The New Honda Trail 125: 5 Interesting Facts

For 2021 Honda is releasing the Honda Trail 125. The mini moto is based off of Honda’s Super Cub, but aimed at mild off-road, or at least off-pavement use. If the Trail looks familiar, it’s because it’s a modernized Honda CT110, a venerable workhorse of a small bike. The CT110 was popular in just about every corner of the world. As interest in small motorcycles and cheap and efficient transportation continues to grow into 2022, here are 5 interesting facts you should know about the new Honda Trail 125.

The First Honda Trail came out 60 years ago

If you feel like you’ve seen this bike before that’s because the first Honda Trail came out in 1961. The new model has some similarities. The original Honda Trail 50s were adaptations of Honda’s Cub (the most popular selling motorcycle of all time). One key difference is that the trails were designed for more rugged use. The 2021 Honda Trail 125 will be no exception. It comes with knobby-esque tires that will be good enough for rough terrain but not necessarily deep mud.

The new Honda Trail 125 gets 158 miles per gallon

Yes, you read that right. 158 miles per gallon, as in 1.49 litres per 100 km! The 2021 Honda Trail 125 barely sips any gas at all into it’s air cooled, single overhead cam, single cylinder two valve engine’s tiny little fuel injectors.

Combined with a 1.4 gallon (5.3 litre) fuel tank that means the 2021 Honda Trail 125cc could go over 200 miles (320 kilometers) for the change you can find in your couch.

It might have more electronics than your current motorcycle

This “mini-moto” Honda may have more electronics than your current motorcycle does. That’s because the Trail 125 comes standard with modern electronics such as an Anti-lock Braking System, which even the much bigger BMW G650GS dual sport, sure doesn’t have.

At the same time, the new Honda Trail 125 has less of other things

You’ll be able to shift gears on the 2021 Honda Trail 125 without use of a clutch. You’ll still shift with your left foot, as per usual, but you won’t have to activate a clutch lever to do so.

That’s not the only difference though. The original trail had a selectable “low-range gear” setup that essentially took the Trail’s four speed transmission and made it more of an eight speed setup. This won’t be the case for the new 2021 models.

The Honda Trail 125 only weighs 259 lbs wet

With it’s good-for-light-off-road-use tires, skid plate, 6.5” ground clearance, 3.9” front and 3.4” rear suspension travel, perhaps one of the things that make the Trail 125 so capable of going anywhere is the fact it’s curb weight, fully loaded, is only 259 lbs.

If this bike falls over, just pull it back up with one hand. You can crack open a beer from off of the standard luggage rack with your other hand.

Final thoughts

Heritage, function, and modern technology combine perfectly in Honda‘s new Trail 125. As we continue to see the motorcycle industry return to smaller, more economical motorcycles, the “mini-moto” 2021 Honda Trail 125 is the right bike at the right time.

As of right now, they are available for sale in the United States, but not in Canada. I might have to make a road trip to pick one of these up… Once they get to be a couple years old. Because they’ll last forever.