Honda CB125 Hornet vs SP125: What Suits You Best?

The Honda CB125 Hornet is a recently-launched sporty commuter, while the SP125 is a premium, executive commuter. Both the bikes have the same heart but their personalities are completely different. Here’s how these siblings fare against each other: 

Honda CB125 Hornet vs Honda SP125 Design

The Honda CB125 Hornet has a properly sporty design with sharp bodywork and a muscular fuel tank.  It has angular tank extensions, creased body panels, a split seat and a sleek tail section. The bike’s headlamp is a twin-pod unit with LED DRLs that make the bike look like an actual hornet. Also, the graphics on the bike are quite minimalist and look just sporty enough. It is available in four colour schemes: Pearl Siren Blue with Lemon Ice Yellow, Pearl Siren Blue with Sports Red, Pearl Siren Blue with Athletic Blue Metallic, and Pearl Igneous Black. One interesting thing about the Hornet is that it has a body-coloured grab rail, as opposed to the black one on the SP125.

The SP125, on the other hand, has a typical commuter styling with a single-piece seat, a stylish headlamp, and smooth body panels. The bike also gets tank extensions, but these are sleeker than the ones we saw on the CB125 Hornet. The Honda SP125 is available in five colour schemes: Imperial Red Metallic, Mat Axis Grey Metallic, Mat Marvel Blue Metallic, Pearl Igneous Black and Pearl Siren Blue. Except for the Grey, all these colour schemes have complementing graphics that look quite nice. 

Honda CB125 Hornet vs Honda SP125 Engine

While both the bikes have the same 123.94cc, single-cylinder engine, the SP125 comes with an additional kickstarter that the Hornet misses out on. The engines look exactly the same, but the Hornet is tuned for better performance, with slightly more power and torque.

The Honda SP125 produces 10.80PS and 10.9Nm, while the Hornet produces 11.14PS and 11.2Nm, both paired to a 5-speed transmission. The exhaust on the CB125 Hornet is a stubby unit that has a metal finish, while the SP125’s unit has a chrome cover.

Honda CB125 Hornet vs Honda SP125 Underpinnings

The Honda CB125 Hornet is the only 125cc bike to get a golden-coloured inverted fork It has a red-coloured monoshock. The bike has 5-spoke alloy wheels with contrasting colour schemes as the graphics. The only exception is the black bike, which comes with alloy wheels finished in a shade of light copper colour. Apart from this, the Hornet has a petal disc at the front which looks quite sporty while providing better stopping power, as opposed to the SP125’s regular unit. 

The SP125’s underpinnings are rather quite simple, with the telescopic fork finished in black colour. In contrast to the Hornet, this has twin rear shocks. While this one also has 5-spoke alloys, these have a rather simple design. 

Honda CB125 Hornet vs Honda SP125 Features

Both the bikes have exactly the same 4.2-inch TFT instrument console with smartphone connectivity via the Honda RoadSync app. The bikes even have the same information layout, with the readouts of speed, odometer, trip meters, fuel gauge, clock, and also a real-time mileage indicator..

While the Hornet CB125 comes with all-LED lighting that looks quite nice, only the headlight on the SP125 is LED – rest of its lights are bulb-type. 

BikeDekho Says

The Honda CB125 Hornet is meant for those who want a sporty, youthful bike, while the SP125 caters to those who like a more matured and elegant styling. If you are someone who wants a 125cc bike that handles well and can turn a lot of heads, the Hornet is the perfect motorcycle for you. But, if you want a comfortable, more subtle option, the SP125 might be a more sensible pick. However, if your heart is set on getting a 125cc sporty commuter only, we have compared the Honda CB125 Hornet with the TVS Raider 125. We also had a chance to ride the CB125 Hornet recently, and here are 5 things we liked about the bikes and 2 things which we didn't.