Honda XRM125 DS

The Honda XRM125 DS belongs to the lower crop of the underbone bikes, which means that it has more focus on function over form given the target audience. It does look basic and not so happening when it comes to looks, but then, there are a couple of design elements that position it as a unique offering over other models.

At the front, the Honda XRM125 DS has got a small headlamp with lower edges tapering downwards. The entire headlamp is covered in a large and upswept plastic cowl, which makes it look a bit sporty. There are a couple of other kits like flared and large front fender and handlebar cowls, which make it look a bit rugged and give it an appeal of a dual-purpose off-road motorcycle.

When the Honda XRM125 DS is viewed from the side, the minimalist design of the bike accentuates its small size even more. The body panels are not so fairly large-sized, but they do look sharp and bold thanks to bold graphics. Despite it being a small-sized model, the seat is large enough to seat two people with ease. 

The single-piece pillion grab rail, rear fender, tail lamp, and exhaust shield look tad too basic and feel like they have been built to a cost. The same goes for the instrument console as well, which lacks any modern digital readouts and packs in analog dials for speedometer, odometer and fuel gauge. 

The Honda XRM125 DS lacks severely in terms of features, there are not even alloy wheels on this model to make it look as if it belongs to today’s times. The bike feels very basic and dated in terms of visual appeal.

The Honda XRM125 DS hides an underbone frame beneath its minimal bodywork and is fitted with hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and unit swing with single-sided coil spring at the rear.

While the suspension combination might sound as basic as its overall styling, the ride quality feels good in all kinds of roads. The off-road duties are performed decently as well, with the suspension having a slight stiffness too. The Honda XRM125 DS comes paired with a disc brake at the front and a basic drum brake at the rear, for braking purposes.

Powering the Honda XRM125 DS is a four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 124.8cc engine, which is the same mill, which does its duty on other couple of Honda models like the Wave 125 Alpha.

However, here on the XRM125 DS, the engine produces slightly different figures, with maximum power output rated at 9.1 PS and peak torque output rated at 9.6 Nm, and is paired to a four-speed manual gearbox. This clearly indicates that the engine has been retuned to offer a different kind of experience in power delivery.

The engine feels very sprightly and powerful thanks to the diminutive size and weight of the XRM125 DS. However, what ruins the experience a bit is the very small tank range, as the fuel tank measures only 3.8 litres.

The Honda XRM125 DS has negligible safety features as it is positioned in the much lower spectrum of price point, and to keep costs as minimum as possible, this measure has been taken. However, the front disc brake does help matters a bit.

The Honda XRM125 DS might be a too basic product to start with, and does not come with a powerful personality in terms of visual appeal. However, the off-road styling bits at the front as well as the small size do give it a distinctive presence and looks. With sorted powertrain and supple suspension setup, the Honda XRM125 DS has got its mechanicals sorted very well.