My Honda CG125 is an 06 plate bought from new. This is the fully up to date model, so has great features such as electric start and front disc brake (more about these later in the review). This bike was made in Brazil rather than Japan.
Overall the looks of the bike are a great improvement ... Read review
Advantages: Good reliability, fuel economy, ease of servicing, parts availability Disadvantages: Slow going up slopes.
My Honda CG125 is an 06 plate bought from new. This is the fully up to date model, so has great features such as electric start and front disc brake (more about these later in the review). This bike was made in Brazil rather than Japan.
Overall the looks of the bike are a great improvement on previous CG125 designs, especially the smoother lines of the body panels and much larger fuel tank. The only other possible cosmetic improvement ... ...wheels (the spokes are a pain to clean!).
In terms of general performance it's o.k. but not brilliant, but it's a small 4-stroke 124cc bike after all. No problems at all in town, flat roads or downhill. You notice the lack of power mainly when going up steeper inclines, having to change down rapidly to keep some speed up. On a flat stretch of dual carriageway the bike has got up to 74mph (I quickly reduced to 70mph when I noticed ... more
My Honda CG125 is an 06 plate bought from new. This is the fully up to date model, so has great features such as electric start and front disc brake (more about these later in the review). This bike was made in Brazil rather than Japan.
Overall the looks of the bike are a great improvement on previous CG125 designs, especially the smoother lines of the body panels and much larger fuel tank. The only other possible cosmetic improvement I would have liked would be alloy, instead of spoked, wheels (the spokes are a pain to clean!).
In terms of general performance it's o.k. but not brilliant, but it's a small 4-stroke 124cc bike after all. No problems at all in town, flat roads or downhill. You notice the lack of power mainly when going up steeper inclines, having to change down rapidly to keep some speed up. On a flat stretch of dual carriageway the bike has got up to 74mph (I quickly reduced to 70mph when I noticed though officer). If you have time to build up speed before an uphill section it's not too bad, I have managed to go up a steep hill at 60mph. Of course being such a small modern bike, it's extremely light and not good in very windy conditions, you often have to slow down quite markedly (40mph) to avoid serious instability. I would imagine this is the case with any smaller light machine.
Looking a more closely, begining at the handlebars/instrument panel, everything is laid out pretty well. The speedometer fuel, guage and "idiot lights" (Neutral, High Beam and Indicators ON lights) are easy to see and read in light or dark conditions. However, because the Full Beam / Indicators / Horn controls are so close together (at the Left handlegrip area), with cold hands and bulky gloves, it's easy to accidentally blip the horn instead of cancelling the indicators! As for the rear view mirrors, they are of a good size and spread out wide enough so that your shoulders don't obscure the view behind. They are also easilly adjustable while riding i.e. not too stiff and dosen't affect the steering while adjustments are made. Additionally, at no point have the mirrors vibrated even at top speed, so you have always got a good view of what's happening behind. At the right handle grip area is the electric start button. With manual choke on the bike has never failed to start first time even in cold weather, excellent.
Still in the handlebars area, the 12 volt headlight works extremely well, and unlike on some older CG models, actually lights the road up sufficiently at night so you can see where you are going. It should also be noted that the lights are now hardwired to come on when the ignition key is turned i.e. you cannot turn the lights off when running the bike. Opinion varies on whether this is a good thing or not, not everyone agrees that daytime riding with headlights on is safe. I'll let you make up your own opinion on that.
Looking below the headlight, the forks and front suspension have given smooth trouble free operation and have coped well on some pretty uneven surfaces and unexpected potholes. At the rear, the back suspension and swing arms work fine and I haven't had to adjust them from the standard setting.
Moving on to the important area of the brakes, as I mentioned before this model has a disc brake on the front and the older style drum brake on the rear wheel. I haven't had to adjust the front brake yet, the brake fluid hasn't leaked or dropped in level, and it works very efficiently. At the rear the drum brake operates fine, although I did have to tighten up the cable tension when I got the bike as I found the brake action a bit "spongey". Engine braking is quite useful on this bike as well when slowing down or descending a steep hill, I've never had a problem slowing down efficiently and smoothly.
A very important point worth mentioning here is, that all basic adjustments and checks are covered in the excellent owner's manual which comes with the bike, they even give you a free tool kit (fits in the left side panel below the battery compartment), which can be used for basic and roadside repairs (hopefully never needed!). Of course my bike is still relatively new so little has had to be done to it so far, bar lubricating and cleaning.
Looking towards the bottom of the bike, it is equiped with a fairly sturdy centrestand which is very easy to operate, pressing down the footlever with the bike properly balanced you can put it onto the stand practically with one finger.
One major gripe I have with the bike is the size and position of the gear change lever. Anyone with anything bigger than about a size 6 boot would struggle to operate it easilly and comfortably. As soon as I got the bike I had it modified to accomodate my size 9 boots, and even now anything bulkier than a Doc Marten boot makes it tricky to operate. I haven't had to modify or change anything else though.
In summary this is a fun, reliable, learner bike easy to handle and maintain, which I'd recomend to anyone working up to passing their motorcycle test.
Advantages: Cheap to run, Easy to handle, Indestructable Disadvantages: A bit dull, Low speed
I have owned a 2002 honda cg 125 for over a year now and allthough im bored of it and cant wait to get a bigger bike I still think it is one incredible bike. Like I said ive owned this bike for over a year now and allthough it doesnt look as good as it did when I first got it (now has rust in some areas and a few scratches and dents here and there) it still runs perfectly sound and with no major problems.
The Honda CG has a single cylinder 4 stroke ... ...prooves just how tough the Honda CG really is.
I use this bike mainly to get to work, college and to my mates and allways envolves me going through a busy town area which is one reason why I bought this bike. Because the bike is small and light wieght it makes it very easy to nip in and out of the busy town traffic allowing you to get to the front of the cues. The bike is also pretty nippy of the mark so pulling away at junctions is quick, easy ...
aunder2k2 10.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Honda CG-125
Advantages: Inexpensive to run Disadvantages: Fairly unforgiving
...'impact driver' - shortly afterwards Honda went over to 8mm hex-headed bolts on their new machines. I suspect cordless screwdrivers would probably have helped, but we would have to wait 15 years before they became popular!
I fitted a handlebar mounted fairing, which looked brilliant, but also made the bike look a lot bigger, so Plod used to stop me about once a week to see why I was riding what looked like a 'big' bike with 'L' plates! - still, ... ...The five speed manual gearbox was pretty handy, although the engine power meant it didn't have enough guts to 'red line' in top gear - I seriously thought of dropping a couple of teeth on the back sprocket (I mean getting a replacement with fewer teeth, than removing the existing ones with a file!) but never got round to it!
The manual suggested the bike was good for 62mph, and although one officer of the law pulled me over and accused me of doing ...
dobieg 30.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Honda CG-125
Advantages: Economy and reliability Disadvantages: Lack of power and looks
I bought my 1992 registered CG-125 about 6mths ago after returning to motorcycles following a 13yr break... I'd never sat my test so had to complete my CBT (Compulsary Basic Training) first to get back on the road and then seek out a reliable, learner legal bike to commute to work on.
Previously I'd owned a couple of other small Honda's and found them thoroughly reliable machines, the goal this time again was reliability and also economy for the ... ...I can't grumble one bit, the bike clears almost 90mpg urban, so it's saving me a fortune over the car. Insurance wise I'm 32yrs old and with zero years no claims it came in at only £75ish for third part fire and theft. Road tax on smaller bikes comes in at a paltry £15 a year so there is another huge saving.
Parts for the bike are very cheap, but you do need to avoid the dealerships - a battery will come in at £10 if you shop around and a chain+sprocket ...
Wile-E 01.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Honda CG-125
Advantages: Loads Disadvantages: Less than all other 125cc Motorcycles
I have a Honda CG125, 2005 year, owned from new
I could tell you how good the bike is, like nearly every review of the bike.
But I do not wish to bore you with another identical review saying exactly the same.
I was amazed to find no websites that support the Honda CG125, so I have created one.
http://hondacg125.awardspace.com/
If you like my website, please rate this review as high as possible, since it's the best way for people to find my ... ...everything I can about the Honda CG125 and other makes and models of 125cc bikes, including magazine and owners reviews and reports.
I can honestly say, I would not buy any other make or model of 125cc bike.
If my Honda CG125 was stolen tomorrow and I won the lottery, I would buy another Honda CG125 for the town/city and winter work, and a 500cc or larger bike for everything else.
The Honda CG125 is far from perfect, but all the other makes and ...
HondaCG125 09.10.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Honda CG-125
Advantages: Cheap,versatile,easy to maintain and economical starter bike Disadvantages: No-frills,zero cred
...when you have the trusty Honda owners manual and toolkit?
The bikes speed isn't awsomely high,but to tell you the truth you aren't looking for speed being a learner.It is great in towns,and can pull away at traffic lights faster than most cars.
The dials are basic,no fuel guage,and only an kickstart,but this is a no-frills bike.
The bike is great to ride,easy to maintain,cheap and remotely good looking with great consumption to boot.What can I ...
mrbibbly 26.02.2001 (28.02.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Honda CG-125
Comfort
Handling
Looks
Features
Fuel consumption
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Advantages: On the Road price, Fuel Economy, UK Learner Legal, Practical Size Disadvantages: Choke is on the engine, not the bars - Wont keep battery charged
I've had this bike for five months, and have to tell people about it. This is a great 125. I set out to buy a new HondaCG125, but was won by the better styling, better equipment, and lower OTR price of Yamaha's YBR 125. I haven't regretted it. This is a great little 125. And it looks good! I think it's really important to be able to like your bike, and the styling of this one makes it easy to like! On top of that, it's a nice ride. There is NO vibration. Once the engine is broken in, everything is smooth and quiet. (The clocks include a rev counter, which is handy when riding the engine in, and getting to know it. The enging is air cooled, and prone to overheat during the breaking in period. After that, it stays cooler. There is no engine temperature gauge, but if you ride through a puddle and a cloud of steam puffs up at you, you know ...
fatboysime 24.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Yamaha YBR 125
Advantages: Styling, comfort, price Disadvantages: Akward choke, no temp guage
This is my first bike after passing my CBT. I basically was looking for a runaround so I don't use the car so much for short trips. I looked at the HondaCG125, Suzuki EN125 and a Kymco Zing 125. The Kymco was the better looking, cruiser stlye, loads of chrome, but it was second hand and a bit rusty so I left it. The first thing to strike me about the Yamaha was the size of it. it looks a lot bigger then you would expect a 125 to look. It's not in the same catagory as the Honda Varadero (spelling?) as that thing us huge but it's still plenty bike. I felt a little oversized on the HondaCG125, I'm 6 ft and lanky, but on the Yamaha it felt right. All the pedals, levers and switches are easily accessible and it has the rev counter which is one over on the Honda. The fuel guage is useful also as the CG125 I learnt on didn't have one so you ...
youngas75 01.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Yamaha YBR 125
Advantages: Reliable / Economical / Looks Good Disadvantages: Not The Quickest 125
I bought this bike while I was taking bike lessons.
The Riding School used them and I fell in love with it straight away - taking favour over the Honda CityFly 125 and HondaCG125.
No fairing at all on this bike - just you and the elements so good quality clothing is essential. The bike has proven to be very reliable and has yet to let me down. Average MPG is around 88mpg but this drops to 72mpg when I have my girlfriend on board. My girlfriend says the pillion seat is grand but her only gripe is that sometimes the road vibrates 'through her bum.'
Acceleration away from the lights is excellent but a determined driver in a half decent car will beat you if he wants. Average cruising speed is about 55-60 mph but I have had it just above 70mph when the weather conditions are right and going down a hill. Going up a steep hill in ...
SgtZara 10.01.2003 (11.01.2003)
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