There’s a saying in motorcycling: It’s not what you ride, it’s how you ride it. And few people epitomise that better than Greg Gilson. What the Frenchman does with a 45-year-old Honda 125 is incredible. Greg’s background is BMX and mountain bike, where he competed on the world stage, before moving into coaching.

He bought his first bike, a 2007 Honda CR125 enduro bike, when he was 26, but he caught our attention when we saw him ripping through the Sahara and European mountains on a classic Honda XLS 125. He operates under the name Small CC Savage.

‘Small CC Savage is more than just a brand,’ says Greg, ‘It’s a spirit. My philosophy is, Simplicity for doing the extraordinary.’

We interviewed him to find out more.

KRIEGA: How did you get into bikes?
GREG GILSON I’ve been passionate about motocross for as long as I can remember. I was six when my father took me to the Masters of Motocross in France, where legends like Ricky Johnson, Jean-Michel Bayle, and Jeff Stanton were competing. I fell in love with the smell of two-stroke, JT Racing gear, and the stylish moves of the riders. My parents couldn’t afford a motorbike, so I improvised and would jump on my bicycle, making motorbike sounds with my mouth. My passion eventually led me to BMX racing, and I competed in European and World Championships until 2013.

In 2011, I met Rodrig Thain [French rider who competed in US Supercross]. He came to a BMX track for bicycle training, and we quickly became friends. He invited me to his motocross training sessions and even let me ride his factory Honda enduro bike. Later, I worked with Mathias Bellino, a two-time World Enduro Champion, coaching him during winter.

In 2018, we created the Honda ORC Team, and I served as the coach, manager, and owner. Through these experiences, I learned everything about handling motorbikes on all terrain.

When did you start focusing on small capacity bikes?
In 2018, when I was managing the Honda ORC race team, our rider Mathias Bellino had a life-changing accident. This made me rethink my approach to riding. I had an old Honda XLS in my garage, that I modified and started riding.

Later, I went to Indonesia for the 2019 MXGP and rented a Honda CRF150L. It was incredibly fun, and I saw kids riding these bikes skilfully in flip-flops and T-shirts. Riding small-cc bikes through trails gave me a new perspective. I realised you don’t need an expensive, high-power bike to enjoy the adventure. Small bikes align with my BMX background and make motorcycling accessible to more people without a big budget and big cc driver’s licence.

Tell us more about your choice of bike.
I ride a 1980 Honda XLS 125. It’s 80% original and feels like a Swiss Army knife on two wheels. This bike is lightweight, fuel-efficient, and versatile, allowing me to challenge all terrains, from city streets to desert rallies. I can street ride in Paris and three days later, I can be at the start of the Rally of Morocco to fight with the 450cc factory bikes. I know because that’s exactly what I did in 2019. The bike is really efficient and easy to handle. It feels like riding a mountain bike. It is fuel efficient, so it permits me to do 150km with 7L of petrol! [That’s 93 miles with 1.85 US gallons, for our American followers].

What modifications do you make to ensure they survive
175cc big-bore kit; upgraded shocks and stiffer fork springs; gearing changed from 14x47 to 14x56; custom exhaust; modern handlebars.

What is the most extreme thing you have done with your XLS125?
In 2019, just two months after getting my XLS, I entered the Rally of Morocco, the final round of the World Rally Raid Championship. It was my first time riding in the Sahara dunes and the second day was the most difficult motorbike day in my life. I pushed through 600km [370 miles] in 15 hours, navigating dunes and dealing with mechanical issues. At the last stage, I was 8th in Rally 3 Category but I lost four hours when I had to push my motorbike to the finish line, after a crash where I broke my collarbone, scapula, and ribs.

Wow! But that didn’t put you off. You raced another rally just last year in Qatar, right?
The story begins at the end of 2023 when Amro Al Hamad, Executive Director of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, booked a trip with me to Morocco. QMMF host Qatar’s annual MotoGP and F1 races.

He was impressed by my attitude to the 125 XLS, how much I love motorbikes and my spirit about riding and adventures. In April 2024, he called me and asked if I would like to participate in the Qatar Baja International rally in October. I said yes, but I didn’t have the budget, but he explained the federation has a special program to cover the main expenses for some riders, so with one call I was in the Baja Qatar International, part of the Baja World Championship! My bike was shipped to Qatar, all sponsored by QMMF and Mr Amro Al Hamad.

What was your result?
The race was incredibly challenging, with 900km [560 miles] over two days, including 60km [37 miles] of white sand dunes tackled in 42°C [108˚F] heat.

I placed 15th in the prologue against 80 riders on 450 rally bikes. I finished 40th place overall due to navigation challenges.

You spend a lot of time in Morocco, why?
I fell in love with Morocco’s landscapes and culture during the Rally of Morocco. Then on my YouTube channel, most of the comments were: How can we ride with you? Do you organise training camps or trips?

As you may know, it's forbidden to ride a motorbike on the single tracks in France. So, after Covid, I took my van with all my life in it, and left for Morocco. Since then, I’ve been organising motorbike trips to share these experiences with others. Morocco offers incredible freedom, breathtaking scenery, and unmatched adventure.

What do you think when you see riders struggling with big expensive ADVs, and you ride past on your XLS?

Weight is the enemy of motorcycle adventure. It’s more about balancing, and, interestingly, it comes back to what you do at Kriega. If you have a good bag and luggage, it will help a lot to handle the weight and Kriega helps to make it easier for the rider. I sometimes feel sad seeing riders struggle due to their bike’s weight, but I focus on promoting simpler, lighter bikes for those just starting or on a budget. I'm more into trying to open the mind of people who don't dare to try motorbike adventures because of money or inexperience. People who own big expensive bikes are already in the game. I don't want to make them change their mind.

Tell us about the trips you organise.

I am based in Ourika, just 35km south of Marrakech, at the foot of High Atlas Mountains. My trips blend riding skill development, cultural immersion, and self-discovery. I guide people through secret trails and introduce them to authentic culture.

I coached the best riders in the world on bicycles and motorbikes, so I teach people how to handle a bike properly. These trips challenge participants both physically and mentally, often transforming their perspectives on life. A common message I receive after trips is: I learned that my problems weren’t as big as I thought, and I’m capable of achieving so much more than I imagined!

To learn, you need a simple bike, that’s why I have five 1980 125 XLS to rent. Our motorbike is just a tool to discover freedom and who we are.

My biggest idol is Antoine de St Exupery, the greatest plane adventurer of all time, and in his 1939 book Wind, Sand and Stars he wrote: The earth teaches us more about ourselves than all the books, because it resists us. Man discovers himself when he measures himself against an obstacle. To achieve this, he needs a tool.

I chose my tool, ha,ha!

Greg Gilson uses Kriega TRAIL18 backpack, HYDRO-3 hydration pack and OS-DIRT BIKE COMBO 12

To buy, order directly from kriega.com or head to your local dealer for a closer look
Kriega UK dealer network
Kriega Worldwide importers

Follow Greg on Instagram at @greggils42 and @smallccsavage, and his YouTube channel. Find out about his Morocco Trips at smallccsavage.com

Greg Gilson blows minds with his adventures on a 1980 Honda XLS 125