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GB350S Or CB125F?
Blog Date 18 August 2026
Having recently had a test ride on a GB350S I published my review. Comments on this page and comments on my review of the CB125F have raised a very interesting question, and one I've asked myself a few times.
Would I get a GB350S or a CB125F?
Before everyone gets all excited and carried away - I'm not in the market for a new motorcycle just yet. The CB500X now has 71,700 miles on it so while it's "getting on" there's life in it yet (although this does raise other questions I may cover another time). I am pondering the 350 v 125 question philosophically at present.
Let's compare some stats first.
| |
GB350S |
CB125F |
| Seat Height |
800mm |
790mm |
| Kerb Weight |
178kg |
117kg |
| Engine Power |
15.5kw (20.8bhp) |
8kw (10.7bhp) |
Let us ask why anyone would consider either or these bikes in the first place when you can have a Z1000SX or a CB1000GT, perhaps a Ducati Multistrada or a VStrom 800. It's patently obvious any of these bikes (and many more) will be faster than the GB350S or the CB125F. And we all know motorcycling is about going fast, as well as getting your knee down, popping wheelies at 100mph, and racing through the countryside. Durgh!
125? 350? Nah, what you really want is 1000cc of pure performance.
Or maybe not. With a blanket 70mph speed limit across the UK and most of the world applying similar limits the notion of a motorcycle that can cruise at 100mph feels irrelevant to me. There's a speed camera on every straight, you can be prosecuted from DashCam footage now, and even your phone can give away your average speed. Plus there's a lot of people for whom motorcycling is not about getting your knee down and popping wheelies.
125? 350? Nah, when everywhere is a 20 limit you'll be wanting a 50cc.
I'll be honest, I like going fast. I also like having a licence, I like affordable insurance, I don't like dealing with legal matters, I don't like hurting myself, I don't like spending money on petrol or fines or solicitors, and I do not like hassle full stop. This is a dilemma. Going fast is fun but it comes with a great deal of physical and emotional risk, and fiscal cost.
I also enjoy riding at sensible speeds. I will cruise along a motorway just following lorries because I can relax and enjoy the breeze, the surroundings, and my thoughts without fear of a nasty NIP in the post. I love to potter down narrow back lanes at 20, looking at the nice houses and tractors and cows, I pull in to let faster vehicles by. Even on the faster primary routes I'll keep to the limits and enjoy the views. Life's just easier that way.
Both a GB350S or a CB125F can do all the normal riding just fine. But...
Having covered 100,000 miles on a CBF125 (not a CB125F) I am acutely aware that a 125 can struggle with strong headwinds on a motorway. This is fine if you can find a truck to draft but I've been down to 45mph before now. I've been there at 2300 hours in the dark with heavy rain. I was a sole taillight, barely visible, doing 45 when traffic around me is doing 60-70 in poor conditions. I was an unexpected anomaly and at great risk of being rear ended. I'd like to think the GB350S would be capable of roughly 60-65 in these conditions, making it less of an unexpected anomaly.
I will NOT have it said "you can't take a 125 on the motorway" but I would agree that while the GB350S is not a laid back motorway cruising machine, if you ride the motorways regularly the 350 is a better option than the 125. I was surprised at how well the 350 got up to and maintained 70, I'd suggest it'll be happier and more frugal at 55-60 though. At that pace with the tall 5th gear it'll be barely above idle.
Touring? I've been to Scotland, Ireland and The Netherlands on the CBF125. It can be done and in many ways it's a lot of fun doing it on a small bike. Neither of the bikes in question lend themselves by design for carrying luggage but we adapt and we overcome. While you can tour on a 125 (people have travelled the globe on pedal cycles) I suspect the extra grunt from the 350 might pull you and your luggage a little easier.
125? 350? Hardcore touring 125 style can be fun!
Easier you say? 2 points. The 350 is 60kg heavier than the 125! That's a lot more heft to manage over soggy grass leading to the camping pitch. A lot more to control on slippery ferry ramps. A lot more to heave up when you've dropped it down a dead end. Secondly easy isn't always better. Any fool can blast around Europe at 80 on the Autobahns, it takes a special kind of fool to tour down all the back lanes and side roads wobbling along on a fully laden 125. It depends on your definition of fun.
Economy? Both the 350 and 125 are economical, but there's little doubt that the 125 will be MORE economical. The 125 will use less fuel for sure, not that the 350 is a serious drinker. Parts such as tyres and chains will be cheaper for the 125. Heck the 125 holds only 1 litre of oil compared to the 350's 2.5l. I can see both the 125 and 350 have a 4000 mile service interval, admittedly I'd be tempted to change the oil in the 125 a little more often due to the higher revving nature of the engine.
If you're going to service either bike yourself they both look easy to service with screw and locknut tappets that are (fairly) readily accessed.
Fun? Fun is a very personal thing. I said above that in spite of myself I like to ride fast occasionally. The 350 will be quicker, the 125 will FEEL quicker as you scream the engine and flick up and down the gearbox. If however the mood is more relaxed the 350 will put-put-put along at a healthy pace. I love exploring - back streets, narrow lanes, odd villages, and even the odd trail. I'm sure the 350 is just fine but the 125 is so light and easy to manage it may have the edge here.
125? 350? 125s are ideal for exploring those lanes less often travelled.
Style? Currently the 350 is enjoying a zeitgeist of retro cool, the 125 is a fine looking machine but it's not exactly en-vogue at the moment. None of the one piece leather racesuit crowd will give you a passing look on either bike, I keep on hearing 350 owners complaining of being accosted and questioned wherever they go. It depends on how delicate your ego is if style is important to you.
This whole choice thing is about what would work for me (or you). I'm more focused on touring at the moment and I've toured and enjoyed touring on my CBF125. Presently though I'm finding it easier on the 500 due to the ability to get places I want to be in a more timely manner. I suppose for me it comes down to if I'm time poor money rich - then the 350 would be the better option. If I'm time rich money poor then the 125.
If I were fortunate to be both time and money rich? Well then I'd have both and choose merely depending on my mood.
Share your own motorcycling thoughts - click here.
Reader's Comments
Ian Soady¹ said :-
But if course a 250 is the best of both worlds. Isn't it?
18/08/2026 16:29:14 UTC
Martin said :-
Hi Ian,
I pretty much agree that a 250 is probably the sweet spot. There is not currently much choice in 250s new though other than chinese makes which I am very reluctant to get involved with. The exception is the Kawa W230 which is a good option being a lot lighter than the Honda or Enfield 350s but is expensive. The Kawa is also a square cylinder design, the recent Honda offerings have gone for a long stroke giving better torque and economy. According to the UMG the 1960's Ducati 250 singles did 85 mph and 95 mpg. Their 350 of the same era doing 100 mph and 85 mpg. Weight 300 lbs. If some maker was to offer comparable performance to those bikes in a similar package that might be attractive to a lot of people.
18/08/2026 18:34:33 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
I have not owned either of these bikes, but I have owned a 350 Enfield and a 125 Lexmoto.
I found where fuel consumption is concerned the 125 was better but only if you were travelling below 45 - 50mph if you travel faster than this then the 350 would give the same mpg or sometimes better mpg.
If I was looking for a small bike to tour on, and Honda seems popular (although I have never owned one), then I personally would have to test ride the 125 super cub. It has some weather protection, a fully enclosed chain, and is light if you need to ride into the woods for a wild camp.
I still find low powered bikes a challenge, and find touring on them more of an endurance test than an enjoyable tour.
As I have said before, more powerful bikes are not about more speed. It's the way they do everything without effort and the relaxed ride without all the revs.
18/08/2026 18:58:20 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Back in the day Martin Ducati et al didn't have to contend with strict emission regulations. The reason the GB350S is comparatively "underpowered" compared to older bikes or indeed modern liquid cooled engines is keeping those emissions in check.
250 Ian? Sharon's Z250SL was a lovely and lively bike to ride. It was able to maintain and exceed motorways speeds and returned about 95mpg, but that was with a hobbit riding it. It was great fun to ride. However being a typically square bore and stroke, and liquid cooled it was a revvy thing. As such it couldn't match either the GB350S nor the CB125F in either economy or simplicity.
It seems you've had little chance to ride the Herald 250 much. I'll be interested to hear your fuel economy results as and when you do get to play on it. Hurry up and sort that knee out - we need data!
The 125 Super Cub would certainly be an option ROD. Bogger's got one and happily thrashes it around Europe with nary a care in the world. They're also economical - unless Bogger's riding it. He's a big chap and I doubt that throttle is ever at less than 90%.
19/08/2026 08:19:37 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
What makes you reluctant to get involved with Chinese makes Martin? The fact is that Chinese engineering has come on leaps and bounds over the last 20 years and many "mainstream" manufacturers have bikes or parts made there or in other far east countries like Thailand.
The build quality of my little Herald isn't brilliant but is as good as many older Japanese bikes. Frame welding is bit lumpy (but still miles better than mine), paint is just a thin blow over but the fit and finish of important components seems fine. We'll see.
19/08/2026 09:54:40 UTC
Martin said :-
Ren,
Yes, good point, emission regulations do restrict the performance of motorcycle engines. At least we now have the advantage of fuel injection which compensates to a degree. I do agree that the Z250SL is a very good bike if you dont mind zipping up and down the gears a lot, it is also quite economical but it seemed to me to be less so at motorway speeds. I noticed at 70 mph I was only getting about 70 mpg. One shortcoming of the design to my mind is the lack of a cush drive, I found it hard work making smooth gear changes. I do wonder if a belt drive would work well on the Z250? I had a GPZ 305 with belt drive and I did like that bike a lot.
20/08/2026 17:16:34 UTC
Martin said :-
Ian,
Yes, I am very reluctant to have a chinese bike as I doubt they will have either good build quality or good spares availability. I know the current Honda CB125F is now built in China but it is backed by Honda so I would expect reasonable quality of build plus good spares availability. As for other Chinese bikes I will wait and see. I notice secondhand MG cars are pretty cheap to buy, must be a reason. My CB125F is Italian built which I do prefer.
20/08/2026 17:25:03 UTC
Phil said :-
I can remember the struggle maintaining 60mph on my 125. When there’s a headwind or when the road had undulations and my speed was constantly going up and down. The 350 surely wouldn’t suffer this, at least not at 60mph.
Pre-orders for the GB350S are now pushing delivery back to November(currently it’s the middle of August). Honda dealer info when I enquired about trading in against one.
20/08/2026 18:25:15 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ren , you're just winding us up! If you're keeping the 500x , get the 125 as a slower alternative bike for days where you're not on motorways or if you're travelling locally , the 500 ridden at 350 speeds will easily match the 350's mpg . Alternatively , start searching for a clean low mileage CBF250 (you had one before ) as your backup bike , simple 6 speed carbureted engine , good turn of speed , 70 to 80 mpg when thrashed , 140kg dry weight , what's not to like...
Nigel
ps , that photo of the 20mph sign looks suspiciously like one I took about 2 yrs ago !
20/08/2026 20:13:04 UTC
Bogger said :-
Sorry, but I don't understand the title.
More specifically the 'or' bit.
Can someone enlighten me please.
Bogger...confused
20/08/2026 22:49:21 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
nab301 - and you're calling me a wind up merchant!! This time I can PROVE the image is mine from my extensive gallery with a place, date and what CAMERA (not phone it's an old piccy) it was taken on. Pffffft, don't be sending me a bill.
Bogger - I think the point is *IF* I were to be looking at these 2 bikes what would be my considerations. You might not know this but not all of use are wealthy enough to keep a fleet of motorcycles at our disposal. And nab301 yeah the CBF250 is a cracking bike but they're quite rare these days and parts are getting harder to find. Right now I'm sticking to just one bike - unless Bogger wants to share some of his extensive wealth with me...?
Martin - well observed on the lack of cush drive on the Z250SL. I had no issues keeping Sharon's bike smooth when riding but I did wonder what the lack of cush drive might do to the transmission when higher miles are reached. Belt drive? That would be great. I'd always been told that belt drives sap power more than a chain, then I watched a video recently - some chap ran his chain driven KTM on the dyno, swapped to belt in a couple of hours, then re-dyno'd the bike. The difference was nominal, barely noticeable.
The whole Chinese build quality question is slowly becoming moot. There's some very well designed, made, and high standard bikes, I'm sure there's some not quite so good bikes as well. We've got to the stage where we need to look at the machine in front of us rather than where it was made. My Indian made CBF125 got me to 100,000 miles. My current CB500X is Thai and the quality is "good". Sharon's Keeway engine finish was absolutely fantastic, other bits not quite so.
The parts question is a concern. On the one hand there's parts so cheap it's actually cheaper to replace a whole front caliper rather than change the pads and replace the seals. On the other hand with SO MANY models and marques out there if your marque falls by the wayside or your model is discontinued - will you still be able to get parts? That being said we recently found out we can no longer get fork stanchions for a HONDA CLR125 City Fly didn't we.
21/08/2026 08:26:28 UTC
Snod said :-
Personally I'm more interested in the Hero Xpulse 200, which is in between these two bikes I suppose.
Part of me asks why we have to put up with such low power and high weight though. The Z250SL is 146kg and 28HP, the ancient CB250RS was 148kg and 26BHP. There are many examples of better power to weight over the decades.
21/08/2026 10:06:29 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Just had a look at that, but lardy at 160kg and tall seat height at 820mm. Cheap though.....
Also noting your comment re forks for the Honda Ren. Surely there's another bike with similar dimensions whose forks could be persuaded to fit? You don't always have to fit factory-made (actually probably not the headline factory anyway) parts.
21/08/2026 12:23:39 UTC
Snod said :-
I absolutely agree that 160kg is overweight but a GB350S is 178kg and the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is 181kg, all of them are around 20BHP. Is this the price of EFI and ABS?
The Xpulse has some very reasonably priced and useful looking aftermarket parts too like a centre stand and semi hard luggage. I might have to go and find one to sit on. There's also the more off-roady Pro version with fully adjustable forks and more suspension travel but the seat height of that is a lofty 891mm, not for me thanks!
21/08/2026 13:34:13 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It's my guess there's a reason the GB350S is low on power. Style. The 350 was never intended to be quick, it was intended to be air cooled and softly tuned with a long stroke and low revs. I've no doubt at all Honda could make a liquid cooled high revving engine that makes 27 bhp reliably - it's called the CRF300L motor. I'm sure it could be lighter too but it's a full steel cradle frame (engine is not a stressed member) and it's built to a price.
The XPulse seems to be gaining a good reputation, providing a good experience with a great price from the reviews I've seen. It'll be one to watch that and I think it's great to see something that's not a GS1300 or a clone of the GS1300.
I can't comment either way on the forks Ian. I guess it would depend on the person doing the work and their tolerance for a "fudge". There may be a stanchion from another model that's identical, or perhaps 3mm longer or shorter. There may be a whole set of forks that'll drop in... or a whole front end. Then do you tell your insurance? Will you be sure it'll handle correctly? Some folks love to try, others just want to know it's right.
21/08/2026 13:54:30 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Re swapping forks: one of the problems these days is the dearth of old-style breakers. Many years ago there was a breaker round every back street corner where you were generally welcome to rootle through piles of rusty tat. That's if you could avoid the slavering Dobermann. Ebay is all very well but you can't see what you're getting and it's increasingly populated by shysters.
I've actually started cutting out the middle person and buying stuff from Aliexpress. Just the same things the ebay sellers have, often at a fraction of the price. Two examples: a stainles steel digital caliper for less than £8. Checked against my M&W microemeter it's within a thou. And a little flyscreen for the B'Zuki for less than a tenner. Fairly flimsy mountings but adequate. In fact I've boought another for the Herald. Stuff generally arrives within a week or so.
21/08/2026 14:40:45 UTC
Snod said :-
Given the amount of BSA Bantam 350s I see at the local meets, maybe Honda should consider doing something else with that CRF motor because they're definitely losing sales.
21/08/2026 14:44:04 UTC
said :-
Sadly, all you say is true Ian. I’ve tried to remain faithful to uk suppliers during my rebuilds but find Senzeng is the only “go to” place these days. I have a Brembo rear master cylinder on the Aprilia that has the two rubber seals unable to hold back the fluid. Every rd for replacements led to a dead end with parts unavailable. I did find one supplier that wanted me to pay £36 for the two small rings of rubber but then said “unavailable” when I tried to order. So I ordered a complete new master cylinder from China for £14.88 that had 45 mm hole centres. It hasn’t arrived yet but I’m left slightly stunned by the experience.
23/08/2026 22:00:21 UTC
IanE said :-
I've never commented on here before, but having read some of the comments I felt compelled to share my own, recent experience of a small capacity bike.
Namely, a Honda CBR250R.
I've had the bike for just over a month and have recorded the following mpg figures when filling up; 103.5
104.4
103.9
100.4
100.1
100.2
Yes, I've been using it a LOT and have covered over 1,300 miles. It's been over Hard Knott, Wrynose and Kirkstone Passes, the Trough of Bowland several times and done a couple of top speed runs. I saw 100mph (slight downhill) and 102mph (strong tailwind) respectively on the digital speedometer. Which is almost certainly optimistic, but even so...
I've been putting E5 fuel in it except for the very last tankful, when I tried E10. Negligible difference in performance, slightly BETTER on E10 if anything.
The bike had covered 7,382 miles at purchase with FSH. But had been stood in a dealer's (G and C Motorcycles) showroom for over 2 years. Nevertheless, it started up immediately (on jump leads) and ran fine. Amazing considering that fuel is supposed to 'go off'. That's fuel injection for you - had it been a carbureted machine, a carb strip would've almost certainly been required.
No centre stand on this model, but the bike came with a paddock stand courtesy of the (excellent) dealer. Kerb weight is 161kg, so feels very light compared to my last bike ('96 CBR600). The clip on style 'bars give a fairly upright riding position.
I don't get why it's so good on fuel, not that I'm complaining. Folks on fuelly.com are averaging between 60 and 75 mpg, so that's what I was also expecting. Go figure.
Definitely a model worthy of consideration, if you're in the market for a small capacity bike.
06/09/2026 11:58:56 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I don't actually ythink there's much diffenece between carbs and injectors as regards fuel. Injectors have tiny orifices that could easily get blocked. My own carburated bikes start readily even after 6 months sat with old petrol in them. Admittedly they are somewhat more ancient than your Honda (and by the way, that's the way to buy them after some other punter has taken the depreciation hit).
I'm not a subscriber to the "modern fuels are rubbish" either. Yes, some are a bit off. But that has always been the case and I think has more to do with storage than anything else. There's a lot of hysteria about ethanol. In the 1950s and 60s a popular fuel (in the NE of England at least) was Cleveland Discol which contained up to 20% ethanol (waste from Distillers Company). It was actually considered a performance enhancer and was only phased out because the big petrol suppliers were bullied into using tetra-ethyl lead as a knock reducer and Cleveland couldn't compete. As far as I know......
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Cleveland_Discol...
06/09/2026 13:15:26 UTC
nab301 said :-
@IanE I had a look at fuelly.com and depending on the year, CBR 250r averages are generally in the high 80's mpg , the default US mpg brings it down to the mid 60's , 100mpg is impressive though assuming you don't have a kph speedo...!
Nigel
06/09/2026 14:16:22 UTC
IanE said :-
nab301 - Yes! You're right about fuelly. I WAS looking at US units. Oops. Well, that's less of a mystery then.
Nooo - it's definitely a mph speedo!
Ian Soady¹ - It was actually the dealer who told me that a fuel injected motor was much less likely to be troublesome than a carbureted one - if it had not been started for an extended period. Never had the issue personally. Every bike I've owned has been regularly used.
07/09/2026 12:06:33 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
You believe what a dealer says? I never had any work done by a dealer till I bought a year old Triumph Tiger for one and needed to take it back for a couple of warranty issues. It was returned to me with the overflow hoses connected wrongly (so that coolant could go into the overflow bottle but not return, resulting in overheating) and the rear wheel miles out of alignment.
Never again. I'm quite capable of making my own mistakes.
07/09/2026 15:34:24 UTC
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