Buying Guide: Honda CL125 twins
Snobbery has us all salivating over big bikes – but we are missing out on the fun offered by the likes of Honda’s 125s.
Such a fun bike that all can ride; they were never imported but there’s a healthy supply coming from the USA
OLI HULME
JASON CRITCHELL
THERE’S A PHOTOGRAPH in existence of the gates of the BSA factory in Armoury Road in the late 1960s. Riding through the factory is a helmetless test rider, on what looks like a 650 Thunderbolt, and a tired Ford D Series lorry is exiting the site. Parked by the side of the road are a Mini, a Hillman Minx and four motorcycles. There is a venerable old BSA B31, and an unidentifiable Villiers engined commuter. And there are two Hondas.
Given the damage Honda were doing to BSA’s business by recklessly building superior small two-wheelers, it’s surprising that anyone would be so provocative as to park their machines, like tiny Trojan horses, right outside the Small Heath citadel of British motorcycles.
BSA management were not overly concerned about these tiny four-strokes at the time. In December 1965, Edward Turner had said that the sale of small Japanese motorcycles was good for BSA, as it would attract new riders who would graduate to larger machines. This might have been a little frustrating for those turning out Bantams with prewar DKW engines as competition.
A GROOVY LITTLE MOTORBIKE
Those little Hondas were, simply, better. Better made, better designed, more sophisticated in every way. There were camshafts on 125s, and electric starts. Who would want a Francis-Barnett Merlin with the added excitement of dewhiskering your spark plug by the side of the road, when those Japanese chaps would sell you an exciting OHC 125cc twin for about the same money?
While in the UK little bikes were for commuters and old people, bigger bikes were for families and allout performance machines were desired by the callow youth, even if they could not afford them. In America things were different. These new, reliable and smart Honda tiddlers were just what you were looking for, especially if a car was out of reach of your pocket. The Honda had an impact not just on motorcycling but on popular culture. The Beach Boys had a hit with ‘Little Honda’, and a band was manufactured, with future star Glen Campbell as lead singer. They were called the Hondells and released an album of songs called Go Little Honda.
Honda had started making 125cc four-stroke twins at the end of the 1950s. The C92 Benly and its sporting brother the CB92 Sports appeared and immediately created a flurry of interest among those looking for something small, new and modern. The Benly’s look was heavy on the big mudguards and bodywork, while Sport had a squarer profile. Both handled well thanks to a stiff pressed steel frame and excellent brakes, which made up for the limited travel from the leading link pressed steel forks, bouncy miniature rear shocks and 16in wheels with less than grippy tyres.
The Sport had an extra crankshaft bearing and revved to an astonishing 10,500rpm, turning out
15bhp at the back wheel, about the same as a BSA C15