The Honda MiniMoto concept has been an unqualified success. It started 11 years ago with the Honda Grom, and five models now feature the same 125cc motor in different chassis and transmission configurations. The 2025 Honda Dax 125 is the latest member of the family, recalling the classic Trail 70 that debuted in 1969. The Trail 70 was the big brother to the more popular Honda Mini Trail 50. The Mini Trail’s spirit lives on in the Honda Monkey and CRF50F. These motorcycles are iconic and influential in equal measure. With that MiniMoto mini-history out of the way, let’s get on the 2025 Honda Dax 125 and go riding.
- The Trail 70 was known for its pressed steel frame that integrated the fuel tank, and the Dax brings it back. While Americans simply accepted it as a bigger dual-sport minibike, other countries saw a dog in the T-bone-style frame—a dachshund, to be specific. That’s where the name Dax comes from. Although I never associated the wiener dog with the Trail 70, I can’t unsee it now that I understand where the Dax got its name.
- The Dax chassis strongly recalls the Trail 70. In addition to the pressed-steel frame, it features a horizontal 124cc motor with a centrifugal clutch transmission, an up-pipe, and twin shocks. The Dax has an inverted fork, and disc brakes replace the Trail 70’s drums. Given that we’re 56 years after the Trail 70’s introduction, the Dax is a remarkably authentic and sympathetic tribute. Wherever you go on the Dax, expect approving and envious smiles. Who doesn’t love the Dax doggie logo?
- The automatic centrifugal clutch on the 2025 Honda Dax 125 means one less barrier to entry for new riders. If you want to ride the similarly sized Monkey or Grom, you must learn to operate the clutch. The Dax has an auto clutch, so all you have to do is manipulate the four-speed transmission’s heel/toe shifter. It took me a few miles to figure out how to tuck in my heel for the upshifts. Hooking your toe under the front shifter isn’t easy, so you will want to acclimate your heel to the job. That will be less challenging for new riders, as they won’t be used to how a traditional shifter works.
- Lacking a manual clutch, shifts can be jolting on the 2025 Honda Dax 125. It takes a while to master the auto-clutch, so expect some jerking until you do. Upshifts get smoother as you learn to fully shut the throttle off for gear changes. Downshifts are frequently lurching, so you learn to avoid them when coming to a stop. The auto-clutch disengages the transmission at a stop, allowing you to downshift to 1st gear. Note that the shift pattern is N-1-2-3-4. You get to neutral by downshifting from 1st gear. Conveniently, the e-start works with the transmission in any position.
- The 124cc two-valve fuel-injected motor likes to rev. Don’t expect it to torque you away from starts—it won’t. In traffic, you’re likely to pin it when the light turns green to ensure you won’t be eaten alive by four-wheelers. The Dax is good for about 50 mph, though that drops on San Fernando Valley hills to under 40 mph with a 170-pound rider aboard. The Dax is rated to carry 342 pounds, and we did some two-up testing. While the Dax can handle two adults, performance is noticeably diminished with the added weight.
- The chassis is up to the demands of the motor. There’s nothing squirrelly about the 2025 Honda Dax 125. The Vee Rubber tires mounted on 12-inch wheels allow for as much cornering as you dare. Despite having only 25 degrees of rake, the handling isn’t excessively nervous. The Dax is composed all the way up to 50 mph. At the other end of the spectrum, you can filter and lane-split with the best of them.
- Although the 2025 Honda Dax 125’s suspension doesn’t look like much, it works impressively well. When riding around neighborhoods with speed bumps, you can hit them at full throttle. You get a true sense of the shocks and fork absorbing the hit and moving on without jolting you. There are over four inches of travel at both ends, and Honda did an impressive job of working out spring and damping rates that appeal to a broad range of riders.
- Nissin calipers effectively handle braking. The 220mm disc with a two-piston caliper in the front does the heavy lifting, with the 120mm front tire’s prodigious footprint doing its part. Use of the 190mm rear disc is optional, though effective when needed. The brake lever and pedal are where you expect them to be.
- The ergonomics of the 2025 Honda Dax 125 work well for riding around town, though you do feel a bit vulnerable on the small bike. The 30.6-inch seat height is taller than many cruisers, so you have a decent view of your surroundings. Still, with a wheelbase of just 47 inches, the Dax feels small in a crowd. Add in the inability to speed away from any situation, and it takes some brain calibration before you’ll feel completely confident in urban traffic. Urban commuters will appreciate the natural ergonomics as they work through traffic and get to work in record time.
- Given that the Trail 70 was a dual-sport bike, we couldn’t resist going off-road on the Dax 125. Smooth urban trails are a breeze—they are out there in Los Angeles, if you know where to look. We even took to some urban stream beds for some MiniMoto action. The suspension isn’t designed for that, and the small tires don’t like obstacles. Also, the muffler gets in the way if you stand up, and the motor lacks the low-end power needed for technical riding, like paved city stream crossings. However, despite these shortcomings, it’s still a blast to go off-road in the city, and know you’re likely to get away with it on a cute little doggy bike. Oh, and it’s very quiet—you can barely hear it at idle.
- The switchgear is familiar, and the dash is dim. There are no rider modes or options to switch off ABS, so the buttons are kept to a minimum. Honda went with its organically shaped switches, which feel good on the thumbs. The LCD dash can be impossible to read when the sun hits it at certain angles—at night, though, it looks great. TFT has spoiled us.
- The 2025 Honda Dax 125 is another winning MiniMoto. With its automatic clutch, the Dax will attract riders intimidated by the manual clutch used by the Grom and Monkey. Its distinctive styling, right down to the racing stripe, is universally loved according to our testing—we are glad we got the Pearl Glittering Blue color, which recalls the original’s Candy Sapphire Blue. This little dachshund has us wagging our tails.
Photography by Kelly Callan
RIDING STYLE
2025 Honda Dax 125 Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Horizontal four-stroke single
- Displacement: 124cc
- Bore x stroke: 50 x 63.1mm
- Compression ratio: 10.0:1
- Fueling: EFI w/ 24mm throttle body
- Cooling: Air
- Valvetrain: SOHC; 2 valves
- Starting: Electric
- Transmission: 4-speed manual shift
- Clutch: Automatic centrifugal; wet multiplate
- Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS
- Frame: Pressed steel backbone
- Front suspension; travel: Non-adjustable 31mm inverted fork; 4.3 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Non-adjustable shocks; 4.7 inches
- Wheels: 5-spoke cast aluminum
- Tires: Vee Rubber
- Front: 120/70 x 12
- Rear: 130/70 x 12
- Front brake: 220mm disc w/ Nissin 2-piston caliper
- Rear brake: 190mm disc w/ Nissin single-piston caliper
- ABS: Standard
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 47.2 inches
- Rake: 25 degrees
- Trail: 3.3 inches
- Seat height: 30.6 inches
- Fuel capacity: 1.0 gallon
- Curb weight: 236 pounds
- Colors: Pearl Glittering Blue; Pearl Gray
2025 Honda Dax 125 Price: $4199 MSRP
2025 Honda Dax 125 Review Photo Gallery
