Dave Hatch and our guest tester on Road Test this week, put the Honda CBR 125R through it's paces. For everything motorcycles, visit our web site at www.motorcycleexperience.ca
Been riding one for 3 years. No regrets. Cheap (got an 06 carb model for about 900€ with 25k on it), Reliable (hasn't broken down on me once, although cold start after 6mnths of winter can be a pain in the ass ) reasonably fast for it's size (about 120km/h on flat, 130-140 on slight down hill) and an ok amount of power. (13hp baby ;D ) My riding style is pretty agressive but i can still easily manage 250-300km on the 10L tank. The bike was the best selling 125 in Finland before the YZFR and I had heard only good things about it so i bought it. I've done about 14K on it and the only cons i can think of is the size and lack of power. Sure you can pass a granny in a fiat punto but a race against any other popular 125 (especially 2 strokes) will most likely end in a defeat. Also it can be quite wobbly in the wind on a highway and thats where the topspeed usually suffers. Also past 10k rpm best vibrator money can buy XD. If you go for this bike and have money over 1500 to spend, please go for the 2011- models. bigger, better acceleration (stock) and better top speed. a bit of an uphill wont fuck you as bad as it will on the old ones. Also the new ones are silky smooth across all rpms. If you have extra money you wanna throw an after market muffler on it, full exhaust really isn't worth it. unless you're after looks and have daddy's credit card number. Arrow street thunder style exhaust are usually more deeper in voice (like mine) as where as something like the ones Danmoto makes are more louder (cop magnets if you live in a country with noise regulations like i do :c). It's really up to your preference. If you are poor however, u can drill a couple of holes in the stock one for better sound or remove the db killer (its a bit more of work). sounds pretty good for the 0 money spent. TL;DR: -great learner/first bike -hella fun -offroad meme -good sound with after market exhaust without bringing in too much heat -cheap af -reliable -pretty cheap parts 9/10
not long had my 125 cbr. im learning alot on it. its so fun to ride aswell. planning on keeping it for a year or so before going for a 500cc. if your just starting out riding this bike is PERFECT. p.s im 6foot1 and look fine on this bike.
@@alexonwheels4190 I didn't end up getting it sadly but I'm currently looking at ninja 400's because they're a little bit bigger, and if you want you can go on the highway a lot more comfortably (also I'm a sucker for Kawasaki's)
Im similar hight and I look normal on it.. Fun little bike I like it verry mutch but guy wrecked it before I bough it so some of the plastic are beat up.. I tried to fix them as well as I could but it aint perfect.. almost 40k km I bought it with 32k km I think and no problemo
18 and ridden loads of bikes, yamaha yzf-r3, yamaha yzf-r6, honda crf450, suzuki gsxs125, kawaskai ninja 400, yamaha mt07, honda vtr 250 and finally the honda cbr125rr. The cbr125rr is actually the latest bike I have in my collection and I think its a decent bike, not the best at going up steep inclines, and I definitely wouldn’t out of choice use it on the highway, but what makes it fun in my opinion is going around sharp corners, corners that bigger bikes just wouldn’t be able to make, and the ability to literally just full throttle and not have to worry about traction and wheelies, its awesome going like 20kmh then hitting 9k rpm then switching gears something that you 100% dont get on bigger bikes like my r6 which I just have to keep in 1st all the time cos theres no reason to even switch lol. If im going within 5km of my house, this is the bike im using from now on. Never thought id say this, but for road use(excluding highway and track obviously) this is the bike im going to main for a bit as a daily.
couldn’t of said it better. yea she needs mre power but I bought it as a learning bike, to get comfortabke riding and to learn on. cheap on gas and bought cheap only 1 grand. the gearbox is a little finiky but such is it when its an 08. but proud to ride it and not many people know bike sizes so it doesn’t matter to me, great little bike. and a canadian too!
If this bike had a powerband it would be the best 125cc out there. I got 70mph out of mine and I'm fat I loved it so easy to ride handles great and lots of fun.
I think this review deserves a comment! Good review fellas. I bought this bike for my first ever motorcycle just a couple weeks ago. I love it, and you were on point in your review. I'm already looking for more power.. but that's okay. I'm definitely learning a lot with this experience, and I have my foot solidly in the door now! I'm a motorcyclist! haha Oh by the way, I'm also a canuck.
+Frejborg I'm also aiming for this bike for the first motorcycle,do you recommend it? I've heard the best of it, just a slight problem with changing gears sometimes?
+Bruno Vukusic I had this bike for my first to learn on. I regret nothing, wanted to start on an R6 but I had tons of people talk me out of it, which I am glad they did. Started on this instead and I loved it. I now own an R6 and still kept this one for around town. To answer your question, I don't know if they are all like this but I do have problems shifting from time to time. Usually from 1st to 2nd, or 2nd to 3rd. Going from 1st to 2nd it likes to get caught in Neutral, then you rev it like a newb and look like a moron lol. I'm not sure if the shift linkage just needs to be lubricated or something. I bought mine second hand, it was an '08 with 351km on it so it was sitting pretty much all it's life. I wouldn't let the shifting problem be a factor though. It might just be me not lifting my foot up enough for it to shift. I've done it on the R6 a few times also. So it's hard to say. Bottom line you won't find a better bike to learn on. Hope you get one, and if you do, have fun and be safe out there.
Puma4454 First of all thanks for the answer and the good wishes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for this bike as my first one.And i have two more questions ; The gear problem, does it impact safety? And, can the gear problem be fixed by changing the gearbox/investing in it?
+Bruno Vukusic I don't think it will affect your safety. When you shift up, it just goes into neutral instead of 2nd gear. So all you basically do is hold the clutch in again and shift up once more. I'm not sure if you can change the gearing on it and if you would benefit from it. I had to get mine fixed, the injector was bad in it. After I got the bike back it actually shifted a lot smoother. So that's what made me believe they just lubricated the shift linkage and any components that's involved with it. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it too much. Like I said, it might just be me.
I've had a 250 for about a year now and just discovered this 125 while searching for cargo carriers. Didn't know they made. I think this 125 would be a better beginner bike because the the 250 is not very light. Personally, I would prefer driving this 125 over the Grom or scooter. They should make these again.
How tall are you? Is the bike big or small height wise? i am about 6,2 and a half (191cm) i have looked att some bikes and they were all too small, this one seemed good
Great review no doubt.And i think this video is perfect for my parents' aproval because right now they are against it,they and as you mentioned it,for people that don't know a lot about bikes looks can be deciving :)
Compared to my previous motorcycles I find the clutch lever difficult to use because the clutch lever is almost all released before clutch engages making it difficult to find the engagement point. Is this normal for this bike?
У меня такой 2006 года, несмотря на большой пробег в 58000 км он едет довольно таки бодро, но на трассе при скорости 70-80 км/ч у него большая парусность и его начинает сил но сносить, поэтому весь его потенциал не получается проверить((
I get so tired of you guys saying a 125 does not have a ton of power, are you guys just stupid, of course it does not have a ton of power, a ton is a term used for weight, you know like 2,000 lbs. Talk about jaded comments just review liter bikes, do they have a ton of power?
@official315 You can get 125s that look like big bikes. To be fair yeah I did look a little bit big on it. In contrast I had a CB 125 a couple of years ago and that looked a lot better with me on it. Id recommend taking a look at one of those.
@@icarus6086 damn thats expensive in the us i read its like 75 for a year or something... so it would make sense to cancel it as soon as the weather gets cold each year
Little guy says, It's a small bike.. freudian slip? lol big guy says, it doesn't have tons of power.. well, it is 125cc. The verdict's in.. It's a great little bike without much power. 😁
![HOT SUMMER RIDE | HONDA CBR125R [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3moaL5FhOkc/mqdefault.jpg)
![HOT SUMMER RIDE | HONDA CBR125R [4K]](/img/tr.png)
Been riding one for 3 years. No regrets. Cheap (got an 06 carb model for about 900€ with 25k on it), Reliable (hasn't broken down on me once, although cold start after 6mnths of winter can be a pain in the ass ) reasonably fast for it's size (about 120km/h on flat, 130-140 on slight down hill) and an ok amount of power. (13hp baby ;D )
My riding style is pretty agressive but i can still easily manage 250-300km on the 10L tank. The bike was the best selling 125 in Finland before the YZFR and I had heard only good things about it so i bought it. I've done about 14K on it and the only cons i can think of is the size and lack of power. Sure you can pass a granny in a fiat punto but a race against any other popular 125 (especially 2 strokes) will most likely end in a defeat. Also it can be quite wobbly in the wind on a highway and thats where the topspeed usually suffers. Also past 10k rpm best vibrator money can buy XD. If you go for this bike and have money over 1500 to spend, please go for the 2011- models. bigger, better acceleration (stock) and better top speed. a bit of an uphill wont fuck you as bad as it will on the old ones. Also the new ones are silky smooth across all rpms. If you have extra money you wanna throw an after market muffler on it, full exhaust really isn't worth it. unless you're after looks and have daddy's credit card number. Arrow street thunder style exhaust are usually more deeper in voice (like mine) as where as something like the ones Danmoto makes are more louder (cop magnets if you live in a country with noise regulations like i do :c). It's really up to your preference. If you are poor however, u can drill a couple of holes in the stock one for better sound or remove the db killer (its a bit more of work). sounds pretty good for the 0 money spent.
TL;DR:
-great learner/first bike
-hella fun
-offroad meme
-good sound with after market exhaust without bringing in too much heat
-cheap af
-reliable
-pretty cheap parts
9/10
JayWePe, a word of advice, before you start the bike take it out of your ass!
"offroad meme" what does that mean?
Francois Dupont 💀
“Best vibrator money can buy” literally how I feel on my ‘76 Harley two stroke 250
I got one, and I have smoked most of the other 125ccm
I have this motorcycle, it's simply incredible....I'm 42 years, this bike is incredible... Easy, fast, great sound., great emotions, amazing....
very happy for you, are you still happyied with it??
@@whythatbro yes, I still use it, I will buy another bike soon, but I think I will keep this one anyway.
@@gio240179 whated bike do you wanted to get?
@@whythatbro
I would buy the bigger sister CBR 600 cc, or the Yamaha R6
@@gio240179 wooooaaahhh what yearr?? the newer modle??? with the screen???
one of the most fun bikes I have ever owned in my life :D
hey was your 1 headlight also messed up like in the video?
I am so stoked right now! I’m getting one this week, it’ll be my first bike:)
Enjoy!
@@user-gs3vn3yv3e did you get anything this year
not long had my 125 cbr. im learning alot on it. its so fun to ride aswell. planning on keeping it for a year or so before going for a 500cc. if your just starting out riding this bike is PERFECT. p.s im 6foot1 and look fine on this bike.
I’m 6’2” and am very comforted by this I go to look at one tomorrow I’m excited for my first bike
@@dabsu. did you end up buying a CBR? If you did did the bike feel a bit small for you?
@@alexonwheels4190 I didn't end up getting it sadly but I'm currently looking at ninja 400's because they're a little bit bigger, and if you want you can go on the highway a lot more comfortably (also I'm a sucker for Kawasaki's)
Im similar hight and I look normal on it.. Fun little bike I like it verry mutch but guy wrecked it before I bough it so some of the plastic are beat up.. I tried to fix them as well as I could but it aint perfect.. almost 40k km I bought it with 32k km I think and no problemo
I ended up getting a yzf 125 I found the size abit better if I'm honest. There's a vid on my channel. But the cbr was a great bike also.
18 and ridden loads of bikes, yamaha yzf-r3, yamaha yzf-r6, honda crf450, suzuki gsxs125, kawaskai ninja 400, yamaha mt07, honda vtr 250 and finally the honda cbr125rr. The cbr125rr is actually the latest bike I have in my collection and I think its a decent bike, not the best at going up steep inclines, and I definitely wouldn’t out of choice use it on the highway, but what makes it fun in my opinion is going around sharp corners, corners that bigger bikes just wouldn’t be able to make, and the ability to literally just full throttle and not have to worry about traction and wheelies, its awesome going like 20kmh then hitting 9k rpm then switching gears something that you 100% dont get on bigger bikes like my r6 which I just have to keep in 1st all the time cos theres no reason to even switch lol. If im going within 5km of my house, this is the bike im using from now on. Never thought id say this, but for road use(excluding highway and track obviously) this is the bike im going to main for a bit as a daily.
Thats what she said!! 1:00
couldn’t of said it better. yea she needs mre power but I bought it as a learning bike, to get comfortabke riding and to learn on. cheap on gas and bought cheap only 1 grand. the gearbox is a little finiky but such is it when its an 08. but proud to ride it and not many people know bike sizes so it doesn’t matter to me, great little bike. and a canadian too!
Had this bike for a year now and had 85mph out of mine, ten year old with 4.5k miles on, best purchase I've ever made
If this bike had a powerband it would be the best 125cc out there. I got 70mph out of mine and I'm fat I loved it so easy to ride handles great and lots of fun.
I think this review deserves a comment! Good review fellas. I bought this bike for my first ever motorcycle just a couple weeks ago. I love it, and you were on point in your review.
I'm already looking for more power.. but that's okay. I'm definitely learning a lot with this experience, and I have my foot solidly in the door now! I'm a motorcyclist! haha
Oh by the way, I'm also a canuck.
+Frejborg I'm also aiming for this bike for the first motorcycle,do you recommend it? I've heard the best of it, just a slight problem with changing gears sometimes?
+Bruno Vukusic I had this bike for my first to learn on. I regret nothing, wanted to start on an R6 but I had tons of people talk me out of it, which I am glad they did. Started on this instead and I loved it. I now own an R6 and still kept this one for around town. To answer your question, I don't know if they are all like this but I do have problems shifting from time to time. Usually from 1st to 2nd, or 2nd to 3rd. Going from 1st to 2nd it likes to get caught in Neutral, then you rev it like a newb and look like a moron lol. I'm not sure if the shift linkage just needs to be lubricated or something. I bought mine second hand, it was an '08 with 351km on it so it was sitting pretty much all it's life. I wouldn't let the shifting problem be a factor though. It might just be me not lifting my foot up enough for it to shift. I've done it on the R6 a few times also. So it's hard to say. Bottom line you won't find a better bike to learn on. Hope you get one, and if you do, have fun and be safe out there.
Puma4454 First of all thanks for the answer and the good wishes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for this bike as my first one.And i have two more questions ; The gear problem, does it impact safety? And, can the gear problem be fixed by changing the gearbox/investing in it?
+Bruno Vukusic I don't think it will affect your safety. When you shift up, it just goes into neutral instead of 2nd gear. So all you basically do is hold the clutch in again and shift up once more. I'm not sure if you can change the gearing on it and if you would benefit from it. I had to get mine fixed, the injector was bad in it. After I got the bike back it actually shifted a lot smoother. So that's what made me believe they just lubricated the shift linkage and any components that's involved with it. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it too much. Like I said, it might just be me.
Puma4454 Alright,thnaks for your answers and time :)
I've had a 250 for about a year now and just discovered this 125 while searching for cargo carriers. Didn't know they made. I think this 125 would be a better beginner bike because the the 250 is not very light. Personally, I would prefer driving this 125 over the Grom or scooter. They should make these again.
Had 2007 model I did 76.000km was a cahoot loved it.
How tall are you? Is the bike big or small height wise? i am about 6,2 and a half (191cm) i have looked att some bikes and they were all too small, this one seemed good
LOL! british people would never think of this as small... it's big for a 125... 😆 if you didn't have to start with a 125 think yourself lucky!!
Paid 700 for mine...oh my god can they ever take a constant beating! Haha, surprisingly makes a pretty ok dirt bike!
Great review no doubt.And i think this video is perfect for my parents' aproval because right now they are against it,they and as you mentioned it,for people that don't know a lot about bikes looks can be deciving :)
Honda would sell a few, if they brought these to the U.S.
im about to buy one now, in the us.. you can also buy it from canada its basically connected to us
I just saw one of this in white i think im inlove.😻
Nice bike for beginners
I'm 76 years old and 6ft 1in at 240 lbs. He indicates that is good for any beginner. Just wondering if it would be go for me.
its a great starter mate - go for it!
Compared to my previous motorcycles I find the clutch lever difficult to use because the clutch lever is almost all released before clutch engages making it difficult to find the engagement point. Is this normal for this bike?
Good review
I wish this was in the US
У меня такой 2006 года, несмотря на большой пробег в 58000 км он едет довольно таки бодро, но на трассе при скорости 70-80 км/ч у него большая парусность и его начинает сил но сносить, поэтому весь его потенциал не получается проверить((
I get so tired of you guys saying a 125 does not have a ton of power, are you guys just stupid, of course it does not have a ton of power, a ton is a term used for weight, you know like 2,000 lbs. Talk about jaded comments just review liter bikes, do they have a ton of power?
@@matko8038 I think he was trying humor, it could have worked but it was a bit too agressive.
Jee, I guess a 125 cc bike should be bigger?
like MOTOR HAPPY NEXIUM
jesus its like a motorcycle with bicycle tires
no
This is same in my country the name happy nexium 150
I want a cbr 125 too cause apparently they’re smaller than the huge ones u find anywhere else and I’m only 5ft2 lol
Yeah they are... was my first bike. I'm 6'1 and still got 75 out of it on a flat road.
@@rossco010 fair enough
@@rossco010 did you look small on it? i wanna get one im about the same height but dont wanna get it if its really small in person
@official315 You can get 125s that look like big bikes.
To be fair yeah I did look a little bit big on it. In contrast I had a CB 125 a couple of years ago and that looked a lot better with me on it. Id recommend taking a look at one of those.
does yours vibrate like mad over 6k RPM ?
around 7-8k yes but only when going 100
Mine is super smooth till redline, no excessive vibrations, 2008 model, 3000 kms
Bring bck the 2 strokes
Ain't that the grom just a little bigger?..lol. I'll take the Navi or PCX
Huh 2014 vid releas but they don't have the jc50 ? What are those ?😂😂
I bet the insurance is much lower being only a 125r? Do you have any info on that?
170 a month as a new rider in canada
@@icarus6086 awesome, thx for the reply.. I like the 125 cause I can bring it inside my place and not leave parked outside...
@@bikinglikebecker its a pretty awesome bike i agree, i ride it more than my larger bikes
@@icarus6086 damn thats expensive in the us i read its like 75 for a year or something... so it would make sense to cancel it as soon as the weather gets cold each year
Little guy says, It's a small bike.. freudian slip? lol
big guy says, it doesn't have tons of power.. well, it is 125cc.
The verdict's in.. It's a great little bike without much power. 😁
Only real let down can see is them horrid block indicators !
Cheap on gas and insurance
It vibrates like crazy and very slow
really this is ain't motorcycle it's more like a scooter
Bicycles have bigger tires lol
I'd rather ride a grom
The best way to look like an arsehole is to ride this bike!
why lol
🤮
whats wrong with them honder 125er ? besides the 1 inch tires