Born in 2018, the Honda CB125R is the smallest of Honda’s ‘Neo Sports Café’ family, which over the years has stood out for its equipment and design maturity. Two updates have evolved the Japanese eighth-liter: the first in 2021 with the introduction of the 4-valve per cylinder engine and the 41 mm Showa SFF-BP fork (the same one fitted to the CB650R), the second in 2023 with a new range of colors. So far, Honda is planning a new evolution of the CB125R for 2024, which will be enriched in its equipment and improved in its paintwork, as well as being Euro5+ approved.
Honda’s 125 naked bike for 2024 thus receives a new 5-inch TFT color screen, whose functions are controlled via the new dedicated instrument panel. The instrument panel offers the rider a choice of three layouts for displaying the speed and rev counter parameters, showing information on fuel consumption and the gear engaged. In addition, it is possible to choose the number of revolutions at which the gearshift LEDs are activated.
There are also new features in the paintwork, which features four new colors with a tail that matches the tank: Matt Cynos Gray Metallic, Pearl Cool White, Reef Sea Blue Metallic and Pearl Splendor Red. All the paint jobs feature the model’s logo in contrasting colors to enhance its personality.
Otherwise, the CB125R remains unchanged, although under the 10.1-liter fuel tank is the four-stroke, four-valve single cylinder with 15 hp (11.0 kW) at 10,000 rpm and 11.6 Nm at 8,000 rpm, with a new catalytic converter in the exhaust system and new mapping that allows it to obtain Euro5+ homologation. It has a six-speed gearbox and a top speed of 105 km/h, with acceleration from 0-200 m in 11.3 seconds.
The frame is centered on a mixed tubular and pressed steel structure, with a steel box swingarm with differentiated arms.
At the rear, the monoshock is connected at the top to the side plates that hug the pivot, to free the front end from the reactions of the rear axle. The steering head has an angle of 24.2° and projects a trail of 90.2 mm with a wheelbase of 1,345 mm. The weight distribution is balanced, with 51.5% at the front and 48.5% at the rear, but the total mass is very low: just 130 kg with a full tank of gas, which guarantees excellent maneuverability, reinforced by a steering angle of 40° and a turning radius of 2.3 m. The seat is 816 mm off the ground.
A Full-LED lighting system, including turn indicators, completes the equipment, with the front light group projecting a beam of two bars, the upper one for the low beam headlights and the lower one for the high beam headlights. The CB125R has a fuel consumption of 45.5 km/l (WMTC average cycle) and a range of over 460 km on a full tank.