Honda’s CR125R was the company’s 125cc liquid-cooled two-stroke motocross competition bike for riders who wanted a pure race machine rather than a trail or playbike. It first appeared in the early 1980s as part of Honda’s CR motocross family, alongside the larger CR250R, and it quickly became one of the defining small-bore Japanese motocross models of the era. Honda’s own history timeline places the CR250R/CR125R launch in 1981, marking the point when the nameplate entered the modern water-cooled, Pro-Link suspension period.
Over its life, the CR125R evolved in step with motocross technology and class-racing demands. Honda repeatedly refined the chassis, suspension, and engine package to keep the bike competitive, but the most important turning points were its move to more advanced frame construction and the steady development of its high-revving 125cc two-stroke engine. In the late 1990s, Honda gave the model a major update with an aluminum twin-tube frame, a change that reflected the broader shift in factory motocross design toward lighter, stiffer chassis.
The CR125R remained a staple of 125cc motocross through the 1990s and early 2000s, when it was known for lively power delivery, sharp handling, and the maintenance-and-riding involvement that made small two-stroke race bikes such a favorite among enthusiasts. Honda continued releasing updated model-year versions through the mid-2000s, but the model disappeared after the 2007 model year. That made the CR125R part of the final wave of Honda’s iconic two-stroke CR motocross machines before the company fully shifted its competition focus toward four-stroke CRF models.