Honda XL125

History

Honda has been supplying most touring models for years, as well as motorcycles suitable for light to heavy terrain work. The scramblers, slightly modified touring models, were suitable for unpaved roads and were given the designation "CL", the off-roads were suitable for heavier off-road work and were given the designation "SL". From 1972 Honda began to produce single-cylinder off-road engines at a rapid pace with the type designation "XL". For the heavier models, such as the Honda XL 250, that engine had to be specially developed because the normal models all had parallel twins. The existing single-cylinder engines could be used for the light models, such as the XL 100 and XL 125.

1974-1974 XL 125

After the Honda XL 250 (1972) and the Honda XL 175 (1973), the Honda XL 100 and the Honda XL 125 were introduced in 1974. The Honda XL 125 still had to make do with the 12 hp 122cc single-cylinder engine from the Honda CB 125 series.

Engine

The Honda single-cylinders all had an overhead camshaft engine with an overhead camshaft, with the exception of the CG 125, which had a low-lying camshaft where the valves were operated with pushrods and rocker arms. The cylinder capacity was initially only 121.9 cc, but from 1976 the bore increased by 0.5 mm, making the cylinder capacity 124.1 cc. All models had a wet sump lubrication system.

Drive

From the crankshaft, the wet multi-disc clutch was gear driven. The XL 125 had a five-speed gearbox. The secondary drive was via a chain.

Chassis

All models had a tubular frame, usually bridge type, with an additional frame tube from the steering head to the bottom of the engine block, which formed a supporting part. For the SL 125, TL 125 and XL 125 this was not an option as an off-road engine: the stones and rocks would damage the crankcase and therefore those machines got a semi-double cradle frame where the frame tube split in two under the block. There was also a steel crankcase protector between the frame tubes. All models had a telescopic fork and swing arm and were braked with drum brakes. The front wheel measured 21 inches and the rear wheel 18 inches.

1974, XL 125 K0

The 1974 XL 125 K0 came in Fire Red with Silver Metallic and Black. The tank was red, the side covers, the exhaust with the heat shield, the frame and headlight housing were black, and the plastic fenders were silver. The "XL 125 S" logo [1] on the side covers was yellow. The exhaust was not bent up like on the SL 125, but could simply be low due to the greater ground clearance. The high front fender was - compared to the XL 250 and XL 100 - large, with even an extra rubber mud flap at the front. Machines were also supplied with the same mudguard mounted low with the mud flap at the bottom. The cylinder head consisted of one piece.

1975, XL 125 K1

The 1975 XL 125 K1 was Tahitian Red with Silver Metallic and Black. The tiny [2] heat shield was chrome plated. The "XL 125 S" logo was red and white.

1976, XL 125 '76

The most significant change in 1976 was the new engine, with a two-piece cylinder head and a bore / stroke ratio of 56.5 × 49.5 mm, bringing the displacement to 124.1 cc. External differences were the exhaust, now curved up behind the frame and the right side cover long, and the large, silver-colored plastic fenders. The main color was Shiny Orange with white and black. Now it said "XL 125" (without "S") on the black side covers, in yellow and white. The rev counter that previous models did have was dropped. There was a small heat shield placed between the frame tubes, which was still black in 1976.

1977, XL 125 '77

The 1977 XL 125 was black with Shiny Orange, with the orange in the form of a wide band on the bottom half of the tank. The fenders were orange, the small heat shield chrome-plated. The side covers again said "XL 125 S", in red letters and numbers. The wheel hubs were painted silver.

1978, XL 125 '78

Like all XL models, the color scheme was renewed in 1978. The main color was Tahitian Red, with orange and yellow piping on the tank and side covers. The "XL 125" logo was yellow and white, the wheel hubs painted black.

Referenced website: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_XL_125-serie

Gallery: Original vehicle

Gallery: Restauration

Gallery: Restored vehicle