written by Pumas111 on 23/07/2011
I love the bike for its fuel economy, handling in town, and day to day use. However, the build quality seems very poor. After 3 months the gear indicator lights failed. After 6 months the plastic cowellings began to crack in a number of places. After a year the seat hinge broke. I have had to strip the front disc brake on 3 occasions due to it seasing. After 21000 miles the big end has failed and needed replacing, despite my changing the oil every 1000 miles from new. My experienced mechanic, after stripping down the engine, has the opinion that the parts are poor qaulity, may be Chinese and not Honda quality. I paid £1650 for the bike new, and would have expected much better build quality from a Honda.
written by on 12/06/2011
After 2 years and a little more than 50000 km ridden in 14 coutrys in Europe, the Innova is still alive and kicking. Reliable, cheap and still a lot of fun.
written by on 29/03/2011
I honestly can't think of a more useful tool for city living. I can't imagine living without it. I own another much larger bike, but if I had to make a choice I would choose the innova125 hands down. It will do 140mpg (uk) even if you run it flat out and more if you take it easy. Seriously love this machine and mostly because it requires no love back and very little investment. I would recommend one of these to everyone, especially friends. A truely modern and practicle solution to transportation. It's quiet, efficient and stress free to ride. The handling is much like a bicycle but I've never had problems with wobble at higher speeds. I've had it at 80mph before (down hill with tail wind) and I felt comfortable. Realistic top speed is 60mph if you don't wear too many bulky cloths. Mine has rusted alittle now, but I do ride it through winter and I didn't use any protecting wax or wash it at all.
written by on 07/03/2011
I used one that my friend bought in the Philippines, where its price is much lower than in Europe. There you can buy this bike brand new for only 1000 Euro, which I think is a good price. The EU price however is by far too high.
My impression is that this is a moped. Good for speeds upto 50 or 60 km/h, but no further. It do not have the stability needed or the ABS breaks I would like before I take it to any higher speeds. But in a more modest pace it was a good means of transportation. Reliable, low on fuel consumption, and easy to drive and service.
written by on 16/01/2011
Top bike, 3 years and 19,000 miles of happy commuting to work 15 miles away in town on my Honda ANF Innova 125. Got fed up with fuel costs and decided to dust down my bike licence. I cruise at 50mph and get 120+ mpg, 140+ if the wind's blowing in the right direction. Cuts through traffic, starts every time. Engine was rebuilt at 14,000 miles in a non-Honda workshop for less than £500 - that's a set of tyres on my car, or about 7 months fuel savings alone. I didn't keep a close check on the oil level, so probably my fault (big end bearings went). Parts are available on the internet and the engine is endlessly rebuildable economically if the worst happens. Feels a bit odd riding a little bike at first, but you soon get used to it. I'm 6 ft tall, 13 stone, and it's fine, although I put my feet on the rear pegs more than I should! I would allow £500 to buy some quality kit at the outset to get you through our winters - battery heated gloves (Maplins £15!) with overmitts work best for me. Don't suffer cold or waste your money on cheaper stuff. The bike is remarkably steady in all conditions including ice, snow, and sidewinds. Electric starter broke after a few thousand miles (£200 to replace!) so I've kick-started it since then. I put a decent top box on - very useful. Couldn't find a screen anywhere (Honda don't do one) so gave up and bought a battery heated waistcoat - very good - Maplins £20! You 'sit in line' on this bike in A-road traffic, you do what the cars do and it makes it very safe - no fast stuff, you never put yourself in the problem zone; this is the safest bike I've ever ridden and I would happily recommend it to anyone who wants to save some money. This bike will pay for itself - how many vehicles do that? Oil changes are easy, as are tyre/chain/sprockets/brake shoes. Get one (and some earplugs!) and enjoy that trip to work, you'll never regret it. I've got two cars but never use them unless I have to - ie stuff with the kids/shopping/anything over about 50 miles. Rest of the time, it's live the dream on 125cc's of mighty fuel economy! As fuel prices rise, don't tell too many people - I like going past miles of log-jammed petrol-wasters every morning!
written by on 05/09/2010
What a tremendous little bike the Honda Innova is. It's my first bike of my own - in some ways I wish I had got a fully manual bike, but I dread the day I have to part with my Innova because I've come to love it. It's so simple, light-weight and economical and it's an absolute joy to ride. It's also a real little work-horse! It's ideal for commuting but it's fun too - it's pretty quick off the mark and the gear ranges seem a little more forgiving than some 125's. I've never had any trouble with this bike tackling steep hills! It's also got a sharp turning circle and is very maneuverable when riding or guiding into small parking spaces. It doesn't have much in the way of weather protection, but on any bike that's never going to be entirely plausible. It may not look like its got a lot of street cred, but mine has been much admired by non-bikers and true bikers alike. In terms of what you really 'need' from a bike, reliability, fuel economy and comfort, the Innova certainly fits the bill!
written by on 10/03/2010
I passed my bike test in 1993 and have not rode another bike since 1995, but 15 years later, I bought a Honda Innova 125i, with 1100 miles on the clock. It is a late 2008 model with fuel injection. I purchased it with the intention of commuting and I must say that I'm really impressed with this little bike. It's small and light and easy to move around in tight spaces like our back garden and into the shed, and its incredibly cheap to run. My insurance cost me only £64 and road tax £15.
With not riding a bike for a while, it took me about 100 miles of riding to get used to the four geared semi-automatic layout on the Innova. My main problem was changing down, especially when slowing down and then accelerating away because you have to match the revs to the speed and get it into the right gear to accelerate away. If you know you have to stop say at traffic lights etc, then changing down for me is best done when stopped.
Handling is excellent and although it has skinny wheels, it feels rigid and stable at all speeds. The brakes are excellent, especially the front disk brake which is a huge advantage. Unfortunately I haven't tried carrying a pillion yet, so can't comment on this at present.
When riding the bike, the acceleration is quick enough to nip around town and is quite capable of quickly reaching 55mph on the flat. But above 55, there's not much left as it doesn't have the power to pull much further due to wind resistance. I have had it up to 65 but it takes a bit of getting there, but I don't really feel comfortable doing this sort of speed on a little bike like this anyway, plus the engine is almost screaming at 65. If I wanted to go these speeds all the time, I would have bought a bigger machine.
The headlight is always on and is directly run from the engine, therefore you get the headlight dimming slightly when the engine is ticking over. But having said that, it doesn't seem too bad in the dark on both low and high beam. The indicators are nice and bright too, but I find that the indicator switch can be a bit fiddly when wearing leather motorcycle gloves.
Some people have reported that the seat is uncomfortable, well on a fine day, I did a 25 mile round trip and didn't really have an issue with the seat. Maybe it is made differently now compared with the older models.
Now then, onto the issue with the small fuel tank. Yes Honda maybe could have designed a bigger one which would have been nice, but at the end of the day the bike doesn't use much fuel anyway. A full tank usually lasts me about two weeks with my daily commute, but it is difficult to put a mileage to a tank full as I don't visit the petrol station. I get the missus to fill up a petrol can when she fills the car up, then I just top the bike up in the shed, this is a lot easier for me and saves having to remove my helmet and gloves at the petrol station. The compartment under the seat isn't very big and would never hold a helmet, but it's better than nothing at all. Its okay for me though as I can easily fit my lunch box in it.
The bodywork is stylish and modern looking with nice graphics, and is well put together. Unfortunately there isn't much protection from cold or wet weather. The legshields give a little bit of protection legs, but your shoes get filthy in the wet from the front wheel. Just behind the front wheel is the cylinder head. Mine is nice and clean at the moment, but will probably eventually start to tarnish from the front wheel spray, not to mention the centre stand which is in direct line too. I think I may just take the car to work in wet weather.
You might find that certain parts of the bike are not so easy to maintain if your not mechanically minded. For example, you have to take a load of panels off to get at the spark plug and air filter and apparently, the battery which is somewhere under the storage compartment is difficult to get to. But other general maintenance procedures are easy enough just like any other bike. I would advise that when removing the chrome fairing screws to get at the spark plug and air filter, to make sure you use the correct size screwdriver, otherwise you could chew them and they'll start to corrode. When replacing these screws, it might be an idea to use a touch of copper grease on the threads to stop them seizing so that you can remove them again in the future.
All in all, I love the little bike. Its well built, looks good and its fun to ride. Alloy wheels would look better than the old fashioned wire spoked ones, but we can't have everything. If your looking for a smart, cheap to run and very reliable little bike, then I would highly recommend the Honda Innova ANF125i.
written by on 25/02/2010
superb little machine,ihave travelled two hundred and forty miles in one day always very easy started economic reliable.only two little faults holds too little fuel and hard seat
written by on 03/02/2010
I have ridden motorcycles for only 2 years. This is my third motorcycle (if you can call it that). I decided to down size from a 250 back to a 125.
For New Years a friend and I took my honda to Peterbougher from Norwich to see a friend. It cost less than £3.90 each way. Cruised happily at a realistic 55mph with the two of us along the flat lands. We also had ruck sacks between the leg sheilds and on our backs. Contary to alot of reviews, I find the seat quite comfortable and long enough for two, although the rear suspension is noticeably hard when riding solo over pot holes on city roads.
If ridden with consideration you can get up to 100miles between fill ups, I always use superunleaded. I've had an indicated 80mph on a dual carriage way once and will sit at 65-70mph on a still day if you duck alittle. It seems very realiable, which is reassuring for those kind of adventures or commuting. I've done 2000miles on it now and it doesn't seem to have used any oil at all.
The plastics can be alittle rattly, especially the speedo which is strange. I think someone may have pressed on it hard (e.g like the post man for some reason).
All in all a very good bike, has exceeded my expectations.
Should probably check out the much cheaper suzuki address before buying one though. The Honda does have a higher gear ratio, though, which makes it quieter and more efficient.
You need to watch out for the extremely narrow tyres which are abit disconcerting in the wet.
I hope to keep this bike for a very long time. I think everyone should have one.
written by Bill R on 06/01/2010
The Honda Innova...A wonderfull machine indeed! I have been a motorcyclist since 1963 and I wish this had been my first bike instead of the brand new BSA Bantam D7 I had that can only be decribed as rubbish! Wonderfull fuel use and my insurance is only £67 fully comp. The instruction book shows how to set the tappets and the only thing I would need to take to a dealer is fitting disc brake pads and bleeding the front brake! The prop stand and central stand makes the bike usefull... BUT the seat (to me) feels like its been made out of old railway sleepers!! ...after 10 miles or so its most uncomfortable. As soon as this snow (January 2010) goes its down to Birmingham where Leighton's have their factory for a recovering/refilling job!
written by on 09/11/2009
For what it is, this bike is near perfect.
Top speed of around 65mph (80mph once with super unleaded) as long as no strong head wind but it will still do motorways if necessary and return almost 30miles to a litre of petrol with the throttle to the stop. Its a very easy going bike and will quite happily take a passenger around town. It seems to be the only bike still being made with a fully enclosed drive chain and should be very low maintanance. However, you may find the automatic clutch a pain if your used to riding fully geared bikes although its easy to get used to and even fun.
For me though, the nicest thing about it is the very low noise pollution. It will cruise in top gear from about 25mph. It never seems to be stressed and I'm sure it will become a long lived and much trusted steed.
written by on 25/06/2009
Honda ANF125 Innova good points are fuel economy, spare parts availability, near service centers
written by jfh on 09/05/2009
Just bought second Innova , had last one 6 yrs no problems at all. Hope the new model is as reliable as this one fuel injected.
written by on 13/04/2009
The Honda ANF125 Innova is a great Bike for knowledge. Had mine 2 years now with 26K miles. 1 bit failed but was covered with the warranty.
written by on 26/01/2009
Honda ANF125 Innova. only cost £5.50 a week to travel to work 140 miles a week,and starts evry time with out fail dont keep my warm in the winter haha 10 out 10 love the bike
written by on 24/12/2008
Rode one of these for almost a year now, with 16,000 on the clock it is still going strong and would gladly recommend one of these to any one looking for a small run around bike.
written by on 02/11/2008
Everything about the Honda ANF125 Innova is good. The engine is a real winner. It never sounds stressed no matter what the revs. I love Cub90s. However in real world everday riding the Innova beats it hands down. It is designed and built along the same lines as the Cub, only with a much more modern twist. The frame is stiffer, the suspension, from standard, is better and so are the brakes. For an urban commuter it's a real winner. Comfortable cruising speed is between 55-60mph. The gear change is very positive and easy to use and smooth changes are easy. I can't believe how quiet and refined the engine is! If you're looking for a 125cc scooter type of bike, you wont go wrong buying an Innova. Change the oil every 500 mls and it will run forever. This is one very happy owner signing off.
written by bobdogmeek on 11/10/2008
I have ridden bikes since I was younger, mainly large bikes, but some scooters also. I find the Innova to be a great bike for the use it was designed for.
It's fun to ride in a slow way with good handling and brakes. Far better handling than any scooter which has its engine grafted onto the swingarm. It will out accelerate cars around town as long as their drivers aren't trying too hard, and fit through the smallest of gaps. So it's ideal around town. The only blot on its copybook is the gear-change which requires a little skill to execute smoothly but the knack comes eventually.
Out of town it is ok for local trips. It will cruise at 55mph fairly easily and I've had 70mph out of mine but it was screaming its nuts off at that speed. As long as 55mph is fast enough for you it would probably go all day long.
But be honest: your thinking about buying an Innova for its economy not its performance. Mine is a '08 model fitted with fuel injection. I average 150mpg under normal running mainly around town. The fuel tank which holds 0.8 imp gallon gives me 90+ miles before the reserve warning starts flashing. It costs £3 to fill up at £1.15ppl and road tax is £15 per annum - ker ching! Whilst a purchase price of £1920 may seem a little steep compared with the influx of Chinese machinery this includes two years parts and labour warranty, two years AA breakdown cover and at the moment two years interest free payments (ask what you get with a Chinese bike). Also I know that when it comes to resale values the Honda Innova will have some...unlike a special which will have none.
The only real complaints I have are that the seat can become uncomfortable after about 45 minutes, but I'm rarely sat on it for that length of time. And the underseat storage is very poor compared to other scooters (such as the new Honda Lead which has a huge compartment) making a top box necessary.
Overall I am very pleased with my purchase (especially with the current 2 years interest free). Recommended.
written by Viffer on 01/10/2008
As virtually everyone else has said, the Honda Innova needs a more comfortable seat and larger fuel tank. Having said that, the reliability and fuel economy of it are unbelievable. I have had mine for 7500 miles from nearly new (200 miles on clock when bought) and it has never let me down. I commute 35 miles a day, and it returns around 125-135mpg from supermarket petrol and around 110-115mpg from branded fuel. It cruises at around 50-55mph on supermarket fuel and you can add up to 10mph if you buy the more expensive stuff. Apparently it will run on part ethanol/methanol also but I've never tried that. Due to its low power (9bhp), going uphill makes a difference, scrubbing off speed quite quickly and if the wind is against you that can cut your speed quite a lot too. Coming from a performance bike, the handling of this little semi-automatic is great, twin-shocks and low speed make for enormous fun BOING. I've had my knee down many times. You've got to be careful if you're used to superbikes though as the pegs on the Innova don't fold away. My rear tyre lasted about 5000 miles, although I like my tyres to get hot and stick. You could probably get about 20000 miles out of a rear tyre from China. I'm quite fond of my head though and prefer it as standard. The only other expense apart from normal consumable (oil , filters etc) was a new front light after the Innova fell over when parked up in a high wind. £20 for a genuine Honda part, no complaints here. Some people have complained that the wire wheels tarnish quickly which is true, but there again this is a commuter bike with no frills and I would suggest that if you want a bike that will stay shiny through the winter try a Triumph. All in all, an excellent, reliable hack.
written by on 11/08/2008
The Honda ANF Innova is a good reliable bike for short & long trips but the seat lets it down on the longer journeys.
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Guest's Comment
Written on: 02/05/2012
Super comment. My experience also but have just bought a new Givi screen on ebay at £50 + p&p for a new Innova I am buying (one of the last in the UK) to replace my beloved 2005 red one owned for 3 years. Super bike.