ATLAS HONDA CB125F 2019 Review

AHL replaced its CG125 Deluxe with CB125F.When this news was announced, everyone was hoping for the global variant of Honda which comes with fuel injection, has a sleek body and beautiful alloys but to out utter surprise, we got this! Disappointing at first sight but think of it as a facelift version of CG125 Deluxe than it looks fine. All of this will go away when you will get to know its price which is 159,900 and they’re not done here yet because they also have a Special Edition which comes with RED calipers, coil springs and red highlights in graphic. This RED treatment is for an extra 2000 Rupees.

Let’s get towards Heart of the matter, the engine which is same old push road technology we have been seeing from our child hood. This engine has very good pickup but it also produces a lot of vibrations. This engine is now available with a self-starter motor and it is mated to a 5-speed gear box. It has a bore X stroke ratio of 56.5X49.5 and its compression ratio is 9.0:1. The fueling is done by the same old conventional carb and bike has its same distinct sound as it gets the same old muffler from deluxe. The engine gets no balancer.

That’s enough of the technical bits and we better talk about the cosmetic bits because ATLAS has been to moon and back for this. They tried to make motorcycle noticeable and it does, you will notice a new crystal headlight with cowling and smoked visor around it which is battery operated and gets a 35watts halogen headlamp. It misses on the parking light but it has good illumination. Then comes the instrumental cluster which feels like re worked deluxe cluster, it misses out on gear position indicator and has a fake carbon fiber texture which looks cool with the Honda emblem in the center. The handle bars are lifted straight from the deluxe as they have counter weights with them. The starter switch looks like an afterthought, it feels like they made the bike and missed the button! However, the utility grip seems nice and they have changed it to a better one. You will notice the front fender too which has a bit different shape and its tapered towards the end but it splashes mud. The blacked out-front forks are 32mm in diameter and have travel of 119 mm and alloys look nice. The Disc and 2 piston caliper disc seems nice as well.

The 12.3 liters fuel tank is big change, it gets muscular curves and graphics with DYNAMIC MOVEMENT written on them. It has no air scoops and gets the fuel lid from Deluxe but this tank is still not practical because a MUNNA can’t sit on it. The side cover is very long and has the fuel knob in it. The tail section is lifted from CG125 Dream as it gets a similar looking tail lamp and grab rail. The swing arm, rear suspension, chain cover and tire come same as from Deluxe. Rear suspension is adjustable and it has travel of 76mm while the tire size is 90/90/18 and it is well covered by the fender, the fender is so long that it makes motorcycle feel out of proportions and motorcycle looks very small and compact for a 125cc from a certain point. The fenders however look like they can handle the mud. Its seat is flushed with the fuel tank and its more of a straight seat rather than sporty. AHL has played well with the psyche of our people who want a family bike with style and features but they forgot to add “comfort” to this preposition, the seat is so hard one would get tired easily. The sitting posture is upright and its not too sporty as of other competitor bikes, you feel like sitting on top of the bike rather than sitting in the bike.

The engine gets easily started by the push of a button and sound is just like they had in deluxe. Its acceleration is fine but the overall weight of machine is now 122kgs which is a little too much for 11hp engine to pull. The vibrations seep in as you climb the rev range and they can be felt in your body parts attached with the bike. The thrill which we get in CG 125 is not in CB125F and fan boys will definitely get a heart break!

Now I have to conclude the CB125F and give my verdict on the prices, @ 160 and 162k, it seems a tough call for AHL to make more sales. Also, it seems to be un necessarily expensive and feels like they just don’t want to sell this machine. In my opinion it was better suited to be around the range of a deluxe as it is very much a locally produced motorcycle. However, I appreciate that AHL is finally thinking but they should think over the price as well.