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Honda Innova 125 Review © Philip J Batchelor and Cub90.co.uk | ||||||||
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Even today I reckon the good old cub holds its own in the low-powered runabout two-wheeler class. It’s the ideal commuter machine isn’t it...at least for shorter distances anyway? It’s nippier than modern scooter/mopeds and its light weight, fuel economy and easy handling make it so much better than ‘proper’ bikes in town traffic. It loses out on the open road of course, but what do you expect from an 85cc engine! I find many of the modern ‘upright’ scooters to be bulky, heavy beasts, with seats far too high. This gives you the impression of being perched precariously on top of the machine rather than riding comfortably as part of it. The feet-forward ‘cruiser’ scoots are even worse, and on the ones I’ve tried I had the feeling that I was sitting in a rather unstable and heavy armchair. So where do you go is the Innova the answer for us ‘cubbies’ looking for a new machine? I took delivery of mine on March 1st and this is what I think of it.The first thing I noticed was how smooth the gear change mechanism is, especially between 3rd and top. There was much less clonking and lurching than sometimes happens with the cub and the new 4-speed box is very usable. This, along with the cowl layout gives a distinct ‘proper’ bike feel. I haven’t pushed mine yet because of running-in, but even taking into account that the 125cc engine only pushes out 9.25 bhp it is quite torquey and pulls well in all the gears. Let’s face it, 1st gear on the cub is useful for going downhill in icy conditions and not much else, so 4 well-spaced gears is a great improvement (along with more power of course). The gearbox and this extra power easily enables the Innova to keep up with the traffic flow on most roads, even with the odd long hill thrown in for good measure, but those contemplating effective two-up riding should definitely consider a larger machine.Handling is good and the bike is well-balanced, although perhaps slightly fatter tyres would be an advantage? Also, those chrome wheels are a bugger to clean, as those of us who make the effort to do it will know! However the Innova’s sleek and clutter-free lines will make general cleaning easy. The front disk makes stopping a cinch and the handlebar controls are idiot-proof. The Innova is a good bit heavier than the cub, but once in motion this makes the bike more stable. Seat height is low but the newbie doesn’t feel as tiny as the cub, and short-arses like me can get both feet down properly! On fuel economy I can’t really comment so far, but the piddling 3.7 litre tank is a disappointment, as is the small luggage bay under the seat although it is better than nothing. For reliability read Honda, so this new machine should be no different. For some reason (no-doubt another euro-regulation) the Innova has its lights on all the time, which doesn’t augur well for lots of short journeys battery-wise. The headlight is very good though and having the front winkers flush in the fairing is a nice touch. I found the seat to be rather hard, especially on longer trips. And do we really need a side stand for such a small bike? And of course 90 mph on the speedo is...er...optimistic to say the least!To sum up I think the cub’s replacement could be a winner. It’s light, nippy and easy to ride, and while my Yammy 2-stroke 100cc scooter has the edge in initial acceleration, the Innova’s 4-stroke smoothness and 4-speed gearbox makes for a much nicer journey. Bear in mind that the Innova 125 is NOT a performance machine, but it is fun to ride and as a day-to-day workhorse the Honda name and its cub ancestry will see it through. On what I’ve seen so far I would strongly recommend it. Honda have come up with a modern, more powerful version of the trusty cub, yet have managed to retain many of its endearing qualities along the way. And hey the damn thing looks good as well! | |||
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Had my Innova for a couple of days now, done about 55m so far. Still running in so I don't know what the flat out top speed might be on a level road but after getting up to 50 on the level, I find that the speed falls back to about 40-45 on a long uphill section and it won't get back up to 50 until the hill is passed. I suppose that is all I can expect from a 125 like this with its modest power output though. However mine is still very new and this may possibly improve a bit as it runs in after the 300m indicated in the manual Unlike Malcolm I don't find the permanent lights on to be a negative feature. In any event this is not an Innova specific point because all new motorcycles now come with hard wired lights. I don't see it as particularly undesirable on this particular bike with its modest lights, though I accept that it takes away a certain freedom from the rider which is undesirable in principle. Still with the lights, they aren't bad for this sort of bike though their brightness does vary considerably with engine speed in a rather old fashioned way. I think my old BSA 650 that I owned decades ago did this. Incidentally what is the so-called "position light" (as the manual describes it) for? This is a little bulb inside the headlight unit which comes on with the headlight when the engine is started and goes off with it when it is stopped and cannot be controlled separately. It could in theory be a parking light but in fact it can't be turned on with the engine off unless I am missing something, so I fail to see its purpose. Seems completely pointless to me. Anyone know? I had to get used to the gearbox and at first my shifting was all over the place, going up when I should have gone down and so on. I've not owned this kind of bike before and ride a big bike as well, so had to get used to the heel and toe gear lever combined with the different sequence and neutral position of the Innova. I quite like the feature that you can go from fourth to neutral provided the bike is not moving.Got the hang of the box finally but still occasionally experience a jerk, particularly when changing down from second to first if I fail to bring the revs up sufficiently to match the first gear. I'm okay now matching revs with changes down from 4-3 or 3-2 but 2-1 requires quite a handful of throttle and I am often failing to give it enough. Odd because I don't have a problem with this on my bigger bike - and I've been riding such machines for 30 years. Just a matter of getting used to it no doubt. The tiny tank is a nuisance but I knew that when I bought it so I can't complain. I'm still on the first tankful and there are two bars showing on the gauge. I like the kick start and have not needed to use the electric start at all, simply because I like kicking it over and it does not need much effort. So far it starts first time every time. I find it doesn't really need the choke at all even when cold, which is a bit odd. This suggests that the mixture may possibly be too rich or else it may just be a quirk of these bikes. In fact with the choke fully out it won't idle after starting from cold and I have to push the choke almost fully home before it will. I am still experimenting with choke positions for cold starts though. The manual says full choke for about 30 sec. whilst the throttle is blipped slightly to warm up the engine but my bike doesn't need this at all. One thing that is a pain is battery access for charging. With all my bikes I like to keep them on the Optimate charger virtually all the time they are in my garage. This ensures constant full battery charge for reliable starting and it also prolongs battery life considerably. But to access the battery terminals on the Innova requires lifting the seat and then removing three screws holding the battery cover. The screws are quite deep inside the underseat area so you need a long handled screwdriver to reach them. The one in the tookit is far too short to make this task easy. Then you have to take out the whole battery cover and separate starter switch cover with the screws before you can actually get at the battery. Quite a hassle if you wish to plug in every night and unplug every morning. To get round all this, I'll probably be fitting a permanent connector to the battery for my charger, using a BMW socket, because that is what I have on my other bike. That way, because I have a BMW plug attachment on the charger I can move it easily between bikes and also plug in my heated clothing as well should I wish.
If you have brought a Honda Innova and would like to write your own review to be added here please email innovareview@cub90.co.uk and don't forget you can email us your pictures to be included on the picture gallery Messageboard Picture Gallery | |||
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