advice needed from Honda cbf owners (125cc)

petriodet

petriodet

petriodet

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25 May 2009
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i had my heart set on getting a honda cbr and today went into a honda dealership and put a deposit down on one at which point the sales guy introduced to the cbf, it looks a lot better in real life then it does on a pc screen, the sales was very open and happy to answer questions but i had no questions ready about the cbf as i had already ruled it out but now i'm having second thoughts.
i have a few questions about the cbf, if you could answer them for me that be great.
Is the air cooled engine ok for longs runs around 200miles ?
the rear drum brake how good/reliable is it? are the pads changeable for a wannabe mechanic?
Any niggles/problems with the bike?
this bike is going to be a weekend bike for cruises,going to see friends in london(50 miles from me) and the occasional long haul.
The guy at the dealership said he would be happy to give my money back if i decide i don't want one.
i'm open to suggestions for other bikes.
Many thanks.
 
Had a CBF125 for a couple of months before I upgraded to a bigger bike. It took me through my tests. Very reliable. Even managed to get 80mph out of it, though I'm quite small :)

I believe it's one of the most economical 125's too, over 80mpg.

I locked up the back wheel on my Mod 1 practice so I guess the rear break works ok ;)
 
Prefer the CBR125, has disc brakes front & rear, but handling is very quick and light.
Nearly caught me out first time I rode my mate's, but I prefer trials bikes myself, higher up.

Haven't ridden the CBF 125, so I can't comment.

But, my favourite 125cc bike would be the Yamaha YZF-R125.
 
Last edited:
Nightglow said:
But, my favourite 125cc bike would be the Yamaha YZF-R125.
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i did look at the yzf bit out of my price range although if i go for an older one with more i could get one but i'm looking for something fairly new with lowish miles.
a ktm duke has just come up within my price range really tempted to go with that.
what do people think of the ktm duke?
 
CBF125 is the predecessor to the legendary CG125. Basically, it'll do everything that it says on the tin, they're great, simple, learner friendly bikes.

The air cooled engine will be fine for any mileage, don't worry about that.

The problem with the CBR is the fairings. Drop it (which you most likely will!) and they're very expensive to replace, also insurance is usually a bit more costly for this reason.
 
Scythe said:
CBF125 is the predecessor to the legendary CG125. Basically, it'll do everything that it says on the tin, they're great, simple, learner friendly bikes.

The air cooled engine will be fine for any mileage, don't worry about that.

The problem with the CBR is the fairings. Drop it (which you most likely will!) and they're very expensive to replace, also insurance is usually a bit more costly for this reason.
Click to expand...

i'm 22 the insurance is only £40 (per year) difference so i'm not to worried about that, the two things that worry me about the cbf was the drum brake and the air cooled engine, it's nice to know that they probably won't cause me any issues.
the ktm duke has really thrown a spanner in the works i really want one of them.

Edit: what are fairings?
 
I had a CBF for 1800 miles (3 months) and it was a great bike. Even with my substantial sack of spuds body plonked on the bike it did over 100mpg.
There does seem an issue with long term rust on some bikes but this is covered by the warranty.

Overall it was a great bike I just caught the bug and big bikes called :)
 
Just seen a Kawasaki D-TRACKER 125 a 4 stroke sohc, outside the shop this morning.
Trials bikes didn't look that good 30 years ago, has full disc brakes, digital displays, etc.

And the boy racer had fitted a Power Commander Fuel Injection Controller unit,cost him about £250, it remaps the the fuel flow for more power,smoothness,etc, plus he had changed the gearing, he reckon he could hit 80mph, would have like to try it & see.:(
 
Have a CBF125 and it hasn't put a foot wrong. Nice easy riding position and its my main commuter. get 127Mpg out of it. Wish it had more power sometimes going up hill but its fine for everything else.
 
so i passed my cbt on sunday and have just bought the cbf.
i decided there wasn't enough advantages to having the cbr over cbf apart from the looks.
 
We picked up my sons Honda CBR125 for £1300 with 950 miles on the clock last June and it was a 56 plate, been rock solid since... I've just done 700 miles on it since passing my CBT on Easter Sunday, and would reccomend one, handles well (not that I'd know being a noobie), but handled better than the YBF I did my CBT on and felt sturdier altogether... disc brakes all around, looks better and I've done a 140 mile round trip on one go, bum a little sore but with a couple of stops for a cuppa and a pint ;-) job done.

Hope you enjoy that CBF enjoy and get out there!"
 
Scythe said:
CBF125 is the predecessor to the legendary CG125. Basically, it'll do everything that it says on the tin, they're great, simple, learner friendly bikes.
Click to expand...

It's the successor to the CG125 ;)

There are no issues with the rear brake being a drum; a rear disk on a 125cc machine is purely a styling exercise. In fact in the long term a mechanically operated drum brake will likely be more reliable than a hydraulically operated disc as there are no caliper pistons or sliders to seize.

The limiting factor on journey length will be the endurance of the rider, they are very simple and very robust engines. Keep it topped up with oil and check the valve clearances when recommended and it will go on for years.
 
petriodet said:
i did look at the yzf bit out of my price range although if i go for an older one with more i could get one but i'm looking for something fairly new with lowish miles.
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Got mine nearly 3 years ago, for £3k, was in a dealership yesterday and they're now £4.4k :eek: Yamaha pricing is weird.

Also, I don't like the look of the new CBR, sure it's bigger than the toy older version, but it just looks so poorly designed and built to the lowest possible price in my opinion.
 
Well that's what they thought but wouldn't admit it. During the first 5000 miles it cut out a handful of times and would restart. I blamed it on my riding style. However after the 5000 miles service it got worse to the point it was dangerous, it would just cut out and not restart, I got quite the nack of knowing when it would go and restarting on the move however it didn't always which was an issue if going through junctions or filtering in traffic.

It went in several times, first they changed the fuel pump, then the oil temp sensor and after 3 more failed attempts at fixing it I contacted Honda Customer services to complain, they were useless. In the end I had a chat with the owner of the dealership and they gave me a brand new bike. My old one they sold second hand so god help the new owner!

The moment I picked up the new bike I knew there was something wrong, the engine tone was different and there was a rattle coming from the underside. The fairings had been put on badly and the seat was missing one of the bungs from under the seat which made it loose but I couldn't find what was rattling. It went back 3 times for the bits to be fixed and to identify the odd noises. They couldn't and told me the bike was absolutely fine, even though when I rode identical bikes they sounded different. In the meantime I was doing my DAS and when I passed I sold they bike before it got worse.

The plan was to keep the CBF for longer but I had had enough of the "reliable" Honda. I bought the first one brand new for £2k and I sold the 2nd for £1950. So for 18 months use and a lot of hassle the Honda 125 experience cost me £50:D
 
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