Here she is:
Since purchasing the machine, I have added the following:
- Givi 317DT Screen (looks similar to Honda’s own aftermarket screen but is much cheaper!)
- Givi E30 Tour Top Box
- Givi E104 Brake Light – very useful as the Top Box obscures the tail/brake light on the bike when viewed at certain angles (such as from above in the cab of a HGV).
- TomTom Rider (v1) in a TouraTech/RAM mount.
- Unbranded ‘Spy Camera’ for video recording.
Nice, just got a used 2009 model, pritty run down and in a need of a bit of TLC, using 125bike owners club as a guide, very useful! A tachometer on the 2011 models, i wounder if it would be possible to install it on the older ones as i imagen it would be very usefull, and also looks a lot nicer as well.
Hi, thanks for the comments.
I would advise servicing it fully as with 125′s especially, people don’t tend to look after them often. Do you have the owner’s manual as the schedule is in there, although only provides basic information. You might want to get the workshop manual (Wemoto sell it but it’s about £50). How many miles has it done just out of interest?
Regarding the tach, the instrument cluster moulding looks different on both bikes, as well as the wiring being different, but after looking at a wiring diagram for my YBR (different make so this may not be accurate info), it seems the tach is very simple and takes a feed from the CDI unit and another connection to earth. The CDI on the 2011 CBF vs the 2009/10 may also be different to account for this, or it might be the same, worth comparing if you can. You can buy aftermarket tachometers that you can bolt on to the handlebars etc. Not sure how the CDI would handle this though and there isn’t much info out there about doing this sort of thing with the CBF, sorry.
Personally I don’t find it that useful, although it’s nice to have, in fact I feel I get distracted looking at it all the time!
Hi thanks for responding, I bought it 2 weeks ago, it has 2 previous owners with 4900 miles on clock i have just took it into the 5000s. my friend has one too, his one is a year old but so much better looked after. My one has a very low idle and in the mornings will not idle until at least 5 minutes of revving has past, also out on the road his one will pull away from mine any day much faster. but only paid 1K so what can i expect. I am just hoping an oil change. new spark plug and using shell V-power like that site suggests will help it out a bit, I even bought that pro 4 plus oil. I am currently trying to get hold of a owners manual for it, i have asked my friend but he has not got back to me yet.
Thanks, Haribo.
I still haven’t got the workshop manual yet but I believe the idle speed is adjustable. I’ll confirm when I get the manual. Maybe an adjuster screw on the throttle body perhaps (traditionally you’d have an idle screw on a carb, so that would be the logical place). It’ll be due a service at 5’000 miles. Also if you have no luck with the old owner, check with a Honda dealer with regards to getting hold of a manual, as far as I know, there are no PDF’s out there online at all. Saying that, take the back seat off via the key lock on the left side near the rear light assembly, flip it over and look at the underside, that’s where the manual should be stored on the bike, so it may well be there!
Ye, tried looking under the seat and contacting old owner, no luck, but my mate said i could borrow it tonight. Maby ill scan every page and upload it somewhere as a PDF? I could send the file to you and you could put it on your site or something, just a thought, don’t know if your allowed to do that or not. I think it would be the first CBF125 manual on the internet! But anyway filling up full tank of V-power and changing oil to pro 4 plus tonight. Ill report back any performance change.
Regarding the oil, Honda specify only 10w30 for this bike for some reason. I have no idea why and haven’t heard of anyone having issues with other grades but there you go… I currently have a bottle of Pro 4 Plus in the garage but that was for the YBR before it was written off (was using Halfords 10w40 semi-synthetic before that and never had problems). I’m torn between using that or the recommended Castrol Power 1 GPS 10w30 at the moment. Would love to know your findings on the Pro 4 Plus, especially after a couple of thousand miles or so.
I have noticed really good fuel economy with V-Power (last fill up calculated at 144mpg!). Due to copyright issues I’m afraid I won’t host a copy of the manual, sorry. There are other places you can host though (Dropbox public folder, Fileshack etc – no idea if Honda really care but the law is the law and I’d say it’s a risk if you do choose to reproduce this stuff…).
Thanks again for your comments, they’re really insightful.
Hi, mate couldn’t find the manual, do you know how to get the oil to drain out, is it a nut or somthing that you loosen. i am a compleate novice, thanks in advance.
Hi,
Just wondering if you got my email on Friday evening with all the info, and if your oil change went well and if you have any initial thoughts on the Pro 4 Plus? (always a great feeling the first time you do something like this – then you realise how much you’ll save in labour costs!).
I got you e-mail, once again thank you. After work is finished today i am going to go for a drive to get the oil hot, like the site suggests and i am going to change it when i get home. i got everything i need on the inside of the door so should be hassle free (famous last words) ill take it for a ride after and see if i can feel any differences straight away.
Nut screwed on to tightly, Broke my tool lol, i can’t be bothered with this anymore im just going to leave it.but thanks for your help anyways.
Hmm this is a silly question but did you try and unscrew it in the right direction (opposite to what you might think as it’s facing down)?
Not sure as would not move ether way and then the heat bent the tool. I am seriously considering just leaving it on its side to drain the oil as i discovered one day when my friend fell off his on the A2. No fear i shall drop it off at the shop where i bought it from with the oil, its just down the road from the office! Oh and what happening to your bike with the juddering?
OK, new oil, no noticeable difference yet, but they say it takes time for it to get fully absorbed, first impressions, the oil that came out was black as night and this stuff was like gold compared to it! so at least it looks better. will have to run it in and see how she goes. thanks again for your help and I will report back any problems/improvements,
Doesn’t take that long to circulate around the engine, couple of minutes at most, nothing to absorb into really. Even if you can’t feel any difference, new oil will definitely be good for the engine. Getting rid of dirty oil is always a good thing, and the oil in these high-revving engines is also shared with the gearbox and clutch so it has quite a hard life being churned about all over the place, which is why we need more frequent changes than our four wheeled counterparts.
Well, I need to get it up to speed for a bit as sometimes when changing from 3rd to 4th gear it slips for a second or two, I am hoping this new stuff will resolve it, and I don’t know if I am being to gentle but every 1 out of 3 rides it will slip out of 2nd into neutral at some point. not sure if its me or not.
Well everything appears to be good now, smoother changes and all that! One thing i forgot to ask, how is the larger shield, is there much difference compared to the regular one, i found the small shield pushes the air just below shoulder level.
I have noticed it slips out of 2nd into neutral occasionally as well. I also noticed that the gear pedal is a bit high (personal preference), and I haven’t lowered it yet but I suspect you’ll get more leverage if it’s lower and the pedal should stand a better chance of firmly be pushed home when changing gear.
The taller windshield is better than the stock stubby one, but I am getting wind blast on my head/chest when there is a strong wind against me. When there’s no wind, or if I’m travelling with it, it does a very good job. Not sure if it has any effect on aerodynamics.
Have you noticed any more difference with Pro 4 Plus now you’ve had it in for a while?
Hello again,
I will subscribe your logbook, not only you have a lot of knowledge, but also you’re the first person after me to discover how to have a DC system in the CBF.
I want to make the services myself, because Honda in My city is to expensive, pay 50€ for a 4000 mileage revision with oil change.
I have already bought the oil, 9€ per litre.
Cheers!
best cbf125 page out there 8) *****5stars
Hi, I’m wondering whether you’ve had the CBF long enough to pass judgement compared with the Yamaha YBR125? From what I’ve read in various forums there seem to be a number of consistent quality issues with the CBF. You got the YBR up to a high mileage quite happily. I suppose the CBF is slightly more economical, but one breakdown wipes out that saving. Les