2013–2016 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
City Gremlin You Can't Ignore
Honda built a real motorcycle at pit bike scale, and that is the whole story of the MSX125. The air-cooled 125 cc single makes 10 hp and 8 lb-ft through a 4-speed gearbox, but what separates this thing from a cheap commuter is the hardware around it: an upside-down fork, a 220 mm front disc, wide 12-inch wheels front and rear, all on a 47.2 in wheelbase. At 225 lb wet it weighs less than the rider on it. Grown-up parts in toy proportions is exactly why the aftermarket adopted this bike so hard.
On the road it works because nothing about it is intimidating. The 30.1 in seat lets almost anyone flat-foot it, the controls ask nothing of you, and the payoff is that city speeds feel genuinely quick with the wind hitting you square in the chest. It ages well, too. There is very little on it to go wrong, and what does wear out is cheap and simple to replace. The honest caveat is the ceiling. Top speed is 60 mph, so any freeway leg is off the table, and the 1.5 gal tank asks for regular stops even though it barely drinks.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 10 hp (7 kW) @ 7,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 8 lb-ft (11 Nm) @ 5,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 125 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 4-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 220 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-12 |
| Rear tire | 130/70-12 |
| Wheelbase | 47.2 in (1200 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.1 in (765 mm) |
| Wet weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 1.5 gal (5.5 L) |
| Top speed | 60 mph (96 km/h) |
Over the years this bike has come up constantly: in paddocks, at club nights, in owner conversations, and in the messages riders send me directly. Nobody talks about the MSX125 in terms of numbers. They talk about how much of their week it ends up in, and where it stops making sense.
The fun factor dominates every conversation. Riders describe short errands turning into long detours, and they say it consistently. Handling sits right behind it. The short wheelbase and low weight make it flickable on a twisty backroad, and owners say it pulls a spirited style out of them. Running costs come up almost as an afterthought: fuel goes nowhere, servicing is cheap, and nobody complains about the bill.
Two gripes repeat. Riders over six feet report knees meeting the bars at full lock and a riding position that gets tight once the ride runs long. And the engine runs out of room the moment the road opens up: into a headwind or up a grade, owners say it will not hold pace. A smaller but steady note concerns surfaces, where the basic suspension and small wheels pass rough pavement straight through to the rider.
Fuel pump failure (recall)
Honda recalled 2014-2015 Grom models for a fuel pump issue that could cause engine stalling.
Excessive vibration at idle
Some owners report noticeable vibrations at idle from the single-cylinder engine.
Premature chain rust
The OEM chain is prone to rusting if not meticulously maintained.
Wobbly tires at higher speeds
Some bikes experience front tire wobble at higher speeds, possibly due to tire balance or suspension setup.
Where this Honda MSX 125 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the MSX 125 is actually built for.
In town it is close to perfect, and it will be the most photographed bike at the meet. But 60 mph is the ceiling, so the freeway run out to Skyline is not something this bike can do for you.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
Straight answer: no. Angeles Crest wants speed and freeway miles just to reach it, and this bike has neither. Great fun with friends on back streets, wrong tool for your Sunday.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
