Honda's CBR125R may be an ideal starter bike

What would be the perfect first motorcycle? It's a tough question, because what might be ideal for your first couple of days could be something you grow out of quickly. But without the proper first steps, your subsequent riding career can prove disappointing.

Last winter when a colleague of mine, Scott Utting, first expressed an interest in buying a motorcycle – he'd never been on one before – it reminded me of just how awkward and difficult it can be to get a proper start on two wheels.

The decision is often made on price, which tends to direct first-timers to aging machines that threaten to become money pits, and newcomers are also often seduced onto heavyweight bikes, which is a mistake.

During a time when I was trying to steer Scott away from some of the more atrocious motorcycle prospects, I spotted the story by Wheels motorcycle writer Steve Bond about the new Honda CBR125R. Eureka.

A modern, lightweight design, the single-cylinder CBR125R is specifically designed for learners, but also for riders who simply don't want to ride a heavyweight bike.

According to Honda Canada, fewer than a third of the 30,000 Canadians who take rider training courses each year buy motorcycles. Most of them seem to give up before they've really started, and this particularly seems true for women.

My wife, Kim Dolan, has owned several different motorcycles, but has never really felt comfortable on any of them. When she spotted this CBR125R, it seemed to be exactly what she was looking for.

List price of the CBR125R is just $3,399, suggesting Honda Canada has cut its margin on this bike to the minimum, but an even better deal is what's called the Go Combo package, which for $4,304 includes a motorcycle jacket and pants, boots and gloves, an extended three-year warranty and roadside assistance. This same package can be financed for $149 a month for three years with a $440 down payment.

By early April, Scott earned his M2, but he still had zero riding experience on the street, and no motorcycle. He had expressed interest in the CBR125R, but his first visit to a dealer resulted in a brush-off – one of the retail problems Honda needs to work on.

Then we discovered the production CBR125R models were scheduled to arrive in June – way too late for Scott, once he really caught the bug.

Meanwhile, though, I managed to obtain a CBR125R from Honda Canada's press fleet. So I thought we'd start by letting him practise in a vacant parking lot. Scott was thrilled, but then most new motorcyclists feel excited after a first ride.

Over the years I've tested hundreds of motorcycles, including various entry-level machines, which have been largely uninspiring. This Honda, however, is easily the best motorcycle for a new rider that I've ever sampled. It's slim and light, with sensible ergonomics, and offers a wonderfully smooth and easy clutch action that makes stalling almost impossible, thanks to the eager tug of the engine at low revs.

The obvious question hanging over the CBR125R, though, is whether it's simply too small for the Canadian market, where large-displacement motorcycles are the norm.

Before dismissing the CBR125R, consider that its liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine will easily out-accelerate most city traffic, and can comfortably cruise at 100 km/h with the occasional stretch to 120 km/h if you need to pass (or an indicated 130 km/h if I put my head down). Even at 11,000 r.p.m., the counterbalanced engine feels tolerably smooth. As a commuter bike, the CBR has scooter-like nimbleness and ease of riding, yet it also offers real motorcycle capabilities.

During a day when I rode the CBR125R on a 320 km loop to Georgian Bay and back, the little CBR was far more comfortable than any number of sport bikes or cruisers I've ridden over the same distance.

My wife Kim commuted on the CBR125R and found it suited her perfectly.

The bike requires virtually no effort to steer, offers good suspension control (typically a weak point on budget bikes) and excellent braking from discs front and rear. Fuel consumption is a miserly 3.0 L/100 km (94 m.p.g.), and a true 100 m.p.g. is possible if you want to make a point.

About a week after Scott's first ride, I gave him the key again to let him have an extended ride for a day or so. He immediately set out to run some errands, arranging for the purchase of another motorcycle, a used Kawasaki ZZ-R250.

After the excitement, Scott made the rookie mistake of parking the CBR125R with the ignition on, which drained the battery. He called me for advice, and I suggested he give it a push to bump-start it.

The next day I discovered he had successfully bump-started the engine, but dropped the bike in the process. Damage was limited, and the CBR proved easy enough to pick up off the ground.

And come to think of it, maybe that's one essential characteristic of the ideal motorcycle for a novice: something you can pick up when it falls over.

But is the Honda CBR125R too small for the Canadian market? Well, perhaps for the market as it exists now, which has come to expect increasingly complex and expensive motorcycles with expanding displacements.

Honda Canada is trying to nurture a new one, from the bottom up, which makes this motorcycle just about perfect.

Honda's New Rider Program for the Toronto region will be based at Seneca College, 13990 Dufferin St., in King City. Riders must have a valid licence and appropriate riding gear. The program lets you practise on small off-road bikes and join an escorted street ride, as well as seminars and refreshments. To register, call 1-877-279-8668.