This thread is intended to document and gather additional information on how to read or decode your Honda Trail 125 / Hunter Cub 125 / CT125 Vehicle Identification Number.
The CT125 has two unique identifying numbers on it, one is the VIN which is also referred to as the frame number or chassis number, and the other is the engine number. The owner's manual provides details on where to look for these numbers. Though it is called a "Vehicle Identification Number", it is a structured combination of 17 characters consisting of Arabic numerals and capital Roman letters. The letters i, o, and q are not used.
In addition to theses locations, USA CT125s arrive with a sticker that has the VIN and a barcode printed on it adhered to the rear mud guard.
Here are the 17 character positions and what they represent, which will be broken down further below.
Note that some of these details are only applicable to more modern Hondas, and not older ones before 17 digit VINs, or with early VINs. My focus here is to document what is relevant to the CT125, while also providing some context from other Honda models.
Sample VINs:
Positions 1-3: This is the World Manufacturer Identifier used to identify the manufacturer. All CT125s (so far) have a WMI of "MLH" which represents "THAI HONDA CO., LTD." which only manufacture Honda motorcycles. It was formerly named "THAI HONDA MANUFACTURING CO. LTD."
https://global.honda/en/about/group/manufacturing-facilities/
Positions 4-8: Vehicle Code. Positions 4-7 seem to indicate the vehicle model and generation and are in common with the fist 4 positions of the engine number, while Position 8 indicates vehicle equipment.
Position 10: Model Year. This can be used to identify if your CT125 is a 2021 or 2022 USA model year since there aren't equipment or color differences between the two.
These factory locations and some of the vehicles they produce can be found at: https://global.honda/en/about/group/manufacturing-facilities/
So far every CT125 VIN I have found indicate the same plant code of 5, which is THAI HONDA MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., Bangkok, Ladrabang, Thailand.
This guide may contain errors. "(?)" is used to indicate speculation due to a lack of data and available documentation. Please let me know if you find any errors in this guide, would like to report a correction, or would like to provide additional data or confirmations.
VIN Decoding References:
The CT125 has two unique identifying numbers on it, one is the VIN which is also referred to as the frame number or chassis number, and the other is the engine number. The owner's manual provides details on where to look for these numbers. Though it is called a "Vehicle Identification Number", it is a structured combination of 17 characters consisting of Arabic numerals and capital Roman letters. The letters i, o, and q are not used.
In addition to theses locations, USA CT125s arrive with a sticker that has the VIN and a barcode printed on it adhered to the rear mud guard.
Here are the 17 character positions and what they represent, which will be broken down further below.
Note that some of these details are only applicable to more modern Hondas, and not older ones before 17 digit VINs, or with early VINs. My focus here is to document what is relevant to the CT125, while also providing some context from other Honda models.
Sample VINs:
- MLHJA559*M5200001 - 2021 Indonesia Hunter Cub 125
- MLHJA55U*M5000001 - 2021 Australia Hunter Cub 125
- MLHJA555*M5000001 - 2021 USA Trail 125
- MLHJA655*P5000001 - 2023 USA Trail 125
- MLHJA655*R5100001 - 2024 USA Trail 125
Positions 1-3: This is the World Manufacturer Identifier used to identify the manufacturer. All CT125s (so far) have a WMI of "MLH" which represents "THAI HONDA CO., LTD." which only manufacture Honda motorcycles. It was formerly named "THAI HONDA MANUFACTURING CO. LTD."
https://global.honda/en/about/group/manufacturing-facilities/
Positions 4-8: Vehicle Code. Positions 4-7 seem to indicate the vehicle model and generation and are in common with the fist 4 positions of the engine number, while Position 8 indicates vehicle equipment.
- Position 4: Honda VINs use the 4th character position to identify the engine displacement within a range. Actual engine displacement is often slightly less than the advertised number as some regions have vehicle classification and insurance tiers based on engine displacement where manufacturers will build an engine to the maximum displacement without entering the next class up. For our CT125s, the engine displacement is 124.9 cc.
Engine Displacement- A: 0 cc - <= 50 cc
- D: 50 cc - <= 75 cc
- H: 75 cc - <= 100 cc
- J: 100 cc - <= 125 cc
- K: 125 cc - <= 175 cc
- M: 175 cc - <= 250 cc
- N: 250 cc - <= 400 cc
- P: 400 cc - <= 600 cc
- R: 600 cc - <= 800(?) cc
- S: 800(?) cc +
- Position 5
- A: (Cub? Does not include the Wave) Hunter Cub, Super Cub, and Cross Cub. For the USA market C125 and CT125 Honda classify them as a "Motorcycle" vehicle type. Read on to see other vehicle types.
- Trail 125/Hunter Cub 125/CT125: JA55, JA65
- Super Cub 125/C125: JA48, JA58
- Super Cub 50/Little Cub/C50: AA01, AA04, AA08, AA09
- Super Cub 110/C110: JA07, JA10, JA42, JA43, JA44, JA59, JA61
- Cross Cub 110/CC110: JA10, JA45, JA60 - Early Cross Cub 110 models share the JA10 designation with the Super Cub 110
- Super Cub 70/C70: HA02 (Later models than the USA Passport 70)
- Innova/ANF125: JC33, JC37
- B: This seems to be some form of Street designation. Honda classify the Monkey as a "Sport" vehicle type. On decades older models this B was thought to represent "kids bikes" and ATCs, so that may have carried over.
- Monkey/Z125M: JB02, JB03
- Dax 125/ST125: JB04
- Dax 70/CT70/ST70: DB01
- C: This seems to be a "Street" bike designation that covers "Touring", "Sport", and "Cruiser", vehicle types at the least. Honda categorize the Grom as a "Sport" vehicle type.
- Grom/MSX125: JC61, JC75, JC92
- Wave 110i/AFS110: JC51
- CB500X: PC64
- D = Dual Sport. Contains vehicles with types "Dual Sport" and "Adventure"
- XR150L: KD13
- CRF250L: MD44
- CRF300L: ND16
- CRF450L: PD11
- Transalp/XL750: RD16
- E= OHV/Offroad - not street legal
- CRF50F: AE04
- CRF110F: JE02
- CRF125F: JE03
- CRF250R: ME10
- Cub/EZ90: HE06
- F = Scooter
- Ruckus/Zoomer: AF58
- Metropolitan: AF77
- PCX125: JF28
- PCX150: KF30, KF47
- ADV150: KF38
- ADV160: KF54
- H = Mix of adventure and sport(?)
- NC750X: RH09
- CBR650R: RH01
- K = miniMOTO(?)
- Navi 110: JK07 - This is the only Honda I could find where the vehicle type filed with NHTSA is literally "miniMOTO"
- A: (Cub? Does not include the Wave) Hunter Cub, Super Cub, and Cross Cub. For the USA market C125 and CT125 Honda classify them as a "Motorcycle" vehicle type. Read on to see other vehicle types.
- Position 8: Indicates the equipment and can be specific to the vehicle model.
For the 125cc mini motos sold in the USA (Trail 125, Grom, Monkey, Super Cub) the number 1 seems to indicate non-ABS and a 50 State sales area, while 5 indicates ABS and 50 State sales area. Since the Trail 125 is only sold with ABS and as a 50 State bike, all USA models I have checked so far have the number 5 for position 8.
Where this gets interesting is market variations. If you have a non-USA CT125, I would be interested to know what the 8th position of your bike's VIN is and what equipment it has, such as the shift pattern, passenger accommodations of rear foot pegs and a black scratch guard on the exhaust heat shield, M8 bolt holes for attaching accessories to the rear rack in addition to the M6 bolt holes, accessory power plug inside the headlight bucket, right grip engine kill switch, side reflectors on the license plate bracket, and vehicle color.
From Honda's parts catalogs I have found that Indonesian bikes have the number 9 here, while Australian bikes had the letter U. Here is my theory:- 5 = (?) USA - ABS, 50 State, 4-up shifting
- 9 = (?) General Export, 4-down rotary shifting
- U = (?) Australia, 4-up shifting
Position 10: Model Year. This can be used to identify if your CT125 is a 2021 or 2022 USA model year since there aren't equipment or color differences between the two.
- E = 2014
- F =2015
- G = 2016
- H = 2017
- J = 2018
- K = 2019
- L = 2020 (Some Japanese CT125s may have been 2020 Model Year?)
- M = 2021
- N = 2022
- P = 2023
- R = 2024
- S = 2025
- T = 2026
- W = 2028
- X = 2029
- Y = 2030
These factory locations and some of the vehicles they produce can be found at: https://global.honda/en/about/group/manufacturing-facilities/
So far every CT125 VIN I have found indicate the same plant code of 5, which is THAI HONDA MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., Bangkok, Ladrabang, Thailand.
- 5 = THAI HONDA CO., LTD. BANGKOK, LADKRABANG, THAILAND (CT125, Grom, Monkey, Super Cub, Rebel 300)
- D = HONDA DE MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V., EL Salto, JALISCO, MEXICO (Navi, XR150L)
- K = KUMAMOTO FACTORY, KUMAMOTO, KIKUCHI, JAPAN (Metropolitan, Gold Wing, Shadow, Africa Twin)
- Y = HONDA VIETNAM CO. LTD., PHUC YEN, VINH PHUC, VIETNAM (PCX)
This guide may contain errors. "(?)" is used to indicate speculation due to a lack of data and available documentation. Please let me know if you find any errors in this guide, would like to report a correction, or would like to provide additional data or confirmations.
VIN Decoding References:
- NHTSA VIN decoder: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vin-decoder
- NHTSA Vehicle API: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/
- Honda NCX Myanmar YouTube "How to read Vin number of motorcycle": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd15ZbxWazE
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