I am just going to front-load this opinion: motorcycle press photos need more wiener dogs in them. It just works, and when they are paired with a pint-sized motorcycle like the Honda Dax…well, it just makes obvious sense.
An early 2023 model, the Honda ST125 Dax is a continuation of Big Red’s miniMoto lineup, using the same 9hp, 124cc, SOHC, two-valve engine found on the Honda Super Cub 125, complete with an auto-clutch handling shifting for the four-speed gearbox.
When it comes to the king of brake calipers, the Brembo GP4 lineup is tops, and features regularly on MotoGP and WorldSBK machinery.
Debuting at EICMA today, Brembo wants to bring this same braking dominance to the rising mini-moto racing movement. As such, say hello to the Brembo GP4-MINI.
The Honda Navi is the latest motorcycle from Big Red, and the entire ethos of the pint-sized machine is that its equally sized $1,807 price tag won’t break the bank.
Visually similar to the Honda Grom, the new Honda Navi is the latest to the Japanese brand’s miniMoto lineup, though it breaks tradition by using a 109cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine, shared with the Honda Activa 110 scooter model.
BMW Motorrad must have some jealousy over what Honda has achieved with its miniMoto lineup, particularly with the Honda Grom, as the latest Bavarian machine takes direct aim at the pint-sized moto market.
Not quite a motorcycle, not quite a scooter, the mini-moto segment has been a surprise hit in the United States and abroad, mostly because of the unassuming and fun machines that flood the market’s ranks.
BMW Motorrad wants in on the action (unsurprisingly) and is looking a bit to the future though, building its Concept CE 02 as a youth-focused electric model.
If you are a fan of the Honda Monkey (you should be, the bike is adorable), then we have some good news for you, as the pint-sized dual-sport is getting a welcomed upgrade for the 2022 model year: a five-speed gearbox.
Not too many changes are coming to the Honda Super Cub 125 for the 2022 model year, save for one important one: a rear seat.
The addition of a rear seat comes to the European market (no word yet for the North American markets), though the two-up option has been prevalent in Asia already.
The added seat precipitates the for rear footpegs and new suspension settings.
When it comes to race-ready minimotos, the name Ohvale is all you need to know. The Italian brand has stormed onto the scene, and quickly found traction with youth riders and old pros alike.
It is easy to see why, as the platform offers top-shelf kit in a space that has been mostly about heavily modified Honda Grom street bikes and cheap dirt bike conversions.
If you were serious about developing your road racing skills on a go-kart track, then the Ohvale GP-0 190 was the beast for you.
If you’re in the market for a small-displacement grocery-getter, then we have good news for you, as American Honda has just confirmed that the Honda Trail 125 will be coming to the USA as a 2021 model year machine.
The pint-sized dual-sport(ish) machine has been on the radar for quite some time, ever since a concept of the bike debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2019.
Looking production-ready, it seemed like only a matter of time before the CT125 (as it’s called in other parts of the world) showed up on dealer floors. Given the history of the Trail 125 in the United States, the bike was certain to come here as well.
“Make Motorcycles Great Again” – that should be the battle cry for the American motorcycle industry for 2019 and onward.
We have talked at great length about the various ways that the motorcycle industry in the United States can revamp itself for life in the 21st century, and while there isn’t a single silver bullet to fix motorcycling in the USA, there are several pillars that such a plan can rest upon.
One of those pillars is getting young riders involved on two-wheels, and on the race track there is no better way to do that than with mini-moto racing. It is cheap and approachable…and most importantly, it is fun.
Getting onto a local cart track with a motorcycle can be done for a fraction of the cost of big bikes on proper road race circuits, and your budget is really only constrained by how good you are at hunting for deals on Craigslist.
Though if you really want to go all out, we present to you the Ohvale GP-0. The pinnacle of the sport, the Daytona 190 model from Ohvale will set you back a solid $6,900 MSRP. Other models from Ohvale are also available, with the 110cc version starting at $4,500 MSRP.
“How many axes does the IMU use?…And who makes it? Bosch?” asked a journalist during our press launch briefing for the new Honda Monkey. That journalist was yours truly. I am that guy at the Monkey launch.
To be fair, my curiosity was mostly personal. After all, one of the cheapest motorcycles in Honda’s arsenal comes available with IMU-assisted ABS, while more than a few of Big Red’s full-on sport bikes in the lineup do not…how weird is that? Please tell me more, Honda.
But, the question strikes a larger tone when it comes to bikes like the Honda Monkey: the tech specs don’t really matter. No one cares. The appropriate measuring stick for a bike like the Honda Monkey isn’t an objective one that is found on spec-sheets and lap times, which is a tough pill to swallow for a detail-oriented motorcycle journalist.
To that end, I am not sure if the Honda Monkey is a good motorcycle. But more importantly, I am not sure that it matters. Let me explain.
Understanding one’s lust for a Honda Grom is a lot like explaining good pornography: it is difficult to describe, but you know it when you see it.
That idea encapsulates everything you need to know about Honda’s monkey bike. We can’t tell you why you want one, we just know that you do. Honda’s sales on the Grom back that notion up, as well.
In fact, the Honda Grom has been so successful, now Kawasaki has its own version of the pocket-sized machine coming to the US, and we doubt that they are the last manufacturer to do so.
Beyond being just an adorable grocery-getter, we are seeing a plethora of Groms at the race track – and not just as pit bikes. Grom racing is becoming a thing, with more than a few minimoto series making spec-classes for Honda Grom racers, or including them in their 150cc programs.
To that end, Honda’s racing department, HRC, has the Grom that you want – nay – need. Behold, the Honda Grom race bike from HRC.