Honda CBF125 is not just for Christmas

Dec 15 2008 Harriet Ridley

IT'S taken a credit crunch for many to realise the value of motorcycles.

While the auto industry is in freefall as cars are the first luxury item to suffer, the bike industry continues to grow.

So I find myself caning one of the fastest motorcycles on the market. Not one of the fastest in terms of outright speed, that is; this baby struggles to top 70mph. But one of the fastest out of the shops. I'm talking about Honda's new offering for learners, the CBF125.

Just as the CBR125 is the baby version of the CBR1000RR and 600RR sports machines, the CBF125 is a mini version of the CBF1000 and 600 novice-friendly machines.

Okay, so this hardly qualifies it as the height of excitement. But judging by demand so far, the CBF125's certainly on many people's wish list. But then, it does cost less than £2,000! You try and get a public transport season ticket for that.

The baby CBF has even got an mpg to match its cylinder capacity - a whopping 125. Not to forget that you're exempt from congestion charging on two wheels, and tax is negligible.

As any seasoned motorcyclist will tell you, power and engine capacity have nothing to do with how quickly you'll get from A to B when travelling across a busy city centre. It's about agility and squeezing through small gaps in traffic.

And boy is this featherweight agile. I was chucking the CBF125 about like it was a Christmas toy. To my shock and horror, I found the CBF125 wasn't just about practicality. It's a blast to thrash around your favourite street corners.

This cheap mini motorcycle proved brilliant fun even in the constant drizzle that afflicted the test. Simply abide by the old saying 'there's no bad weather, only poor clothing', don your best Gore-Tex gear, and open up that throttle to enjoy the lively 125cc four-stroke engine that demands to be caned everywhere, no mechanical sympathy required. It's a Honda after all so supposedly indestructible.

A small fairing means that as long as you're not too big you can just about tuck under it to duck windblast on the motorway, and just about hit 75mph with a tail wind. There aren't any obtrusive vibrations in the powerband either, although the front end feels a little flighty at 70mph.

Looks-wise, this is no sexy Aprilia RS125. But it's around two grand cheaper and at least it looks like a proper motorcycle, not a scooter. Honda has devoted some attention to styling by giving its CBF125 clean lines and sporty six-spoke, 17-inch wheels.

Everyone knows that the motorcycle you learn to ride on will get abused and dropped on a daily basis, so you don't want anything too expensive anyway. Besides, use it to commute everyday and unless you're big into cleaning, the bike will soon be so dirty by the end of the working week no one will be able to tell what it is.

If you're thinking of buying a 125cc motorcycle to learn to ride on, or for fun commuting around town, or maybe you have a teenager who's begging for a first bike for Christmas, then other cheap 125s to look out for are the Derbi Cross City 125 at £1,899, the Kymco Pulsar 125 at £1,499 and the Yamaha YBR125 at £1,999. Just don't overlook Honda's bargain CBF125.

FAST FACTS

Honda CBF125

Price : £1,999

Engine : 124.7cc, single-cylinder four-stroke with two valves

Performance : 11.1bhp at 8,000rpm, 8.3lb/ft of torque at 6,250rpm

Max speed : 74mph

Transmission : Five-speed gearbox, chain final drive.

Combined mpg : 125