Honda Super Cub C125 Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals

This is the maintenance schedule and associated service intervals for the Honda Super Cub C125.

The Honda Super Cub or Honda Cub is one of Honda’s mini motorcycles with a 124 cc engine. Many motorcycles have held the Super Cub name in the past, but the most current version has a 124cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine. It has an electric start, fuel injection, ABS, and an automatic clutch (but still a foot-operated gearshift). It shares the same basic platform as the Honda Monkey.

The classic Honda Super Cub’s US advertising campaign, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda”, had a lasting impact on Honda’s image and on American attitudes to motorcycling, and is often used as a marketing case study.

Here are the other Honda miniMOTO maintenance schedules:

• Honda Monkey (2018-2021)
• Honda Super Cub C125
• Honda Grom 2014-2020
• Honda Grom 2021+
• Honda Navi 2016+ (2022+ in the US)
• Honda Trail 125 / CT125 2021+

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Service intervals for the Honda Super Cub C125

Like other motorcycles in the Honda miniMOTO range (which mostly share the same engine), the service intervals for the Honda Super Cub are quite short, with a 4000 mile / 6400 km service interval at which you not only change the oil, but also inspect or replace the spark plug and check the valve clearances.

The Honda Super Cub C125, like most variants of the miniMOTO range, doesn’t have an oil filter to replace and just have an oil screener and centrifugal filter. Honda recommends you get a mechanic to service these properly.

Make sure you keep your chain clean and lubed. Despite being a small-engined bike, the Honda Super Cub C125 is often ridden in conditions that can put a lot of stress on a chain (e.g. getting it dirty or wet), which means you need to pay attention to it.

Luckily, as an air-cooled engine, there’s no liquid coolant to replace in the Honda Super Cub C125.

What you need to service your Honda Super Cub

Doing your own service on the Honda Super Cub is part of the ownership experience. But what oil, spark plugs etc. should you use? Apart from general standard motorcycle maintenance tools, here’s what you need to service your Honda Super Cub.

Part	Honda Super Cub Spec
Oil	Honda recommends SAE 10W-30 oil that’s API classification SG or higher or JASO T 903 standard MA or higher. There are a lot of oils that fit the bill, but Honda recommends Pro Honda GN4. Note — there’s no oil filter to change on the Super Cub, just an oil spinner to clean out (see the schedule below)
Spark plug	Manual specifies NGK CPR6EA-9.
Brake fluid	The manual specifies DOT 3 or DOT 4, but recommends Honda DOT 4 brake fluid.
Air filter	Honda part number 17210-KWW-640, harder to find, so get from your dealer.
Chain maintenance	Service your chain regularly! Either use a Motul chain care kit, or with Motul chain paste.
Grease	Use lithium soap-based grease and silicone grease for external pivot points, like the sidestand and bearings.
Brake pads	EBC FA691HH for the front, and rear is a drum shoe, part EBC 352 (different to the Grom and Monkey, which have a rear disc).

Honda Super Cub C125 Maintenance Schedule

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Honda Super Cub C125. At higher odometer readings, repeat at the frequency interval established here.

Honda recommends you take your motorcycle to a qualified mechanic for the engine oil strainer screen and centrifugal filter, as well as for the steering head bearings and wheels/tires.

Maintenance Procedures:

• I: inspect and clean, adjust, lubricate, or replace, if necessary
• C: Clean
• L: lubricate
• R: replace

mi x 1000	0.6	4	8	12	16	20	24
km x 1000	1	6.4	12.8	19.2	25.6	32	38.4	Every
Inspection checklist (see below) — Perform all items	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Engine Oil (Pro Honda GN4) — Replace	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Engine Oil Strainer Screen — Clean			✓		✓		✓
Engine Oil Centrifugal Filter — Clean			✓		✓		✓
Spark Plug (CPR6EA-9) — Inspect or (R)eplace		✓	R	✓	R	✓	R
Valve Clearances — Inspect / Adjust		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Air Cleaner — Replace				✓			✓	More often if riding in wet/dusty areas
Brake fluid — Replace (Honda DOT 4)								2 years
Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners — Inspect / tighten			✓		✓		✓
Steering Head Bearings — Inspect / tighten			✓		✓		✓
Evaporative Emission Control System (CA only) — Inspect				✓			✓

Inspection checklist

Follow this inspection checklist at every service (per the schedule above).

Honda Super Cub C125 Inspection Checklist
Engine Idle Speed — Inspect
Fuel Lines — Inspect condition, routing
Throttle Operation — Inspect / adjust
Crankcase Breather — Check / clean
Brake Fluid (Honda DOT 4) — Inspect
Brake Shoes/Pads Wear (FA691HH, EBC 352) — Inspect / Adjust
Brake System — Inspect
Brake Light Switch — Inspect
Headlight Aim — Inspect
Clutch System — Inspect / adjust
Suspension — Inspect (for damage, leaks)
Wheels/Tires — Inspect for tread, condition, alignment

Chain maintenance on the Honda Super Cub C125

It’s important to maintain your chain on the Super Cub, especially as it’s a bike you’re likely to put through its paces as an everyday commuter in all kinds of conditions.

Use a good-quality chain lubricant like Motul chain paste, or a Motul chain care kit which comes with a couple of handy tools to maintain the chain.

Honda recommends you follow the following chain maintenance schedule:

Chain maintenance item	Every
Check drive chain lubrication condition, lubricating if necessary	300 mi / 500 km
Check drive chain slack, adjusting if necessary (see below)	300 mi / 500 km

Notes:

• Do these items (checking/adjusting slack, and checking/applying lubrication) more often if you ride your C125 in dusty or rainy conditions.
• Always lubricate the chain after washing the motorcycle (same as if you ride through rain).

To check the slack on the Honda Super Cub C125, put it in neutral, onto its center stand, and on a firm, level surface.

Check the slack on the lower part of the chain, midway between the sprockets, and check it in multiple places (rotate the rear wheel forwards and backwards) as chains wear unevenly.

Slack on the Super Cub C125 is defined as the free vertical movement of the chain.

Target chain slack for the Honda Super Cub C125: 25 – 35 mm (1 – 1 3/8 in)

If the chain slack is out of spec, you need to adjust it.

Adjusting chain slack on the Super Cub C125

To adjust the chain slack on the Super Cub C125, follow the steps below. As with measuring chain slack, make sure that the motorcycle is on a level surface on its kickstand, in neutral, with no weight on it (no saddlebags / luggage).

1. Remove the chain guard for visibility.
2. Loosen the rear axle with two wrenches (14 mm and 17 mm), holding one, and loosening the other.
3. Loosen the lock nuts on the adjuster bolts on each side. Loosen using a 10 mm wrench
4. Use the 12 mm wrench to adjust the chain tension. Turning the bolt “in” (clockwise) will extend the axle and thus make the chain tighter. Be sure to turn bolts on both sides by the same amount to retain tension.
5. Keep adjusting until chain tension is 25 mm (the tighter end of the spectrum). If you can’t get there, you might need to replace the chain.
6. Tighten the axle nut to 59 Nm / 44 lb-ft.

When you’re done, re-check the chain tension, to make sure it’s still correct.

Tyre size and tyre pressure for the Honda Super Cub C125

The manual specifies these tyre sizes for the Honda Super Cub C125, as well as these tyre pressures, and recommended brand of tyre.

Wheel	Tyre size	Tyre pressure (cold)	Tyre brand ships with
Front	70/90-17M/C 38P	29 psi (200 kPa)	IRC NF63B YD
Rear	80/90-17M/C 50P	33 psi (225 kPa	IRC NR94

About the Honda Super Cub C125

The modern Honda Super Cub C125 is one of Honda’s tiny pocket bikes, like the Grom and the Monkey. Like those motorcycles, it has a 125cc air-cooled fuel-injected single-cylinder engine that makes 9 hp and 8 lb-ft — in fact it’s the same engine in most (but not all) the Honda Minimoto motorcycles.

That little engine is linked to a 4-speed transmission with an automatic centrifugal clutch — no need to pull a clutch lever to change gears, making the Super Cub very practical and easy to ride. By the way, the original Cub (with a 50cc engine, many years ago) also had this setup, to make riding as simple as possible.

The riding position of the Honda Super Cub and low seat height also means it’s easy to put your feet down.

The engine has been updated in recent year models and is now fuel-injected. The brakes, too — ABS is standard in many markets.

The Honda Super Cub is not going to be your first choice for a lot of Western users, who need higher freeway speeds, but I guarantee you’ll see a lot of postal workers and delivery riders using them for everyday work.

Manual for the Honda Super Cub C125

The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the Honda Super Cub C125.

You can download it from here.