Replacing the much loved Cb92 in 1964 the CB93 was a most worthy replacement, sharing a similar chassis and braking system to the exotic Honda CR93 race machine, this 15ps bike could top 128mph and looked simply superb, and incidentally sharing many components with the CB96 or CB160 as it was more commonly referred to. In 1966 the CB93 suffix was dropped and the model became just a CB125, sharing much in common with the outgoing model, mainly the centre cam drive engine. In 1967, the CB125SS adopted the much lighter and more compact side cam drive engine, and with cylinders much closer together was even smoother.
source.image: classic-motorcycle.com
- Model: CB 125 K3
- Year: 1969
- Displacement: 125 cc
- Cylinder: 2
- Engine type: 4-stroke / ohc
- Bore / Stroke: 44 x 41 mm
- Power: 15hp @ 10000 rpm
- Compression Ratio: 9.4 : 1
- Weight: 119 kg
- Top Speed: c.115 km/h
Power remained at 15ps, but now at 11000 rpm, with a model now weighing in at only 111kg some 16kg lighter. This model compromised by only four speeds and no rev-counter was replaced the following year with the CB125 K2 with similar chassis, but now with 5 speeds and a speedometer/rev-counter recessed into the headlight. This is probably the best and fastest of it’s genre, the Japan model having an electric start, the general export model did not.
The K2 model also introduced new ‘candy’ colour schemes to the quarter litre class, and like it’s predecessor lasted only one year before replacement with the new upright CB125K3 with a semi fabricated frame, which led the way for all the rest of the k series and B6 model 125’s which were all powered by the same lightweight ultra compact twin cylinder engine.
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The final CB125 sports twin was the CB125T range first launched in 1977, this was the fastest four stroke production 125cc twin ever produced, and still has not been bettered up to the present day it’s 16bhp @11500 rpm engine propelled this bike, in the right hands to 88 mph! All subsequent Honda CB125 twins have used this 44mm x 41mm bore and stroke engine, from sports bikes to cruisers in various states of tune, but by the end of the 1980’s Honda stopped producing 125 twins. This reliable CB 125 has been restored recently.
