2011 Honda CBR125R. Hypermiler's dream bike
 

I have a 2011 Honda CBR250R. It is a fantastic riding fuel injected single and gets 87mpg stock on my 68mph commute. My 09 carbureted Ninja 250 with Zero Gravity sport touring windscreen can only manage 66mpg on the same trip. I never ride the Ninja anymore. My daughter has adopted it and loves it. They are a great riding and fun bike with full crosscountry capability but the high revving, canyon racer cams leave quite a bit to be desired in the fuel economy department. The Ninja is plentiful and cheap but aspiring hypermilers now have new alternatives to choose from to set the bar higher. Honda also offers a CBR125R in many markets (all except in the US?). Fuelly shows many riders getting 95 mpg, 2.48 liters / 100km, 40.4 km / liter on that bike in stock form and it still has a 75mph top speed and excellent highway wind and rain manners with the new body work unlike any 14 inch or smaller wheeled scooters. Honda Canada is currently giving these left over 2011 CBR125Rs away for $3100! Now if only I can figure out how to import one to the US I will have the ultimate highway hypermile machine to rack up big numbers on.
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Honda CBR125R MPG Reports | Fuelly
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Kawasaki Ninja 250R MPG Reports | Fuelly
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http://motorcycle.honda.ca/sport/cbr125r/2011

And that's the speedy version - sort of anyway.

Honda also have a CBF125 - a naked bike with longer gearing, which should do better because of the gearing. Add a fairing, and it should really be nice.

It's a ticket to 120mpg (US) territory - or under 2L/100km :
Overview: Honda - CBF 125 - Spritmonitor.de

Honda Shine/ CB125
 

The same bike with many names. The Honda Shine in India, now also available in Australia as the CB125. These 10hp air cooled and carbureted 125cc bikes do amazing FE numbers right off the floor and are very cheap at $2000 brand new. Proven. There are literally a million? of these similar 7-10 hp singles on the road in India and the south east. They would need serious aero mods before they would be fast enough for my commute though. I like the CBR125R for the fact that it is ready to ride at speed and in bad weather stock and is fuel injected which is a big plus for everyday rideability in the bad weather I live with.
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CB Shine winner's choice

I had a Kawasaki 125 Eliminator, but it got nowhere near that mileage or top end speed.
It was a good way to get run over in the traffic around here. The 250 is much more suited to riding in eastern Virginia.

regards
Mech

I agree. For my purposes, a 10hp aircooled scooter engine would never be enough for anything more than a once in a while competition vehicle. The 23hp of the CBR250R is the perfect amount for real crosscountry use and it still gets great economy right off the shelf. My commute has become a known constant after 20 years which I believe I can tackle with the 13hp of the CBR125R while pushing for a 100mpg lifetime average without any major dust bins or frame chopping.

Nobody likes these new Honda's?

Sendler, I don't think it's a case of nobody liking them, more of nobody knowing that much about them. 75-85 MPG at Interstate speeds with 6k oil change intervals and probably the lowest emissions of any vehicle on the road today with an IC engine. I just can't quite get to your mileage figures because I am 61 and 205-210 pounds and tucking behind that stock windshield is a figment of my imagination half a lifetime ago.

I think the 125 has lower compression but I could certainly be wrong, but in your case with your tuck advantages the 125 may be perfect for your trip to work, as long as you don't have too many grades to navigate.

regards
Mech

Just checked, the compression ratio is 11 to 1 and with water cooling I am sure it would be much more powerful than the air cooled Eliminator with 9 to 1 compression, probably no comparison. It would be fun to ride one to see how well it worked for me in my driving environment.

I'm OK with my 250, which for me has enough power to keep me away from the local idiot drivers that tailgate me and in other ways greatly increase the danger to me as a bike rider. Maybe the 125 would be capable of the same especially at the price of under $2k.

I do hope they bring them into the US.

regards
Mech

The CBR125R is water cooled, has 13hp and sells for $3400. The CB125 is air cooled, no faring, 10hp and sells for $2000. Most markets get the CBR125R with a 150cc engine. Or, since 2011, the CBR250R now as well.

Since you asked -

If I got a 125cc 4-stroke, it would have to be this -

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...g/b092a275.jpg

Don't think I'd get good mileage though, I'd be too busy having too much fun to even think about short-shifting...


Jay