any kind of uphill gradient, even a gentle one, quickly eats into the top speed, putting it more in the indicated 40-50mph bracket. On the straight, an indicated 60mph is easy enough, and downhill with a tailwind sees close to an indicated 70mph. The "tailwind" thing isn't trite; on little bikes like this, the wind is a significant factor.

Something that becomes apparent is that while the maximum power is at 8500 rpm, you only get that power if you get to that rev range. Easy to say, but the understanding only comes with experience. If the road conditions - incline, headwind - produce more drag than the power produced at (e.g.) 6000 rpm, then the bike won't get to 6001 rpm. The bike has more to give, it just can't give it.

That's perhaps more negative than it sounds. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the bike performed on the local dual carriageway. I was actually able to overtake cars past an indicated 50mph. Cautiously, carefully, I hasten to add, but the bike can do it when needs be: it's a 125, but it's a geared 125, not a scooter.

It was a lovely day, and the biking brotherhood was out in force. Many nods were exchanged - I do love a good biker nod - and on a supermarket stop off, I parked up next to a lovely red Jinlun JL-11. I'd be the first to say that Jinnys, Nevadas and the other Chinese Harleys (Charleys?) are absolutely gorgeous bikes with really consistent accessorising, but I don't feel that plonking the Huonaio next to the Jinny let the side down. I now have a custom "Custom" bike that is genuinely unique.

And I'm absolutely loving it.