2004-05年Honda CBR 125R

It may not be the most popular capacity class in USA, but a 125 has a lot to offer someone who wants something that is sharp and light, as Guy Allen discovered...

Make no mistake about it, the CBR125R may look the goods, but it is tiny - which will be terrific news for anyone who wants a bike that is sharp, well-mannered, but super light and easy to handle.

It looks and feels about two-thirds of the size of a CBR600RR - itself no giant - and is considerably slimmer than any 250 we've ridden.

The basic package has been around in Europe for a few years and is well proven - in fact it was Honda's top-selling model in Britain in 2005, thanks to licensing laws which encourage people to start off on something small.

In this country, the introduction of LAMs-style laws which allow people to learn on 650s in several states (with Vic joining in soon), the 125 doesn't make quite as much sense, unless you really want something that's unbelievably light and easy to handle.

At the centre of the machine is a 125cc, two-valve, four-stroke single, that's liquid-cooled and changed over from carburettor to fuel injection for this model year. We don't have a power figure, but its predecessor made a modest 10kW and I wouldn't expect this version to be making a great deal more.

Honda has gone for a relatively straight-forward chassis: twin-spar steel frame, with 31mm convention forks up front and a direct (no link) monoshock on the rear. Braking is a single disc at both ends, with a two-piston caliper working the front and a single on the rear.

Tyre sizes are super-skinny by current standards: 80mm up front and 100 on the rear. That means the replacement cost should be very modest.

On the road the machine is a doddle to ride. Starting is instant, with no choke required, and it quickly settles into a smooth idle. A little warm-up time can pay off, as it needs a few revs to get going. We generally found it needed about 3000 to get rolling adequately, but more like 5000 if you wanted to make a quick get-away. It revs to 11,000 (with max power around 10,000), so there's plenty to work with.

Performance is actually quite lively, though it's far from being a superbike. A two-stroke equivalent, like the Cagiva Mito, would hose it on top end, but this is an easier bike to ride.

The clutch and gearbox package is good, providing easy and slick shifting, even on this very low mile (@300km when we picked it up) example. Gearing ratios mean that it's a toss-up whether you hold sixth or use fifth gear on the freeway - the slightest headwind or slope will soon see you changing back as top speed is in the vicinity of 110km/h -- perhaps a little more in ideal conditions, with a small rider.

Handling, as you might expect, is light and sharp. It's pretty hard to mess up a package that's this light. The suspension is adequate rather than spectacular, providing a decent ride and quite good feedback to the rider. A bumpy road can eventually overwhelm the damping, but we reckon it's fine for what you pay.

The level of grip offered by the tyres is good, but has its limits and you get warning when they start to struggle. In the meantime there's enough of everything there to play boy racers.

Finish is quite good - particularly for the price - and there's space under the pillion pad for small items like a wetsuit of U-lock. Honda also offers a modest range of accessories.

We ended up liking this bike a lot, to the point where spouse Ms M would take it out for a run across the city, rather than the 600 sports or 650 naked test bikes we had in the shed at the same time.

I certainly wouldn't be looking to travel on the thing (though anything's possible...;), but as a runabout with a bit of sporting ability - particularly for someone who wants a compact machine -- it's well worth a look. At the moment, you can get one for $4000 plus ORC, which seems pretty good.

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