Honda Trail 125 CT125 (2021+) Maintenance Schedule

This is the maintenance schedule for the Honda Trail 125 a.k.a. the CT125, a compact adventure/off-road/farm motorcycle from Honda, part of their MiniMoto series (along with the venerable Honda Grom).

The Honda Trail 125/CT125 is based on the 125cc single-cylinder air-cooled fuel-injected engine that powers the other MiniMotos. The 2021 Trail has the older engine with a 9.3:1 compression ratio and a non-serviceable oil filter.

The engine makes 7 kW (9 hp) of power at 7K rpm and 11 Nm (8 ft-lb) of torque at 4500 rpm (rounded, but a shade under the peak power of its contemporaries). Final drive is via a semi-automatic 4-speed transmission and a chain drive.

Here are the other Honda miniMOTO maintenance schedules:

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What you need to service your Honda Trail 125/CT125

Doing your own service on the Honda Trail 125 (CT125) 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 Trail 125.

Part	Honda Trail 125/CT125 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 10W-30. Note — there’s no oil filter to change on the Honda Trail 125, just an oil spinner to clean out (see the schedule below)
Spark plug	Manual specifies NGK CPR6EA-9 (most people) or an NGK CPR7EA-9 (for extended full throttle riding)
Brake fluid	The manual specifies DOT 3 or DOT 4, but recommends Honda DOT 4 brake fluid.
Air filter	The air filter is part number 17210-K2E-T00.
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	Front: 06455-KPP-N02 Rear: 06435-KPP-902
Battery	Dead battery? You need a Yuasa YTZ5S, Honda Part number 31500-K26-911AH.

Honda Trail 125/CT125 replacement parts

Honda Trail 125 Service Intervals

The Honda Trail 125 has a 4000 mile / 6400 km service interval at which you should change the oil, inspect or replace the plug, and check the valve clearances.

The full maintenance schedule has a list of further checks to do at every service, plus recommended modifications for when you ride the bike in the rain, in dusty areas, or at full throttle.

Maintenance schedule for the Honda Trail 125 (CT125)

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Honda Trail 125, a.k.a. the CT125.

Notes on the maintenance schedule

The maintenance schedule is every 4K miles or 6.4K km for the Honda CT225. It repeats in cycles of 1-3 periods. Follow this pattern after the end of the maintenance schedule.
The break-in period is omitted, but it’s just to change the oil filter and set the idle speed.
Honda recommends you get a qualified mechanic to check the wheels, tyres, and steering head bearings, and to clean the oil strainer screen and centrifugal filter (presumably for liability purposes)

Maintenance Procedures:

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

x 1000 mi	4	8	12
x 1000 km	6.4	12.8	19.2	Notes
Engine oil (Pro Honda GN4 10W-30)	R	R	R	Replace every year, or more often if riding aggressively, or in rain / dusty areas
Engine oil strainer screen		C
Engine oil centrifugal filter		C
Spark plug (CPR6EA-9)	I	R	I
Valve clearance	I	I	I
Engine Idle Speed	I	I	I
Air filter			R	Replace more often if riding in rain / dusty areas
Crankcase breather	C	C	C	Replace more often if riding in rain / at full throttle
Spark arrester (if fitted — US models)	C	C	C
Drive Chain (Motul chain care kit)				Inspect / lubricate every 300 mi / 500 km
Drive chain slider	I	I	I
Throttle Operation	I	I	I
Fuel line	I	I	I
Brake fluid (Honda DOT 4)	I	I	I	Replace every 2 years
Brake pad wear	I	I	I
Brake system	I	I	I
Brake light switch	I	I	I
Headlight aim	I	I	I
Clutch system	I	I	I
Wheels/Tires	I	I	I
Suspension	I	I	I
Side stand	I	I	I
Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners		I
Steering Head Bearings		I
Evaporative Emission Control System			I

Honda CT125/Trail 125 maintenance schedule

Tyres and tyre pressures for the Honda Trail 125 (CT 125)

THe Honda Trail 125 ships with tubed tyres, with the recommended brand being IRC GP-5 tyres.

Below are the tyre sizes and recommended pressures (cold). Adjust these as suits riding conditions and your load.

Tyre	Size	Pressure (cold)
Front	80/90-17M/C 44P	25 psi / 1.75 bar
Rear	80/90-17M/C 50P	33 psi / 2.25 bar

Tyre pressures and sizes — Honda CT125 / Trail 125

About the Honda CT125/Trail 125

The Honda Trail 125/CT125 is the latest adaptation of the “MiniMOTO” platform from Honda.

It’s a compact motorcycle, based on the 125cc fuel-injected air-cooled single that we’ve seen in bikes like the Honda Monkey, for example.

But unlike the Monkey, which is kind of an “everything” bike, the Honda CT125 is unabashedly for farms and the outdoors. It’s a small — a very small — adventure bike. Adventures come in all sizes!

It actually would be better compared to the Honda Super Cub — but the Trail is far better equipped for adventuring.

As you might guess from the name, the CT125 is based on the CT110 (the “postie bike”) from the early 1980s. The red frame and luggage rack are the giveaways there.

The Honda Trail 125 shares a four-speed semi-automatic transmission (an automatic clutch and neutral at the bottom) with other bikes of its class. It’s super easy to ride — twist the grip to go. Shifting is optional.

The word “Trail” isn’t just the name, either. It’s a really practical bike. Here are just a few of the standard features that make it adventure ready:

Centrestand
Rear luggage rack
Snorkel from the intake to behind the rear seat
Spoked rims, tubed tyres
Key instead of a fob (fobs are fine, until the battery goes flat)
High-mount exhaust
Disc rear brake (an upgrade over the Super Cub’s drum)

The Honda 125’s instrument cluster is a gem, too. This budget bike comes with a tachometer and a fuel gauge, something that you don’t see on bikes four to five times its value that are also going after the “heritage” segment. Are you re-thinking your BMW R nineT Pure yet…

The sub-9 hp engine will get you to just under 100 km/h, or around 55 mph. That’s if you’re going straight and the wind isn’t against you…