Honda 125 VARADERO XLV 2010 — Specifications

When the Yamaha TDR and Cagiva Mito deserted the 125 trail niche, Honda found itself alone holding the barricade with its Varadero. For years, enthusiasts of the genre learned to appreciate this small GT with outsized ambition, and reviews of the Honda 125 Varadero XLV 2001 and subsequent years generally confirmed the machine's unique status: serious, rewarding, but demanding in riding. For the 2010 version, Honda decided to revamp everything without breaking anything. The result is worthy of attention.

The first thing that strikes you is the design. Where previous generations played the card of robustness a bit rough, this year's model displays a noticeably more taut silhouette. The front headlight borrows from the CBR 125, the flanks reprise the generous volumes of the Transalp 650, and the whole exudes a stylistic coherence that those who have followed reviews of the Honda 125 Varadero XLV 2005 or 2007 might not have expected to this extent. Honda managed to make the machine grow without distorting it. The complete, easy-to-read dashboard contributes to this impression of seriousness.

Under the fairing, the 90-degree L-twin of 124.7 cc still does the job, but one must be honest about its limits. Fifteen horsepower at 11,000 rpm and 9.8 Nm of torque at 9,500 rpm, this is an engine that must be earned. You must keep it in the revs, exploit the 5-speed gearbox with conviction, never relax your attention. Facing 169 kg fully fueled, this V-twin works hard. The major novelty of this year's model is PGM-FI injection, inherited from the CBR 125 2007. It smoothes out the power delivery, improves fuel consumption, and allows the motorcycle to meet Euro 3 standards. In concrete terms, you gain in comfort when cold and in regularity on the road. Nothing revolutionary, but useful.

The positioning remains unchanged: this Varadero is aimed at A1 license holders who want to travel, not fight in the city against scooters. The seat height of 800 mm sorts out the stature a bit, the 16.8-liter tank allows for a beautiful range, and the top speed approaching 115 km/h allows you to tackle national roads without skimming the safety rails. Honda also offers a catalog of accessories designed for long journeys: 45-liter top case, heated grips, center stand, engine guard. Enough to transform this 125 into a mini-equipped GT, at the price of an invoice that climbs beyond the 4,990 euros base price.

It is precisely there that the shoe pinches. For this price, the competition from sporty 125s or roadsters in the segment offers lighter, more lively, or even more versatile machines in everyday use. But the Varadero does not play on this ground. It targets the driver who prefers to swallow kilometers than multiply handlebar strokes. A very specific profile, which earns it a rare customer loyalty for a category often considered a simple step towards larger displacements.