What do you think of the bike now?

[rdkeith]

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.

 

[McRuss]

Just picked up my 'one owner' used 2022, 266 miles. It is still in the truck, am off to the trails tomorrow to ride with some friends from TX. Should be fun. One question though if anyone sees this in time:
The DPO did not get the owner's manual with the bike, has been arguing with the dealer (I will take up the argument Saturday) so I don't know what the suggested break in miles are. The DPO said the first service is 600 miles so I suspect that could be considered 'broken in.'

Russ

 

[SneakyDingo]

Just picked up my 'one owner' used 2022, 266 miles. It is still in the truck, am off to the trails tomorrow to ride with some friends from TX. Should be fun. One question though if anyone sees this in time:
The DPO did not get the owner's manual with the bike, has been arguing with the dealer (I will take up the argument Saturday) so I don't know what the suggested break in miles are. The DPO said the first service is 600 miles so I suspect that could be considered 'broken in.'

Russ

There's an electronic version of the owner's manual.

The owners manual in case you are interested

https://cdn.powersports.honda.com/documentum/MWOM/ml.remawmom.2021_31k2ea00_trail_125.pdf TB Thanks for putting this in the correct section.

hondatrail125.com

Page 9 highlights 300 mi is the break in period.



EDIT: I have a maintenance thread linked in my sig, but the thing you should be aware of is the auto clutch went out of tolerance fairly quickly for me. If you're finding shifting is a bit... meh, try doing the automatic clutch adjust procedure. It takes 30s and IMO should be a starting point for resolving problems.

 

[McRuss]

Second impression.
My first impression was based on what I saw when I picked it up. Beautiful and ready to go!
Now that I've ridden it about 40 miles (more on that in a bit), I have one serious issue and that is the shifter! I had planned on doing some trail riding with some buds but a quick ride around town put an end to that. The heel/toe design does not work for me. As soon as I got it home, I rotated the shifter one spline; not perfect by any means but better. I'm hesitant to start cutting on a new bike but at least the heel thing is out of the way. The toe is too high to easily up shift but it can be done. I think part of the issue with this bike and the shifter is the amount of travel it takes to initiate the shift, either up or down. Much more than any other bike I've ridden with a foot shift but I understand why it is the way it is.

So, other than cutting the heel off, and rotating one spline, what else can be done? Are there any known shift levers out there that will fit the 125? Maybe from a Honda XR for example?

Oh, the initial ride. I hauled the bike 40 miles to my riding area to meet up with buds from TX. About five miles out of the town of Cloudcroft, my truck blew an upper radiator hose. I couldn't get one locally (very small town) so I rode the Trail 125 home and got my wife to take me to a parts house that had one and then back to Cloudcroft to retrieve my truck. Upside was that I learned the limitation of the bike on hills and the fun of downhill sweepers (nothing could catch me!) Hit 51 mph at one point and now have over 300 miles do I guess we are broke in!

Whew! Sorry for the extended post.

 

[SneakyDingo]

<stuff>

I don't know of any replacements yet. Replacement OEM shifters are less than $50, currently $30 from Revzilla though, so if you're ok with spending $30 for a replacement, break out the hacksaw.

PEDAL, GEARSHIFT, P/N 24701-K2E-T00

 

[AZ7000']

Here comes my broken record reply. Try to tap down on the rear with your toe to go up, tap down on the front to downshift…. We have 5 other bikes in the garage and I have been shifting CT’s this way for 10+ years and the other bikes the standard way, up and down with the toe.
Just an idea to try…

 

[McRuss]

Here comes my broken record reply. Try to tap down on the rear with your toe to go up, tap down on the front to downshift…. We have 5 other bikes in the garage and I have been shifting CT’s this way for 10+ years and the other bikes the standard way, up and down with the toe.
Just an idea to try…

Yea, I tried that, just was not natural AND the heel part was way to high. I found a replacement 'standard' lever (Yamaha XS650) for 8.95 plus shipping. Will give it a try, So now in the garage are three bikes and not one with a clutch lever but each is different! The Spyder uses a paddle shifter, the Vespa a CVT (love that scoot!) and now the 125. If I can just sort out the shifting, I'll be trail bound soon (knobbies on order, 13 tooth sprocket installed.)

 

[Opfor656]

Exactly what I expected. It's quiet capable running around town (small town in Oklahoma, one McDonalds, one grocery store size) and a hoot on all those back roads/dirt roads out here on the prairie, along with the fields and woods. But on highways with limits over 45, no way. Perfect evening and weekend escape vehicle. Plan on taking it on multi day/overnight treks through the backroads soon, in OK you can go from one end of the state to the other without ever hitting highway.

 

[FastEddyz]

I've had mine for 8 months and I still get excited when i know I'm going for a ride. I look forward to going to the office when im gonna ride my Trail. Granted, its my first bike in (in my 40s) , but it will always put a smile on your face.

 

[SneakyDingo]

NGL, after 6 months, I find myself looking for excuses to take it for a spin. We have eaten a LOT more takeout since I got the bike than before it.

A flip side to this is takeout delivery prices are also pretty crazy lately; the MSRP of the bike is $4k, and the delivery fee is $25, so after 160 orders the bike will have paid for itself. That's my argument and I'm sticking to it.

 

[McRuss]

Second impression.
Third and last impression:

I added a 13t sprocket, Yamaha shifter, knobby tires and took it back to Cloudcroft to ride some single track. First effort was about 3 miles of 'beginner' trail. It did OK but I was not thrilled with the way it handled. I was in 1st gear more that I thought I should have been, given the sprocket change and the front end was 'twitchy' in the small rocks. So then I loaded it up and took it to a more advanced single track. I rode it about a mile and decided I'd had enough.
It now belongs to a guy in California, delivered it to him via a friend of his who was in Albuquerque for the balloon festival. I think the Trail 125 is OK for running around town but I also think Honda missed the boat by not incorporating the old 'dual range' selector. It just didn't work for me.

 

[jilted32]

I added a 13t sprocket, Yamaha shifter, knobby tires and took it back to Cloudcroft to ride some single track. First effort was about 3 miles of 'beginner' trail. It did OK but I was not thrilled with the way it handled. I was in 1st gear more that I thought I should have been, given the sprocket change and the front end was 'twitchy' in the small rocks. So then I loaded it up and took it to a more advanced single track. I rode it about a mile and decided I'd had enough.
It now belongs to a guy in California, delivered it to him via a friend of his who was in Albuquerque for the balloon festival. I think the Trail 125 is OK for running around town but I also think Honda missed the boat by not incorporating the old 'dual range' selector. It just didn't work for me.

My is a great commuter, grocery getter, ride to the coffee shop, bike. I enjoy riding it. I think that you have to remember that the Trail is not, and was never meant to be, a moto cross bike, but simply a bike that can ride on the street, or on trails, with that versatility comes compromise in both settings.

 

[McRuss]

I never expected it to be "a moto cross bike!" Give me a break. It is touted as a "Trail" bike but was a pitiful failure on single track trails at 8,000 feet. Not enough power, even in 1st with the 13tooth, and along with the weird shift action, a tendency for the front end to 'wander.' And I think yours is perfect for what you do with it. I use my 2020 Vespa GTS300 (over twice the CC's and 3 times the HP) for those exact chores. And I also agree that there has to be some compromise. The old CT90's had that great dual range transmission that eliminated some of the compromise when it was taken off the street. This one has very limited 'off street' capability, at least in my environs. But it is moot now, I image the bike is happier with its new owner at sea level!

 

[AZ7000']

It is touted as a "Trail" bike but was a pitiful failure on single track trails at 8,000 feet.

I believe "a pitiful failure on single track trails" may be a bit strong... In my view at 7000' it seems to do what I expected and I have fun. I do also have a ct-90 i daily drive to work and our family rides dirt bikes.

Hasta

 

[m in sc]

I never expected it to be "a moto cross bike!" Give me a break. It is touted as a "Trail" bike but was a pitiful failure on single track trails at 8,000 feet. Not enough power, even in 1st with the 13tooth, and along with the weird shift action, a tendency for the front end to 'wander.' And I think yours is perfect for what you do with it. I use my 2020 Vespa GTS300 (over twice the CC's and 3 times the HP) for those exact chores. And I also agree that there has to be some compromise. The old CT90's had that great dual range transmission that eliminated some of the compromise when it was taken off the street. This one has very limited 'off street' capability, at least in my environs. But it is moot now, I image the bike is happier with its new owner at sea level!

agreed. lets be honest here, its a tarted up super cub. I use mine the same as 'jilted32' does and am very happy with it. I was 'going' to buy a new drz a few weeks ago but realized 1: id never use it in the dirt and 2: with my 'new' 2 projects i was running out of room fast. I mean, anything can be ridden off road, ive seen goldwings and ninja 250s ridden off road before. Hell, in may i (mistakenly) took my cb1100 up a pretty treacherous trail off the Cherahola skyway. Angie was both impressed and terrified at the same time. lol.

this was the top of the hill to the trailhead, about 3 miles in. most of it the gravel was gone, deep ruts and washouts the whole way, was so narrow, i had to get to the top to turn around. still doesn't make it a good trail bike.. but it did it.

 

[op46]

Not really a trail bike in the mountains. Flat country, through pastures even single hard track its fine. Super, super grocery fetcher and putz around a village or town. Had two for a year, sold one to a friend for Oklahoma range riding and bought a 2022 Honda CB500X with his funds. Think I was on the same gravel road "m in sc" was on with it last month. That was great (do need a skid plate to keep grave off under pan). The CT is just to under powered to be a off road trail bike in an area with any elevation to deal with unless you up grade the front sprocket I guess and put the Shinko 244s on. I see it ideal for riding around in Thailand around the low country rice paddies and beach areas. Its really a small town grocery getter or feed the cows bike. I would buy another if it was bigger in bore and power, with a standard clutch I like the hell out of the step thru design and luggage rack in the back. I like the CT185 you see concept pictures of. Still I always wanted one of these back in the CT90 days (went with a SL125 instead cause of a 10 mile 60 mph commute). I will keep this CT125 and let the folks fighting over who gets what in my estate decide who gets it.

 

[m in sc]

was it (coming from tellico plains) to the left per chance? went up to a falls trail head? if so, thats the one.

 

[op46]

was it (coming from tellico plains) to the left per chance? went up to a falls trail head? if so, thats the one.

That it be. Taking the Harley up next week to catch the leaf turn and maybe do the Tail of the Dragon? That trail you mentioned starts as a nice paved road along the river and then turns to gravel here just past the bridge. Goes thru the primitive campground area and a little cabin town, then starts to climb up the mountains. We went left instead of right like we where supposed to at a fork and wound up on a road with drop offs of several hundreds of feet down to the river bottom. That trail took us into North Carolina. I don't know how they got the track/rode/trail to stay attached to the side of the mountains. Driving off would certainly be a bad thing. You would never get your bike back if you lived through it. The DR500X and the V-Strom didn't care for the gravel but had the power, the little CF230 Honda liked the gravel just fine being light and having trail tires. I think the stock CT125 could have done it but would be at a crawl and in 2nd most of the time with my fat ass 220lbs on it.

 

[m in sc]

it was a sweet destination but on a 400+ lb cb1100 2 up was not.. great. lol. would have been much better on the trail, but still treacherous to say the least.
.

 

[SLO]

Not really a trail bike in the mountains. Flat country, through pastures even single hard track its fine. Super, super grocery fetcher and putz around a village or town. Had two for a year, sold one to a friend for Oklahoma range riding and bought a 2022 Honda CB500X with his funds. Think I was on the same gravel road "m in sc" was on with it last month. That was great (do need a skid plate to keep grave off under pan). The CT is just to under powered to be a off road trail bike in an area with any elevation to deal with unless you up grade the front sprocket I guess and put the Shinko 244s on. I see it ideal for riding around in Thailand around the low country rice paddies and beach areas. Its really a small town grocery getter or feed the cows bike. I would buy another if it was bigger in bore and power, with a standard clutch I like the hell out of the step thru design and luggage rack in the back. I like the CT185 you see concept pictures of. Still I always wanted one of these back in the CT90 days (went with a SL125 instead cause of a 10 mile 60 mph commute). I will keep this CT125 and let the folks fighting over who gets what in my estate decide who gets it.View attachment 4000

Leave them all an equal share, then laugh like HELL long before you go !