Following on from the enormous success of the Super Cub, launched in 1958, Honda decided to stir the pot and came up with the CT range of ‘off-road’ versions in 1964. They were sold in the U.S. up to 1986 and then discontinued until 2020, when a new version was released, again based on the Super Cub, which had also been completely revamped. Offering reliable and practical transport, Honda didn’t forget that it also had to be fun to ride.
Honda started building the first Trail models of the Super Cub in 1964. Back then, they were called the CT range and were sold in the U.S. up to 1986, although they lasted longer in other territories.
In 2019, Honda could no longer ignore the retro craze that was sweeping the motorcycle industry and, rather than build a retro version of the original CB750 and meet Kawasaki and its Z900 head-to-head, it decided to go with its most iconic and largest-selling bike, the Super Cub, which it thoroughly overhauled for a new generation of riders. Along with the overhaul, came the decision to revisit the CT125 theme, this time calling it the ST125 Trail.
If you owned a Trail 110 back in 1986, you’ll hardly be able to tell the difference between that and the new ST125 Trail.
The ST125 Trail is not simply a Super Cub with different styling: the chassis has been beefed up, there is more ground clearance and the suspension travel is slightly longer. It is fitted with dual-purpose tyres and has an engine bash plate to protect the engine against impact. The rear steel carrier can carry a useful 44 pounds and there is no provision for pillion pegs or seat so you’ll have all the fun to yourself.
The original Super Cub of 1958 was designed to be easy for anyone to ride, featuring a three-speed gearbox and a centrifugal clutch so all you needed to do was stamp the lever into gear and twist the throttle, no clutch lever needed. What’s even better is that it’s almost impossible to stall the engine.
The ST125 Trail, like all Super Cub derivatives, continues that system, albeit with a four speed gearbox today. The single cylinder 125cc engine will power you to a giddy 55mph top speed and, now with fuel injection, it will run reliably at any altitude. The rear sprocket is three teeth larger than on the Super Cub for better off-road performance and the engine is tuned for low and mid-range torque. The exhaust is high-mounted to enable shallow water crossings and the air intake for the fuel injection is also mounted high up, just under the platform of the rear carrier.
The ST125 Trail might have fuel injection and electric start, meaning it will always start, hot or cold and there is no petrol tap to forget to turn on but there is a kick start as well so that, should the battery run flat, you can still kick it over, meaning that you will never be stranded in the middle of nowhere (as long as you have remembered to fill up with gas!).
The ST125 Trail is fitted with disc brakes front and back, along with ABS working on the front wheel. The front brake isn’t sharp at all in its initial bite so that, even though it is plenty powerful for the weight of the bike, it won’t catch you out when riding out on the trail. Having no ABS on the rear brake means that you can slide the rear wheel, which needs to happen more often than you might think off-road.
On a normal bike, the gears go 1, neutral, 2, 3, 4 when you kick the lever up. On the ST125 Trail, like all Honda Super Cubs, the sequence is neutral, 1 ,2 ,3, 4 and you change up by pressing down with your heel on the rocking gear level. To change down back to neutral, you press with your toes, as on a normal motorcycle gear change. This difference makes it easy for someone who has never ridden a bike to quickly get used to the ‘change.
Telescopic forks at the front and twin shocks at the rear are simple, rugged and work well. There is no adjustment other than spring pre-load on the rear shocks which you would use to match the rear suspension to your weight. Other than that, you simply get on and ride the ST125 Trail, which the natural riding position helps you to do. Taller riders might feel the bike is a little small when standing up but, really, the whole bike is so light and easy to manoeuvre that you never need to. Another bonus of the light weight is the ease of picking it up if you do fall off. That, and the fact that you won’t have far to fall if you do get it wrong!
The ST125 Trail is a throwback to the simpler days of riding, when bikes hadn’t got so big that they need all the electronic rider aids to make them rideable off-road. Apart from fuel injection and ABS, the Honda is as analogue as you could ever want it to be. The engine is so benign that the lack of traction control will never be a problem and top speed is so low that cruise control isn’t even an issue: just hold it to the stop everywhere and you’ll still not be breaking the speed limit!
We’ve mentioned that the rear carrier will take up to 44 pounds of weight (on a bike whose curb weight is 259 pounds) and that is more than twice the weight limit of the top box on the Honda Gold Wing!
All of this means that the Honda ST125 Trail is accessible, functional and practical, cheap to buy ($3,899), simple, rugged, reliable, comfortingly familiar and, maybe most importantly, huge fun to ride!
Yes, it can, but you might want to stick to the non-highway roads due to the low top speed. Also, why have off-road ability if you’re not going to use it?
Yes, the Honda Trail 125 is available in the U.S.
It’s a semi-automatic gearbox, which means it has separate gears and a gear lever, but no clutch: just stamp on the gear lever, twist the throttle and go!