Should I get an old 110 or a new 125?

I've been looking for a 125 in red, thinking about waiting until the color cycles back to the US due to the minor upgrades, however a clean looking 1986 ct110 with 300 miles just came up for sale a town away, about the same price as a used 125 would be. Do I wait for a new bike or get the 110? Mostly grocery getting but have some potential for dirt road and jeep road adventures in my town.
Are the disc brakes and fuel injection worth it? Anything else I should consider?

I’ve had two 110’s and I now have two 125’s. When I first got the 125’s I was very critical of the design decision to not include a hi/lo transmission. Since owning them however, I have come to realize the 125’s are better than the 110’s in almost every sense. The 125’s have all the modern upgrades (LED lights, fuel injection, electric start, disc brakes etc…) and they run stronger and faster than the 110’s ever could. From my personal experience the 125’s already seem far more reliable. The slightly larger 125’s are more comfortable for me too and they seem more durable.
I still miss the hi/lo, but as I have put more time in with the 125 I have realized I do not miss it as much as I thought I would. Unless you need the hi/lo for your type of riding I think the 125 wins.

How big are you, are you mechanically inclined? I’ve had both, I loved my 110 and rode all over the black hills in nasty crud. The high/lo was absolutely amazing, but it came with a price. My 125 is bigger, more comfortable, faster, and stops better. But I know which bike I would take to hell and back. But if you ain’t riding through hell the 125 wins out

Cardinal Direction said:

How big are you, are you mechanically inclined? I’ve had both, I loved my 110 and rode all over the black hills in nasty crud. The high/lo was absolutely amazing, but it came with a price. My 125 is bigger, more comfortable, faster, and stops better. But I know which bike I would take to hell and back. But if you ain’t riding through hell the 125 wins out

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Thanks, I'm 5'8, 150, and not super mechanically inclined. But darn your 110 looks sweet.
Anyone know when Honda will cycle the red 110s back to the US?

I have two CT90's and love the hi-low transmission, and the simple nature of the beasts. What I do not love is the 6V system, the ancient wiring that could kink and snap at any moment, or the lack of power on the street particularly going up hills of which there are many of where I live. I know you are asking about the 110 but I can't imagine they would be much more powerful than the 90.

I am now over two weeks into my 125 and it is simply superior in every way. I weigh in at 220lb with my gear on, and I have gone up some incredibly steep and nasty grades in the bush with it. It can do 100km/h down a slight grade, and 85km/h all day long on flat roads. It starts and stops much easier, and rides like a little street hooligan machine in the city.

I'm going to sell one of the 90's this summer, and keep one. But the 125 will be what I ride 90% of the time.

mrsudz said:

Thanks, I'm 5'8, 150, and not super mechanically inclined. But darn your 110 looks sweet.
Anyone know when Honda will cycle the red 110s back to the US?

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I’d go for the 125 bud. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be a hardcore 110 fan until I die but at the end of the day they are older machines. For most people the 125 will serve a majority of needs better I think.

I have both and if getting both is not in the cards, I'd recommend the 125. Especially at the same price used. There are things the 110 is better suited for with hi/low, less weight, folding handlebars, etc but the 125 is a better all around bike. There are also parts for the 110 that are surprisingly difficult and/or expensive to find domestically in the USA, where if you don't find a used part from a donor bike you may end up paying a premium for new old stock, or importing from Japan, Australia, Netherlands, etc. Stock parts for the CT125 are mostly available in the USA without much hassle, take off parts are cheap. Accessories are still a bit spendy as import products.

mrsudz said:

I've been looking for a 125 in red, thinking about waiting until the color cycles back to the US due to the minor upgrades, however a clean looking 1986 ct110 with 300 miles just came up for sale a town away, about the same price as a used 125 would be. Do I wait for a new bike or get the 110? Mostly grocery getting but have some potential for dirt road and jeep road adventures in my town.
Are the disc brakes and fuel injection worth it? Anything else I should consider?

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I never owned an early one but fuel injection is very efficient. My 2024 is getting 110 miles per imperial gallon. If you are good with carb then old one is less costly to tune. Honda did some funky stuff with the Engine Control module ofvtge EFI to meet Euro 5 emmisions. It is very lean and the stock exhaust has 2 catalytic convertors inside that really restrict the breathing the tiny motor. It is correctable with an ad on module at close to $500 USA dollars, and some exhayst mids to let the poor little thing breathe. Carb jets are cheap but carb tuning is a dying art form. It depends on your skills vs wallet to tweek tune either. There was a video on you tube of two guys that rode to Northern Alaska one had a new 125 other on an old 90. Carb needs tweaking for alitude EFI does not. Tge little engine is capable of well over 12 hp with tweeks The Grom and the Monkey gave same engine with way better power. Both Trail bikes made the 1000+ mile journey. ABS front brake is safer. Discs more powerful. Newer ijit has 190 watt alterbator not sure what year it was upsized but it runs Honda heated grips easy. LED rubber mounts lights are very durable and bright. New plastic is a bit tricky to deal with. Easy to break tabs but lots of you tube info how to skin it.

When you have a spare 50 minutes watch this video. Testing the old vs new honda trail bikes. I like the videos these guys put out doing these tests, they put the bikes through more than the average person probably does.

Flash said:

It is correctable with an ad on module at close to $500 USA dollars, and some exhayst mids to let the poor little thing breathe.

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What would this $500 module be? If you have a link, even better!

Thank you

I think the new ones missed on 4 things:
1. No dual speed gear box, but it's not a show stopper.
2. No spare fuel can with mount, attached to rear rack.
3. Should have come with a 13 tooth front sprocket from the factory, easily fixable
4. The transmission shifting sequence, from 1 down 3 up to 4 up, those who have ridden for years know exactly why, I hate down shifting into neutral, and no, I'm not installing a shift indicator!
All in all, I'm pretty happy with my "Green 23", the more I ride it, the more I like it!

Shift pattern between a 1986 CT110 and a modern CT125 should be exactly the same for the USA market models. My CT110 is a 1984 and it's 4-up with Neutral at the bottom. If you are going to buy a CT110 that was sold in the USA market, 1986 is possibly the best year to get IMO. That is the last year for the USA market and a revision year. There are imported bikes from later years, including factory 12v models. Stock for stock the CT125 is way more road capable while still not being greatly American highway capable. If you ride a LOT the hi/low setup on a CT110 can slightly add to the hassle and complication for maintenance, especially when replacing the front sprocket. That's likely why Aus Post bikes were without the hi/low while the agricultural models had it.

If you want to get into mods and tuning, of course working with a carb is more accessible than Honda's PGM-FI, but the CT110 is not a great starting point for putting down additional power as the clutch setup is nearly maxed out in stock form. An informational dive into that here:

mrsudz said:

not super mechanically inclined.

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then don't get a vintage bike, trust me. Get the new 125.. a lot to be said for a warranty. and i have a garage FULL of vintage bikes.

Unless you want to learn to be mechanically inclined
Owning an antique is a great way to learn. Especially a more accessible one.

let me rephrase. get the 125 to ride, get the 110 as a project. I -always- have a 'turn key' bike in the stable, among all the old junk i have. (which are actually reliable). 2 is always better than 1.

Get the 125. Instant starts, smooth, quiet. Good power especially if geared right. You being a light rider and sounds like primarily on road the bike stock would work well for you. It's the ultimate "grocery getter" for sure with that huge rack. I bought a used 2022 about 6 weeks ago with 250 miles on it in red. I would not hesitate to buy a 2022 without the oil filter or adjustable shocks. Put a gold plug in it to help clean the oil and change it frequently and the bike will outlast you probably.

Both??? The 125 is 100# heavier but smoother and more reliable. I usually don’t know which one I’m talking to work until I grab the key in the morning. I do choose the 90 in the snow because I care a bit less if I lay it down, don’t want to dump either but has happened to the 90 when icy… I’ve converted most of the 90 except the headlight to led’s, the 6v is a bit rough to run the headlight till she’s warmed, first block or two sub freezing temps in the dark!

Fishwishin said:

What would this $500 module be? If you have a link, even better!

Thank you

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I can't read Katakana.

As others have said, if I could only have one, I'd buy the newer Trail over the Vintage one. I used to be friends which owned and rode the vintage 110's, Great bikes which went just about everywhere but they were horribly under-powered (not that the newer versions aren't but they do seem to more 'peppy' then the 110's). The Carb's required fiddling and they had a look that people either got or they didn't.

I think the modern Trail's did a great job of taking what worked on the original and improving the parts of the bike which didn't. Which is why I own a '21 and not an '81 LOL!