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Honda is kicking ass with their mini motos and scooters.

klaviator

klaviator

Scooter Trash
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
Member Number
431
Posts
3,346
Location
Alabama
I rode and owned a bunch of bikes for 40+ years but never bought a Honda for myself. They never had what I wanted when I was looking for a bike. The last few years they have made a bunch of bikes I have been lusting after. They are leading the way with Mini Motos and also have some nice small scooters.

I recently bought my first Honda.

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Since I just bought this I can't justify another bike this year but I am lusting after the Honda Mini Motos. I really like all of them, the Grom, Monkey Bike, Super Cub and Trail Cub. I can see buying one of those as my next bike. The real problem will be deciding which one:hmmmmm

I'm not the only one lusting after those Hondas as they are all selling faster than the dealers can get them in. With gas prices being where they are I don't see the demand for those bikes going down anytime soon.
 
I am a huge fan of Honda. There are plenty of other bikes I like but I somehow always come back to a Honda. The last non-Honda bike I bought was a BMW in 2018. I didn't keep it long.

So, in the past 4 years I have bought:

2019 Honda Monkey 125

2017 Honda X ADV 750

2021 Honda ADV150

2022 Honda GROM

2021 Honda NC750X DCT

2021 Honda Trail 125

2021 Honda PCX

I included my wife's PCX because what's hers is mine :lol3

2 bikes, 3 Mini Motos, and 1 scooter. We only have my Trail and her PCX.

I sold my 2022 GROM when I got my Trail because I thought they would be too much alike. Truth is, they aren't. So I have been eyeing the 2023 GROM. Unless Honda announces they will bring the Dax/ ST125.

I want more!

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ZoomerP said:
I've been told that the Dax would be an acceptable purchase. Whether that means I'll buy one if Honda brings it to North America remains to be seen, but its capabilities do fit nicely within Honda's other mini-motos.

I don't know anything about Honda's production capabilities for the little bikes & scooters, but I'd think they're cranking out as many as possible right now. I hope they're ready to quickly switch the platforms over to electric when the time comes so they won't have to start over with completely new designs.
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My first dream bike was the Honda CT70. The dax is a newer version of that bike. I don't know if nostalgia is a strong enough reason for me to choose it over the other 4 125cc Mini Motos Honda sells here but it is tempting.
 
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ZoomerP said:
Having a relatively comfortable pillion position gives it an advantage over the other Hondas that either don't have one, or appear to be uncomfortable (Grom). I can't recall if the tire sizes are more common, but that could be another plus for a Dax.
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Most people won't be carrying a pillion on these tiny bikes. I doubt I would although my first 150cc scooter handled a passenger way better than I ever would have expected.

As for tires, the Grom has very common sized tires, the same as a lot of scooters and the same as the Dax. The Dax only has a one gallon tank which would be an issue for me because any small bike I buy will be ridden out in the mountains and I will go touring on it. I think the Super Cub also has a tiny gas tank.

I am hoping that other manufacturers will give Honda more competition in the mini moto and small scooter segment here in the USA. Right now Honda is kicking ass in that segment here.
 
ZoomerP said:
For me, the pillion aspect will be important for short rides to the frozen custard shop and such. I don't plan to use it for anything more than that two-up.

Competition would be good. I'm surprised that there isn't more. Could be a combination of C-19 and a reluctance to roll out another ICE with e-bikes nearing release.
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I think useful E bikes (motorcycles and scooters, not bicycles) are still years down the road. Many manufacturers already have some great tiny bikes for sale in other markets, they just need to EPA certify them and sell them here. I don't see the demand for these bikes going away any time soon. Keep in mind that the Grom has been Honda's best selling bike here since it was introduced.
 
I think Honda is way behind. My first bike was a z50 that still ran after 4 boys learned how to ride and then attempted to destroy it! I currently own 3 hondas.
Honda is so conservative with minimotos and scoots, the recently released Navi has a carburetor:fpalm

I think business wise the small bike/ scooter business is just gravy for the company, and no I haven't studied any financial reports.

Honda has certainly leveraged their historical models in creating new models. Makes a lot of business sense.

There are many honda models we don't get in the US that would be big sellers in the US, the 350cc scoot segment is just begging for some new models!
 
SandRdr said:
I think Honda is way behind. My first bike was a z50 that still ran after 4 boys learned how to ride and then attempted to destroy it! I currently own 3 hondas.
Honda is so conservative with minimotos and scoots, the recently released Navi has a carburetor:fpalm

I think business wise the small bike/ scooter business is just gravy for the company, and no I haven't studied any financial reports.

Honda has certainly leveraged their historical models in creating new models. Makes a lot of business sense.

There are many honda models we don't get in the US that would be big sellers in the US, the 350cc scoot segment is just begging for some new models!
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I agree that Honda is extremely conservative and could do a lot better. They are still way ahead of everyone else in the 125-160cc segment of the US market.

I would love to see the Forza and ADV 350 brought here.
 
klaviator said:
I agree that Honda is extremely conservative and could do a lot better. They are still way ahead of everyone else in the 125-160cc segment of the US market.

I would love to see the Forza and ADV 350 brought here.
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The 190cc 5sp horizontal motor has been around for several years. Lots of jap mini motos have a 190 swap.

This bike is a new segment in lite enduro. Zongshen 190, streetable, etc all for under $2k. Orion rxb190l. They have an even smaller version with 150cc.
 
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ZoomerP said:
I've been told that the Dax would be an acceptable purchase. Whether that means I'll buy one if Honda brings it to North America remains to be seen, but its capabilities do fit nicely within Honda's other mini-motos.

I don't know anything about Honda's production capabilities for the little bikes & scooters, but I'd think they're cranking out as many as possible right now. I hope they're ready to quickly switch the platforms over to electric when the time comes so they won't have to start over with completely new designs.
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Once the swappable battery is sorted out between manufacturers, Honda will probably be offering bikes and scooters fast. There's a an electric CB in the works and a PCX too.
 
SandRdr said:
I think Honda is way behind. My first bike was a z50 that still ran after 4 boys learned how to ride and then attempted to destroy it! I currently own 3 hondas.
Honda is so conservative with minimotos and scoots, the recently released Navi has a carburetor:fpalm

I think business wise the small bike/ scooter business is just gravy for the company, and no I haven't studied any financial reports.

Honda has certainly leveraged their historical models in creating new models. Makes a lot of business sense.

There are many honda models we don't get in the US that would be big sellers in the US, the 350cc scoot segment is just begging for some new models!
Click to expand...
Fuel injection is the biggest reason I probably won't be buying a new Trail 125 or other small Honda. I have absolutely zero use for a fuel pump and a computer on what's supposed to be a simple bike.
The fact that it has a carb is one of the things I like about the Navi.
 
WECSOG said:
Fuel injection is the biggest reason I probably won't be buying a new Trail 125 or other small Honda. I have absolutely zero use for a fuel pump and a computer on what's supposed to be a simple bike.
The fact that it has a carb is one of the things I like about the Navi.
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The Sym Wolf 150 was a simple little gem of a bike. It was carbureted and had Honda DNA, since its origins were the Honda CB 125 Sym built for Honda for 20 years. I wonder Sym will bring it back to North America with the resurgences of small bikes?
 
WECSOG said:
Fuel injection is the biggest reason I probably won't be buying a new Trail 125 or other small Honda. I have absolutely zero use for a fuel pump and a computer on what's supposed to be a simple bike.
The fact that it has a carb is one of the things I like about the Navi.
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I've got several hundreds of thousands of miles racked up with carburetors. Never had an issue with them. But I can also say the same for EFI.

I've got a fly by wire bike sitting next to '84 Ford with a 1bbl. Both are deadly reliable. Don't miss out on a fun bike you want over something like this.

I mean, I get it. I love the FCR carbs on my dirt bikes, but they're worthless when the gaskets dry up. I just rebuilt one and it's was $160 in parts. That's getting pretty close to fuel pump money. It's all good either way.
 
Shinyribs said:
I've got several hundreds of thousands of miles racked up with carburetors. Never had an issue with them. But I can also say the same for EFI.

I've got a fly by wire bike sitting next to '84 Ford with a 1bbl. Both are deadly reliable. Don't miss out on a fun bike you want over something like this.

I mean, I get it. I love the FCR carbs on my dirt bikes, but they're worthless when the gaskets dry up. I just rebuilt one and it's was $160 in parts. That's getting pretty close to fuel pump money. It's all good either way.
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Good points (no pun intended; I do like CDI ignition!) but I have a '72 CT70 and '76 CT90 so I guess I'll stick with them. I am happy to see Honda bringing the little stuff back, though.
 
MrWellAdjusted said:
The Sym Wolf 150 was a simple little gem of a bike. It was carbureted and had Honda DNA, since its origins were the Honda CB 125 Sym built for Honda for 20 years. I wonder Sym will bring it back to North America with the resurgences of small bikes?
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Yeah, I remember those. Great bike! That little 125cc thumper was one of the best engines Honda ever designed. The XL125 used the same engine, and the XL185 and XR200 were just bored and stroked versions of it. The 229cc pushrod motors that are in so many Chinese street and enduro bikes now are also offspring of that engine.
 
WECSOG said:
Yeah, I remember those. Great bike! That little 125cc thumper was one of the best engines Honda ever designed. The XL125 used the same engine, and the XL185 and XR200 were just bored and stroked versions of it. The 229cc pushrod motors that are in so many Chinese street and enduro bikes now are also offspring of that engine.
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A good review of the bike. I'm told the top speed is higher than the reviewer claims. There is another review of the bike, where the chap that bought it picked up a near new one for $800.00. I'd keep my eyes peeled if I lived in the US. The larger market means you might be able to grab one cheap. Here in Canada, such bikes are far and few between, just the usual suspects around here. Hogs, a lot of hogs and larger Japanese bikes, of course.

 
WECSOG said:
Good points (no pun intended; I do like CDI ignition!) but I have a '72 CT70 and '76 CT90 so I guess I'll stick with them. I am happy to see Honda bringing the little stuff back, though.
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Yeah, points are something I don't miss!

I put together a XL500S once. CDI ignition on a battery-less, carb'd, kick-only bike. That mixture of technology makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. But so does punching the ride mode button with my right thumb and feeling the whole personality of my bike change.

There's no wrong way to have fun on two wheels.
 
I want a bike I can ride with a minimum of problems or maintenance. For that reason I prefer new bikes. New technology works great.....until it doesn't. When it breaks it is often beyond the average owners capability to trouble shoot and fix. I can see the appeal of older less complicated bikes, especially for someone with the mechanical ability and desire to work on them. I'd rather ride than wrench.
 
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