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In a period when trials machines were only competitive if they were a) Spanish and b) two strokes, Honda took a real chance with the TL125 when launched in 1973!
Based on the CB125S single overhead cam 5 speed engine, the one thing this Honda had over it’s Spanish competition was a really affordable purchase price, thanks to Honda’s access to their own almost inexhaustible ‘Parts Bin’!
The engine was re-tuned to only *8.0bhp @ 8000rpm, the gear ratios altered for three very low and the top two much higher. The low power really was the problem with this otherwise delightfully light, 92kg with lights attached. Only very light riders could begin to make this competitive, particularly up long steep climbs. It did however make a superb trail bike, and in fact this was what most bought it for.
The TL250, developed by ‘works riders Eddie Lejurne and Nigel Birkett addressed most of the power problems of the TL125, but the larger machine never had quite the charm of the smaller bike, reflected in the classic values today
*Early prototypes had the same 12bhp of the original Cb125S, but the ‘cammy’ nature of that machine’s power delivery resulted in the retune to a more flexible power delivery.