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Who's going to do it? Honda CT125 Who's going to do it? Honda CT125
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Helmut Koch, Vivid sky with Northern Lights, Yukon, Canada

I haven't been everywhere...
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  #1  
Old 15 Jan 2021
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Who's going to do it? Honda CT125
Now that here in the US Honda is selling (if you can get one) the Honda Trail 125 is anyone considering one for overlanding or back/dirt road shenanigans?

There are a few small and amateurish but excellent channels on Youtube with early owners upgrading and showing the rest of us what they can do and I do personally love the looks of them - sadly left the UK about 8 years too early before Nathan Millward started his Postie Bike tours!

This bike has the strong appeal of being a wholly inappropriate machine for round the world ADV touring which is exactly why someone is going to do it. Does anybody know who would be contemplating this on a Trail 125 or has everyone calmed down on the nostalgia wave and are looking at the new raft of KLX/CRF300's?
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  #2  
Old 15 Jan 2021
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I am very tempted.

Done pretty much all I'm likely to get chance to do, so doing it again with 40 HP less looks like something to try.

Andy
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  #3  
Old 17 Jan 2021
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I love the bike. I considered it.

But it's still a pass for me. Too slow for when you have to ride in a long straight line...
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  #4  
Old 17 Jan 2021
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I am very intrigued with the CT125. Lightweight, supereconomical (60-65 kms to the liter) and bulletproof engine. For south and central America, for most of Asia and maybe for Africa?(dont really know as I havent been there) it would make a lot of sense. For Europe and north America maybe not, but its all in the mindset of people. It seems to cruise ok up to 75-80 km/h which for most of the world would be enough to keep the average traffic speed just ok.

The negatives are that is seems to be quite expensive for what it is. And the exhaust looks very awkwardly designed...

And its so liberating not to have a 300 kilo/25 k € advbike to be accountable for all the time. Just look at Ed March and his C90 adventures. He travels absolutely everywhere with his C90 (the precursor of the CT125) many places a huge advbike never would be able to go.
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  #5  
Old 17 Jan 2021
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I briefly owned a CT110 and had planned to keep either that one or my XR125 but in the end decided to keep the 125, if I did not still own that bike which I have had from new I would seriously consider the CT125 and would regard it as a travel bike.
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  #6  
Old 18 Jan 2021
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I love the idea of it.

But - I have a Honda CB125 in the shed for our kids to learn to ride on the road which has the same or similar motor.

It is seriously tiresome on anything other than around town. Not sure how these people do RTW on them. Kudos to them, but not for me.
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  #7  
Old 19 Jan 2023
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
I am very tempted.

Done pretty much all I'm likely to get chance to do, so doing it again with 40 HP less looks like something to try.

Andy
While undoubtedly bad form to quote one's self, but given the gap I thought forgivable, but I've put my money where my mouth is.

Not a CT though, the import stuff and other paperwork didn't seem worth it, a standard C125.

I want something I can ride all year and maybe do a few winter trips on, so the added protection of leg shields is a bonus.

I'll report back occasionally on how the whole light weight low speed low cost stuff goes.

Currently at the stage of trying not to double it's weight by adding stuff that might be useful.

Andy
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  #8  
Old 20 Jan 2023
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
I've put my money where my mouth is.
a standard C125.

I want something I can ride all year and maybe do a few winter trips on, so the added protection of leg shields is a bonus.


Currently at the stage of trying not to double it's weight by adding stuff that might be useful.

Andy
Congrats and welcome to the world of micro biking. There is, as someone once said, 'plenty of room at the bottom' Have you got any trips planned yet, or even ideas for some floating around in your head? Pity there isn't a UK HUBB meet this year as all the 125 riders could have met up in the corner of a field, circled the wagons to keep the GS's out and given a joint talk about the delights of 40mph. The leg shields btw will be worth their weight in gold on a long winter trip. I tried to make some for my Suzuki out of small snow shovels a few years back but without much success.

Good choice of bike btw. You'll soon be experiencing the joys of being invisible on the road (cops hardly ever pull you over and other rider on 'real' bikes completely ignore you). Being new tech as well you'll be riding happily on your way while I'm being taken away in handcuffs for killing the planet with a two stroke. Sound like a win - win to me. After all 100 million chicken farmers can't be wrong
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  #9  
Old 20 Jan 2023
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As I still have to work trips are going to be limited to a few days here or there. I'm actually tempted to give the Altes Elefant Treffen at Nurburg ring a go. A couple of 200 mile days, a winter crossing of the Ardennes, huge sleeping bag strapped to the poor little 125. What could possibly go wrong

Andy
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  #10  
Old 21 Jan 2023
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
As I still have to work trips are going to be limited to a few days here or there. I'm actually tempted to give the Altes Elefant Treffen at Nurburg ring a go. A couple of 200 mile days, a winter crossing of the Ardennes, huge sleeping bag strapped to the poor little 125. What could possibly go wrong

Andy
I’m seriously considering this year’s Altes Elefantreffen as well. I’d be going on my 125 Suzuki and tbh I can’t think of a better package for that trip - other than the same bike with another 5bhp.

This year would be the 50th anniversary of my first Elephant - back in ‘73 when there was only one rally and it was at the Nurburgring - so it seems worth putting the effort in. We ran out of fuel in the middle of the Ardenne section and had to sleep rough in the snow, but that wasn’t as bad as two blokes on a Velocette we met on the ferry. They mixed up the Nurburgring and Nuremberg and went off down towards Munich.

It’s 250 miles each way from Calais so not too bad but logistics from the port are tricky if you don’t want to arrive when it’s pitch black. I’m still working on that one.
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  #11  
Old 5 Feb 2023
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Fuel use on the single test ride to date gave 130 mpg (Imperial, apologies for those who use metric, I have no feel for decilitres per megameter so would only get it wrong).

The gloves are a motorcycle glove, but old. Before heated gloves we used to wear:



Ladies silk opera gloves (which come past the elbow), plus



Two finger and thumb gloves. You wouldn't ride moto GP wearing them, but given the 125 won't support heated kit and I'm using my battery weight allowance for a heated shirt I think are worth a go.

Andy
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  #12  
Old 6 Feb 2023
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That's 2.2L/100KM in metric, lol

I have motorbike gloves in the same format, they're about 5 years old now, made by RST.
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  #13  
Old 30 Nov 2022
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WANTED: Honda Trail CT125 for the TATrail...
I live in Northern-Northern California and, am
Willing to purchase anywhere West of
The Continental Divide, with
Bus or Train service...
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  #14  
Old 2 Dec 2022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IndigoSwann View Post
Does anybody know who would be contemplating this on a Trail 125 or has everyone calmed down on the nostalgia wave and are looking at the new raft of KLX/CRF300's?
A long time ago, before the testosterone fulled, 'adventure' , motorcyclists breed was ever conceived, a wonderful little lady did it on a Yahama 125.
Here she is (on the right) with Lois on the left.
Forgot to say that her name is Catherine - last heard of living la dolce vita in Brittany, Froggo land
Last edited by Toyark; 20 Apr 2023 at 16:59.
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  #15  
Old 12 Jun 2023
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Love reading these CT posts.
I have a 1970 CT110 dual range for the farm.
That thing can sit for six months and still starts first kick lol


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