Nothing special to look at, or to ride, but having won over millions of riders all over the world with its renowned reliability, the Honda CG125 still makes the perfect bike for newbie and high-mileage riders alike. With its decades of improvements and fool-proof engine build, there’s no use arguing with the millions of commuters worldwide who have chosen this economical easy-rider as their faithful hound.
A simple design that won’t win any style awards
Styling
Over the decades the Honda CG125 has had the bare minimum done to keep it contemporary with the new kids on the block and has gradually gone from the runt of classic ‘70s Japanese bikes to something that looks more akin to the boy-racer scooters of the noughties.
Handling
With the Honda CG, you get what you pay for. It’s never won any awards for its cornering and the suspension is basic. However, the CG does feature adjustable shocks, so while the bike is predominantly built for solo riders of small stature, the relatively generous seat allows for a pillion and the bike is capable, if required, of taking a much heavier load. (This reviewer has seen many a family of four aback a CG.)
Keep it simple – Honda CG125 details
Engine
The small but sturdy four-stroke engine at the root of the CG’s success has seen almost no alteration over the years – Honda somewhat wisely opting for the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach.
The old CGs suffered, as many bikes of their era did, from a clunky gearbox and while riding one it came as no surprise to find neutral just about everywhere except where you needed it, but this was greatly ironed out with the new, smoothed and improved gearboxes which appeared on the CG as of 2004. The same models also saw an ever-so-slight increase in power, and, while Honda still gave the maximum speed as 65 mph, riders will find it possible – though not recommended – to reach speeds in the low seventies…down a steep hill, bent flat over the tank, with the wind behind them.
Features
Model updates included disc brakes, mirrors, a fuel gauge, a larger tank, a fifth gear and an electric start (with the 2001-2004 CGs maintaining their kick start and thus boasting the best of both worlds).
However, it has been suggested – by those among us fond of using the expression “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to” – that the CG’s characteristic rugged durability was, in later models, sacrificed in the name of aesthetic appearance. An obvious example of this was the replacement of the old fully-enclosed chain guard for a less practical but more stylish one.
Nothing special to see here either – Honda Cg125
Reliability
Anyone familiar with the CG would agree that its main selling point is its reliability. The Toyota of the motorcycle world, the Honda CG125 stands as the poster-child of Japanese engineering. It is often said of the CG that, provided it gets the minimum in maintenance, it will run forever, and indeed, it was designed for this very purpose, when the CB engine got the pushrod treatment and Honda added a dust-proof chain casing and washable foam air-filter for good measure. Many have put the CG’s resilience to the test – not least Simon Gandolfi, who the reader may remember as the 73-year-old who rode a second-hand CG125 down the entire length of Latin America.
Cost
Gandolfi’s reasons for choosing the CG are the same reasons we should all consider owning one: parts are available everywhere, as are mechanics who know their way around one, they’re less desirable to thieves than a big, shiny, new Harley, and most importantly, they’re cheap.
It goes, it stops, it goes again the next day
Caltric REAR BRAKE SHOES Fits HONDA CG125 CG 125 CG-125 2004-2008
Insurance
The CG also lies in insurance bracket three (of up to 22) so, unless you want to be poodling around on a cheap 50cc scooter, you’d be hard pressed to find a bike that promises lower insurance quotes.
Overall
All this makes for the perfect bike for young and improving riders, as well as a hardy workhorse or commuter. Due to the limitations of its engine, it is a bike best suited to the busy, congested cities that it is most popular in – from Tokyo to Sao Paulo, Istanbul to Mexico City, London to Karachi – and areas where road conditions prohibit high-speed riding. In other words, this is not one for the autobahn.
