HONDA CBR125R (2004 - 2010) Review

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £300

Enjoying my first bike, great to learn on and forgiving, never let me down

Buying experience: Brought from a bloke who'd just passed his A2, needed the money for his next bike. Paid 700 cash as she had 10 months mot, full service history and a load of spaces (tyres n wheels, pads and callipers) advertised for 900 but knocked him down, can part ex it for 1100 with the mods, even though I've spent a lot of time, money and effort on the bike and done everything myself

Year: 2008

Overall its a great bike. Handles really well and much quicker than other 125's out there (I've pretty much rode them all). Looks fantastic and is definitely a head turner.

Version: rw6

Year: 2006

Buying experience: I bought mine 2nd hand, it was advertised for £500 but I managed to knock £50 off. The previous owner had crashed it onto a pickup truck while filtering too fast, so I had to rebuild the bike to make it roadworthy again.(hence the cheap price). Some of these bikes are abused, so when you go to buy one take a look down the forks to make sure they're not bent, check the oil level and it's condition and give the wheels a wobble just incase the wheel bearings are worn, there are videos on YouTube explaining what to look out for. a mate of mine bought a bike but didn't check it over properly and he ended up forking out alot of money fixing what he'd missed.

I bought my CBR125 in May of 2010, it was my first geared motorcycle. before this i had a moped but that's not even a resemblance to a motorbike. To sum it up its a fantastic first bike that you will learn alot on. The handling is fantastic, i had Pilot's on mine and although they wore out pretty quick (3,000 miles) they were worth it. The standard tyres are not good at all and are dam near dangerous. as its a thin tyre it doesn't allow for any lean angle at all. The pilots however are that little bit wider and count for alot! The engine might not be the most powerful but its sure the most reliable. never had any issues in the 2 years and 15,000 miles i covered. Its a perfect bike for a 125, forget owning a ratty 2 stroke because no-one gives you any respect on the road (i know i rode one!) and they are soooooo unreliable even if they are looked after! In conclusion it may not be the most powerful but i will never forget my first times on this bike, and it also makes the jump from a 125 to a 33bhp alot more exciting and therefore stopping you from wanting to take the restrictor kit out!

(Bear in mind I have a RS 125, a scooter, a CBR600, and a GS500E with this Honda) I bought mine a year back, after its previous owner discovered bikes and diesel don't mix. It is a happy little bike that was one of the first in the country, registered in early January 2004. and covered 17,795 miles. Cheap to fix, as replacement plastic is 500 quid for everything. Clutch lever is £7.50, compared to 37.50 for my CBR600. Brilliant little bike. As good as, or better, than the 600 through corners. Really lives up to the CBR tag, despite being on two different tyre manufacturers. Straights less so, then again it was over geared at some point, as it achieves top speed in 4th gear, not 5th as it should. Insurance is cheap, at £230 in lincolnshire, and £730 in Coventry (18 years old, 1 years no claims, test pass) definately compared to a RS 125, which wants £400 to insure in lincolnshire. ( Even when restricted. Engine lasts longer that way.) Goes for ages on a tank, provided you keep below 8k rpm, as consumption mounts up beyond then. Does over 100mpg in a city. Pulls from low revs in 3rd with ease. Mine does not like national speed limits. Vibration can be a problem beyond 9k rpm. 2T like powerband between 9k and 11k. Happiest at 50 - 55 odd mph in 6th. It chugs along forever. Your whole body will ache before the tank runs dry. Avoid motorways. You will feel like your holding people up if you don't want to rev it hard. Is as good as a CBR600 when road is twisty. If the road isn't twisty, take the 600. Don't go out in windy conditions, though that is said about every 125, 2T or 4T. The footpeg grounds out first. (after your knee is down) Starts first time, even after 6 months storage. Would be good as a first bike. Makes you remember mirror - signal - manover as you go along. Mirrors good, but vibrate slightly at high revs. Squeezes into gaps that just aren't there. Would I buy another? Yes, without question. As good as a CBR600 overall? Almost.

I rode this bike on a cbt got straight on it and just went. its is an excellent example of a quality 125cc motorcycle. forget buying an rs125 or any other cheap 2-stroke tat. you can garentee the cbr 125 will start every morning on the button and ride like a dream, unlike 2-strokes which you will find will fall apart around you. smooth ride and with a nice exhaust it will sound like a much bigger bike. i used to be able to get 80pmh out of mine so their not slow. highly recommend this bike, probably the best 125 around!!!!

Cracking little sporty (ish) 125 4 stroke. I purchased mine (and '05) late last year with the intention of using it as a test bike, its been a great fun piece of kit and has NEVER let me down. rear tyres lasted 4000 miles and the fronts still got some life in it. engine sweet as a nut and will easily keep up with my mates yamaha yzf-r125 on the straights and through the corners. Dont be put off by the bikes small dimensions too as it really makes it a fun bike to ride, as its so light. It can be put in to corners at some pretty impressive speeds and will take what you give it, grips very well even on the origional tyres (the amount of 'cbr125 knee-down' videos on youtube prove it really can be chucked). And lastly, the bikes cheap, I bought a minter for 1400 and it really is like new, 1200 miles on the clock!. Also, if you do scrape it, panels can be picked up for peanuts unlike the yamahas and aprilias £400 fairings!!! would recoment but dont expect a race bike, its a beginers bike which can be ragged and thrown into corners like no tomorow. really all you want at 17!!!

i have owned my bike for around 7-8 months, i am on a learner lisence so i am restricted to a 125cc, after looking around for along time i can across a 06 cbr125 with only 3200 miles on the clock, i picked it up for £1600 ish which i thought was a steal compared to how much the other 125's cost. the bike is excellent overall, its handeling is amazing even with the thin tyres. yu also dont need to do alot to the bike to keep it running. for example £8.00 for a full tank lasting up to 200 miles depending on riding style. now the weather is brightening up alittle bit i am starting to go out to bike cafe's. this weekend i have covered around 150 miles! :) not bad for 2 days riding. this bike gets up to 50mph really easilty but it does struggle after that. i have taken the bike up to around 75-80mph but that was with a major downhill with the wind behind me at 10K rpm.......not nice. overall abit more power would be nice and maybe some better tyres (had a new one fitted at 3200 miles and needs a new one now (7800 miles)). will be looking to upgrade soon as the lack of power for open road riding as everyone else just wants to overtake you. would highly recommend to any new biker but not so much to an older biker.

first let me say i am using my old cbr-125r4 (2004) and my cbr-125rw (2010) as the reference for my review. i got my old cbr-125r4 when it was 4 years old and had 10,000 on the clock. the bike was incredibly solid and easy to throw around, amazing between the traffic amd good on the motorway. i had the bike for 2 years and put another 10,000 miles on the clock and NEVER had a moment where i lost control of the bike it was always predictable. my new cbr-125rw i got from new with 0 on the clock i have put 70 miles on it so far and it is identical in performance to my old bike, only the engine sounds a lot better and the parts are in better condition! ive not stressed the engine to max but still had 70mph out of it in 6th year at 8,000 revs. the new 10 bike is a good few inches wider at the front (fairing) and the headlights have completely changed (which i don't like, i prefer the old style) other than that its the best bike in its class in my opinion. if you are thinking about buying one, stop thinking and just buy it.

This little 125 from honda is suprisingly good quality. Parts are obviously costlyand the whole this is well put together. when riding the bike one thing is noticable straight away, its small! too small for most infact. The bike has good looks although getting slightly dated now compared to that of rivals. The engine is what you would expect of a 125cc 13bph, its sluggish and struggles to get much over 65-70 (dependant on wind) The Honda is brilliant to learn on as big mirrors and the ability to reach the floor easily inspire much confidence. however the steering lock is not as good as some more off road based 125's and there for may cause more hinderence when attempting a U-turn. good engine, good bike, great for learners

I bought my 2009 Honda CBR125R as a bike to take my full test on. It was my second bike and I was hugely impressed with it! The quality is amazing and the bike itself is so much fun! Good points: The build quality is amazing especially when you think about the price. The engine is powerful enough to get you to 70mph comfortably and can reach 80 without redlining (perfect for UK roads). The storage under the pillion seat is so useful! Dials are easy and simple to understand. Paint finish is lovely! Especially in the newest 2009 colours. Really like the new headlight on the newer bikes, looks much better. Wonderful fuel economy. Great seat height for smaller riders (I'm 5ft 10..ish and find it really nice). Very easy to maintain. Can get so many accessories to fit it (I have oxford sport side panniers and a Scottoiler). Really easy and cheap to get serviced. Just an all round great bike Bad points: *actually had to think then* Suppose top speed is a little less than 2 stroke 125s...but the CBR is so much cheaper and easier to live with and in my opinion sounds much better! Nothing

Bought mine 2.5 years old with 16k and thought I bought a lemon. But actually, its pretty solid, just needed alot of wear n tear repair due to previous owner not servicing etc. Bad points: seat is firm and fine for a 30 min london town commute but not much more. 1st to 2nd gear jump huge, speed and acceleration largely dependant on how much you ate for breakfast, abit bumpy ride, lacks some road presence. Also seems to blow front bulbs every 2 months, the standard 35w bulbs are as useless as a smoke alarm with a snooze button. Spend £10 and buy a pair of xenon filled ones and be seen: might as well be riding lightless otherwise. GOOD STUFF?: very narrow and can fit through the smallest of gaps when people try and make your life a misery. Safe brakes, handling inspires confidence to lean into corners, instruments are good, rear seat has enough room to store a chain, engine is bulletproof, non-sporty riding position good for new starters i think.

I bought my CBR125R from new, and i absolutely love it! looks brilliant, sounds great and it's worth every penny. the best 125 bike around and ive had mine up to 83mph, dnt recommend that tho, i was on the red line briefly

Iv had my cbr 125 for about 6 months now and i cant falut it, the tyres could be a little bigger and the suspension a little firmer but all in all its well worth the price, yu get an easy to use engine that wont run away from yu, nice brakes that wont punish yu for a little over exhubarence, and a good position even at 6'2.

I had one of these for my first bike and I loved it, we went every where together (listen to me getting all emotional). Clocks are great, easy to read, mirrors are... ok. Why does everyone moan about the tyres? I did 15000 miles in a year on this through all weathers and it only gave me "cause for concern" when I got carried away by pushing too hard on ice, rain etc. Only problem had was a corroded wire which was fixed under warranty by my local Honda dealer no worries but I still managed to bump start it to get it there (nice and light). Bit of a jump between first and second gear (watch on the change downs. I had the 06 model with different lights, they were ok but not a great use in dark and rain. Blew bulbs quite a bit (head and dash). Bit more power would be nice but hey, it's a 125, it's not supposed to peel the paint off your lid. Overall highly recommended and better looking than an r125.

i got my 05 CBR last month after passing my test, and i must say it carries me well!!! im 6'3" and 15 stone, i may look a little bit silly but you certainly dont feel it when your riding! i do around 17 miles to work and 17 miles back again through traffic, although my back hurst like hell the rest of me loves it! great bike and brill for starters!

I'm 6'1", 16tone (100kg). (How all reviews should be started!) bught the bike for the wife, but she didn't do her CBT, so I rode it on occasion, and then sold it. The bike is fine round town, it fits through gaps well, but I'm not sure all drivers see you on this - not so imposing machine. The suspension is low rent, but the bikes quility is high overall. The engine does all it can, and needs plently of revs pretty much all the time, but if you look at my stats its no surprise! Saying that, I stayed between 60 -70 mph on the dual carriageway, and even overtook a few things! Cheap to buy, run and own. Due to my size I must have looked like I was mawling the poor bike, I found the seat hard and the bike tiny, but the bike soldiered on reguardless of me on its back! In the hands of its intended audience (young, light, first time riders), it will do all it needs to and probably very well. The dials are exeptionally good too I found.

I've had my brand new CBR 125R for a month and as a new rider it's exactly what I needed. People can't believe it's a 125 and around town I can keep up with anyone. I've just started flying round corners, and as far as I can tell the road handling is great. The gears won't always go into first (apparently my fault), but otherwise they seem ok. Gets to 60mph absolutely fine but any faster and you really have to push it. If your going up a steep hill then you may as well stay at 60mph, so I'm not convinced I'll use it on the motorway when I pass my test. The only other minor gripe it that the mirrors seem too small to me and there is no clock or even a good place to put one. Oh, and people laugh about how small the tyres look! I want big fat ones on my next bike. Overall this is a great bike and if I could choose all over again I'd still buy it.

I brought my '08 Honda CBR 125R after i wrote off my aprilia rs50, and the power difference is unbelievable, the new 08 models have the fuel injection and the acceleration is alot faster than my mates 04 model, havn't dropped it yet and already got 3500miles on the clock (since 1st of march 08), And i personaly think it is a very good 125, the only floor i've had with it, is it's tyres, they are stupidly skinny and very hard to get rid of chicken strips, but i can still get knee down. i've had 85 mph on mine and it was startin to scream, but i would fully recommend it to anyone lookin for a 125

Bought my '04 CBR125R from a Honda dealer after passing my CBT, 8.2k on the clock. Don't have any complaints after riding it around for a good 1-1.5k through winter. No signs of excessive wear and not had to do any work but for replacing a tyre and oiling the chain etc. Was surprised how durable this bike is after dropping it a couple of times in the first few weeks of riding (once on ice, once on oil, both my fault). Almost no damage except scuffing the bar ends and knocking off a rear indicator. Expected some damage to the plastics but there's virtually none! Plenty of power and nice acceleration to about 50-55 where you have to push it if you want to touch 70 (on road usage anyway), but it is a 125 and you wouldn't expect any different! Only gripe is the 1st to 2nd gear shift as mentioned by others, but it's nothing to worry about really! Perfect for getting around town and preparing to pass!

had my cbr for about 5 monthes now and a great little bike . i am a total leaner and i find this bike to be good in every way and i am nearly 6 foot but find this bike ok not to small for me mind u find that the seat could have a bit more pading on long runs out . only other thing i have found is the gap in the gearing between first and second is a bit big and can catch u out some times . but i would say that this has got to be one of the best leaner bikes around and great to on petrol to i get from 72 to 88 miles to a gallon bepending on haw hard i ride it so any one looking for a great first bike than i would recommend this bike

i've had mine for abou 10months now and it's never missed a beat. great first bike. the power is minimal but what do you expect really. Around town it's fantastic, so small and nimble i can fit into any gap. also takes knocks quite well, I lowsided at 15mph on a roundabout and the bike only had superficial damage to the bar ends. I'd recomend it to anyone, but if you're like me it will leave you itching for something bigger.

Great, bought from dealer. 10000 miles on the clock but runs no problem's what so ever. I would advise this bike to anyone looking to buy a 125.

I had a go on 1 the other week at the ron haslem race school. It ay the fastest thing but the handling was good and down craner at donington i got to 80 mph for a 125 that ay bad but god was it sreaming

i'm 17 years old and i got my CBR 125 (2005 repsol model) in early november, i love it. i don't know what the main review is talking about because i am over 6ft and have no problem with the seat height, i find it much more comfortable than any crossers i have been on due to the relaxed seating position. well let me jst establish how durable these bikes really are. in the middle of november last year a car drove into the side of me from a side road, the bike was written off and the impact was pretty damn hard!! i bought the bike back off the garage for £200 and repaired it myself, straightened the front forks and attatched a new yoke + other minor bits. have been riding the same bike since then and have had no nast noises, disturbing vibrations or gammy handling. i think these bikes are fantastic. the best thing about these bikes, especially the ones post 2004 which have more patters, is they look bigger than they are and heads are constantly turning around the city. also, top speed of 70!? well mine has not been modified in any way at all and i can easily get 85-90 out of it, only on track days obviously ;). however, as i'm getting older and more comfortable on the road i am in need of a bigger bike, that is the only thing with all 125 is that once you have reached the limit once it is soon a dull ride. the bike handles like a dream and i regularly really sling it around the corners, with very impressed onlookers. that was one thing i was worried about ... skinny tyres. not to worry i have been so far over my boot has scrapped the ground and i didn't lose any grip. in all i have been extremely pleased with the bike over the time i have had it and i now intend to purchase an XJ 600 diversion :).

A great all rounder to get to work both cheaply easily, and lets face it with an exelent look! Needs a few bits like a wider verriation in paint work with less decoration, but thats me being fussy for an all black bike (okI'm trying to live the streethawk dream on a 125). Its feel and handling are smooth for round town and when the speed cams allow a little freedom, some real fun. Strengths: It's a cheap no fuss a-to-b bike, great looks and easy to learn on/ tune up when passed, for a no fuss thrill. Weaknesses: Hard to find replacement parts without a dealer.

Bought a CBR125 to learn on. Great value for money, even better to look at and almost impossible to fall off. I've had it for 2 weeks now and I'm bored of it, I want something faster already. I'm 24 though, and have been driving for 7yrs so road rules aren't really a problem for me. For 17 year olds who need to recite 'mirror signal manouvere' to themselves every 2 seconds I can imagine this is a gem. Strengths: Looks great, no messing about with two stroke oil, will last forever (that is if you keep it for more than a month) and really easy to learn on. Weaknesses: Not really powerful enough.......

Just got my Honda cbr125r last week, red and black colour, 2004 model with 3400 miles on the clock, but in immacualte condition. Took it out for a proper spin today, first impressions...awesome! Not incredibly fast compared to two stroke 125's but this is a 4 stroke Honda, reliable, easy, forgiving of novice mistakes, and so nimble. Fit some bridgestones bt39ss and it just inspires huge amounts of confidence when flicking it in and out of bends. Althought standard ones grip fine after they've warmed up. Rev this bike hard and you can find a near-2 stroke powerband, awesome fun for learners...(and my dad who has been riding bikes for 30 years). brilliant learner bike!  Strengths: Light weight great handling pretty pokey when revved above 6000, sooo easy to learn on. Weaknesses: Could get boring after skills have improved...but thats when I'll move on to a hornet 600! (obviously restricted to 33bhp).

Good handling capabilities despite its size. The engine is powerfull enough to pull off from the traffic lights. Exhaust note is exhilirating for a 125 4 stroke. A good value for money than its rivals. I had it for 1500 miles now and so far hasn't let me down yet. Cheap to run and maintain. Strengths: The PRICE, looks, reliability and build quality. Running cost. Weaknesses: A clunky 1st to 2nd gear. The battery can run down after a week if you have an alarm installed, so better have a battery trickle charger connected (Optimate).