Honda CBR125R Review
The CBR125R is powered by a modern, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected SOHC 125cc Single that claims 13.5 horsepower. Admittedly, those aren’t superbike numbers, but there’s enough power to keep you ahead of city traffic and to maintain a safe pace along secondary roads. Mild hills require a downshift or two, as does turning into the wind, both of which shave speed off the CBR. And along winding, hilly roads you’ll be rowing through its slick-shifting six-speed gearbox like a ’60s hippie throwback rows through vinyl in a vintage record shop. 
The good news is you can keep the 125R’s throttle pinned without worry of getting speeding tickets. However, with a top speed of 75 mph tucked in and with a tailwind (and it takes some time to get there), you’d be wise to avoid multi-lane freeways. Despite spinning between 9,000 and 10,000 rpm at 60-65 mph, the little Honda’s counterbalanced Single remains remarkably free of vibration. If you’re heading out for a weekend cruise, though, you’ll prefer riding partners on bikes of similar displacement and power, otherwise you’ll struggle to keep up and passing will be a challenge—it has to be well planned.
The CBR125R will go a long way on a tank of gas – we averaged 84 mpg even when doing a fair amount of flat-out riding. This gives the CBR a big-bike-like range of about 218 miles from its 2.6-gallon gas tank. Back off the throttle a bit and keep a steady 50 mph in top gear, and it will return even better fuel economy, easily going 90 miles on a gallon of regular. It’s also quite clean; its exhaust system incorporates a catalytic converter. Chassis geometry is on the sporty side, with 25 degrees of rake, 3.4 inches of trail and a 51-inch wheelbase. Steering is exceptionally light and the bike’s super-narrow tires (80/90-17 front and 100/80-17 rear) cause it to fall into turns almost too abruptly. You get used to it after a while, and the skinny IRC tires provide enough grip to scrape the footpeg feelers.
Despite the bike’s undersized dimensions, a full-sized adult doesn’t feel too cramped and the riding position is comfortably upright. The narrow seat will dig into your backside after a few hours, but it’s unlikely someone would buy a CBR125R to tour on, anyway. Suspension is basic but functional, with a 31mm telescopic fork and a single rear shock, both of which lack adjustment capability. Despite this, the 125R provides adequate bump absorption for casual riding and it kept the chassis composed through turns, even for a hefty boy like me, at 200 lbs in my riding gear.
Boosting the bike’s popularity was the introduction of the CBR125R Challenge in 2008, a spec-class racing series aimed at nurturing fledgling amateur road racers aged 13 and up. The series has been gaining popularity with both race fans and competitors, and after two years it is fielding grids of more than 20 riders and growing. Honda Canada has a comprehensive program to support CBR125R racers, offering an in-house race kit that includes Mimic Industries fiberglass bodywork, an adjustable Elka shock, Arrow slip-on muffler, frame sliders, a race stand and a coupon for one set of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas (the race bike uses 110/70-17 fronts at both ends) for about $1,800. The Arrow exhaust reportedly adds 10 percent more power (count the ponies, folks, that is about 1.3 hp) and Challenge series’ machines have been getting 12.5 rear-wheel hp on the on the series’ dyno.
Honda Canada had considered importing the sleek-looking VTR250 as a gap-filler between the CBR125R and the CBR600RR, but unfortunately could not do it at a reasonable cost to the consumer. That’s no matter, though, because the CBR125R has introduced many new riders – and racers – to motorcycling, and that was Honda’s ultimate goal.
The good news is you can keep the 125R’s throttle pinned without worry of getting speeding tickets. However, with a top speed of 75 mph tucked in and with a tailwind (and it takes some time to get there), you’d be wise to avoid multi-lane freeways. Despite spinning between 9,000 and 10,000 rpm at 60-65 mph, the little Honda’s counterbalanced Single remains remarkably free of vibration. If you’re heading out for a weekend cruise, though, you’ll prefer riding partners on bikes of similar displacement and power, otherwise you’ll struggle to keep up and passing will be a challenge—it has to be well planned.
The CBR125R will go a long way on a tank of gas – we averaged 84 mpg even when doing a fair amount of flat-out riding. This gives the CBR a big-bike-like range of about 218 miles from its 2.6-gallon gas tank. Back off the throttle a bit and keep a steady 50 mph in top gear, and it will return even better fuel economy, easily going 90 miles on a gallon of regular. It’s also quite clean; its exhaust system incorporates a catalytic converter. Chassis geometry is on the sporty side, with 25 degrees of rake, 3.4 inches of trail and a 51-inch wheelbase. Steering is exceptionally light and the bike’s super-narrow tires (80/90-17 front and 100/80-17 rear) cause it to fall into turns almost too abruptly. You get used to it after a while, and the skinny IRC tires provide enough grip to scrape the footpeg feelers.
Despite the bike’s undersized dimensions, a full-sized adult doesn’t feel too cramped and the riding position is comfortably upright. The narrow seat will dig into your backside after a few hours, but it’s unlikely someone would buy a CBR125R to tour on, anyway. Suspension is basic but functional, with a 31mm telescopic fork and a single rear shock, both of which lack adjustment capability. Despite this, the 125R provides adequate bump absorption for casual riding and it kept the chassis composed through turns, even for a hefty boy like me, at 200 lbs in my riding gear.
Boosting the bike’s popularity was the introduction of the CBR125R Challenge in 2008, a spec-class racing series aimed at nurturing fledgling amateur road racers aged 13 and up. The series has been gaining popularity with both race fans and competitors, and after two years it is fielding grids of more than 20 riders and growing. Honda Canada has a comprehensive program to support CBR125R racers, offering an in-house race kit that includes Mimic Industries fiberglass bodywork, an adjustable Elka shock, Arrow slip-on muffler, frame sliders, a race stand and a coupon for one set of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas (the race bike uses 110/70-17 fronts at both ends) for about $1,800. The Arrow exhaust reportedly adds 10 percent more power (count the ponies, folks, that is about 1.3 hp) and Challenge series’ machines have been getting 12.5 rear-wheel hp on the on the series’ dyno.
Honda Canada had considered importing the sleek-looking VTR250 as a gap-filler between the CBR125R and the CBR600RR, but unfortunately could not do it at a reasonable cost to the consumer. That’s no matter, though, because the CBR125R has introduced many new riders – and racers – to motorcycling, and that was Honda’s ultimate goal.
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