HONDA CB125F (2015 - 2020) Review

Feels like a push bike, after 40 minutes you will get a very sore back also if you are over 6ft tall then this bike feels like a clown bike

Slowest bike i have ever owned, I ride A roads it wont even overtake a lorry I have to sit at 52 mph I want my Varadero back.

Had two so far even though they are hire bikes from insurance,Quality feels terrible first bike blew engine oil allover my legs second bike is brand new and feels 100 years old.

£15 to fill up to the max 45 miles a day lasts me approx a week.

no features tyres are shocking brakes arent much better the only decent thing is the headlamps and indicators.

Suspension is good, rear can be harsh over rough road, but vast majority of the time is perfect. seats good but does get sore after an hour or 2 Brakes are a real pain, especially in the wet, front is good for a learner, as its so weak it can never lock up, but rear is the complete opposite, way to sharp & loves to lockup

For real life, engine is absolutely perfect, loved every minute on it. Never failed or struggled to start. But for a performance test its screwed, granted mine was in the soaking wet, but for A1 Mod 1 ride around a corner and hit the speed trap at 30, mine was scraping through at 31-32mph, Low end torque for getting away from lights is great, nothing whatsoever top end, lack of 6th gear is chronic. 45mph in 5th sees you sitting at around 9k rpm Even with stock exhaust does sound pretty good though

Was fortunate to have found one in good enough condition, hardly any rust ect, but is still pretty cheap. Paint is extremely thin, with 6k miles on mine paint is already badly scored on the tank from knees & Jacket, main stand is sketchy at best, would twist and shake when lifted onto it. Seat is actually pretty well put together, but after an hour or so your butt will be sore. Speedo was a joke, after a month realised that it was inaccurate, in order to do 45mph irl had to be reading 52 on the speedo. Gearbox is an absolute gem, seriously well put together, its a solid click when changing gear, but not agricultural. Gear lever does sit a little low however, so if your wearing winter boots be prepared to over exaggerate your ankle movement when releasing the lever Apart from a dodgy bulb for 4th gear in the gear indicator, didn't have Any issue at all with the electrics.

Brilliant on fuel, about £10 per tank,

Gear indicator is amazing, not essential, but still a nice touch, dials are good & clear to read, even in rain, fuel gauge seems to sit at max for ages, and then the needle races down to red, so for a long journey, just check your tank. Electric start was bliss BUT who on earth thought it a good idea to not put a kick start on it?

The ride is lovely, on a good surface. As yet, nothing has upset or destabilised the bike - but boy is there a massive "thud" on some potholes. Overall the quality of the ride - on the rear - is too harsh for anything but reasonable surfaces. Quite how they cope in the countries for which this bike is primarily designed, I have no idea. The front suspension, however, is just fine and have no complaints about it. It doesn't twist or shudder, regardless of what gets chucked at it. The brakes all work superbly, with plenty of feel, progression and stopping-power. Such is their feel, I'd be confident about front-wheel braking in mid-corner.Bizarrely, the ride quality is so light - on a good surface - that the bike "drifts" very easily unless you are vigilant. Don't take your eyes off the road, otherwise you WILL end-up in the hedge.

It's a restricted 125, so you can't expect miracles with power delivery - but it's utterly smooth, vibration-free and rev-happy. First gear, though, is just way too short, but 5th is surpisingly flexible down to some very low speeds. It's actually difficult to give it full throttle, as the twist-grip travels such a long way before reaching its end-stop. Maybe that's deliberate so as not to blow its nuts off!If they fit this engine into an Adventure frame, I'm sure it'd be a winner.

I can't really comment on the reliability as I've only done 1500 miles on it - but it's always started first time, even after having sat in the garage for 6 weeks. I'm keeping an eye on the metal finishes, especially the casings and suspension units, owing to the fact my other daughter's 2017 Vision NC50 started to corrode within a few days of being exposed to rain - as did my own 2013 SH125 (certainly not what I expect from Honda).

Fuel consumption is astonishingly good, and getting between 115 and 140Mpg - and I don't exactly pussyfoot around when riding. My style is progressive but smooth, using the bike to it's full potential, but never violently. However, I don't know if I'm reading the tyre wear indicators properly but, if I am, then I'm only going to get about 2,500 miles from the rear, even though the front seems hardly touched. This is exceptionally poor tyre-life, even if the tyre costs only £50 to renew.With regard to servicing, I'll be doing it myself - which is one of the reasons for riding a 125 in the first place; I can access everything without having to do a total disassembly of my Granny's corset just to change the spark-plug. Furthermore, I'm of the school that, if there's nothing obviously wrong, then I leave things alone and do basic servicing only, such as plugs, oils, filters and chains.Personally, I'm not expecting to get much more than 5-7,000 miles from the chain. If it's substantially less, then I may go for an "O-ring" version instead. They may be more expensive, but the reduced maintenance and increased life-span is likely to be worth it.

This is a basic learner / commuter bike, but it's got all the instruments that you need, including a fuel gauge and a trip-meter. The gear indicator is a good additional feature - not least because it's almost impossible to tell which gear you're in. The only issue with any of the instruments, though, is that they are a unnecessarily difficult to read in daylight. What is it with these modern "designers"; building to a price doesn't dictate that your artistic licence overrides functional ergonomics. It's the same with the Vision NC50 instruments; they're just difficult to read at a glance. Why?What I was very disappointed about, is that Honda don't seem to manufacture any windscreens for this bike. It's a commuter, for Heaven's sake, and we're in the UK, so it's going to be used year-round, yet no OEM wind protection accessories! Going on the internet, there seemed to be just one option, and that's the Puig - and even that is only just about adequate to stave-off the major frontal wind blast. What I am glad about, is that it comes with a centre-stand as standard - and it can be raised using just one hand. Question for manufacturers: WHY do commuter bikes come with a centre-stand, yet the bigger bikes don't? A centre-stand is an essential piece of equipment, so stop being miserly and put them as standard on ALL bikes. Your bikes are expensive enough as it is.The OEM tyre choice (Cheng Shin) seem to be perfectly good in the dry, and never have encountered a butt-clenching moment. I can't comment about their performance in the wet, as I just haven't ridden in the rain. However, I can't understand why the profile of the front tyre is 80/100. Almost no other tyre brand uses this profile - so if you want to use a matching pair of a more recognised brand, you have to change the profile - which means that, technically, you've got to inform your insurance company. Another nutty choice by Honda.

Amazing brakes, suspension is perfect for fast braking with little worry about being flung off.

If I could make it do 70 I would.. but 65 for a stock bike with amazing acceleration is all you need for most to all journeys.

I see why people say hondas rust easily, never had a single mechanical problem with it apart from rust build up (more of an astethics problem then anything)

Easily visable gears on dash for new riders, seat is really comfy and I'd definitely recommend Oxford heated grips for the colder journeys you will be up against.

Ride quality is good. Could do with a softer seat but it does the job. Can ride 3 to 4 hrs without a break.

The little 125 engine has plenty of pull at low to mid range. Going from 50 to 60mph is a struggle but does get there, but i am 15 stone. Has allot of engine breaking when slowing.

My bike is now 5 yrs old. The only corrosion I have is on the rear suspension, the chrome and the painted springs, and exhaust. Also I bought mine from wales near the seaside (salt) bolts and throttle body has the usual white corrosion marks but this is due to salt and I needed to replace the front calliper due to pad pins sized in and snapped. these could not be removed by the garage. So bought used calliper and no problem removing pins. so must of been salt air again. Apart from that Its never let me down yet

This is one of the cheapest bikes to run and maintain. Pair of tyres cost me 60 quid recently.

The equipment is basic but does everything you need. Also has gear indicator, rev counter and big indicator signals. Ideal for the beginner.

First day I had bike I did 108 miles comfortably

Brilliant acceleration but lacks the top end speed but due to being a 125cc and it's more economical in fuel to compensate for lack of oomph on the top end

Mine is 2016 and apart from cosmetic scratches , everything is sound,no corrosion, only did 2660 miles on the clock , when I bought it and regularly serviced once a year , surprisingly really reliable.

Cheap on fuel , very economical

I'm still in middle of choosing accessories, I dont know if it counts but I got a bluetooth headset for my helmet, very good , would recommend that , I also want a decent USB charger with fast charge for s9 and a mount for my phone.

Awful suspension and weak brakes even for its lack of weight.

It's a solid engine that never misses a beat. But it is so boring! Twist your wrist and it just farts a bit louder and oh so sloooooowly speeds up a little. Disappointing even for a 125.

Seems to be a pretty solid build.

Have to admit great fuel economy.

Nice upright riding position. I "practice" regularly and include emergency stops and have not locked up or skidded [only dry surface], rear brake works well to bring to stop from traffic appropriate speeds.

Pulls away at traffic lights briskly to give you good space before they catch up then will cruise at 50mph for as long as you want.

I am aware of the comments regarding a tendency for corrosion but bought brand new and so far clean as a whistle.

I want to keep the dealer service book up to date so will be taking in soon for 600 mile service, been quoted about £70.

Gear indicator, as a new rider i wouldn`t have a clue beyond 1st! All reviews [You Tube] on tyres sound horrific so at first service will ask about upgrades

The seat can be improved upon and the exhaust pipe is very susceptible to corrosion and rust.

It is very cheap to fill up the tank with petrol. I spent nearly £15-£20 a month on petrol. Servicing costs are ok, for a respected garage you're looking at £100+, for a lesser known garage i think it is less.

Handles nicely and the position is very comfortable for all-day riding. No numbing vibrations, even when ridden at max speed (up to 67mph but only if there's a strong wind from behind). The slim tyres really don't like riding over the white lines when filtering, which is when the handling isn't so nice. That's the only time when I wish I had a bigger bike.

Good torque for urban overtaking. Lack of vibration at top speed is another plus point. The little engine is very tolerant of being ridden at max throttle. I'm happy to cruise along the motorway at 60-65mph.

The exhaust started getting rust marks at the slightest bit of rain, even though washed every week. Another niggle is the gear sometimes won't shift into neutral, which is a bit irritating during a long wait at traffic lights. Other than that, no complaints.

I get 400km between fill-ups, which means fewer stops at the petrol station than many bigger bikes. I could get quite a bit more but I never trust vehicle fuel gauges. Plus I'm lucky enough to have Doble as my dealer, who don't rip you off.

The dealer threw in a handy top box. It's good that the bike comes with a centre stand, gear indicator and rev counter. At this price you don't really expect a lot of equipment. Has all it needs, really.

Suspension isn't great, but then neither are the potholes around Sheffield. Still very bouncy though. The narrow tyres make corners interesting as far as I'm concerned, but I feel more confident throwing it into them than I did my CG so Honda must have done something right. The brakes on the other hand are shocking. The front disc judders every time you use it no matter what speed you're doing, and there's not much feel on the rear drum unless you're already stopped at lights and just want to hold position with it. And if it's even slightly damp, the rear brake screeches like an eagle

Somehow Honda have made it even worse than it used to be. It's now fuel injected and apparently been retuned for slightly more low down torque but it still feels like they lost 3 or 4 horses to Tesco's ready meals. It's saving grace is that there's next to no vibrations even when redlining it in 4th uphill, and on a nice day with a tailwind it'd do 45mph constantly. The clutch really lets it down though. It bounces out of 1st and 2nd without a care in the world, which is not good when you needed to make a quick change. It felt like I was setting off in 2nd gear from the lights at all times, and when setting off, the biting point was so vague 99% of the time I went straight through it and got thrown around as it suddenly threw power straight on.

Actual materials quality is questionable. It's only about 6 months old and almost all the chromed parts are scabby and rusty. The black painted exhaust is the same. The plastics and metal on the tank, fairings, tail unit and headlight look spot on though. The engine paint also seems to be holding up. Reliability-wise, it hasn't failed to start once while I've had it and any times it's stalled have been down to me getting used to the clutch. There's about a quarter turn on the throttle before it starts to pick up on this one which I never got used to.

Drinks fuel like no-one's business. My own bike, an MT-125 probably uses about 2/3 of the fuel this one does every month and has more power. This is probably down to me having to rev the CB to the redline constantly to get any kind of speed out of it. The MT also has a smaller fuel tank and I had to fill the CB up two times more in the month and a half I had it than I would have had to the MT.

Fuel gauge, rev counter, standard switchgear. Good mirrors, surprisingly. It's one of only two bikes I've been on where I didn't have to contort myself to see what was going on in them.

The brakes work as expected and the ride quality is quite good with the shocks absorbing most of the bumps in the road.

The engine is quiet and the level of engine vibration is low.

I do not believe that the average British consumer would expect to have to change the chain and sprockets after less than 5,000 miles.

These are starting to add up given that I have had to replace the chain and sprockets after less than 5,000 miles.

The gear indicator is a very useful feature.

Brakes aren't anything special but do the job. Skidded twice when breaking hard, be careful. Ride quality is fine, only thing I find the seat is somewhat uncomfortable. I tend to slide forward into the gas tank.

Good low end torque for a 125cc. Max speed I achieved was 115kph, I weigh 61kg.

Had no problems yet.

Uses about 2.2l / 100km when doing urban commuting and is tax-free. I expect to ride about 3500km every year.

Very basic but has everything you need. Gear indicator is useful. Fuel gauge is somewhat unreliable. Mine stays at 100% voor 150km then drops to 0 within 250km but I got used to it.

When it worked it was good

Slow but smooth

Should a bike be written off after 6,000 miles? I say no.

First service at 600 miles a whopping £100. Just an oil change. Expect more from that.

Good number of extras compared to other 125s

It's pretty good, I'm probably one of the heaviest users of this bike and I've got to say that brakes stop well and the ride is fine.

It's pretty smooth. So why it's working its impressive. Would like a little more top end speed but who doesn't.

Mine broke down after just over 5,000 miles. Still waiting to resolve the problem.

Built very sensibly with the beginner rider in mind. Gear display is a great touch.

Possibly because of the skinny tyres the ride feels a bit hard & bumpy. I bought this bike because I got fed up with the small wheels on my last three scooters. Disappointing.

Mine had some slightly rusty bolts on delivery.

How come its £45 dearer on insurance (Honda Ins) than the 400cc Forza I px'd it for? Certainly be shopping around when it is due.

Even as an experienced rider I find the gear indicator useful. No cut out switch & no overtaking switch but not needed !!

Good front Disc and rear Drum is fine, 18 inch wheels ride well over bumps etc. Its a firm ride but the rear shock does have 5 adjustments which we have yet to try out. Front fork takes most things in its stride.

Very smooth, sounds good, revs very easily and effortlessly and with Fuel Injection it runs from cold faultlessly. Its got a nice thrum but is not too noisy either.

Well built, feels solid and usual Honda build quality, 2 years warranty and recovery gives peace of mind with Honda back up.

First service at 600 for about £80 so quite short then 2500 miles

Its a basic but nice Traditional Non digital Car like Dash, Big dials, Big indicator flashers, Gear indicator, easy to see everything. Has both a Kick and centre stand. Tyres are a bit skinny from a look perspective but nice smart Alloys in a Graphite finish. For the price its spot on.

Ride quality can be a bit harsh but handles surprisingly well for such a budget bike. You can really flick it through the corners.

Very smooth power delivery. No vibrations. Can struggle a bit with a headwind but plenty of torque to pull you up hills. Sits quite happily at 65mph on the redline.

Quality is top notch being a Honda and I don't see it going wrong any time soon.

Manages well over 100mpg even when thrashed. And cheap to tax and insure.

It's basic but what do you expect? Dials are nice and clear and the gear position indicator is a nice touch. An accurate fuel gauge too which is a novelty.