Honda 125 CM 2000 — Specifications

Twenty years in the catalog is a duration that few manufacturers can display on a 125 without embarrassment. The Honda 125 CM has met this challenge with a placidity that is very much like its general character: without any particular flair, but without any notable failures. This small inline two-cylinder engine with 124 cc appeared at a time when Honda was seeking to democratize access to motorcycles for young license holders, and it must be recognized that the recipe worked.

The engine is the heart of the subject. Two cylinders side by side, 44 mm bore for 41 mm stroke, a compression ratio of 9.4:1 and two valves per cylinder: we are far from the sophisticated architecture of modern models, but the whole turns with the regularity of a clock. The 13 horsepower peaks at 10,000 rpm and the torque of 10.8 Nm arrives at 8,500 rpm, which requires working the 5-speed gearbox to keep the machine in its useful range. On the open road, the 100 km/h announced as the maximum speed is honest, without being flattering. Faced with a Yamaha SR 125 or a Suzuki GS 125 of the same generation, the Honda 125 CM custom did not impose itself through its pure performance, but through its solidity and its plentiful spare parts network, which still makes Honda 125 CM used models very attractive today for those who know how to hold a screwdriver.

The simple steel cradle chassis carries 139 kg all full for a seat height of 750 mm, accessible to the vast majority of builds. The 31 mm telescopic fork with 140 mm of travel does the job in town, no more. The two rear shock absorbers with their 75 mm of travel contribute to correct comfort on clean asphalt. What is more striking is the drum brake system: 140 mm at the front, 130 mm at the rear. In 2000, this was already a conservative choice. The braking power remains within the range of a machine limited to 100 km/h, but the endurance of repeated braking leaves something to be desired. Nothing prohibitive for daily urban use, but it is something to keep in mind when consulting the Honda 125 CM technical manual before embarking on a restoration.

It is precisely there that the machine finds a second youth. The preparers' community has made the model a popular playground: Honda 125 CM scrambler, Honda 125 CM cafe racer, Honda 125 CM bobber, the variations are not lacking. The Keihin carburetor Honda 125 CM is replaced or rejected with accessible kits, and exhaust specialists Honda 125 CM custom offer outlets that radically transform the silhouette. The air filter Honda 125 CM custom and the spare parts Honda 125 CM custom are found without difficulty, which explains that copies dating from the Honda 125 CM 1980 still run on our roads.

At 3,050 euros in the catalog during its last commercialization, the machine was not bought to shine on exiting a corner. It was bought to learn, to swallow the urban kilometers without ruining yourself in maintenance, to constitute a basis for a serious preparation. The 12.5-liter tank offers reasonable autonomy, and the modest consumption of the two-cylinder makes this fill-up an anecdotal expense. The target audience has always been clear: A1 license, urban driver seeking reliability rather than thrills, or restorer seeking an accessible project. For all these people, the Honda 125 CM remains a common-sense value in a still well-supplied market for Honda 125 CM used parts.