I’ve got this bike. Absolutely love it! Perfect beginner bike. Easy to ride cheap to run and maintain. Would recommend this to anyone looking for their first bike with a CBT.
been riding it since 2015 and I still love it! Super comfortable to ride and looks nice too. not too overboard but still modern. Truly a perfect bike to commute and ride in the city or suburb.
I bought one just like this, mostly for for city use, but I take it for longer rides as well. Have parked my NC750X ! The combi brakes are very nice to have. This bike is easy to park - especially for those with back problems. Great for self cervice too.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
Great review mate! Booking my CBT soon and looking at one of these for my first bike. From what I can tell it seems perfect for my needs. I’ll be sticking around, great video
Thanks Raff. They're a great first bike imo. As I say in the video, my wife loves hers, and another friend had his a year with no issues and a great way to get lots of experience before he did his big bike test :)
I have the 13 plate honda cbf. Great little starter bike. Very forgiving. All round great bike. Only thing that's a bit of a down side is the sound that comes off it but it's a 125 so what do you expect lol. Safe riding everyone.
@@camie178 Yes the CBF125 was a great bike too but the newer CB125F (talk about confusing names, lol!) is even better imo, but you'd hope that would be the case. As for the sound then yes it's very very quiet. When this one is on tickover you sometimes think it's switched off!
Enjoying your video so much. Honda builds such quality bikes. This bike is great value for your money. I am not sure to get this one or the newer edition. Either way, I will get one. Stay safe and thank you for your review.
Fantastic review here, mate. Too many people on youtube title their bike videos as reviews but then they just stand in front of the camera and read off a list of specs which you can easily find on any manufacturer or sales website. This is clear, honest, straight to the point and most importantly actually describes what it's like to own the bike. I hope to do my CBT whenever it's safe to be going out and doing things again and this may well be my bike. I was looking at some AJS models but I don't think I would trust their cheap parts to be reliable. Then I was looking at Yamaha but they're on the pricier side of the 125 market. The Honda Monkey looks like so much fun but again, not cheap for a 125. This really looks like the best of everything. Cheap, quality and fun. My dream bike would definitely be a Triumph Thunderbird but on a CBT that would obviously be neither legal nor sensible. Some day maybe. Anyway, thanks a lot for the video and I hope you're doing well in these crazy times and hope your mrs is still loving the bike!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I'm pleased you found it useful. I try to do my reviews from the real world point of view of a normal everyday rider. I still think that the Honda CB125F is a great first bike as it does everything you need, isn't expensive, is fun to ride and great to learn to ride on. We actually sold this bike (and mine) as we left the UK in July 2019. We now live in Vietnam where riding is very different! Take a look at my latest couple of videos to see what I mean :)
@@RichRides Hiya Rich 👋🏻 Like so many I found this video really helpful, as I'm doing my CBT next month & looking to get my first bike to commute to work. I'm a late learner as I'm 41 & my only issue is that depending on the route I take some of it is 60 - 70mph. Do you think the CB125F would be man enough or would I be better with a CBR125 or anything else you'd recommend? Thanks again & great video mate 👍🏻😁
@@simongoode7812 Thanks. I also didn't get into bikes or do my CBT until I was 45! A CB125F would be ok at 60+ (as long as flat and no massive headwind) but you'll struggle for 70 on most 125's, even on something like a GSX R125. When I had a 125 I tried to avoid dual carriageway but did lots of riding on 60mph A roads with no issues.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
This bike is a smoother ride than the old cbf125. But it is tuned for city riding. It red lines very soon and to get on dual carriageways you will be red lining. Perfect for cities. But get the older model if you want that extra oomph. I’ve owned both and have stuck to the older model. One last thing, keep on top of oil use. Especially if doing any high speed riding.
Yes, I find most 125's are better around town and smaller A/B roads as they just don't have the top end speed/power. I know some people do change front sprockets (+1 tooth) to change the gearing for higher top speed though. Interesting what you say about oil use as ours didn't use a drop of oil in 18 months.
@@Labgorilla I was surprised too as you do expect a little usage over time. But every time I checked it was always spot on and never used a drop between services!
@@RichRides 10 months after buying the cb125f I had a piston ring failure when overtaking on an A road. The mechanic found zero oil in the reservoir when a week before I knew it was full. It must have suffered a catastrophic leak at some point. I now realise that I was pushing the bike far too hard , doing 90 miles a day with 30 minutes each way at just below red line in a dual carriageway. I now also own a cbf125 and also had a piston ring failure whilst on an A road . But I’ve used lockdown to learn how to put new piston and barrel in. £60 and you get back on the road if you can do the work yourself . Using the bike every day just to get me to train station and back instead of all the way to London. Cant wait until lockdown is over and then to go for the full licence .
Iv got one waiting for me in the shop, im just waiting on my pay check this will be my second motorbike in a year as my first one has died to electrical faults
Think the reason US doesn't really see many 125's is because you lucky chaps aren't restricted in access like we are lol. That said, euro laws here make progressing to a big bike "safer", as riders must progress through various tests (practical and theory) before being able to ride big bikes. A 17 year old on a 1000cc bike is a frightening prospect
Low vibrations would be a selling point for me. I just watched a review of different 125 being ridden through city traffic and it was so stressful seeing him overtaking/undertaking going past lines of cars then pushing in at the front of the queue, getting stuck between parked cars on his left and the bus ahead that closed won the bike-passable gap. This was stress-free.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
Has anyone put a bigger front sprocket on (new 16tooth, 1 up from the standard 15 tooth) as my friend had a cb125f and complained about it being really high in the revs even at 50 to 55mph. I have just sold my 2011 cbf125 that i had for 2 years and that had great gearing. I am hoping to be picking up my cb125f from Shrewsbury Honda on the 21st. Many thanks.
I ordered both a 16 and 17 tooth sprockets from memoto even before I got my new CB125F. I wasn't sure how big would fit... Turned out I was able to just squeeze on the 17 tooth! (18 tooth would be impossible to fit within the original metal chainguard. Maybe without it...?) I love being able to cruise the flats and downhill at low revs. But a slight inclination requires downshifting to 4th gear ; ) And of course it's more relaxing when accellerating and city-riding, with less shifting needed.
I'm on a really tight budget, but I've decided to buy something similar, only that it is a Keeway Speed 125, and leave Norway after new year on that bike with side panniers and top box, fully geared up with anything I need for a trip to Spain. The running cost on a 125 is really cheap and I only need just over 100 liters of fuel to ride 3000 KM. It could be cheaper with a portable diesel motor coupled to CVT, but gotta start somewhere.
That sounds like a great trip! And yes you don't need to have a huge bike for these kind of trips and to have fun. It's about the journey, rather than the bike. A couple of years ago I rode the full length of Vietnam on an old 110cc Honda Win which was epic! Enjoy :)
Just bought one of these. 16 plate with 8000 miles on it for commuting purposes. I've had bigger bikes and just sold my NC750X which I had for 3 years. It was great but I felt I didn't really need that size of bike for my relatively short commute. But what I love about this bike it's so cheap to run, easy to move around eg: out the garage. Easy to park and filter through traffic. I'm getting at least 110 mpg as well. As you say it lacks a bit of top end power but I can live with that. I think it will need a new chain and sprockets soon but I don't think that will be expensive - this seems like an easy bike to work on so me and a mate will do that. And thanks for the great review.
It will be a great commuter and in city traffic the top end speed won't be an issue at all. A friend with one changed the chain and sprocket himself and said it was fairly easy and wasn't expensive either. Enjoy!
The last one which was similar, that i rode, microwaved my feet ! The vibrations were awful and it felt like riding a twig. A gust of wind had me sideways and really rattled my confidence. You had everything covered in this one snd understandably, being a Honda would set this bike worlds apart. Bit windy and cold up north on one of these, would have me opting for a bigger faired bike, or dare i say it...a moped. Great review as always Richard.
When I did my CBT I was on an older cheap Chinese bike (An old Lexmoto I think) and that was similar. Over 45mph the vibrations were awful! The CB125F is VERY VERY different. Any 125 will be affected by wind much more than a bigger heavier bike though.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
@@Erii_SE to be honest I’m around 5/6 ft maybe taller not measured myself in years haha 😂 but you can adjust the suspension at the back and lower it up and down so it’ll defo fit you and these are really decent bikes as well had mine 2.5 years still going strong with weekly cleaning and maintenance checks etc 👍
Vibrates less than cbf125 but red lines at lower speeds. Feels like you have to always be in the red to get it to move. Gear indicator is ok but I’ve got to say that the cbf125f feels even cheaper than the model it replaces. I know this bike well as I wrote one off a couple of years ago.
Rich Rides so I did 7,000 miles on the newer cb125f before switching to the older cbf125. I’ve done 10,000 miles on that. Comparison, well, seating position on the cb125f is better. Knees not as bent , slightly more upright. And it clearly has some balancer shaft in there as the vibration in the older model is far stronger. The Cb125f is just excellent for town riding. And very new rider friendly with its gear shift indicator. Personally I prefer the greater performance of the older model and the fact that I can A road cruise without red lining. Both have been out for a few years so should be cheap to buy spare parts for. Both are cheap and cheerful and I was faced with the weird situation of being in a Honda showroom and being told that the newer model was £200 cheaper than the older one. Hence why I got the newer model. After writing it off, I found out that Honda did not make replacement engines so I went out and bought an old cbf125 for a grand. Just did a barrel and piston replacement for £60. Cheap and cheerful!
So that honda CBf125 great little bike I never ridden a bike before got car but now I want a bike cheaper get round hope you don't mind me asking how much fill tank up please be very grateful thinking getting the honda CBr 125 great review 👍
I've fitted a Gopro (and for the past few years a Drift Ghost instead) to a couple of different helmets now. I just mount them using the 3M pads and mounts that the Gopro comes with but on a swivel mount so the angle can be adjusted.
Hi just wondering if this bike would do 55mph handy ? and would it be suitable for a 16 mile round trim on a daily commute to town ? , Thanks for a very honest and in-depth review
Great review. Mine is getting delivered this week, 66 plate bike with only 400 mile on the clock! What top box/bracket have you used on this bike? I'm using it for commuting and the addition of a top box to my new bike will make a world of difference :)
Nice one! The bike already had the metal bracket on the rear when we got it. We then bought this Ryde 32L topbox which was easy to fit and has been brilliant. And for £30 it's a bargain and seems just as good as my expensive original Suzuki luggage on my Vstrom!!! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RYDE-32L-CARBON-MOTORCYCLE-TOP-BOX-MOTORBIKE-BIKE-LUGGAGE-HELMET-BACK-STORAGE-/332454304333#
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
@@Erii_SE I’m 5’9 and at the time I was around 90-100kg in weight, the bike itself for me was brilliant, I had it for two years before I got a car, and put around 15’000 miles on it, it really was a fun (if somewhat slow) bike. If you’re doing commuter travel I’d imagine it would do you well, the handlebars are in a good position and the foot rests are in a relaxed position but if you’re traveling a lot at max speed you might find a bit of wind buffeting your helmet over long distances, and if you’re long in the leg it might be uncomfortable because of the foot peg position
I'd read similar beforehand about the standard CST tyres that my wife's bike had but neither of us found any issues with them. The bike was only used in the dry though and as it was used to learn to ride on was never pushed and used very carefully. They may be different in the wet or on the limit though.
I am seriously considering this bike,i assume this one is the slightly older model, I was wondering how many miles you have on the clock now and have you yet had any probs whatsoever cheers,pete.
This was a 2016 model that we sold in July 2019. We didn't have a single issue with it in the 18 months we owned it. We actually sold it to a friend who has now had it a year and again hasn't had any issues at all so I'd highly recommend one.
This bike looks like my Yamaha YS125 other than the fact mine is in black and the display clocks for the speed and rev counter are digital. I wonder if there is any real difference in performance between them?
Yes, quite a lot of the 125's from the main manufacturers are very similar in looks and power. There are some exceptions like the Suzuki GSX125R that's right at the legal learner power limit (15bhp) though.
Hi, what back box has been fitted? I've been told you'd have to replace the back railing to custom fit a back box but it doesn't look to be the case with what i saw at the beginning of your vid
The top box is a 32L Ryde box. It was fairly cheap at around £30 but matched the bike really well. The quality was surprisingly decent and just as good as the expensive official manufacturer ones on my Suzuki! Here's a link to it on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Ryde-Carbon-Effect-Motorcycle-Helmet/dp/B01B6L4C00 And yes to fit a top box you need to remove the standard rear grab handle and fit a rear rack instead. Our CB125F already had the rack (official Honda accessory) instead of the grab handle when we bought it.
Can you tell me what bracket you used to secure the top box please? I have the exact same bike and just bought a Givi Monolock E300N topbox, but struggling to see what bracket I need to secure it to the bike.
It is but remember that the weight will affect the handling, braking, and limited power of the bike. On other bikes I've used either just a rolltop bag, or a topbox with tent and bag bungeed in front of that on the pillion seat.
After a long ride these bikes are not comfy at all. I currently have a cb125f as a hire bike as my mt125 got reversed over. Yesterday I went for a 50 mile ride and was in a lot of pain lol
Sorry to hear about your MT125 :( My wife and I have both found the CB125F to be comfy though. She's done some weekend touring with me and I've used it for a couple of hours with no issues. Like most bikes, a break after an hour or so is always welcome though!
Mate, mt125 is a different league. That’s a £4,500 bike when new. I’d expect it to be far more refined in every category except possibly having worse fuel economy . Hope you get yours back soon. I dream of one day owning a top of the range Yamaha or Suzuki. They’re just so expensive.
@@Labgorilla yeah, I never buy bikes new, as soon as you take it away you lose like 1k in value. I paid 1.8k for mine as a 2015 plate on 7k miles. Also the fuel economy on them is amazing, it tells you on the dash exactly what mpg you're getting so you can ride it in different ways to get the most out of a tank of fuel. Don't buy new dude, you're get ripped. Just know what to look for when viewing the bike or take someone that knows with you
It was absolutely fine around town and even out on bigger A roads. Most 125's are great at traffic lights etc as they are so light so get away quickly to 30mph.
As far as I know, the CB125E is only sold in certain countries (Not the UK where I'm from) but is basically the same bike with some slightly different styling.
I'd not heard of the CB125E as we don't get it in the UK but it pretty much looks like the same bike as the CB125F with slightly different and older looking styling.
I wouldn't recommend that mount as I had the same and it snapped while riding! Thankfully the power cable stopped my phone falling off the bike! I made another video about a mount I do recommend after trying a few here ruclips.net/video/hKZixRrmAY8/видео.html
It depends on the country they are in. In the UK you can only ride a maximum of 125cc without a full license so lots of bikes are 125cc. When I lived in Vietnam I had 2 Honda's that were 150cc which was very common.
We sold it shortly after the review video as my wife passed her full test. We sold it to a friend though who had no trouble at all for another 2 years before they passed their test when they sold it too.
I’ve done 10,000 trouble free miles. All its needed is a bike tyre and a new chain. Change the oil between 1500-2000 miles clean any rust off the swimarm as you find it and it will live forever. I’ve seen them on 60,000miles. Get decent tyres on and look after it it will treat you well brilliant bikes. Great value highly recommended 👍🏼 250-300miles to a tank!
I think you should be ok as it has a pretty low seat height of 775mm. Of course, the only real way to tell if it suits you ok is to try one. If you find this style of bike too high then maybe look at cruiser style bikes. My first bike was a Suzuki VL125 Intruder and that had a very low seat height (685mm) so would suit almost anybody.
The new YS125 looks great but I've not ridden one myself yet. The old YB125 was always the biggest competitor to the CB125 though. In most reviews the Honda usually just comes out on top but either would be a great option. My advice would be to try them both and/or go on which you prefer the looks of or can get the best deal on.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
In the UK the rate depends on the cc of the motorcycle. It has gone up slightly since I made this video and the current bands are as follows: Not over 150: £21 151-400: £45 401-600: £69 Over 600: £96
@@RichRides In the Netherlands it differs slightly bewtween provinces. The cheapest is €29/ quarter. But it's the Netherlands so everything has to be as expensive as possible... Do you guys also have to pay excise duty over gas? It won't be long before we have to pay €2 per liter of gas
I know what you mean but a fuel gauge is so much easier, especially if you forget to reset the trip meter when you fill up ;) I've got a couple of bikes that don't have fuel gauges so pretty much always go and fill them up whenever I use them. The others with a gauge I only fill up when I can see they are low :)
My friend, what is the difference in features? Is it the Indian market model? I've heard that one costs 85,000 rupees, which is around £850, usually the bike costs around £2,800 here. I would be interested to know what they chanced to make the price so different
She's 5.7 but it has a pretty low seat height at 775mm so I'm sure it would be fine. The best thing is to go and try it out for size at a local dealer.
Can you adjust your camera to face forward a bit more please. It would make the video a bit more visually entertaining if we could see the road ahead and be of massive benefit to you should the need for the footage to be used in any insurance claim.
Yes I agree. After starting to use a new camera it wasn't properly adjusted so was set too low. This has been the case on a couple of the recent videos. From now on it should be ok though :)
Jad this bike for 3 years and i wouldnt reccoment it. Id rather buy a cb125r or a cheap spanish brand sincr its 125cc and you will upgrade to a2 license s8on anyways
I agree that the CB125R is better but it's also a lot more expensive. But I wouldn't go for a really cheap bike as the build quality is usually awful (a friend had one and it was falling apart at 18 months old!) and they don't keep their value unlike a Honda or similar.
I’ve got this bike. Absolutely love it! Perfect beginner bike. Easy to ride cheap to run and maintain. Would recommend this to anyone looking for their first bike with a CBT.
I agree!
Thanks for the review, im currently bike shopping and saw this at my Honda dealer and thought it looked nice, good to hear it performs well also.
It's a great all round bike and one that I'd really recommend as a first 125 :)
been riding it since 2015 and I still love it! Super comfortable to ride and looks nice too. not too overboard but still modern. Truly a perfect bike to commute and ride in the city or suburb.
I totally agree. Great commuter, or to learn on, or just a good allrounder if you don't want to go to the large expense of a full licence.
I thought I recognised the junction at 8:34. Great to see another youtuber who's nearby :)
Good old fashioned speedo and rev counter much nicer than the screen on the newer model.
I bought one just like this, mostly for for city use, but I take it for longer rides as well. Have parked my NC750X ! The combi brakes are very nice to have. This bike is easy to park - especially for those with back problems. Great for self cervice too.
A great commuter and like you say, even for some longer trips too. And yes, because it's so light it's easy to move around too :)
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
Great review mate! Booking my CBT soon and looking at one of these for my first bike. From what I can tell it seems perfect for my needs. I’ll be sticking around, great video
Thanks Raff. They're a great first bike imo. As I say in the video, my wife loves hers, and another friend had his a year with no issues and a great way to get lots of experience before he did his big bike test :)
I have the 13 plate honda cbf. Great little starter bike. Very forgiving. All round great bike. Only thing that's a bit of a down side is the sound that comes off it but it's a 125 so what do you expect lol. Safe riding everyone.
@@camie178 Yes the CBF125 was a great bike too but the newer CB125F (talk about confusing names, lol!) is even better imo, but you'd hope that would be the case. As for the sound then yes it's very very quiet. When this one is on tickover you sometimes think it's switched off!
Enjoying your video so much. Honda builds such quality bikes. This bike is great value for your money.
I am not sure to get this one or the newer edition. Either way, I will get one. Stay safe and thank you for your review.
Get 2016 is better because it has analog screen which is better then digital because it's bigger
Fantastic review here, mate. Too many people on youtube title their bike videos as reviews but then they just stand in front of the camera and read off a list of specs which you can easily find on any manufacturer or sales website. This is clear, honest, straight to the point and most importantly actually describes what it's like to own the bike. I hope to do my CBT whenever it's safe to be going out and doing things again and this may well be my bike. I was looking at some AJS models but I don't think I would trust their cheap parts to be reliable. Then I was looking at Yamaha but they're on the pricier side of the 125 market. The Honda Monkey looks like so much fun but again, not cheap for a 125. This really looks like the best of everything. Cheap, quality and fun. My dream bike would definitely be a Triumph Thunderbird but on a CBT that would obviously be neither legal nor sensible. Some day maybe. Anyway, thanks a lot for the video and I hope you're doing well in these crazy times and hope your mrs is still loving the bike!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I'm pleased you found it useful. I try to do my reviews from the real world point of view of a normal everyday rider. I still think that the Honda CB125F is a great first bike as it does everything you need, isn't expensive, is fun to ride and great to learn to ride on. We actually sold this bike (and mine) as we left the UK in July 2019. We now live in Vietnam where riding is very different! Take a look at my latest couple of videos to see what I mean :)
@@RichRides Hiya Rich 👋🏻 Like so many I found this video really helpful, as I'm doing my CBT next month & looking to get my first bike to commute to work.
I'm a late learner as I'm 41 & my only issue is that depending on the route I take some of it is 60 - 70mph. Do you think the CB125F would be man enough or would I be better with a CBR125 or anything else you'd recommend?
Thanks again & great video mate 👍🏻😁
@@simongoode7812 Thanks. I also didn't get into bikes or do my CBT until I was 45!
A CB125F would be ok at 60+ (as long as flat and no massive headwind) but you'll struggle for 70 on most 125's, even on something like a GSX R125. When I had a 125 I tried to avoid dual carriageway but did lots of riding on 60mph A roads with no issues.
Im 16 i got this bike from romania for 1800$ with 2300km and it is soooo awesome and easy to ride :)
Glad you're enjoying it :)
Is it good for taller riders i am around 6 foot 2
Top speed?
@@Jack--mu3gs it works i guess
@@cristiancormos6256 around 110 120 kmh
I'm riding this bike for work. Perfect at low speed under 80 km/h
How is it in wet conditions? As I’ll be needing to ride this year round to go to work and it rains a lot in uk
Hey man, I swear I've just brought this bike from a shop in Preston!
We sold it in July 2019 (my wife did her full bike test) to a friend who lives in Huddersfield. What's the registration?
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
This bike is a smoother ride than the old cbf125. But it is tuned for city riding. It red lines very soon and to get on dual carriageways you will be red lining. Perfect for cities. But get the older model if you want that extra oomph. I’ve owned both and have stuck to the older model. One last thing, keep on top of oil use. Especially if doing any high speed riding.
Yes, I find most 125's are better around town and smaller A/B roads as they just don't have the top end speed/power. I know some people do change front sprockets (+1 tooth) to change the gearing for higher top speed though. Interesting what you say about oil use as ours didn't use a drop of oil in 18 months.
Rich Rides not a drop in 18 months! Wow. I did quite a bit of A road riding. Mine literally drank it!
@@Labgorilla I was surprised too as you do expect a little usage over time. But every time I checked it was always spot on and never used a drop between services!
@@RichRides 10 months after buying the cb125f I had a piston ring failure when overtaking on an A road. The mechanic found zero oil in the reservoir when a week before I knew it was full. It must have suffered a catastrophic leak at some point. I now realise that I was pushing the bike far too hard , doing 90 miles a day with 30 minutes each way at just below red line in a dual carriageway. I now also own a cbf125 and also had a piston ring failure whilst on an A road . But I’ve used lockdown to learn how to put new piston and barrel in. £60 and you get back on the road if you can do the work yourself . Using the bike every day just to get me to train station and back instead of all the way to London. Cant wait until lockdown is over and then to go for the full licence .
Beautiful video and loved this content ❤ will keep wqtching your videos as they come. Good riding too
I love this bike, newer ones in my country was downgraded to 4 speed and carburetor engine lmao
Great bikes but that sound crazy about the 4 speed gearbox and carb where you are!
Iv got one waiting for me in the shop, im just waiting on my pay check this will be my second motorbike in a year as my first one has died to electrical faults
I'm sure you won't have similar issues with the CBF. Ours was perfect for a couple of years as were 2 friends who had the same. Enjoy!
Nice review! Cool to see reviews on bikes that we don't have in the States.
Thanks, and I didn't realise you guys didn't have the CB125f
@@RichRides The only 125cc street bikes that I can think of here are: Grom, Z125 and the new Honda Monkey. Well, other than dual purpose dirt bikes.
Think the reason US doesn't really see many 125's is because you lucky chaps aren't restricted in access like we are lol. That said, euro laws here make progressing to a big bike "safer", as riders must progress through various tests (practical and theory) before being able to ride big bikes. A 17 year old on a 1000cc bike is a frightening prospect
Low vibrations would be a selling point for me. I just watched a review of different 125 being ridden through city traffic and it was so stressful seeing him overtaking/undertaking going past lines of cars then pushing in at the front of the queue, getting stuck between parked cars on his left and the bus ahead that closed won the bike-passable gap. This was stress-free.
I am riding this cb125F. Loving it very much.
They're a great little bike so enjoy :)
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
Just Got it 2 weeks ago its so good👌❤️
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
Wish I could find one in the states.
Yes I didn't realise until someone else let me know that they aren't available in the US :(
Honest review thanks
Has anyone put a bigger front sprocket on (new 16tooth, 1 up from the standard 15 tooth) as my friend had a cb125f and complained about it being really high in the revs even at 50 to 55mph. I have just sold my 2011 cbf125 that i had for 2 years and that had great gearing. I am hoping to be picking up my cb125f from Shrewsbury Honda on the 21st. Many thanks.
I have a 16 tooth on my 2016 I can get 75 or it say 75 or more sits at 60 65 at 6krevs
I ordered both a 16 and 17 tooth sprockets from memoto even before I got my new CB125F. I wasn't sure how big would fit... Turned out I was able to just squeeze on the 17 tooth! (18 tooth would be impossible to fit within the original metal chainguard. Maybe without it...?)
I love being able to cruise the flats and downhill at low revs. But a slight inclination requires downshifting to 4th gear ; )
And of course it's more relaxing when accellerating and city-riding, with less shifting needed.
I'm on a really tight budget, but I've decided to buy something similar, only that it is a Keeway Speed 125, and leave Norway after new year on that bike with side panniers and top box, fully geared up with anything I need for a trip to Spain.
The running cost on a 125 is really cheap and I only need just over 100 liters of fuel to ride 3000 KM.
It could be cheaper with a portable diesel motor coupled to CVT, but gotta start somewhere.
That sounds like a great trip! And yes you don't need to have a huge bike for these kind of trips and to have fun. It's about the journey, rather than the bike. A couple of years ago I rode the full length of Vietnam on an old 110cc Honda Win which was epic! Enjoy :)
Just bought one of these. 16 plate with 8000 miles on it for commuting purposes. I've had bigger bikes and just sold my NC750X which I had for 3 years. It was great but I felt I didn't really need that size of bike for my relatively short commute. But what I love about this bike it's so cheap to run, easy to move around eg: out the garage. Easy to park and filter through traffic. I'm getting at least 110 mpg as well. As you say it lacks a bit of top end power but I can live with that. I think it will need a new chain and sprockets soon but I don't think that will be expensive - this seems like an easy bike to work on so me and a mate will do that. And thanks for the great review.
It will be a great commuter and in city traffic the top end speed won't be an issue at all. A friend with one changed the chain and sprocket himself and said it was fairly easy and wasn't expensive either. Enjoy!
good review that im thinking about getting 1
Thanks Ian. We're about to sell this one (wife is doing her full test) and know it will be missed!
great and very helpful review . Helped me make my mind up !!!
Glad it helped, and we'll be sad to see it go in a few weeks time :(
The last one which was similar, that i rode, microwaved my feet !
The vibrations were awful and it felt like riding a twig. A gust of wind had me sideways and really rattled my confidence.
You had everything covered in this one snd understandably, being a Honda would set this bike worlds apart.
Bit windy and cold up north on one of these, would have me opting for a bigger faired bike, or dare i say it...a moped.
Great review as always Richard.
When I did my CBT I was on an older cheap Chinese bike (An old Lexmoto I think) and that was similar. Over 45mph the vibrations were awful! The CB125F is VERY VERY different. Any 125 will be affected by wind much more than a bigger heavier bike though.
Nice vid just bought one of these ones so nice bike 👍😎
Thanks and enjoy your new bike 👍
@@RichRides thanks new to gears 😬👍
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
@@Erii_SE to be honest I’m around 5/6 ft maybe taller not measured myself in years haha 😂 but you can adjust the suspension at the back and lower it up and down so it’ll defo fit you and these are really decent bikes as well had mine 2.5 years still going strong with weekly cleaning and maintenance checks etc 👍
@@Brad-0212 Thank you
Vibrates less than cbf125 but red lines at lower speeds. Feels like you have to always be in the red to get it to move. Gear indicator is ok but I’ve got to say that the cbf125f feels even cheaper than the model it replaces. I know this bike well as I wrote one off a couple of years ago.
Cheers for the feedback, I've not ridden the previous CBF125 myself so can't compare so thanks
Rich Rides so I did 7,000 miles on the newer cb125f before switching to the older cbf125. I’ve done 10,000 miles on that. Comparison, well, seating position on the cb125f is better. Knees not as bent , slightly more upright. And it clearly has some balancer shaft in there as the vibration in the older model is far stronger. The Cb125f is just excellent for town riding. And very new rider friendly with its gear shift indicator. Personally I prefer the greater performance of the older model and the fact that I can A road cruise without red lining. Both have been out for a few years so should be cheap to buy spare parts for. Both are cheap and cheerful and I was faced with the weird situation of being in a Honda showroom and being told that the newer model was £200 cheaper than the older one. Hence why I got the newer model. After writing it off, I found out that Honda did not make replacement engines so I went out and bought an old cbf125 for a grand. Just did a barrel and piston replacement for £60. Cheap and cheerful!
Very nice looking bike... launch kab tak.. hoga..
So that honda CBf125 great little bike I never ridden a bike before got car but now I want a bike cheaper get round hope you don't mind me asking how much fill tank up please be very grateful thinking getting the honda CBr 125 great review 👍
From memory it's a 10 or 11 litre tank so at £1.45 a litre it's less than £15 to totally fill it. It gets over 120mpg too so is really good on fuel 👍
@@RichRides thank you very grateful 👍
Love mine av got a 2016 only changed the front sproket nippy and u can get a lot of mpg
Please do video or put comment about the helmet that capable of mounting a go pro like yours
I've fitted a Gopro (and for the past few years a Drift Ghost instead) to a couple of different helmets now. I just mount them using the 3M pads and mounts that the Gopro comes with but on a swivel mount so the angle can be adjusted.
@@RichRides thanks bro
Hi just wondering if this bike would do 55mph handy ? and would it be suitable for a 16 mile round trim on a daily commute to town ? ,
Thanks for a very honest and in-depth review
Yes it's perfect for that kind of thing IMO and from memory topped out around 60-65mph.
Am using same cb125F for Uber eats delivery ido 500km a day no problems
Thanks for the review. Does it have a side stand as well as the centre stand?
Yes, it has the usual side stand too. The centre stand is really useful for when oiling the chain and even when just cleaning the bike though.
That's great thanks.
@@kirkr999 No worries!
Great review.
Mine is getting delivered this week, 66 plate bike with only 400 mile on the clock!
What top box/bracket have you used on this bike? I'm using it for commuting and the addition of a top box to my new bike will make a world of difference :)
Nice one! The bike already had the metal bracket on the rear when we got it. We then bought this Ryde 32L topbox which was easy to fit and has been brilliant. And for £30 it's a bargain and seems just as good as my expensive original Suzuki luggage on my Vstrom!!! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RYDE-32L-CARBON-MOTORCYCLE-TOP-BOX-MOTORBIKE-BIKE-LUGGAGE-HELMET-BACK-STORAGE-/332454304333#
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
@@Erii_SE I’m 5’9 and at the time I was around 90-100kg in weight, the bike itself for me was brilliant, I had it for two years before I got a car, and put around 15’000 miles on it, it really was a fun (if somewhat slow) bike. If you’re doing commuter travel I’d imagine it would do you well, the handlebars are in a good position and the foot rests are in a relaxed position but if you’re traveling a lot at max speed you might find a bit of wind buffeting your helmet over long distances, and if you’re long in the leg it might be uncomfortable because of the foot peg position
Hi I am tempted to get one of these. I have heard horrible things about the stock tyres. How did you find them?
I'd read similar beforehand about the standard CST tyres that my wife's bike had but neither of us found any issues with them. The bike was only used in the dry though and as it was used to learn to ride on was never pushed and used very carefully. They may be different in the wet or on the limit though.
4:20 "as you can see easily keeping up with traffic even on these big gay roads"
Hahaha! No, I said "big A roads"!
Very nice looking bike..
I have just got my learners permit. The mew ones hete are about 3700 but second hand is 2500. Might be worth brand new 125f
I am seriously considering this bike,i assume this one is the slightly older model, I was wondering how many miles you have on the clock now and have you yet had any probs whatsoever cheers,pete.
This was a 2016 model that we sold in July 2019. We didn't have a single issue with it in the 18 months we owned it. We actually sold it to a friend who has now had it a year and again hasn't had any issues at all so I'd highly recommend one.
@@RichRides Many thanks for helping me make my mind up , cheers again .
@@peterryan7827 No worries. And enjoy :)
This bike looks like my Yamaha YS125 other than the fact mine is in black and the display clocks for the speed and rev counter are digital. I wonder if there is any real difference in performance between them?
Yes, quite a lot of the 125's from the main manufacturers are very similar in looks and power. There are some exceptions like the Suzuki GSX125R that's right at the legal learner power limit (15bhp) though.
Hi, what back box has been fitted? I've been told you'd have to replace the back railing to custom fit a back box but it doesn't look to be the case with what i saw at the beginning of your vid
The top box is a 32L Ryde box. It was fairly cheap at around £30 but matched the bike really well. The quality was surprisingly decent and just as good as the expensive official manufacturer ones on my Suzuki! Here's a link to it on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Ryde-Carbon-Effect-Motorcycle-Helmet/dp/B01B6L4C00
And yes to fit a top box you need to remove the standard rear grab handle and fit a rear rack instead. Our CB125F already had the rack (official Honda accessory) instead of the grab handle when we bought it.
@@RichRides cheers for the reply mate, luckily there’s a Honda dealership 10 mins away for me so if it’s a bit dear I’ll purchase that on amazon
@@jakemills7612 No worries and hope you get sorted
Can you tell me what bracket you used to secure the top box please? I have the exact same bike and just bought a Givi Monolock E300N topbox, but struggling to see what bracket I need to secure it to the bike.
Ours had the official Honda luggage rack but Givi make one specific for the CB125F too. Either should allow you to mount your topbox easily.
Is it posible to have bigger load on this bike...someting like big backpack or tent and thinks like this?!
It is but remember that the weight will affect the handling, braking, and limited power of the bike. On other bikes I've used either just a rolltop bag, or a topbox with tent and bag bungeed in front of that on the pillion seat.
@@RichRides perfect respons... thank you for your feedback
@@giovanykozak5236 No worries :)
After a long ride these bikes are not comfy at all. I currently have a cb125f as a hire bike as my mt125 got reversed over. Yesterday I went for a 50 mile ride and was in a lot of pain lol
Sorry to hear about your MT125 :( My wife and I have both found the CB125F to be comfy though. She's done some weekend touring with me and I've used it for a couple of hours with no issues. Like most bikes, a break after an hour or so is always welcome though!
Mate, mt125 is a different league. That’s a £4,500 bike when new. I’d expect it to be far more refined in every category except possibly having worse fuel economy . Hope you get yours back soon. I dream of one day owning a top of the range Yamaha or Suzuki. They’re just so expensive.
@@Labgorilla yeah, I never buy bikes new, as soon as you take it away you lose like 1k in value. I paid 1.8k for mine as a 2015 plate on 7k miles. Also the fuel economy on them is amazing, it tells you on the dash exactly what mpg you're getting so you can ride it in different ways to get the most out of a tank of fuel. Don't buy new dude, you're get ripped. Just know what to look for when viewing the bike or take someone that knows with you
I know it’s a 125 but what’s it like pulling away from traffic when at the front of the queue? Looking to get my first bike soon. Thanks in advance!
It was absolutely fine around town and even out on bigger A roads. Most 125's are great at traffic lights etc as they are so light so get away quickly to 30mph.
Is this bike being sold in the USA??
I WILL BUY ONE!
It looks like it is doing okwheeler.com/us/bike-prices/honda-cb125f-2023-70
What the diffrence between this and cb125e similar? I just got my learners now looking for a bike now
As far as I know, the CB125E is only sold in certain countries (Not the UK where I'm from) but is basically the same bike with some slightly different styling.
What topspeed can you expect? And with 2 people on it?
Top speed is around 65-70mph but we've never had 2 people on it. I'd guess that would take a little off that speed though.
As a learners bike which would you prefer, the cb125e or the cb125f? Or are they pretty much the same?
I'd not heard of the CB125E as we don't get it in the UK but it pretty much looks like the same bike as the CB125F with slightly different and older looking styling.
@@RichRides fair enough, I did a bit of research as well and it looks like the cb125e is just what we get here in Australia
do your valves need any adjustments?
From memory, they just need a check (and only adjustment if required) every 2500 miles.
what is the phone/gps mount your wife is using?
I wouldn't recommend that mount as I had the same and it snapped while riding! Thankfully the power cable stopped my phone falling off the bike!
I made another video about a mount I do recommend after trying a few here ruclips.net/video/hKZixRrmAY8/видео.html
What’s the grip like in the rain?
It wasn't really used much in the wet but seemed fine. A friend had the same bike for commuting in winter though and had no issues
No mention of petrol consumption?
We never really kept detailed track of it but when we first got it I measured it over a tank and it was over 100mpg.
He clearly says in the video: "100 miles per gallon"
why honda dose not build 150 or 200 cc ...
It depends on the country they are in. In the UK you can only ride a maximum of 125cc without a full license so lots of bikes are 125cc. When I lived in Vietnam I had 2 Honda's that were 150cc which was very common.
How tall are you mate? Thinking of getting one. I’m quite tall though
I'm 6ft tall and felt fine on the bike and I wasn't cramped. Unlike some 125cc bikes that aren't quite full size.
how import this bike in pakistan?
It looks like a revised version has just been launched in Pakistan www.pakwheels.com/bikes/honda/cb-125f/
3yrs later, is the bike still going strong? Or have u sold it
We sold it shortly after the review video as my wife passed her full test. We sold it to a friend though who had no trouble at all for another 2 years before they passed their test when they sold it too.
@@RichRides ahh cool.
I’ve done 10,000 trouble free miles. All its needed is a bike tyre and a new chain. Change the oil between 1500-2000 miles clean any rust off the swimarm as you find it and it will live forever. I’ve seen them on 60,000miles.
Get decent tyres on and look after it it will treat you well brilliant bikes. Great value highly recommended 👍🏼 250-300miles to a tank!
the old's seat is not comfortable at all...wondering if the 2021 model has a comfortable seat.
We didn't find ours uncomfortable but you're right that it didn't have lots of padding.
2021 seat is very comfortable.
Thanks
I’m 5’3 would i be able to touch the ground on this motorbike?
I think you should be ok as it has a pretty low seat height of 775mm. Of course, the only real way to tell if it suits you ok is to try one.
If you find this style of bike too high then maybe look at cruiser style bikes. My first bike was a Suzuki VL125 Intruder and that had a very low seat height (685mm) so would suit almost anybody.
Honda CB125F vs Yamaha YS125 what should i buy and why? They both looks same.
The new YS125 looks great but I've not ridden one myself yet. The old YB125 was always the biggest competitor to the CB125 though. In most reviews the Honda usually just comes out on top but either would be a great option. My advice would be to try them both and/or go on which you prefer the looks of or can get the best deal on.
Reminds me of the time when I got my fist bike yamaha TZR125 back in 1994 good old days. Tzr was a Very fast bike for a 125cc could do 104mph .
I remember many years ago before I was into motorcycles that a friend had a TZR125. He could easily keep up with us in the sports cars of the day!
Hey, can i just ask whats the top speed please?
Hi, the top speed is around 65-70mph which was fine for most roads, especially around town or smaller country roads.
How tall are you and does it fit you? I am 191cm (6'2-6'3), I have read about it being good for tall bikers but I don't have a dealership near me and want to know if it may fit.
I'm 6ft tall and it was fine for me.
Road tax is only 17 pounds a year?! It's €124+/year where I live... Same as a small car
In the UK the rate depends on the cc of the motorcycle. It has gone up slightly since I made this video and the current bands are as follows:
Not over 150: £21
151-400: £45
401-600: £69
Over 600: £96
@@RichRides In the Netherlands it differs slightly bewtween provinces. The cheapest is €29/ quarter. But it's the Netherlands so everything has to be as expensive as possible... Do you guys also have to pay excise duty over gas? It won't be long before we have to pay €2 per liter of gas
@@holo6883 yes, fuel is heavily taxed and expensive in the UK too (£1.30 per litre). I now live in Vietnam though where it's half that!
Need the camera up a little to see the road ahead also, stopped watching after 2 mins.
You don't need a fuel gauge on a bike That's what your trip meter is for.
I know what you mean but a fuel gauge is so much easier, especially if you forget to reset the trip meter when you fill up ;) I've got a couple of bikes that don't have fuel gauges so pretty much always go and fill them up whenever I use them. The others with a gauge I only fill up when I can see they are low :)
Weird question but how tall is your wife? Im 5'5 and worried it will be too big for me :)
She's not much taller than you so it should be fine. It's not a big bike and is light and manoeuvrable too 👍
Borrowed one of these for 6 hours the otherday still recovering now my thighs and balls are wrecked I'm 6,2 and 210 I found it very uncomfortable.
I'm 6ft and 80kg and found it to be fine. However, most 125's for 6 hours is going to be hard work IMO
Which country brother
The UK but I know they sell it in other regions too.
I have cb125 f but not in this condition In my country we have very low quality features.
My friend, what is the difference in features? Is it the Indian market model? I've heard that one costs 85,000 rupees, which is around £850, usually the bike costs around £2,800 here. I would be interested to know what they chanced to make the price so different
How tall is your wife I am 5.3 would I be able to put my feet down probably
She's 5.7 but it has a pretty low seat height at 775mm so I'm sure it would be fine. The best thing is to go and try it out for size at a local dealer.
@@RichRides thanks I will do that
Top speed?
Around 60-70mph
Can you adjust your camera to face forward a bit more please. It would make the video a bit more visually entertaining if we could see the road ahead and be of massive benefit to you should the need for the footage to be used in any insurance claim.
Yes I agree. After starting to use a new camera it wasn't properly adjusted so was set too low. This has been the case on a couple of the recent videos. From now on it should be ok though :)
You said you had no problems. It’s a Honda Honda don’t do problems lol
Haha, good point, and also my experience too!
Do you recommend this bike ?
Yes definitely. It's perfect for learning on imo
But does it wheelie?
2 wheels is few enough for me :)
It does
Jad this bike for 3 years and i wouldnt reccoment it. Id rather buy a cb125r or a cheap spanish brand sincr its 125cc and you will upgrade to a2 license s8on anyways
I agree that the CB125R is better but it's also a lot more expensive. But I wouldn't go for a really cheap bike as the build quality is usually awful (a friend had one and it was falling apart at 18 months old!) and they don't keep their value unlike a Honda or similar.
In my opinion cbf125 looks better than cb125f .....
no lmao