Honda CBF125 (2009-current)

The CBF makes for a great commuter but if you're looking for a quick, fun bike at 17, this won't be the one. I found that the tyres were too skinny and feel like you'll topple over if you tip into a corner too quick and also that the metal parts do tend to rust away if left in the rain overnight. Main components that rust are the top fork bolts, gear changes, pedals, brakes...list goes on. Other than my gripes, the CBF is a great commuter but with a top speed of 70mph on a good day, it's not for the speed seeking, 17 year olds. I have to say though, the engine is brilliant, you can give that little 125 engine as much grief as you want and it will still come fighting back.

I have owned my CBF125 for a while now, its the 2009 model and has covered now just over 25,000 miles which is quite alot for a little bike. I have serviced the bike regularly (New plug,oil etc) and it works well. My only slight reservations are the paint on the exhaust which does flake off after a while, however I have taken it off the bike sanded it down and resprayed it with matt black BBQ paint which is heat resistant and does the job. Also due to the mileage it is now a little smokey when in traffic, so it is off to my local garage next week for a new set of piston rings and an exhaust valve seal. Which means it should be good for another 25,000 :-) I've got to say even with its minor ailment it still got me to work and back every day (about 20 miles there and the same back) effortlessly... :-) As the 1970s advert said, "Good things happen on a Honda"!

I can tell from the other reviews that this seems to be a popular choice but in my experience I absolutely hate the thing & think it's bloody dangerous! I bought this bike in january new from a dealer and was excited about going to pick it up but that excitement dissapeared in about 2 days. It just didn't feel right the ride is awful and it feels as if the bike wants to slip out from underneath me when tackling anything that remotely looks like a bend! I had previously been riding a cbr 125 and loved it so thought that staying with a honda made sense whilst training for my big bike test, I am pleased to say I have just passed and am now shopping for my 1st big bike and I can't wait to get rid of this pokey horrible dangerous little bike!!

Firstly let's start with the economy. I am 15 stones and 6'1" tall and find the performance of this 125 to be very good considering the engine size. I have used it for a few hundred miles, mostly at 60 mph on a daily commute (15 miles each way). The economy for me has been 109 mpg, people report varying mpg figures, which can be confusing. I believe this is due to correct servicing and adjustment. I use fully synth oil (after using standard for the first couple of thousand miles - to help hone the bores and achieve optimal compression), the valve clearances must also be kept correctly adjusted, which must be done with the oil change every 2.5k miles. It is my belief that the MCN test bike shall likely have had a hard time and not have been kept at its best. It's not expensive to keep the bike as it requires, it only takes one litre of oil, and the valve adjustment is 30-60 mins at a relaxed pace and attention to detail. So buy quality and take your time ;-). another obvious adjustment is the chain, the bike has a centre stand, so it's a simple but essential job, to keep drive train power losses to a minimum. The standard tyres have been slated, I have not tried them in the wet much, but in the dry I have no problem with them. I would replace them with the highest quality rubber I can, but only when they are worn. Honda's are always held in high regard for the quality of the finish, which is why I am so surprised that I can not be so positive about this bike. The metal paint, be it tank, frame forks etc, are all painted badly. The quality control must be almost non existent at the factory, and could have been easily avoided (Yamaha manage to do it just fine!). This said, I would still choose the cbf over the other 125's. I'm sure I am causing confusion at this point, so let me clear this one up. Ybr's and cg's are good bikes for round town use, but with the lack of streamlining /wind protection, you shall be lucky to see 60mph, let alone hold it comfortably. So why not go for the fully faired cbr or Yzf's then? Don't get me wrong, they look superb, especially the Yzf's, but they are not and shall never be fast bikes, so why would you choose to be leaning forward at an uncomfortable angle with your weight more on your wrists and genitals :-/ This is where the cbf slots in perfectly, it has good styling, good wind protection, punching a hole through the air and all done in comfort! Paint can be touched up, or even re sprayed, if you buy new you have warranty - so keep a close eye and use it if needs be. I would choose this cbf over all other 125's, but with a little * attached. If Yamaha were to create a 125 in the same mould as the cbf, that shall likely be better... But as yet (like Tigger) Honda is the only one!

I bought the CBF125 to get onto geared bikes gradually rather than doing 4 days on the DAS and then jumping onto a 900cc bike. I think I made a great decision. Especially with the bike I chose. It has everything you need: Tachometer, fuel gauge, etc. Gear changes are good and the clutch is good (but I must admit I have no experience of other clutches!). I use the bike for commuting in London and its perfect for the job. It uses so little petrol it's easy to forget to fill it up. I get 200miles to a tank before I fill it up again. I worked out my fuel economy as about 115 mpg which for town driving is great. With road tax at £16 you can't go wrong. I've only had it for 2 months so can't speak about reliability other than to say I've had no problems so far. The ride is responsive (good when black cabs pull out in front of you). Suspension isn't great but okay for the money. Front brake is fine (no locked wheels yet) but rear brake is a drum brake which will always be naff. It won't set your heart racing but it's a nice looking bike, quite fun to ride for its engine size and so cheap to buy and run. By riding it rather than getting the tube, I save well over £500 per year. Plus I don't get to work all flustered after being crammed on a tube train.

I bought a Honda cbf 125 brand new in 2009 which cost £1795 on the road. The same bike now would cost around £2500. I have owned larger bikes since passing my test in 2003. I sold my cbr 1000 for the cbf purely for commuting. The fuel economy of my bike was outstanding returning around 100 mpg regardless of the riding style. My best top speed was around 60 mph, very rarely above this. I never had any issues or problems with regard to reliability and always carried out my own servicing as I did take issue with the hourly service rate charged by Honda. I have read other reviews who describe handling as outstanding, I did not find this and found the bike to feel as though it wanted to tip away from underneath if you tried to corner hard. This may have been due to the tyres which were the original ones fitted when new which were made in India. On the positive side after 7000 miles they were showing very little sign of wear. I used the bike all year round and the only real area of concern was a little rust on the swing arm. The only reason I parted with the cbf was due to the fact that riding in the wind can be very dangerous as gusts can carry you several feet sideways. The brakes were ok but not fantastic. For what I paid the cbf was a very good bike that was good value for money. I am not sure that the current price tag would be such a bargain as there are other bikes that will probably perform better for a similar price. Probably not built to the same quality though. If you look after the cbf the depreciation value will be minimal. After 3 years I part exchanged my bike and got £1300 from a dealer. Apparently there is a shortage of cbf 125's as many never see their first MOT due to accident damage from novice riders. My bike failed the first MOT as the swingarm bolt was not as tight as it should have been. This was tightened up and the certificate was issued. I am a keen biker interested in the various machines on offer. Many reviews talk about performance usually associated with riding ridiculous speeds etc, I find that if I decide what I want my bike to do on a daily basis and stick within the perameters you identify that the bike will work for you and give many years of reliable affordable transport, as the cbf did for me. In many ways I was sad to see it go.

I bought a Honda cbf 125 brand new in 2009 which cost £1795 on the road. The same bike now would cost around £2500. I have owned larger bikes since passing my test in 2003. I sold my cbr 1000 for the cbf purely for commuting. The fuel economy of my bike was outstanding returning around 100 mpg regardless of the riding style. My best top speed was around 60 mph, very rarely above this. I never had any issues or problems with regard to reliability and always carried out my own servicing as I did take issue with the hourly service rate charged by Honda. I have read other reviews who describe handling as outstanding, I did not find this and found the bike to feel as though it wanted to tip away from underneath if you tried to corner hard. This may have been due to the tyres which were the original ones fitted when new which were made in India. On the positive side after 7000 miles they were showing very little sign of wear. I used the bike all year round and the only real area of concern was a little rust on the swing arm. The only reason I parted with the cbf was due to the fact that riding in the wind can be very dangerous as gusts can carry you several feet sideways. The brakes were ok but not fantastic. For what I paid the cbf was a very good bike that was good value for money. I am not sure that the current price tag would be such a bargain as there are other bikes that will probably perform better for a similar price. Probably not built to the same quality though. If you look after the cbf the depreciation value will be minimal. After 3 years I part exchanged my bike and got £1300 from a dealer. Apparently there is a shortage of cbf 125's as many never see their first MOT due to accident damage from novice riders. My bike failed the first MOT as the swingarm bolt was not as tight as it should have been. This was tightened up and the certificate was issued. I am a keen biker interested in the various machines on offer. Many reviews talk about performance usually associated with riding ridiculous speeds etc, I find that if I decide what I want my bike to do on a daily basis and stick within the perameters you identify that the bike will work for you and give many years of reliable affordable transport, as the cbf did for me. In many ways I was sad to see it go.

I bought a Honda cbf 125 brand new in 2009 which cost £1795 on the road. The same bike now would cost around £2500. I have owned larger bikes since passing my test in 2003. I sold my cbr 1000 for the cbf purely for commuting. The fuel economy of my bike was outstanding returning around 100 mpg regardless of the riding style. My best top speed was around 60 mph, very rarely above this. I never had any issues or problems with regard to reliability and always carried out my own servicing as I did take issue with the hourly service rate charged by Honda. I have read other reviews who describe handling as outstanding, I did not find this and found the bike to feel as though it wanted to tip away from underneath if you tried to corner hard. This may have been due to the tyres which were the original ones fitted when new which were made in India. On the positive side after 7000 miles they were showing very little sign of wear. I used the bike all year round and the only real area of concern was a little rust on the swing arm. The only reason I parted with the cbf was due to the fact that riding in the wind can be very dangerous as gusts can carry you several feet sideways. The brakes were ok but not fantastic. For what I paid the cbf was a very good bike that was good value for money. I am not sure that the current price tag would be such a bargain as there are other bikes that will probably perform better for a similar price. Probably not built to the same quality though. If you look after the cbf the depreciation value will be minimal. After 3 years I part exchanged my bike and got £1300 from a dealer. Apparently there is a shortage of cbf 125's as many never see their first MOT due to accident damage from novice riders. My bike failed the first MOT as the swingarm bolt was not as tight as it should have been. This was tightened up and the certificate was issued. I am a keen biker interested in the various machines on offer. Many reviews talk about performance usually associated the riding ridiculous speeds etc, I find that if I decide what I want my bike to do on a daily basis and stick within the perameters you identify that the bike will work for you and give many years of reliable affordable transport, as the cbf did for me. In many ways I was sad to see it go.

I have a 2010 CBF 125, I use it in all weather except ice and snow to get to work. I have covered 12600 miles in under 2 years. This was my first bike and didn't/still don't have a clue about bikes so went with the bike brand name known for its reliability and build quality, Honda. On the good side it has started every time with no worry at the first attempt. It has cut out once or twice but not enough to worry me. The finish and fit seems quite good. Admittedly I could have washed it a few more times but it is showing signs of wear, rust on the exhaust header and corroding on the engine cover, paint flaking off the forks near the hub and paint flaking off the wheels. What I really wasn't impressed with was the FOUR!! warranty issues I had to put the bike in for. The first was a split engine gasket on the side causing an oil leak, the second was a problem with the primary clutch cage (or something similar to that) where due to the fact the bike is built in India and not Japan Honda as a whole are having quality and quantity issues with parts for the CBF 125. I had to wait a month to get my bike back from the dealer and that was only after complaining to Honda head office otherwise it could have been monthS. The third issue was with the generator that was burnt out and left me without a headlight or rear light while on my way to work a night shift. That took a week to fix and while that was in for a service at the same time they notice the gasket on the top of the engine was seeping. The exhaust has also just started to rattle at tick over. All that and a service interval of only 2500 miles. It is an ideal city bike but if you have to travel on roads with limits over 50 for any length of time you will struggle with a head wind when the top speed will drop to 50. As a whole the bike has been ok but I would struggle to recommend it.

I got this bike in January and and have moved on this month onto a 650cc after passing my full test. My experience of bikes are limited but this bike was a fantastic start. It's easy to ride so a really good confidence boost when you first take to the open roads. I did 2500 miles in 3 months and salot of that was long distance communting so word of advise stop every hour to stretch your legs or you will suffer. I came off on some diesel 2 weeks after buying it, the brake pedal needed bending back into place which wasnt a problem but be aware its flimsy to say the least. Overall I loved every minute I got to ride it and I always had a smile on my face when I did. They only reason I got a bigger bike was because I was sick of not being able to overtake caravans, which to be fair there was nothing this bike could do about it anyway. And in 3 months I probably only spent £60 on fuel, I'll never take the bus again.