HONDA DAX 125 (2023 - on) Review

Words by Jim Moore

The 2023 Honda Dax is a 1970s icon reinvented for the 21^st century as a stylish 125cc motorcycle. All the Dax style is there – 12in wheels, chunky tyres, T-shaped frame and high swooping bars, but now benefits from the largest capacity engine in the model’s history.

The modern version is great fun to ride and cheap to buy and run - brilliant alternative to a conventional scooter.

For the uninitiated, the Honda Dax story began in 1969 with the original ST50 and ST70 Dax. Th e name comes from the bike’s passing resemblance to a Dachshund (sausage dog) and the model plate on the side of the bike features a picture of said hound.

Several versions of the model existed through the ‘70s before the model was retired for over 30 years.

The ride quality of the new Dax is far better than that of the originals. First generation Daxs feature spindly suspension and tiny drum brakes whereas the ST125 comes with 31mm USD forks (non-adjustable), a box-section swingarm and twin shocks (again, non-adjustable).

Brakes are now disc front and rear; the front is a 220mm disc gripped by an ABS equipped twin-pot caliper, the rear a 190mm disc with a single-pot caliper. Both are very effective at hauling the ST125 to a rapid stop – it weighs just 107kg fully fuelled.

Ride quality of the 120/130 section tyres is good. The deeply padded seat is also very comfortable. But the bike’s diminutive size, modest weight and tiny wheels can make it feel slightly flighty and unstable at times. Its size can leave the rider feeling vulnerable around lorries and other large traffic, too.

The 124cc, air-cooled, SOHC, 4-stroke, 2-valve engine is the biggest aver fitted to a Dax but it’s very quiet and smooth.

A meagre 9bhp power output means a very low state of tune for a 125 so reliability should be excellent – plus Honda have made millions of small capacity engines by this point.

The 4-speed gearbox is easy to use – there’s no clutch lever, it’s a centrifugal set up, with a toe-heel lever to go up and down the box, although using the heel change can be a hassle for those with larger feet.

Town performance is good; top speed is 55-60mph, so it’ll keep with A-road traffic but overtakes are beyond the ST’s capability. The gearing is set up to be brisk away from a standstill so it feels perkier away from the lights than it does on the open road.

Too early to say, but the overall build quality looks good, and reliability really shouldn’t be an issue given Honda’s long history of building SOHC singles, not to mention this engine’s modest level of tune that can only help its long-term prospects.

Mechanically, there’s not a lot to go wrong with simple components and no fancy electronics to worry about. The stomp transmission has been used on Honda’s Cub and Super Cub models for decades, too, and should be tried and tested by now.

The paint finish on the Dax’s pressed steel frame/bodywork looks good quality but given the budget nature of some components, a coating of ACF-50 or similar might not go amiss to keep the rust out.

A Dax 125 will be cheap to run. Monthly PCP payments are under £50, economy is 90mpg-plus, and insurance will be modest in group 5.

There are a few competitors to consider with several from Honda’s own range. The Honda Monkey 125 is the most similar in intent with its ‘60s styling and diminutive stature. The Monkey looks more like a scaled down motorcycle with a traditional frame and tank and it costs a few hundred quid more.

The identically priced Honda C125 Super Cub is also a contender with retro styling and the same gearbox setup as the Dax.

A more modern take would be the Honda MSX 125 Grom or any of the multitude of Chinese copies now on the market. The Grom looks like a scaled down version of a modern naked roadster and lacks the retro charm of the other bikes in the list.

There’s never going to be a great deal of kit on a machine like this, but the ST125 comes with a neat digital speedo and fuel gauge, chunky easy to use switchgear, decent mirrors, LED lights, pillion provision, ABS on the front disc brake and cast aluminium wheels.

Like the Dax’s retro minibike cousin, the Monkey, you can buy a luggage rack from the official accessory catalogue for £115 inc VAT. There are also plenty of aftermarket accessories available, too.