Honda CRM 125 R 2000 — Specifications

Who still remembers this oddball, this Honda CRM 125 R that tried to marry the soul of a crosser with the practicality of a touring bike? At the turn of the 90s, and still in 2000, it looked like a UFO in the landscape of 125 two-strokes. It was far from the strict CR crosser; the simple back-bone frame and long suspension (270 mm at the front, 285 at the rear) promised adventures off the beaten track, while its lights and speedometer offered legitimacy on the asphalt. A seductive proposition on paper, especially for those who dreamed of a single machine to do everything.

But it’s under the 10.5-liter tank that the trouble lies. The 124.8 cm3 two-stroke single-cylinder engine, announcing 28 horsepower, suffers from a profoundly confusing character. This is due to a clumsy restriction that stifles the engine until 8000 rpm, making it anemic, almost soft at low revs. Pass this threshold, and it's a brutal awakening, a sudden release of the 19.6 Nm of torque that propels the 130 kg wet weight with unexpected liveliness. This dichotomy is a real poison in mixed use. In the city, it's frustrating. On a technical trail, where progressiveness is queen, it requires virtuoso clutch lever management.

However, you shouldn't throw the Honda CRM 125 R out with the bathwater. Its mechanics are indestructible, a Honda house quality. Its chassis, with a seat height of 930 mm, offers remarkable stability once underway. It swallows the bumpy trails with disconcerting ease, much more comfortable there than in traffic. The disc brakes, correct for the time, and the six-speed gearbox are serious assets. At 135 km/h top speed, it has nothing to be ashamed of compared to its contemporaries.

So, who is this 1990 Honda CRM 125 R resurrected in 2000 for? Clearly not for a pure beginner, who will be destabilized by its scalpel-like torque. It's the ideal motorcycle for the solitary wanderer, the one who lives at the end of a dirt road and sees asphalt as a constraint. For 3500 euros today, you buy a piece of history, an engine capable of laughing at potholes and taking you far from speed cameras. But you must accept its demanding character, this two-stroke engine that whispers before howling. A counter-current motorcycle, imperfect, but terribly endearing to those who know how to tame it.