New higher spec 2021 Honda CB125R announced with more power
The 2021 Honda CB125R has been revealed with more power from a new engine and higher-spec suspension
THE entry point into Honda Neo Sports Café ownership has been refreshed for next year as the 2021 Honda CB125R is revealed.
2021 Honda CB125R review, specs, features, and details
The new bike is now more powerful than before, with a revised engine pumping out the full learner legal limit for a CBT compliant machine. Not content with just boosting power, Honda has given the new machine a significant upgrade, with Showa Big Piston Forks now adorning the naked machine.
2021 Honda CB125R engine
- New DOHC, 4V liquid-cooled engine
- An extra 1.6bhp peak power taking it to 14.7bhp
- Full Euro5 compliance
The previous generation CB125R was one of the few bikes in the learner legal class that didn’t make the full power output allowed in the segment. Fair enough, it’s 13.1bhp wasn’t massively down compared to the 15bhp of the competition, but when you only have 15bhp – every pony counts…
For 2021 Honda has redressed that balance, as the new machine gets a full 14.7bhp from next year. To achieve this, the bike has been given a revised engine featuring a longer stroke – bore and stroke now 57.3 x 48.4mm, compared to 58 x 47.2mm of before. The changes ups the new mill’s compressions ratio slightly, increasing it from 11:1 to 11.3:1. Minor changes these might be, but in a tiddly 125cc motor they'll definitely be felt.
The engine also gains a new inlet duct, air cleaner connector tube, and resonator. As with the previous model, the exhaust is underslung and exits through a dual-chamber muffler. The CB125R engine is fully Euro5 compliant.
Chassis
- 41mm Showa’s Separate Function Big Piston USD forks
The big news with the chassis of the 2021 model is the inclusion of class-leading 41mm Showa Big Piston USD Forks, a claimed first on any 125cc machine. The forks now feature a gold anodised finish, not that it’ll affect performance, but even new riders know that gold forks are cooler than any other colour!
The rest of the chassis is the same as the previous generation, meaning we have a radially mounted Nissin four-pot caliper up front, and the same IMU system controlling the ABS.
2021 Honda CB125R specs
ENGINE | |
Type | Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 4-valve DOHC single cylinder |
Engine Displacement (cm³) | 124.9cc |
No. of Valves per Cylinder | 4 |
Bore and Stroke (mm) | 57.3mm x 48.4mm |
Compression Ratio | 11.3:1 |
Max. Power Output | 11.0kW @ 10,000rpm |
Max. Torque | 11.6Nm @ 8,000rpm |
Oil Capacity | 1.5L |
FUEL SYSTEM | |
Carburation | PGM-FI electronic fuel injection |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 10.1L |
Fuel Consumption | 45.5km/L (WMTC Mode) |
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |
Starter | Electric |
Battery Capacity | YTZ6V 12V 5Ah MF |
ACG Output | 180W/5000rpm |
DRIVETRAIN | |
Clutch Type | Wet, multiplate with coil springs |
Transmission Type | 6-speed |
Final Drive | O-ring sealed chain |
FRAME | |
Type | Inner Pivot Diamond Frame |
CHASSIS | |
Dimensions (LxWxH) | 2015mm x 820mm x 1055mm |
Wheelbase | 1345mm |
Caster Angle | 24.2° |
Trail | 90.2mm |
Seat Height | 816mm |
Ground Clearance | 140mm |
Kerb Weight | 130kg |
Turning radius | 2.3m |
SUSPENSION | |
Type Front | 41mm (SFF-BP) USD forks |
Type Rear | Single-damper with preload adjustment |
WHEELS | |
Rim Size Front | 17M/C x MT3.00 |
Rim Size Rear | 17M/C x MT4.00 |
Tyres Front | 110/70R17M/C 54H |
Tyres Rear | 150/60R17M/C 66H |
BRAKES | |
ABS System Type | Front & rear independent ABS with IMU |
Type front | 296mm hubless floating disc. Radial-mount Nissin 4-piston caliper |
Type rear | 220mm single disc a single-piston caliper |
INSTRUMENTS & ELECTRICS | |
Instruments | LCD Display |
Headlight | LED |
Taillight | LED |
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
