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Honda Trail 125 Forum

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What do you think of the bike now?

What do you think of the bike now?

  • Better than expected!

    Votes: 66 46.5%
  • What I expected.

    Votes: 70 49.3%
  • Disappointed.

    Votes: 6 4.2%

  • Total voters
    142

Blizzunt

New member
Joined
Dec 1, 2022
Messages
8
I really love the bike it’s so fun and the fact that it can smoothly go off road is just awesome someone mentioned on here that they wanted to upgrade their tires to a little more of an off-road style and I agree I definitely need to do that I’d also like to upgrade to the 145 or the 182 but that’s later on down the line and the only thing that I have an issue with right now is sometimes when I use the foot shift It catches a little bit so it doesn’t allow me to quickly go through the gears I have to make a conscious effort to make sure it’s back to center before shifting again
 

dmonkey

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Messages
2,136
Location
🇺🇸
I really love the bike it’s so fun and the fact that it can smoothly go off road is just awesome someone mentioned on here that they wanted to upgrade their tires to a little more of an off-road style and I agree I definitely need to do that I’d also like to upgrade to the 145 or the 182 but that’s later on down the line and the only thing that I have an issue with right now is sometimes when I use the foot shift It catches a little bit so it doesn’t allow me to quickly go through the gears I have to make a conscious effort to make sure it’s back to center before shifting again
Depending on how it's catching, that might be something you can address by loosening the bolt on the foot shift lever, removing it from the splined shaft, and then re-installing it at a different position. Marking the original position with a marker or grease pencil would let you easily put it back to the original position if that doesn't help.
 

sieg

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2022
Messages
81
It's what I expected.
I little background info; I live 3 miles from town on a farm. I have 4 other motorcycles, (my wife does too) from a dirt bike to a BMW GS, so I won't use it off road or as a highway bike. We travel in a toy hauler RV about 1/3 of the year. I'm an experienced motorcyclist (so is my wife) with over a million miles on two wheels in the last 50 plus years and some off-road racing (wife too).

Bought one a month ago to "try out" to see if we liked it, before we bought a second one. 300 miles and we do like it, so we bought another one. It does what I wanted it to do. Cruise back roads and run errands to town, bring it along in the RV to run errands too.

The mods to get it to what I expected; Sawed off the heal shifted at about 50 miles. Bent the brake pedal in and lowered it at the same time. Removed the kick lever, it bump starts easy, so no need for it. Flipped the handlebar mount around it move the bars forward. Run wire and mounted a GPS. Front rack for tools, tube and air pump, the stuff I always carry on all bikes. Mid rack for other trinkets. (Want to keep as much weight forward as I can.) Mounted a trunk on the rear rack. Swapped the chain out to O-ring. Have a 13-tooth sprocket, a side rack with Roto Pac, passenger foot pegs and seat on the shelf to use when needed. Same mods in process one the second one.
 

Easty

New member
Joined
Dec 5, 2022
Messages
8
Not a happy camper! Now that I have had a chance to ride it some I realize that without a low range the bike is useless off road even with a 13 tooth front sprocket. If I had not owned 2 of the original examples back in mid 70s to 80s I might not miss the low range as much. I will sell the 125 and try to find an original trail 90 or 110.
 

dmonkey

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Messages
2,136
Location
🇺🇸
Not a happy camper! Now that I have had a chance to ride it some I realize that without a low range the bike is useless off road even with a 13 tooth front sprocket. If I had not owned 2 of the original examples back in mid 70s to 80s I might not miss the low range as much. I will sell the 125 and try to find an original trail 90 or 110.
If you're willing to sacrifice the top speed you could try pairing the 13 tooth front sprocket with a 51 tooth rear like the CT125 Farm kit in New Zealand has.
 

martysgone

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2022
Messages
22
I guess now that I have put it through a few longer trips I can say it is about what I expected. I wish it was as light as the CT90's. I knew it was a tank before I bought it, but there are times when you are in really technical spots that you feel the extra 60+ pounds. That's not insignificant. I thought I would really miss low range. While I wish I still had it, it hasn't been a deal breaker. I also upgraded the suspension on several of my 90's, which I will be doing soon on the 125. But overall it is a way better machine comparatively.
 

TRF90

Active member
Joined
Mar 4, 2023
Messages
117
Location
West Texas
It's what I expected.
I little background info; I live 3 miles from town on a farm. I have 4 other motorcycles, (my wife does too) from a dirt bike to a BMW GS, so I won't use it off road or as a highway bike. We travel in a toy hauler RV about 1/3 of the year. I'm an experienced motorcyclist (so is my wife) with over a million miles on two wheels in the last 50 plus years and some off-road racing (wife too).

Bought one a month ago to "try out" to see if we liked it, before we bought a second one. 300 miles and we do like it, so we bought another one. It does what I wanted it to do. Cruise back roads and run errands to town, bring it along in the RV to run errands too.

The mods to get it to what I expected; Sawed off the heal shifted at about 50 miles. Bent the brake pedal in and lowered it at the same time. Removed the kick lever, it bump starts easy, so no need for it. Flipped the handlebar mount around it move the bars forward. Run wire and mounted a GPS. Front rack for tools, tube and air pump, the stuff I always carry on all bikes. Mid rack for other trinkets. (Want to keep as much weight forward as I can.) Mounted a trunk on the rear rack. Swapped the chain out to O-ring. Have a 13-tooth sprocket, a side rack with Roto Pac, passenger foot pegs and seat on the shelf to use when needed. Same mods in process one the second one.
My riding experience parallels yours in length and variety. Funny how us older guys end up back on the little bikes again. When I'm riding a more powerful dirtbike, I always feel the need for speed. The CT 125 is just a nice way to relax and unwind. The super quiet engine and excellent slow speed handling make me just want to do figure eights and putt around. Who knows? Someday, this may be the only bike I still ride.
 

Jamie

Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2022
Messages
24
So far this bike is exactly what I expected. What I didn't expect was all the attention I would get around town. On my maiden voyage into town I was followed into the hardware store by someone I know in town and asked a ton of questions. They make those again? How much did it cost? Do you want to sell it? (LOL) Etc... Repeat this encounter at the grocery store, post office and tackle shop. People love these bikes and share memories of being on the 110's/90's from their youth. Crazy.
 

Backwoods

Active member
Joined
Apr 12, 2023
Messages
162
Just bought one yesterday and rode it 50 miles home, varied my speed so it was a 2 hour ride in 75 and sunny weather, no complaints. I voted for more than expected because I was pleasantly surprised me at how big the bike is , hard to tell watching videos. Also the build quality is excellent and the parts all look beefy and well made. How it goes from $3,999 to $5,372.08 out the door is beyond me. So be prepared to pay 25-30% over sticker price if you really want one. I would not take $6000 today for my Trail. The fun factor is priceless at my age.
 

SneakyDingo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2021
Messages
1,560
What I didn't expect was all the attention I would get around town.
Yeah, kind of the only negative I have with this bike is sometimes I'm trying to get something done, and someone's all, "Heyyyy is that a Honda Trail?!"

One of the reasons why I wouldn't mind owning the XR150L as well as this.
 

oldskool

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2022
Messages
446
Yeah, kind of the only negative I have with this bike is sometimes I'm trying to get something done, and someone's all, "Heyyyy is that a Honda Trail?!"

One of the reasons why I wouldn't mind owning the XR150L as well as this.
Been a fair amount of interest in the bike. Mostly from older fellas that had a trail back in the day. :cool:Had one young guy in a Dodge Ram yell at me from the turn lane as I went past to "get a real bike":rolleyes:
 

Backwoods

Active member
Joined
Apr 12, 2023
Messages
162
Been a fair amount of interest in the bike. Mostly from older fellas that had a trail back in the day. :cool:Had one young guy in a Dodge Ram yell at me from the turn lane as I went past to "get a real bike":rolleyes:
That is funny because I actually sold my 2021 Ram and the equity I had in the leased truck paid for my new Honda 125 and I had $300 cash left over. Back in the day I had a Harley Road King Classic, this lil Honda is much more fun.
 

Newfie

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2023
Messages
8
I got mine in February and rode it a few times, once at -10. That was chilly. I now use it everyday to do farm chores and checking out logging sites. It putts along at 40-45 on the tarred roads, and is fantastic on logging roads. A useful and fun tool. I love the gas mileage and will be using it to get to remote fishing spots.
 

SLO

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2021
Messages
377
Location
meadowview virginia
I've been 3100 miles on it with factory tire and sprocket set up. It will go anywhere. It was exhausting when buried in snow or mud but I'd just muscle it out and keep going. It was hard. I almost let it go over the cliff in Oregon when I had the bright idea of going around some boulders intentionally placed in road due to hazards but I gingerly backed it up. Loose gravel made it hard to get traction to backup uphill.
I have never aired down my tires,but would have there. But I have enough experience now ( 4800 miles on Red Rocket ) not to do that shit with those tires. Cruising for a Bruising best case scenario. Over the cliff scenario justifies 150 bucks on Shinko 3/0 244s
 

DearSX

New member
Joined
May 1, 2023
Messages
8
Only had it 2 weeks, but feel much safer on this one than my 81' SC. Love the utility and having a small bike with such little maintenance required. Its great around the city, don't need than this. Wish it was lighter and had a little more top speed for going on Routes with 50-55mph speed limits. Overall its a keeper!
 

trailblazer

New member
Joined
Mar 24, 2023
Messages
6
Kinda funny how it's mostly riders familiar with the old Trails that aren't happy with the off-road performance on the new ones. Given that I might do 90/10 roads/dirt at best, the Trail meets my expectations perfectly. I'm even oddly fond of the still alien-feeling shift operation. And since I have a bigger bike for proper street riding, I find the slow speed among the Trail's best qualities. I can't putt around a neighborhood at 15-20mph on my NC without screaming in first gear or thudding at <1000rpm in second, but on the Trail, I can shift between the first three gears without breaking the speed limit. It gives me the fun of winding out the first few gears without having to engage in traffic at dangerous speeds.

The only part I don't like is how the front end feels really vague, almost loose, at super-low speeds, like when taking off from a stop. I have no idea what causes that, but a few others have mentioned it too. Perhaps something to do with the rake/trail?
 

SLO

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2021
Messages
377
Location
meadowview virginia
Kinda funny how it's mostly riders familiar with the old Trails that aren't happy with the off-road performance on the new ones. Given that I might do 90/10 roads/dirt at best, the Trail meets my expectations perfectly. I'm even oddly fond of the still alien-feeling shift operation. And since I have a bigger bike for proper street riding, I find the slow speed among the Trail's best qualities. I can't putt around a neighborhood at 15-20mph on my NC without screaming in first gear or thudding at <1000rpm in second, but on the Trail, I can shift between the first three gears without breaking the speed limit. It gives me the fun of winding out the first few gears without having to engage in traffic at dangerous speeds.

The only part I don't like is how the front end feels really vague, almost loose, at super-low speeds, like when taking off from a stop. I have no idea what causes that, but a few others have mentioned it too. Perhaps something to do with the rake/trail?
I do not know if this will help, but try riding with rear brake on to stabilize the bike. Tip from MC RIDER, YOU TUBE channel. But taking off from a stop problem ,is it does not have enough power in stock form. I can spin gravel when taking off, and even when going into second. It actually is unsafe due to lack of takeoff power as it comes off dealership floor.
 

AZ7000'

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2021
Messages
957
I think the extra 100 pounds is the biggest difference, it affects everything on the bike

Kinda funny how it's mostly riders familiar with the old Trails that aren't happy with the off-road performance on the new ones.
It actually is unsafe due to lack of takeoff power as it comes off dealership floor
Can we agree to disagree?
 
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