BREAKING: Honda Stirs The 125cc Hornet’s Nest With CB125 Hornet Unveil

  • Published July 23, 2025
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The brand has also unveiled the Honda Shine 100 DX, essentially a more feature-packed take on the Shine 100

BREAKING NEWS: Honda Shine 100 DX, Honda CB125 Hornet Unveiled In India

Quick Read: 

  • Honda has unveiled the CB125 Hornet and the Shine 100 DX in India

  • The CB125 Hornet is a completely new motorcycle. On the other hand, the Shine 100 DX is a variant

  • Prices of the bikes will be revealed by the end of this month

Looks like Honda is on a roll of late. After shocking us with multiple launches in the last few months, the Japanese brand seems to have even more in its kitty. It has just unveiled not one but two motorcycles in India: the CB125 Hornet and the Shine 100 DX. 

The CB125 Hornet is a completely new motorcycle, whereas the Shine 100 DX is more of a variant of the Shine 100. Although the prices of both the motorcycles haven’t been revealed yet, let’s have a look at what these new Hondas have to offer: 

Honda CB125 Hornet Side Profile

Honda CB125 Hornet

It seems like Honda’s motto while unveiling the CB125 Hornet was “Better late than never”, as they must have realised that their premium 125cc bike, the SP 125, didn’t have what it takes to go against the modern-day sporty 125cc bikes. Honda realised the 125cc nest is ready to be stirred, and figured the Hornet is the right candidate for this. Enter the Honda CB125 Hornet - Honda’s answer to the popular TVS Raider 125, Hero Xtreme 125R and the Bajaj Pulsar N125. 

On paper, it gets the same 123.94cc engine as the SP125 but makes slightly more power and torque at 11.14PS and 11.2Nm as compared to the 10.8PS and 10.9Nm. Honda also claims that the new baby Hornet is the quickest bike in the segment and will do the 0-60kmph sprint in 5.4 seconds. As expected from any sporty 125 worth its salt, the Hornet gets a 5-speed transmission. Brakes consist of a petal disc at the front and a drum brake at the rear with single-channel ABS. 

Honda CB125 Hornet TFT Console

Honda knows it got its work cut out in the highly competitive, feature-packed sporty 125cc segment, and hence the brand has left no stone unturned when it comes to goodies that matter. The baby Hornet comes with a 4.2-inch TFT console (same as the Activa and Shine) that supports smartphone connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation. Surprisingly, it’s also got a rather fancy looking gold-finished inverted fork - honestly, an overkill for a 125cc bike, if you ask us. Honda could have just given the motorcycle disc brakes at both ends, along with dual-channel ABS instead. 

Coming to the most important bit - the design. It seems Honda has taken the name way too literally, and the headlight seems a little too insect-like in our opinion. Also, the side profile may look eerily similar to the Xtreme 125R to the layman. The youth (which is the 125cc Hornet’s target audience) will certainly love the absolutely funky colour schemes: Pearl Siren Blue with Lemon Ice Yellow, Pearl Igneous Black, Pearl Siren Blue with Athletic Blue Metallic, and Pearl Siren Blue with Sports Red. They’re all in-your-face, and the wheels are colour-coded too. We’d have liked it if there was an option with proper black wheels for a subtler look.

Honda CB125 Hornet Front Three Quarters

With a third bike in the 125cc segment, it seems like Honda is following Hero’s footsteps when it comes to market strategy: have one in the entry-level 125cc segment, a slightly more premium 125cc bike, and now, a new sporty 125cc commuter. This is just like how Hero has the Super Splendor 125, Glamour 125, and the Xtreme 125R. Honda has known to command a premium for its products, so expect the same with the Hornet 125 as well. We wouldn’t be surprised if the brand priced it at around Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Honda Shine 100 DX

This one’s due for a long time. It took Honda about two years to come up with a variant to the Shine 100, despite knowing that the Shine was a bit too barebones in a segment that was ruled by the more feature-packed (in some variants) Splendor Plus family. But then again, better late than never, says Honda. 

Honda Shine 100 DX Side Profile

Although the prices haven’t been revealed yet, we think it will cost around Rs 4,000 more than the Shine 100, and will slot right in between the Shine 100 (priced at Rs 68,862 ex-showroom, Delhi) and the Honda Livo (priced at Rs 78,277 ex-showroom, Delhi). The Shine 100 DX gets the same 98.98cc single-cylinder engine as the Shine 100, and the underpinnings are the same too. 

The only differences lie in the shape of the tank, 5-step preload-adjustable dual shock absorbers,  more premium aero-style fuel-filler cap, the chrome highlights around the headlight and the new LCD console. Although the console is the same as the Livo, it does not get a gear-position indicator.  The biggest advantage this console has over the regular analogue console is that it shows tripmeter readings, and more importantly, information about mileage. This is something the aam aadmi will appreciate. 

Honda Shine 100 DX Instrument Console

While the Shine 100 DX is a good attempt at making the 100cc bike a bit more premium and feature-packed, we’d have liked it if Honda had also equipped it with a LED headlight. Afterall, Hero just launched the HF Deluxe Pro with an LED headlight and a digital console, one-upping the Honda.

Honda Shine 100 Video Review

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Honda Shine 100 Price in India
City On Road Price
Delhi Rs. 77,548
Kolkata Rs. 79,881
Bangalore Rs. 82,126
Hyderabad Rs. 84,209
Mumbai Rs. 78,146
Ahmedabad Rs. 78,271
Pune Rs. 78,146
Chennai Rs. 80,045
Patna Rs. 75,307
Jaipur Rs. 76,205
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