23YM HONDA CB125R

Model updates: Honda’s uniquely styled Neo Sports Café 125 sets a premium standard. Specification includes single-cylinder DOHC 4V engine, high-quality 41mm Showa ‘Separate Function’ Big Piston (SFF-BP) USD forks and radial-mount four-piston front brake caliper, floating disc and IMU-controlled ABS.

For 23YM, new visual updates enhance the appeal and presence of the CB125R, the gateway to Neo Sports Café ownership.

Contents:

1 Introduction

2 Model overview

3 Key features

4 Technical specifications

1. Introduction

When embarking on a two-wheeled career, there are certain fundamentals that every rider looks for from their first motorcycle: an easy-to-ride chassis, with engaging real-world engine performance, and super-agile handling. Wrap those fundamentals, however, in distinctive, classy styling and add a host of premium specifications, and the result can be an extra special machine with which to begin a two-wheeled career.

It was for new riders looking for this kind of package that Honda introduced the all-new CB125R in 2017. The smallest member of Honda’s minimalist, bare-boned ‘Neo Sports Café’ family, the CB125R was launched alongside the CB300R and the flagship CB1000R, and represented a bold new, premium addition to the ranks of Honda’s entry level machines.

In 21YM the CB125R received a brand-new, 4 valve engine and major front suspension upgrade, keeping it at the head of a competitive field, and at the top of many young riders’ wish list. For 23YM, visual updates heighten the appeal even further.  

2. Model Overview

The attention-grabbing style of the CB125R is a real standout feature among its peers and sets it apart from the homogeneous crowd.

Peppy and fun to rev, the DOHC 4V engine delivers a healthy 11.0kW power with 11.6Nm torque. And 41mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston (SFF-BP) USD forks bring big-bike suspension quality to a small bike. Braking is equally impressive: a 296mm floating front disc is worked by a radial-mount, four-piston caliper with ABS controlled by Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).

The 23YM CB125R will be available in the following colour options:

• Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic with new black belly pan, shrouds and front forks
• Matt Crypton Silver Metallic with new black belly pan and shrouds
• Candy Chromosphere Red with new black belly pan and shrouds
• Matt Jeans Blue Metallic with new black belly pan and shrouds

3. Key Features

3.1 Engine

• Single-cylinder, DOHC 4V, liquid-cooled
• 11kW peak power, 11.6Nm peak torque

The CB125R uses its very own EURO5 compliant 125cc, DOHC 4V engine design which produces 11.0kW @ 10,000rpm and 11.6Nm @ 8,000rpm. Top speed is 105km/h, with 0-200m covered in 11.3s. The gearbox is six-speed.

Bore and stroke is set at 57.3 x 48.4mm, with compression ratio of 11.3:1. PGM-FI fuel injection feeds cleanly through the inlet duct, air cleaner connector tube and resonator. The exhaust is underslung and exits through a dual-chamber muffler.

3.2 Chassis

• 41mm Showa’s Separate Function Big Piston (SFF-BP) USD forks 
• Radial-mount 4-piston caliper and hubless 296mm floating front disc
• ABS works through Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)

Underpinning the CB125R’s minimalism is its tubular and pressed steel construction lattice-style frame. The swingarm is manufactured from steel plate, irregularly shaped in cross-section. Both are designed to achieve high longitudinal rigidity and control torsion from wheel deflection without excess rigidity or weight.

The chassis’ core strength is anchored by the pressed steel swingarm pivot plates and swingarm, allowing the frame to deliver agile handling with stability and feedback; rake and trail are set at 24.2°/90.2mm.

A 51.6% front/48.4% rear weight bias provides a positive feel for front-end grip and easy steering which is also helped by the low, 129.8kg wet weight and compact 1345mm wheelbase. Fat bar-style handlebars turn through 40° and the 2.3m turning circle guarantees easy passage in jammed city traffic. Seat height is 816mm.

41mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston (SFF-BP) USD forks use a pressure separation damper in one fork tube and spring mechanism in the other deliver high damper performance and lighter weight. Together with the use of a larger sized piston the result is increased feel, bump absorption and control. The rear monoshock is non-adjustable.

The rest of the running gear comprises a 296mm hubless floating front disc, gripped by a radial-mount Nissin four-piston caliper, the rear 220mm disc a single-piston caliper. Both are modulated by 2-channel ABS. The high specification system works through an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) to give precise front to rear distribution of ABS operation depending on the vehicle behaviour. A 150/60R-17 radial rear tyre is matched to a 110/70R-17 radial front.

3.3 Styling & equipment

• Industrial minimal styling makes bold visual impact
• Full LED lighting and LCD instrumentation
• 1L fuel tank gives 455km range

The CB125R’s styling is unique to the machine and follows the unmistakeable ‘Neo Sports Café’ design language of the CB1000R – minimalist retro styling with a very modern twist – and injects a harder-edged attitude to Honda’s entry level range. The cutaway tail unit is compact in the extreme and holds the rear mudguard mount, which moves from nylon to steel manufacture. Both rider and pillion footpeg hangers are aluminium.

A thin (23.5mm) lightweight (230g) full function LCD instrument display provides speed, engine rpm, fuel level and gear position, with warning lights arrayed across the top. Full LED lighting – including indicators – adds a further premium feel and contributes to mass centralisation. The headlight uses a dual bar light signature, upper for low beam and lower for high beam and the taillight is the thinnest ever mounted on a Honda motorcycle.

The 10.1L fuel tank is hidden underneath an angular cover and shrouds and houses an aircraft-style filler cap. With fuel economy of 45.5km/l (WMTC mode), the CB125R can cover over 455km from full.

4. Technical Specifications

All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice.

Please note that the figures provided are results obtained by Honda under standardised testing conditions prescribed by WMTC. Tests are conducted on a rolling road using a standard version of the vehicle with only one rider and no additional optional equipment. Actual fuel consumption may vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.