Honda CLR 125 CITYFLY 2002 — Specifications

Do you remember those unclassifiable motorcycles Honda was putting out at the turn of the 2000s, those little rolling objects that didn't fit into any category? The Honda CLR 125 Cityfly, 2002 vintage, belongs to that family of hybrid machines, somewhere between a miniature trail bike, a living-room scrambler, and a motorized pedicab. A strange concept on paper, but one that makes perfect sense the moment you strap on a helmet to cross a city.

On the technical side, the Honda CLR 125 Cityfly spec doesn't go overboard. Its four-stroke single-cylinder 124 cc engine, with two valves per cylinder, delivers 11 horsepower at 8250 rpm for a torque of 10.2 Nm at 6500 rpm. We're a long way from the firepower of an Aprilia RS 125 two-stroke or even a Yamaha TW 125, which played in the same offbeat urban register. The five-speed gearbox gets the job done without standing out, and top speed caps at 105 km/h. Let's be clear: the Honda CLR 125 Cityfly was not designed to eat up highway miles. Attempting an overtake on a dual carriageway is more of a gamble than a relaxed riding experience. The engine spins, expresses itself politely, but delivers no real sensation of hard acceleration. It's a docile unit, almost too well-behaved, one that prefers traffic lights to mountain passes.

Where this little Honda comes into its own is in its natural habitat: the urban jungle. At 128 kg wet weight and with a seat height of 815 mm, it slips through anywhere. The tubular steel single-cradle frame provides enough rigidity to inspire confidence through sequences of roundabouts, and the 37 mm telescopic hydraulic fork adequately soaks up Parisian or Lyonnais potholes. The braking setup, consisting of a 240 mm front disc with a twin-piston caliper and a 110 mm rear drum, offers decent bite for its intended use. Nothing to rival a sport-oriented setup, but more than enough to come to a clean stop in the city. The somewhat unusual 90/90-19 front and 110/90-17 rear tires, atypical for a 125, give it that little trail bike look that makes up a good part of its visual charm.

A Honda CLR 125 Cityfly test ride also reveals a few weaknesses it would be dishonest to gloss over. The mirrors, for starters, prove inadequate in terms of visibility. Having to constantly turn your head to check what's coming up behind you, especially on a multi-lane boulevard, gets annoying fast. The 12-liter tank, paired with particularly reasonable fuel consumption, does however provide comfortable range for daily use. Honda had the good sense to include an electric starter and a factory luggage rack, two practical details that matter in everyday riding.

If you're looking for a clear-cut Honda CLR 125 Cityfly review, here it is: it's a strictly urban machine, honest and unpretentious, that fulfills its daily commuter contract with thoroughly Japanese reliability. As a used Honda CLR 125 Cityfly, it represents a smart choice for an A1 license holder or a rider who simply wants a reliable tool for the daily commute. At its original price of 3047 euros, Honda offered a charming little vehicle, economical to run and easy to live with. Don't ask it to be a sportbike, don't ask it to be an adventure trail. Accept it for what it is: a two-wheeled city runabout, no frills and no apologies.