Honda SP 125

The Honda SP 125 is basically a sportier version of the Honda Shine 125 - the best-selling 125cc bike in India. Back when it was first launched in 2019, it was among the first few bikes in this segment to bring in sharp styling and modern features, marking a huge shift away from the otherwise simplistic 125cc commuters. Over the years, Honda has made some slight updates to the SP125. But in 2025, it saw its biggest update yet, which included an update to the latest OBD-2B norms, a full colour TFT instrument console (on the DLX variant) and some other tech as well. With these updates, the SP125 now feels more ready than ever to take on its rivals like the Hero Xtreme 125R and TVS Raider.

Now my review for the SP125 is primarily based on the 2020 version of the bike, which I have ridden quite extensively. I’ve only briefly ridden the 2025 version, but since there aren’t any significant mechanical changes between the bikes, this review will apply for the 2025 version too. My primary use case for the SP125 was city commuting for the most part with a couple of short weekend rides on the highways around Pune.

SP125 Design

At first glance, the SP125 looks sharp and a bit aggressive - especially when you compare it to its sibling, the Honda Shine. The LED headlight is tall and sleek, flanked by muscular tank extensions that make it feel like a bigger 150cc bike from some angles. The small black visor on the bikini fairing is a nice, sporty touch too. There are lots of other design elements on the SP125 which add to its sporty nature. The sharp LED headlight, upswept exhaust, the smart-looking 5-spoke Y-shaped alloy wheels, and even the slim M-shaped LED tail-light at the back give the SP125 a distinct character. It doesn’t look like a typical 125cc commuter from any angle - it’s sporty, but not overdone. It’s design that would appeal to everyone from college students to even older buyers. The only part of the design that I’m not a big fan of is the body graphics. They feel a little much for my liking and I would’ve really liked minimal stickering.

SP125 Colours

The SP125 is available in 5 colour options – Imperial Red Metallic, Mat Axis Grey Metallic, Mat Marvel Blue Metallic, Pearl Igneous Black and Pearl Siren Blue. Except for the Grey, all variants come with body graphics on the headlight cowl, tank, centre and tail panel. My pick would be the Mat Marvel Blue Metallic - the blue itself is very pleasing to the eye, and the colours of the body graphics aren’t too jarring.

SP125 Build Quality

Build quality is typically Honda - well aligned panels, decent paint finish, and the plastic quality is solid. Even little things, such as the seat cover material feels premium. And in this 2025 update, the switchgear has been drastically improved - it feels tactile and easy to use. The SP125 that I had ridden back in 2020, showed no signs of rattling or any loose bits even after a couple of hundred kilometres of hard use.

SP125 Safety Features

Unfortunately, this is one area where the SP125 doesn’t score very high. It doesn’t get ABS, but there’s a combined braking system (CBS), which distributes braking force between both the front and rear brakes, when only the rear brake pedal is used. Apart from that, the SP125 just gets a side-stand engine cut-off feature, which ensures that you can’t start the engine when the side stand is down.

SP125 Convenience Features

The big standout feature in the 2025 Honda SP125 is the new full-colour TFT instrument console that’s available on the DLX variant. This screen features Bluetooth connectivity to the Honda RoadSync smartphone app, which then lets you use turn-by-turn navigation, control music, get call/message alerts, check weather updates, and even give voice commands via a helmet headset. Apart from all the connectivity features, this console also shows all necessary readouts such as a tachometer, speedometer, gear position indicator, odometer, trip meters, real time mileage as well as average mileage and a clock. The screen itself is quite bright, easy to read even under harsh sunlight, and also has a dark mode for use at night. The Standard (STD) variant though, get a simple digital LCD instrument console.

The SP125 also gets a USB Type-C charger under the handlebar. I quite liked this charging port as it supplies 15W of power - enough to charge modern smartphones at a reasonable rate. The bike also features an idle start-stop system that shuts off the engine when idling for a few seconds, and restarts it as soon as you pull in the clutch lever. And thanks to an ACG (alternating current generator), the SP125 starts up extremely smoothly and silently.

SP125 Rider Comfort

Even though it looks sporty, the SP125 has a neutral and upright riding posture. The handlebar is fairly tall and the footpegs are mid-set, which meant that with my height of 5’9”, I was sitting bolt-upright on the bike. I would say that this is an ideal riding position for daily commutes. Even some of my shorter colleagues who were 5’6” and 5’7” felt the same way about the SP125’s riding position. The 790mm seat height is really accessible too, and because the bike is quite slim in the middle, not just me, but even my shorter colleagues could flat-foot the bike.

The seat itself is broad, gently stepped up for the pillion. The cushioning though, is quite soft, which makes it very comfortable for city rides. But if I was on the bike for more than an hour or so, I would start sinking into the seat. Now I am a bit on the heavier side - about 80kg without my riding gear, and if I experienced this problem, heavier riders would definitely have it worse. That said, for a 125cc bike, the SP125 is quite a roomy bike, and should accommodate even large riders easily.

SP125 Pillion Comfort

The SP125’s pillion seat is reasonably wide and long. There’s enough space for a second person without either rider or pillion feeling cramped. The rear grab rail is easy to hold, and the gentle rise in the seat doesn’t make getting on or off the bike difficult.

SP125 Engine

The SP125 is powered by a 123.94cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that makes 10.87PS of power and 10.9Nm of torque. This makes it less powerful than both the TVS Raider and the Hero Xtreme 125R, but the SP125’s engine does make more torque than the Xtreme.

SP125 City Performance

The first thing that struck me about the SP125 was just how smooth its motor felt at city speeds - far smoother than its competitors. Yet it still feels peppy off the line and has decent low-end torque. So I could potter around in the city in 3rd gear without feeling like the bike was struggling. Even overtaking traffic in the city didn’t need a downshift unless I was at really low speeds. Even when I did have to shift, the 5-speed gearbox was quite slick and would slot into the required gear without any fuss. Even finding neutral was really easy every time I came to a halt. I think this is one of the smoothest gearboxes in this segment.

SP125 Highway Performance

On the few small trips I did around Pune on the SP125, it performed decently on the highway. It could sit at around 75-80kmph quite comfortably for long durations. On several occasions, I did push it past 90kmph, but beyond that, the motor started feeling stressed and I could feel a distinct buzz on the handlebar. The SP125 thrives in the city, but it doesn’t mind the occasional highway ride, as long as you don’t expect too much from it.

SP125 Mileage

In my testing, the SP125 delivered an impressive 63.8kmpl in mixed city-highway use. And with a 11.2-litre fuel tank, you’re easily looking at a range of about 600km on a full tank, which is more than enough for daily use.

• If you want to ride on the highway, sitting at speeds of 70-80kmph is easy for the SP125. But beyond these speeds, the engine starts to feel strained 

SP125 Underpinnings

The SP125 uses a diamond-type frame with a telescopic fork up front and twin preload-adjustable shock absorbers at the rear - which is basically the same hardware you get on the Shine 125. Alloys wheels with tubeless tyres are standard on both variants. 

SP125 City Handling

At just 117kg (DLX variant), the SP125 feels really nimble. It’s easy to flick through gaps in traffic, make tight U-turns, and squeeze into tight parking spots. The wide handlebar provides good leverage and the front end feels light, so even when I was finding my way around bumper-to-bumper traffic, the SP125 was really easy to manage.

SP125 Highway Handling

At highway speeds, the bike still feels stable and even crosswinds don’t seem to bother the bike much. But because it’s so stable as the speeds go up, its steering does start feeling a bit heavier, and leaning the bike into corners takes a little more effort. When I tried aggressive cornering on the SP125, the front end felt a  bit too vague and didn’t inspire confidence. But then again, it’s a sporty commuter, not a sportbike.

SP125 Braking

The DLX variant of the SP125 gets a 240mm front disc at the front and a 130mm at the rear. The braking power on offer is strong enough, but the brake isn’t super sharp, and the lever needs to be pulled in quite a bit before the SP125 really starts slowing down quickly. I think this brake tuning was intentional on Honda’s part so as not to scare average commuters with a really sharp brake feel. The rear drum brake does need quite a stomp on the brake pedal for the rear brake to really bite. The CBS does a decent job of distributing enough brake force to the front to avoid easily locking up the rear under hard braking. The STD variant on the other hand, gets a 130mm drum brake at the front.

In today’s Indian bike market, when we have super competent sporty commuters such as the TVS Raider and the Hero Xtreme 125, the Honda SP125 feels slightly dated. It’s not a boring bike by any means, and for those looking for a 125cc bike that checks all the right boxes for commuting and offers a bit of sportiness on top, the SP125 fits the bill quite well. Its excellent refinement at city speeds coupled with Honda’s legendary reliability, makes the SP125 feels like a great all-rounder.

Honda SP125 vs TVS Raider 125

The Raider is the more performance-oriented bike here. It’s quicker, more powerful and has a sportier riding experience. But the SP125 is more refined at city speeds, slightly more spacious, and still offers solid features. The main reason for choosing the Raider over the SP would be the additional performance. But given TVS’ poor service reputation, the Honda would certainly provide more peace of mind in the long run.

Honda SP125 vs Hero Xtreme 125R

The Xtreme 125R has much more aggressive styling and better performance than the SP125. The Xtreme also offers better ride quality and its engine feels much more relaxed at highway speeds. But it doesn’t offer the same level of refinement or features as the SP125’s DLX variant. Plus, Honda’s after-sales and reliability still hold more trust among buyers.