Honda's new CGX150 is an air-cooled back-to-basics retro based on the trusty CG125

In an era that’s seen technology advancing at breakneck pace and even the cheapest of new bikes getting flatscreen displays and phone connectivity, there’s something refreshing about a back-to-basics air-cooled single with no bells or whistles.

That’s exactly what’s expected from a new range of Honda CGX150 machines that’s due to be launched in China.

It is powered by an 11.8bhp air-cooled, two valve, 149cc single cylinder motor that is a direct descendant of the original CG125 engine.

Revealed ahead of its official launch in a series of type-approval documents filed with Chinese authorities, the CGX150 will be offered in three distinct flavours: a café racer, a retro tourer and a basic roadster, all harking back to simpler times.

And while the 149cc capacity means the initial models are ill-suited to European markets with 125cc learner cut-offs, the engine is derived from the CG125 that helped whole generations of riders onto two wheels between 1975 and 2008.

A smaller 125cc version of the engine remains in production today, so building a Euro-suited 125cc version wouldn’t be a huge challenge if Honda decided there was demand.

The new CGX150 will be made in a Wuyang-Honda partnership and is essentially a rose-tinted vision of what the CG125 might have become, retaining the old bike’s rugged simplicity but with a more modern chassis design, disc brakes and ABS.

In its simplest form the kerb weight, including fluids, is a meagre 125kg and even with only 11.8bhp it’s certified for a top speed of 61mph.

The café racer and tourer versions both offer the same power and maximum speed, according to their type-approval documents, but differ in weight. The café racer seen in red, white and blue, with a retro humped seat cowl, red-painted frame and springs, bar-end mirrors gains 1kg for an all-in mass of just 126kg.

All three versions use the same non-adjustable suspension and geometry, with a 1308mm wheelbase that gives them a slightly more grown-up shape than the original CG125, which had just 1200mm between the spindles.

Could a Wuyang-Honda become the basis of a global model? Don’t bet against it. The Honda EM1 e (the brand’s first electric motorcycle offering) made its debut in China tagged as the Wuyang-Honda U-Go.