125cc of mini moto for old and new riders alike.
For well over a year, we’ve been hearing hopeful whispers about a possible Honda ST125 Dax rebirth. Young Machine, a Japanese journal, presented some speculative representations in February 2022, imagining what a new Dax, which they claimed was just around the corner, may look like. What’s more, guess what? They were, for the most part, pretty accurate in their aesthetic predictions. (Of course, they wouldn’t want to make us think they’re a front for Honda PR or whatever, so it’s not 100 %.)
In any case, it’s now March 14, 2022, and Honda has unveiled the 2023 ST125 Dax for the European market. Although certain specifics change from YM’s prior speculative representations, the basic strokes are mostly true.
The 2023 Dax, as expected, features the powerplant from the most recent Super Cub 125 model. A single overhead cam, air-cooled, 124cc single with a bore and stroke of 50.0 x 63.1mm produces 6.9kW (9.25 horsepower) at 7,000 rpm and 10.8 newton-meters (or 7.96 pound-feet) of torque at 5,000 rpm, according to the manufacturer. It is, of course, fuel-injected and fully compliant with Euro 5. The Dax uses the same semi-automatic centrifugal 4-speed clutch technology as the Super Cub, with a left-foot shift and no need for a clutch.
Of course, the pressed steel backbone structure is the focal point—also it’s the fuel tank, with a capacity of 3.8 litres. The Honda Dax has a long history dating back to the late 1960s, with several models emerging in regions such as the United States, Europe, and Japan. However, they were all inspired by dachshunds in terms of style, as evidenced by their charming throwback shape, which Honda wanted to emphasise with its new Dax 125 dachshund-on-wheels emblem. (Note to Honda: Aren’t you making shirts with this logo? Please, pretty please?)
As is the case with most successful retro-modern designs, the 2023 ST125 Dax is a captivating combination of vintage appeal paired with modern, improved underpinnings. The suspension consists of a telescopic 31mm USD fork with 100mm of axle travel, and twin rear shocks with 120mm of axle travel. A pair of 5-spoke, 12-inch cast aluminum wheels keep you rolling, while disc brakes with ABS stop you all around. LED lighting brightens the way front and rear, and an LCD display communicates the necessary information to the rider up in the cockpit.
Seat height is an approachable 775mm (30.5 inches), and curb weight is 107 kg (or just under 236 pounds). The saddle can fit two adults, and Honda claims it can manage a cruising speed of 90 km/h (approximately 55.9 mph) even with two people on board—but of course, that remains to be seen in real life. Even if it doesn’t quite hit that lofty speed, though, it’d be hard to stay mad at the Dax—which is probably what Honda is counting on.
Available colors for the 2023 Honda ST125 Dax in Europe will be Pearl Nebula Red or Pearl Cadet Gray. Pricing and availability will vary by market, and so far, there’s been no official information released on either of those topics at this point. It’s worth noting that Honda plans to host a big launch for the ST125 Dax across Japan as well, at all three of the upcoming major Japanese motorcycle shows that are happening in the coming months. Honda is bringing the ST125 Dax, Hawk 11, and Super Cub 110 to those shows as centerpieces of its display, according to Young Machine.
As for a North American release of the ST125 Dax, there’s no official word on that topic as of March 14, 2021, but we can live in hope. I mean, the Japanese launch hasn’t happened yet, so it’s pretty early on in this model’s public life cycle. Welcome to the world, newest Honda minimoto! We’re happy you’re here.