What do you think of the bike now?

[George]

Because I also have a KTM 890ADV, designed for touring, and it performs very well (if it's not broken down) so I ride ADV when I go out (if it's not broken down).Nightmare
Maybe I should install 13 sprocket this winter, CT125 did some deep uphill speed at 18mph last year. Throttle to the end. Fortunately, tourists in national park are patient.

 

[pinehiker]

I just got mine about three days ago. I like it enough, but it is taking a lot of practice for me to get smooth with this bike. Shifting without a clutch is not that easy. I keep reaching for the clutch, but that's not the main thing. Basically, by holding the shift lever down, I've noticed that the bike is in "neutral" as if holding in the clutch. But all of the extra stuff around my feet gets in the way. I seem to have the back of my boots snagging on the heel lever, and a couple of times my pants cuffs got caught on it. At first the kickstarter was getting in the way of my right foot.

The owner's manual says that you shift to 4th gear at about 25 or 26 mph, so basically there is very little time for second and third gears. I understand that the bike is made to be capable of trail riding, so it is geared accordingly.

I also find it to be a rough ride, on bumps or in the wind. It's easiest to ride out of the saddle a little on rough road. I do miss having a fuel tank to grab with my knees. I hope to get some kind of bags/box/pannier or other set up to allow for carrying stuff to run errands. I like that it so light. Almost like a bicycle with 8 hp. I like the retro look with modern technology such as ABS, fuel injection, electric start.

I would appreciate any tips on getting smooth on this machine.

I usually slightly roll off the throttle when I shift up. Shifting down you need to wait till your speed is low. I don’t bother with down shifting to slow the bike since the disk brakes are good enough.

 

[Daytripper]

I usually slightly roll off the throttle when I shift up. Shifting down you need to wait till your speed is low. I don’t bother with down shifting to slow the bike since the disk brakes are good enough.

That works coming to a stop, but the times when you need to downshift going up a hill you don't want to slow down even more, In those cases all it takes is a little practice and concentration. Really, when you are shifting up or down, while your boot is applying pressure to the shifter the clutch is disengaged anyway so while you are downshifting , just give it a slight bump of throttle just enough to match engine RPM with the lower gear. It really is the same as with a manual clutch. Maybe it is a skill I learned while driving trucks without synchromesh transmissions, but it is the exact same principal to smoothly downshift the CT125 at speed.

 

[SLO]

Yes it is underpowered for many situations. For those riding conditions I would not use a Trail. If you put a 200cc engine in it, tuned for emissions, safety etc etc it probably wouldn't be a Trail anymore. Of course a way around that is with the bored out engine kits and more aggressive cams etc, but I think if I needed more power I would just buy a 200cc bike and be done with it.

OK,knowing what I now know,you are incorrect. A 200 cc bike is not as good as my 143cc bbk with 238 cam ,de-catt exhaust,13 tooth front sprocket.opened air intake,150 Honda injector,,hotter plug (and by the way,I can't seem to use the kick start anymore!) /too much compression!) It is a lot more comfortable than my DR 200 above 40 mph,and is as fast, The suspension is not even close though,it SUCKS!. I had no mechanical skills or no how when I bought it,but it SUCKED so bad I was determined to do something rather than accept the BS I purchased. For most folks,you are correct, I can go as fast as my modded KTM 390 ADV on roads I ride,as the speed is limited to my skill level,and fact,these are the roads people blog about. I will keep it,and will demo it,but I am going to get a 2025 BMW 450 GS when it gets here,and not the 450 Himalayan. Life is short Muther Fuckers! Get your priorities in line! LUV YOU/ MEAN IT !

 

[SLO]

OK,knowing what I now know,you are incorrect. A 200 cc bike is not as good as my 143cc bbk with 238 cam ,de-catt exhaust,13 tooth front sprocket.opened air intake,150 Honda injector,,hotter plug (and by the way,I can't seem to use the kick start anymore!) /too much compression!) It is a lot more comfortable than my DR 200 above 40 mph,and is as fast, The suspension is not even close though,it SUCKS!. I had no mechanical skills or no how when I bought it,but it SUCKED so bad I was determined to do something rather than accept the BS I purchased. For most folks,you are correct, I can go as fast as my modded KTM 390 ADV on roads I ride,as the speed is limited to my skill level,and fact,these are the roads people blog about. I will keep it,and will demo it,but I am going to get a 2025 BMW 450 GS when it gets here,and not the 450 Himalayan. Life is short Muther Fuckers! Get your priorities in line! LUV YOU/ MEAN IT !

 

[Daytripper]

OK,knowing what I now know,you are incorrect. A 200 cc bike is not as good as my 143cc bbk with 238 cam ,de-catt exhaust,13 tooth front sprocket.opened air intake,150 Honda injector,,hotter plug (and by the way,I can't seem to use the kick start anymore!) /too much compression!) It is a lot more comfortable than my DR 200 above 40 mph,and is as fast, The suspension is not even close though,it SUCKS!. I had no mechanical skills or no how when I bought it,but it SUCKED so bad I was determined to do something rather than accept the BS I purchased. For most folks,you are correct, I can go as fast as my modded KTM 390 ADV on roads I ride,as the speed is limited to my skill level,and fact,these are the roads people blog about. I will keep it,and will demo it,but I am going to get a 2025 BMW 450 GS when it gets here,and not the 450 Himalayan. Life is short Muther Fuckers! Get your priorities in line! LUV YOU/ MEAN IT !

Whew!

 

[bt619]

The bike has been just about as expected. The only thing that I didn't expect was the impact the step though chassis has when descending a steep incline. There is no seat/fuel tank to grip with your legs so your arms get a little extra workout. For everything else it has been great to ride.

 

[Fishwishin]

There is no seat/fuel tank to grip with your legs so your arms get a little extra workout. For everything else it has been great to ride.

Agreed

 

[SLO]

The bike has been just about as expected. The only thing that I didn't expect was the impact the step though chassis has when descending a steep incline. There is no seat/fuel tank to grip with your legs so your arms get a little extra workout. For everything else it has been great to ride.

If you haven't, remove the rubber inserts on the foot pegs and push with your feet.It is how I stay in a kayak when fishing in rough water.

 

[bt619]

If you haven't, remove the rubber inserts on the foot pegs and push with your feet.It is how I stay in a kayak when fishing in rough water.

I do this, however my long legs make this less effective for me. It is easier to stand up, but I can't be doing that all the time as it is frowned upon on paved roads for long periods.
I will get a 3D scan of it at some point and design something that will help with leg grip.

 

[SLO]

my riding bud was breaking my balls (I was with him). He said "I like the bike but you should keep it on the trail where it belongs." He keeps telling me someone is going to run me off the road. I told him that the bike is capable of the posted speed limit so everyone behind me can go F themselves.

You don't want to be dead right. If you are gonna ride on street,time of day,day of the week,and where the sun is at the time of day you are riding is important. If you want to make a motorcycle out of it,and make it safer to ride,and much more enjoyable,you can. I had no experience,and did it. The information is available,and is simple to do ( once you have done it) Nothing is difficult,just different until you do it.

 

[m in sc]

i rode the trail pretty much exclusively on the road, no more sketch than any other of my street bikes, just not on the interstate. Power isn't going to get you out of trouble, paying attention will.

 

[SLO]

Because I also have a KTM 890ADV, designed for touring, and it performs very well (if it's not broken down) so I ride ADV when I go out (if it's not broken down).Nightmare
Maybe I should install 13 sprocket this winter, CT125 did some deep uphill speed at 18mph last year. Throttle to the end. Fortunately, tourists in national park are patient.

Do it. Try and blow it up. Just change the oil,and use good oil.

 

[Puddock]

Late to this but anyway... I am a member of The Cult of the Australian Postie Bike. I own a 2011 CT110 and a 2014 NBC110 and have had them for a few years. When the C125 - (the Super Cub - not the Trail) -came along I bought one - a 2020 model. Very pretty but too slow out of town so in 2023 I sold it to buy a Kawasaki W800. Lovely bike but with me pushing 70 years old it got a bit heavy so come 2025 I sold it and headed off to buy me something lighter and more of an adventure bike - a CFMOTO MT450. That was the day I got a big dose of reality. The CFMOTO was too tall and too heavy up top for old me. Not prepared to give up riding, next stop was a Pearl Organic Green Honda Trail / CT125. Is it perfect? No. Is it slow? Yes. (It has around the same power as my first bike - a 1972 Vespa 150 scooter) . But I feel lucky to have it. It looks good, is fun and easy to ride and push around. and it's a Honda so it's it's mine till I can ride no more.

 

[Kev250R]

For me it took over 500 miles before I got really comfortable on my Trail; it has a different feel riding it then does a conventional dual-sport MC and during that initial time I *almost* sold it.

Today I ride my Trail as comfortably on or off the road as my other dual-sport bikes, in fact as of late my Trail has become my go-to grocery getter and choice for Trail rides. It's a bike I'm glad I invested the time into but I can also see why some new riders sell them so quickly.

 

[BergyPatty37]

Purchased a used 23 Green trail at the begining of September this year. After wanting one for about 3 years, I finally sold my KTM 200 EXC 2 stroke that I street legalled and got this. Before getting, for the past 3 years, I have watched a plethora of youtube videos on the Trail 125, read forums such as this, reddit posts and facebook group posts. After all the research I still wanted to get the bike, fully understanding its limitations. After getting the bike, it was actually a little better than what I thought based on my research. I went into getting the bike with super low expectations. Don't get me wrong, its not a highway commuter or even 55mph road cruiser, but it is a blast to ride back roads and on the trails. I think people getting the bikes now should be fully aware of what it can't do. I understand that when they first came out people couldn't get their hands on them, so they had to learn what it can and can't do after getting. Love the bike, its not for everyone, hell not most people. If you are like me and spent a lot of research and still determined you would accept the bike for what it is, then get one. If you need to reliably and consistenly hold 55-60, and like to ride faster in general, move on to something else.

 

[TRF90]

Purchased a used 23 Green trail at the begining of September this year. After wanting one for about 3 years, I finally sold my KTM 200 EXC 2 stroke that I street legalled and got this. Before getting, for the past 3 years, I have watched a plethora of youtube videos on the Trail 125, read forums such as this, reddit posts and facebook group posts. After all the research I still wanted to get the bike, fully understanding its limitations. After getting the bike, it was actually a little better than what I thought based on my research. I went into getting the bike with super low expectations. Don't get me wrong, its not a highway commuter or even 55mph road cruiser, but it is a blast to ride back roads and on the trails. I think people getting the bikes now should be fully aware of what it can't do. I understand that when they first came out people couldn't get their hands on them, so they had to learn what it can and can't do after getting. Love the bike, its not for everyone, hell not most people. If you are like me and spent a lot of research and still determined you would accept the bike for what it is, then get one. If you need to reliably and consistenly hold 55-60, and like to ride faster in general, move on to something else.

Made the same transition from a KTM 200 EXC. Probably for the same reasons. Will run all the Jeep trails in Big Bend National Park, including the more difficult ones. Slower than the KTM, but a lot safer.

 

[BergyPatty37]

Made the same transition from a KTM 200 EXC. Probably for the same reasons. Will run all the Jeep trails in Big Bend National Park, including the more difficult ones. Slower than the KTM, but a lot safer.

Nice, I rode my 2003 200 EXC over 85 miles one way in Maine for a camping trip in the middle of summer. It was ehausting between the vibrations, noise and super stiff seat. Amazing bike in the trails and a lot of power, but the trail is just a lot more fun to hop on and go. Quiet, smooth, reliable, great mpg, simple. The 200 EXC was a great bike and would rip, but just wasn't made to be on the road.

Curious as to your experience and why you changed. What did you think about the Trail coming from the 200 exc?

 

[TRF90]

Nice, I rode my 2003 200 EXC over 85 miles one way in Maine for a camping trip in the middle of summer. It was ehausting between the vibrations, noise and super stiff seat. Amazing bike in the trails and a lot of power, but the trail is just a lot more fun to hop on and go. Quiet, smooth, reliable, great mpg, simple. The 200 EXC was a great bike and would rip, but just wasn't made to be on the road.

Agree entirely with your assessment. I'm bit older and it was time to step off of the adrenaline machine. Never could ride that 200 slowly.

 

[Kev250R]

Purchased a used 23 Green trail at the begining of September this year. After wanting one for about 3 years, I finally sold my KTM 200 EXC 2 stroke that I street legalled and got this. Before getting, for the past 3 years, I have watched a plethora of youtube videos on the Trail 125, read forums such as this, reddit posts and facebook group posts. After all the research I still wanted to get the bike, fully understanding its limitations. After getting the bike, it was actually a little better than what I thought based on my research. I went into getting the bike with super low expectations. Don't get me wrong, its not a highway commuter or even 55mph road cruiser, but it is a blast to ride back roads and on the trails. I think people getting the bikes now should be fully aware of what it can't do. I understand that when they first came out people couldn't get their hands on them, so they had to learn what it can and can't do after getting. Love the bike, its not for everyone, hell not most people. If you are like me and spent a lot of research and still determined you would accept the bike for what it is, then get one. If you need to reliably and consistenly hold 55-60, and like to ride faster in general, move on to something else.

It's funny you mention having come from a KTM. When I started shopping for a Trail it was between a Trail and a KTM Duke 200. I ended-up buying both (not really planned; bought the KTM new, then a short time later found a great deal on a used Trail). Kept them both to see which one I'd like better. Needless to say the Trail is still in my stable while the Duke got sold-off a year ago. The Duke was a fun ride (I live near a very fun canyon road) but it didn't have a lot of use aside from canyon carving where as the Trail has become my quick ride to dinner, camping trip bike and conversation piece.