First Look: 2011 Honda CBR125R

Say hello to one of 2011's best-selling new bikes – the revamped Honda CBR125R that will be officially revealed early next month.

OK, so these pictures actually come from the brochure of its sister bike, the new CBR150R which is designed to meet Asian regulations, but beyond a 25cc capacity difference it's identical to the new learner-legal 125.

Clearly the biggest news is the all-new styling, a halfway-house between VFR and Fireblade design with a headlight reminiscent of the VFR1200F and side and tail panels which resemble those of the 'Blade. Beyond that, there are new clocks with a 13,000rpm analogue rev counter and a multi-purpose digital display to show speed, temperature and all the other information you'd expect to find, plus a redesigned exhaust that again resembles that of the VFR1200F.

Underneath the new looks, things are more familiar. The chassis and fuel-injected single-cylinder engine are basically unchanged from those in the current CBR125R.

The new bike has been revealed in Thailand today, and will soon be joined by an all-new CBR250R using a water-cooled single-cylinder engine, a new tubular frame and featuring very similar, Blade-cum-VFR styling. Both models will be revealed in the European form at the Milan show on November 2.