New 2023 Honda ST125 DAX Review: Retro Mini-Bike Fun!

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[@flexywing]

Hopefully someone at Honda UK will read this! I would buy the CT125 Come on Honda do the right thing. Thumbs up if you agree 👍

[@hernberferd6725]

I had a 1972 Honda ST90 in "mighty green" paint when I was a youth. Please Honda bring this bike to the states, and bring back the mighty green color!

[@jonathanalfred9847]

I Love this bike because it looks just like my first Honda CT70 i got when i was a kid.

[@zavaz987]

My 1st bike was the same, 1972 Honda CT 70. Great bike and had many good years with it.

[@tonyrobinson362]

I had the ST70 in white with a flower power seat? Cost £271 from henstocks in Mansfield good days.

[@hairybiker68]

It’s looks fun but why does mr Honda give us this bike but will not give us the ct125 hunter cub?? Which looks far more fun.

[@jululugz2893]

... and easier to use since it's a semi automatic.

[@jangonzales924]

Agree, more practical too. Especially if you have luggage

[@williambritton4831]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJjLmYd9bMp8ZsU And they're bringing out the Super Cub too which leaves the question what to buy if you're in the market for a small run around bike 🙂

[@mywaveinwoodswoodperfumes]

I thought the same, really unfair for us here in the uk

[@Shane-ln5zz]

I hear americas say the opposite about the Dax, fields are green

[@lindseyw2791]

I’m a newbie and I love my Dax. Gave me loads of confidence. I’m 66 and learned to ride on my birthday…I love it and have great fun on it. The lightness of it helps me manoeuvre it more easily.

[@jamesconerly1039]

I had a trail 70 when I was a kid 4 speed clutch model I rode that everywhere.Bring THAT back!Just bought a 2023 Honda Rancher.

[@robertonavarro7713]

I had the original 50cc Honda mini trail bike while still living in Southeast Asia in the 70s.. I had it registered and like you, I was riding it all over the city and suburbs. Those were fun years. I sold that bike later and bought a bigger Honda XL 100 trail bike.

[@philsgarage64]

Stopped at Honda dealer with a friend with my Triumph 1200Tiger Rally and his customised BMW R100RS… we tried the Dax and the Monkey. We had so much fun on both bikes that … we ordered 1 of each !! I fall from 150Hp to 9Hp but the pleasure is elsewhere. Why the Dax ? 2seater , the gearbox (quite special at first, but my wife will probably use it , she just rides scooters and it will be a good first step to changing gears) , the look of it (even if the Monkey is lovely) and… it was my 1st bike 40 years ago … can’t wait to receive my little city toy !!

[@therookieswings8816]

Having this video the day I received my grey dax is a blessing 🤲

[@alexduey7868]

Not sure why they don’t bring these to the states the old ct70s of yesterday sold incredibly well here I’m sure this would to…. I’d buy one anyways 😅

[@5150bwagner]

I love the old CT70's, and love the look of this one's pressed frame. But, IMO, the forks, fenders, etc. don't look anything like the CT70's we got, so it sort of ruins the look for me. That and it's so hard to beat the great looks, quality and manual with the Monkey!

[@chumps7974]

I would buy one or two. I wish it had a manual clutch too. If it ever comes to the states I'm sure they will do engine swaps.

[@user-vt9xr6fe5h]

“Product issues” daxs are mostly produced in Thailand and people still have to wait several months just to get a hold of one atm

[@darvinclement8404]

One of my uncles had a Honda 70 and a couple of Honda 50’s back when I was a kid in the early 1970’s. Lots of fun was had on them. Glad the DAX and Monkey are being made now.

[@Jones-xx2gc]

Nice comfy looking seat, looks better than my old 2013 MSX125. I did own an old ST70 years ago, so one of these with a bit more power would be great. Shame the handlebars don't fold.

[@goldilocks913]

Loving the range of content- Goldwing to Dax 👍 Like you l really like the styling but for me it’s a slow hand clap and ‘ Hunter cub, Hunter cub’ 😂

[@jayblake7005]

i own one in Red , love it i had a bit of prewarning riding a cub ,its superb around town with the box , it is superb , love it and cant wait for a Yelow version

[@popup1959]

Thanks. I had a 70 something back a few years ago. Kids all learned how to ride and sold it. It's a mini bike with a big ass seat. I'm over it but got my eye on the CT 125.

[@kimomoto]

I had a blast test riding this bike! I was pleasantly surprised. So much fun to ride. A bit strange feeling with the gears especially going down the gears there’s a lot of engine breaking but you get used to it.

[@K1989L]

How does the clutch work? I'd assume it engages when you twist the throttle and the engine picks up rpm? So any time you release the throttle it should disengage and thus have no engine braking?

[@cullengorman294]

My favourite bike you’ve reviewed so far this year. Unironically, this is the first I’d actually spend my own money on (and am considering, as I just had my old Bandit 1250 stolen from me :( last week)

[@johnnyknoxvillebj7243]

Sorry to hear for your stolen bike, i just got my dax and it s extremly fun to ride also very economic on gas and insurance. Since I have it I dont use my big bike that much ;)

[@dbx1233]

I chose the Monkey because of the manual clutch, but whichever you choose, in this case, you do get what you pay for. Meaning , Honda builds these mini-moto's with excellent quality and nice materials. They are a relatively inexpensive mode of city transportation.

[@Vee_231]

In countries where it's released, yes. One Honda dealer brought 5 of them here from Thailand and they cost almost as much as a CB500F. ...we got one in red and are waiting on their shipment of Yoshimura pipes.

[@dbx1233]

I bought mine in 2019 and it is also red. I love my little Monkey.@@Vee_231

[@binaryflawgic5713]

@@Vee_231 They are pretty expensive when you have other stuff, even from Honda, like Astrea Grand, or whatever goes around right now. Yamaha's Crypton S is also cheaper, and let's not even talk about the Chinese/Taiwanese options.

[@lucaverschut6856]

Thats what i was thinking, i would love ride this bike but i would prefer a manual clutch, cant you build on one of these?

[@midevil7236]

I have a 2015 Grom and I love it. I remember those back in the '70s

[@boeriksson3326]

This one and hunter cub is my favorite design from Honda.❤

[@meltonin8837]

Very helpful review. As a biker of nearly 50 years I now have arthritis in my left hand and it's painful to operate the clutch lever. Most automatic bikes are very large, but this is perfect. My prsent bike has a heel/toe ger hange, so no problem for me getting used to it. Given the choice between buying one of these and giving up biking I may be tempted!

[@markalan4026]

Man, what a cool bike that is!

[@KeepItSimpleSailor]

Memories. These were great back in the day.

[@Ou81269]

Looks like the Honda 70 I had back in 1970. Just more power and updated.

[@JWAFrance]

I had an ST 70 when they came out in the early 70s - wonderful bike, if you put it in first and opened up, you could head off down the road on one wheel... And enough power to be able to scrape the footrest going round roundabouts nigh on horizontal. I want to know if this can one do that. In 2010 I bought a Spigaou 125cc (Dark Dog) The Chinese replica, imagining that it would have the same gearing etc... Oh boy, what rubbish! I put 500 miles on the clock and it has been sitting unloved in the garage ever since. Am now having it totally rebuilt with a teardrop fuel tank... we'll see if it is ever as good as the ST70 with its excellent fold-down handlebars!

[@josevi5835]

I own a 2022 Monkey and I tempted to buy the Dax and keep them both. I enjoy a lot driving the Monkey and the fuel economy of this little toy is ridiculous: I make 1,6 liters per 100 km. I also own a XSR900 1st. gen, and I do not know which bike I enjoy the most 😊 Only thing I do not like about the Dax is the semi automatic gearbox.

[@66petrolhead]

Same here. Love my Monkey and want a Dax, but the 4 speed automatic clutch is not for me

[@Migello108]

This looks great. Thank you for the video! What is your height?

[@jamespolucha8790]

I love all these little retro bikes, I wish they would come out with the SL Models like the SL70- SL100 and so on everyone would be buying them up ,I think they went up to SL350 man sure would be nice

[@zavaz987]

You're the 1st person I've ever heard suggest this. I was a kid in the early 70's and had a Honda CT 70, similar to the Dax in the video. Although I loved that bike, I thought all of the SL models, and, yes, they ran from 70 to 350, just epitomized what a dual sport should be. I've never seen any resurgence in interest in the 70's vintage SL. If Honda made a new 125 or bigger SL, I'd get one in a heartbeat.

[@rockbay79]

Way back in 1972, I received a brand-new Honda SL-70 for my 11th birthday. I loved that little bike! Yes, The SL Series was as follows: SL-70, SL-100, SL-125, SL-175 and SL-350. There may have been an SL-250, but I'm not for sure. I would buy one in a minute if they reintroduced a new version of the SL bikes!

[@SchoolforHackers]

@@rockbay79You are two years younger than me. I got the same bike, and a paper route to pay for it, when I was 13. Greatest sense of freedom in my whole life. ❤️⚙️🔥

[@stevenlangdon-griffiths293]

The monkey, I’ve always wanted one.

[@lazmotron]

Great video

[@robbchastain3036]

So my little thumbnail is me in early '75 entertaining myself on my Schwinn Sting-Ray in the Drake-Edwards Housing Area for U.S. military and civilian families in Frankfurt, West Germany. And German law gave us American teen military dependents a break, we could be street-legal on a 50cc motorcycle at age 15. And just a few months after this photo was snapped by my Dad, I had a part-time job at the Frankfurt American Commissary and, woohoo, my very own used Honda Dax and those little motorcycles were the go-to for lots of teen boys, the best motorcycle we could ride at the time and you gotta make the most of what you can. And for us, its street and trail capabilities were perfect as we had grown up riding our bikes everywhere and expected to do the same on the Dax and we did, such fun to recall riding through the woods with friends and my favorite road trip, Frankfurt to Darmstadt and back in late August '75, the day after we had competed in a bicycle road race in downtown Frankfurt sponsored by the USO and 7-Up. So yeah, I'd really like to get a new Dax if Honda ever does the right thing here in the States. 😀

[@Grogo59]

We lived in Frankfurt in the early 60’s (Platen Housing Area). In the 70’s we lived in Giessen (about an hour away) for the rest of my elementary and jr. High years. A couple of my classmates had Honda CT70s in Candy Gold metallic and a light turquoise color. They were beautiful! Of course, with my Dad being an MP in the 1940’s through early 60’s, he rode Harleys and Indians. He did not want me riding a bike, even though a lot my German friends had mopeds (aka; Mofa, the lower hp variant) which were street legal and one could ride at age 14. That’s probably why I’m alive today. The latest news, as of mid-June 2024, is that the ST125 DAX will probably be coming to the U.S. as a 2025 model as someone unearthed a document from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that is an OEM manufacturer application to license the ST125 DAX.

[@robbchastain3036]

@@Grogo59 Thanks so much for sharing your story, we American kids had quite a ride over there, no? And I think back on those days, incredible that there was a silent airlift of thousands upon thousands of us and nobody other than us really knew about it. And ha, I hear you about your father's concern over two-wheel transport, mine was the same way, no way was I ever getting anything motorized on my own but that was okay, Dad got me a Schwinn Sting-Ray for my birthday in '67 and for seven years I was a wild child on that bike, didn't dare tell him what we were doing. And I am thankful to this day that he walked over to the lot to snap a few photos of me jumping my Sting-Ray in the final months of my time on that bike. But that year I bought the Dax with my commissary job money and I commuted through the streets to the high school at speed among the traffic on a German 10-speed and I even mail-ordered a BMX bike, a CYC Stormer with Skyway Tuff-Wheels from a little ad in Dirt Bike magazine. And thanks for the intel on the 125cc Dax finally coming to the States, woohoo! I actually want to buy one and relive me days as a teenage motorcycle gang member, lol. O and about mopeds, I used to chase dudes on their raggedly old smoky ones on my 10-speed. I could catch those, tho' never the shiny new orange-and-chrome Kreidlers. Those young ladies were too fast for me, but I'd say hello if they got caught at the next light and of course I'd act like I was almost as fast on my bike. 😀

[@rasmuspoulsen3434]

The original Dax had a 3-speed gearbox with a centrifugal clutch. I think Honda has done the right think staying true to the recipe. This is an instant classic in my opinion. As far as I know the Monkey was never sold in Europe, so the Dax has a much more sentimental appeal in Europe.

[@K1989L]

The Monkey 50 was sold in Finland and we got lots of them. It was either Honda Monkey or Suzuki PV, someone always had one. I haven't seen a Dax here or don't recall seeing one.

[@paulemma8125]

I fully respect your opinion but I think my Grom is the best looking in the Honda Mino moto lineup 😊 love these bikes

[@BDcumminsdiesel]

I love my grom and monkey I can’t pick my favorite. I love the retro look of this bike tho. I wonder if it will make it to the states?

[@lookatmr.lipkiss3349]

Food delivery are a charm in this in the city

[@jeffconley6366]

DAX in the 70's that frame was called the Honda Trail 70.

[@dustup2249]

I had a Honda Trail 70 back in the mid 70's that looked very much like this current ST 125. I like that Honda brought it back with a bigger motor, but now that I live in California, I cannot register this as street legal due to the 150cc minimum limit.

[@shakkaka12435924]

I wish this came to the US, I would buy one day 1.

[@thomasgoddard5503]

If they sold these in the US I'd buy one right now.

[@charliebeki]

Monkey no doubt. Love them both.❤❤❤

[@rockbay79]

Good news!!!!! The DAX is coming to the USA in 2025!!!! Now, I just need to pick a color. Love the Blue!

[@TT-ch2pz]

I put money down on this bike in the US back in early 2022. I didn't care about the color, but it never showed up.

[@GreatEgret]

Same here. I finally gave up in late 2022.

[@PDXDrumr]

Reminds me of the trail 70. Not bad, of course you'll have to add 30% to the price in the US at least.

[@singlespeedman]

I like it.

[@perpitraiter]

Okay, now give it fold down handlebars, a center stand, a five speed manual, and then bring it to USA. I’ll buy the first two.

[@joeln6861]

Its a shame Honda keeps turning the old TRAIL bikes into street bikes. Loved this in the late 70's and 80's as my friend had one (ct70) while I had a Kawasaki KV75 and we rode all around on trails. I suppose you could put dual purpose tires on it, but it doesn't seem intended for that anymore, especially with the front fender so close to the tire.

[@fly1327]

Agree, lots of time on the 70, so much fun. But people have changed. Who's bruising their old jeeps on really tough trails. Almost nobody. Who's tent camping in the woods vs driving their plush RV into campground 'parking lots'. Almost nobody. Well, at least here in the States ;-)

[@jimhedley7459]

I can’t speak for dax as I don’t have one yet , groms are the best road bike only just , monkey bike is awesome and the seat is a dream , benelli tnts great bikes too ,all these bikes are way more fun and way more capable than you’d imagine , their a riot , the semi auto box seems to put a lot of people off the dax 🏍🏍👍👍

[@michaelknight4828]

Cool bike, but too bad the space under the seat isn't open for storage. Have the gas tank further forward, but that would change the style so...

[@K_UncleJohn7]

Nice bike. Can i introduce this video on my channel?

[@brucegroom1929]

I have Monkey and Dax . Both awesome 😂

[@PumpkinKingXXIII]

Really wish Honda would take it to the US.

[@Hodenkat]

I wonder how it would fair with off-road tires going on dirt trails...?? I love that Honda brought back this style!

[@rockbay79]

Will this bike be coming to the USA?

[@dw4956]

I dont think it would be that big of a deal to put in a clutch and switch engine covers. A complete engine swap wouldn't cost the whole world either. A dax with a clutch would be the ideal combo.

[@johntheaccountant5594]

Honda Dax 125 is 92,000 baht => £2,140 on the road in Thailand where it is manufactured and I live. Honda Monkey 125 is a better motorbike but no pillion.

[@reloadnorth7722]

I remember they had something like these back in the 70's. 70cc I believe.

[@tonyrobinson362]

It was the ST70 dax mine was white with a flowery seat? Cost £271 1973.

[@cresshead]

looks cool but i think i'd pick the honda super cub

[@justinwatts6210]

kinda sucks we arent getting the hornet transalp or dax in the states

[@samy5930]

U guys know ?? The Dax is a semi auto transmissioner ~~~!!!! Like the super cub !!! I didnt know that !!! Wow !!!! I really like semi auto ! It's simpler than manual trans, and more fun than auto trans !! I love the Dax !

[@bradleyyounger8499]

I hope it come to the US

[@hksunchaser1]

ST125 DAX or CT125? thx

[@e.w.e2846]

No way you prefer the looks of this thing to the hilarious little monkey

[@pupkorn7111]

Only if car companies applied this logic to new cars

[@beech18]

$2000 here in Thailand, New on the road.

[@habibiranch]

Why is this not for sale in America? I would buy one.

[@bobmichaels8663]

You need to protect the exhaust as soon as you get it from the dealer. You need to put a better chain on it. You cannot ride it in the winter. Protect the engine coating somehow. Put a rubber or some foam between the number plate and where it’s mounted so it doesn’t rub. It does about 100 to 120 miles to the tank depending how hard you push it. Ask me how I know

[@bennythomsen5974]

How do you know? I get mine next week, and I plan on protecting the whole bike with WD40 on a regular basis, I mean ALL of the bike! That should protect it nicely. I did the same with my Skyteam Dax, and it was in perfect shape everywhere, which is quite an accomplishment as it is famous for its pour quality and being eager to rust faster than the speed of light. I even think the WD40 treatment will keep it in mint condition if I chose to ride it occasionally in winter, even though I don’t think Ill do that.

[@SchoolforHackers]

Thanks for the advice, and the tips. WD40, huh? I’m gonna try it.

[@bennythomsen5974]

@@SchoolforHackers of course not for lubricants for chain as it has also rubber parts, and not on brakes and not for lubricants of cables. But otherwise spraying it on the whole bike, including the seat and exhaust and leave it on for a couple of minutes and then just wipe if gently, it did the trick for my Skyteam and also my Suzuki GS 500. I never ride in the rain or snow, so it never gets really dirty, so I just use the WD40 after each ride, on the frame, seat, rim, engine parts, exhaust, dash, lights etc, and wipe it gently after.. and its in mint condition.

[@bobmichaels8663]

@@bennythomsen5974 I got mine in December and is currently my daily sitting at 1.7k miles. I took the heat shield off and applied rust proofing to the exhaust. Unfortunately the part that comes out from the engine did rust badly. The black pain is peeling off the engine as well. The chain is terrible and rusts like nobody’s business. The tyres and suspension combination is not amazing and my next job is to get tyres with better grip. I did ride mine in the winter so I have not treated it as a garage queen. Even some of the backing on the mirrors’ glass peeled off. But it is a fun little thing and as I said it is my daily at present and I have two much more suited for commuting bikes. You will have some fun on it. I have even been off-roading mine. I don’t regret my purchase I am just upset that I put so much faith in Honda’s reputation for quality that I didn’t do more.

[@Antivir123]

Hmm I wanted it but now I'm unsure.thx for the info

[@jakemarten6123]

Also, is it the same frame size as the ones back in the 70's?

[@SandStormPower]

No. These are actually bigger. Same length as a piaggio typhoon, for easy reference.

[@michaelmugo247]

Nice

[@josephreisinger33]

If it was a 5 speed, I might think about it.

[@bmayo46704]

The Monkey all day long, more fun on the twisties, & a slightly higher top speed

[@racebiketuner]

It wouldn't cost Honda a nickel to make it with more displacement and fuel capacity. I'd rather pay a bit more for one that was lighter and had better suspension.

[@davidmstephenson69]

What about the Cubby 125 😮

[@craigsteeves4295]

If I could afford a bike it would be the Monkey. Also I would ride coast to coast!

[@jakemarten6123]

Is this bike availble in the States?

[@desertfoxxx98]

No.

[@Klooney9mm]

I love it. Looks very unique and interesting. I just need them to give it ABS next year so they can sell it in Australia since anything solid new now needs to have it.

[@lonelyinstantnoodle9129]

it has front abs

[@signore-solomonare1818]

I would definitively change the wheel to bigger size 14 inches if no adjustments

[@user-nj8te8nx7b]

My job 😮

If the price is good, is everithing You Will need.

[@maheshengineer]

I am from Mumbai, India. I wish to import the Honda Monkey. Can you help please in the matter? Thanks

[@robertdewar1752]

Great bike. Don't know why they're not ubiquitous with commuters.

[@z.k.r2615]

The monkey looks amazing i would pick it instead of the dax

[@aportilla007]

Does it have DCT, LOL J/K - ;)

[@davidhunternyc1]

"60-ish"? Is that km or mph?

[@SandStormPower]

Mph In km/h I've managed to run mine at 102km/h But I'm sure I can get higher top speed. I'm relatively light rider anyways.

[@robsmalley6616]

It looks like a Suzuki VanVan mated with a scooter

[@RoodeMenon]

An electric bike of this sort should make sense to produce.

[@alanshewitt]

Big fail with the almost Comic Sans “Dax” though. I can’t believe they couldn’t come up with better.

[@naduncan08]

Don't you just hate the 'ponse' terms like 'Price Point', (Cost!) and 'Form Factor', 'Shape!" !

[@PaulC001]

as someone a bit older... i remember the original. it was a great bike for short trips to the pharmacy and quick trips to fix that "oops i forgot to get X at the store". they ran great until they didn't. and even as a skinny kid i remember struggling to get it to go much faster that 25-30mph.

[@johntheaccountant5594]

Unfortunately, the Honda DAX 125 and Honda Monkey will be stolen in 1 minute in the big cities of the UK because they are light and small.

[@Tullett88]

Um, lock it to things?

[@JP-xd6fm]

Mmmm, and the bicycles?... And to be honest, any bike can be stolen if there's 3 guys and a van big enough, so...

[@garys2327]

Here in the US it opens it up to 1 guy and an average suv

[@SandStormPower]

Light and small... Granted. But slightly heavier than a 50cc moped like the original bws, piaggio typhoon, aerox, and so on, while maintaining similar size. Heck, I had a dax and a gilera stalker side by side and they're exactly the same length! 🤣

[@lawrencebecht660]

Even if Honda brought them back to the United States the CT70 would be the best thing but there again they would price it to where nobody can afford it just like the cub and the other ones that they do have here

[@theredschoolbus]

In indonesia its 9000 usd for this bike 😅

[@clangerbasher]

Not the one we wanted Honda. C not S...........

[@ZaidMoTour]

More like a Honda XRM 125 here in Philippines

[@mohawkaquatics5855]

Looks like a 70s ct70

[@johnf8877]

Even the bikes that are supposed to be available in the US are never available so it doesn’t matter.

[@reidspeed77]

Autobots roll out

[@spinnetti]

I learned to ride on a 60's Dax (I could barley swing a leg over then!), but had a 60's Monkey.. hard to choose!

[@bonjovi1354]

India being the biggest small capacity bike market our riders will never buy this ...😂😂😂

[@jraiello]

CT125 is a better more useful bike, uncompromising utility, a zillion accessories and with electric start, electronic ignition, fuel injection it is wonderful

[@cruze86]

Get a Grom

[@Geshmaal]

Add another angry comment about how Honda should sell the CT125 here, nobody wanted a Dax! Honda seems to think we want toy 125s, but the CT is both toy-like and a real practical machine.

[@SandStormPower]

If nobody wanted a dax, then why I bought one? 😂

[@SandStormPower]

Besides, there's lots of racks you can put on the dax. Back, center, front, side...

[@Geshmaal]

@@SandStormPower I'm sure people will buy them when seeing them in dealerships etc, but would you have had one imported from Japan like people have been doing with the CT125? To me the Dax is sort of cute whereas the CT has an actual purpose and unique market niche.

[@SandStormPower]

@@Geshmaal nothing a set of dual sport tyres can't solve on a dax. I like the hunter cub, but so far, dax provides a somewhat more "sporty" handling than the hunter cub