1966 Honda 125cc CDA Motorcycle

Description

Soichiro Honda’s eponymous company was founded in 1948 and gradually established itself as one of the first and certainly one of the finest exponents of motorcycle manufacturing in Japan over the next decade.  It wasn’t until 1959 that Honda began exporting bikes to the rest of world, with America naturally a key market, and two new models - the Benly and the Dream – were launched that year.  Honda expanded rapidly, becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964, with a range to suit just about every purpose and budget.  Launched in Japan in 1966, the CD125 was Honda’s first bike to use a new air-cooled 4-stroke twin, replacing the earlier C92A unit and heavily influenced by the CR93 Benly Grand Prix bikes that dominated the smaller classes for years to come.  Featuring a side cam-chain driven design, the CD125 was rated at 12.5 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and, with the commuter market firmly in mind, came with electric start thanks to CDI ignition.  The frame utilised diamond steel tubing with a telescopic front fork and rear swing-arm and drum brakes front and rear.  With a maximum speed of 115 km/h and sensational fuel economy, the compact CD125 (and larger CD175 stablemate) was rarely seen outside of Japan but continued in production for many years.  A typically high-quality bike, Honda’s CD125 was beautifully made and the low survival rate has seen them become increasingly collectible over the years.