Also, I would like to pose a question concerning gravel / rocky trail riding techniques and tips on the Trail. Where would be the best place to post that?
Welcome to the forum.
The
general discussion section would likely be the best place, since some techniques and changes you can apply will be somewhat specific to the CT125. An example of this would be to flip the handlebar mounting position into the forward position, increasing the distance from the rider to the handlebars slightly.
Gravel on this (and any) bike has some techniques but the stock tires that come with the bike are not good for riding off road. If you're going to be doing that, I'd recommend taking the tires off and listing them for sale on the forum. You can do that
here. They MSRP for around $45 + postage IIRC and they're great for people who ride over the grass of their lawn to get to where they park their bike and on road the rest of the time. The
tires megathread has almost all the tire options available in the USA that I know of (and some outside of the USA). There's a few block type tires with the popular ones being the Kenda K262's and the IRC 241's which will help you get more grip on gravel at the expense of longevity, so if you go down this route either make friends with someone who has a tire changing machine or learn how to do it yourself (it is very easy, but definitely buy some tire bead lubricant). Listings provided in the megathread are generally DOT approved but as always confirm before purchasing.
If you are pursuing rocky riding, I would also recommend upgrading the bash plate to protect your exhaust. There is a good recent post of one
here but there are several options. If you look up the Honda OEM fiche for the part that looks like a bash plate, Honda lists it as a "cover" not an actual functional bash plate, and I have verified via direct testing that it will buckle when hit by decently sized rocks.
Please also be aware to confirm compatibility with your bike with your supplier, the new 2023 (green) models have some small differences that make some of the older information no longer applicable. An example of a modification you would commonly search for but might turn up incompatible results is to change from the 14T countersprocket (which I like for road riding) to the 13T countersprocket (which I like for dirt riding); on the new green bikes with the JA65 engines the countersprocket specifications were changed and there is no listed aftermarket part number, while the JA55 engines on the red Trail 125's has a known existing sprocket component number. It's likely but not confirmed changing the rear sprocket to something like a JTR269.41 would still work if you want to try that though.
Aside from things already mentioned, as a new rider, one technique thing to keep an eye on is your grip on the bars. On gravel the bike will move underneath you and the best way to handle that is a loose grip and steering the bike through your core muscles rather than forcing the handlebars to do something with a tight grip. If your hands feel really sore after riding the bike, that's probably an indication that you're gripping the handlebars too hard.
Finally, as a new owner you'd probably benefit from knowing there's digital versions of the torque specifications and the service manual for this bike. You can find a link to those
here.
