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Honda's ST125 Dax is, in some ways, like your sausage doggo: small, easy to maintain and a hoot to spend time with.
Honda has taken the wraps off its latest 125cc Minimoto for the European market - and this particular model revives the Dax model, which was earlier known as the ST-series back in 1969. The little monkey bike's swansong was between 1995 and 2003 in Japan. 'Dax' has been derived from 'Dachshund', the sausage dog. Its hunkered look and long body are typical of the breed. The T-shaped frame give it its own unique identity, helping you differentiate it from other minibikes like the Cub and Monkey. Honda currently sells the Trail 125 in the United States, while someone at Honda is yet to give the new Dax the green light for the American market.
We know what some of you are thinking: people are going to stare and laugh at you, and none of the girls at university will want to be seen sitting on one, but people who buy monkey bikes invest in these pocket-sized two-wheelers only because there's an emotional connect with the machine somewhere deep down.
Related: 2022 Honda Grom: Costs, Facts, And Figures
The design of the new Dax harks back to the original's, thanks to the T-shaped pressed steel frame, the spongy-looking seat and the high-set handlebars. While the old Dax came with 10-inch rims, the new model gets larger 12-inch wheels, also seen on the Honda Grom. Yet another detail from the past is the high-set exhaust that was first seen on the 1973 Nauty Dax.
The new Dax is powered by a 124cc, air-cooled SOHC engine. Claimed power figures stand at 9.3hp and 8.0 lb-ft of torque; it can manage a top speed of 55mph. Linked to the engine is a 4-speed gearbox with an automatic centrifugal clutch. The little bike can carry a good amount of weight; maybe a huge a sack of potatoes even, thanks to the backbone frame that also doubles up as the chassis, accommodating the 1.0 gallon fuel tank; now that isn't what you'd call large, but it's relatively appropriate for what is a small bike, although it weighs quite a bit at 240 pounds. The Japanese brand claims that the Dax can cover up to 150 miles on just a gallon of gas.
A minibike is to Honda what the Copper is to Mini, and we don't see what's not to like about breathing life into an icon
Upfront, the Dax features a 31mm inverted fork with 3.9 inches of travel, while the rear gets twin shocks with 4.7 inches of rear axle travel. When it comes to the brakes, the Dax gets a single two-piston caliper on a 220mm disc at the front and a single-piston caliper on a 190mm disc at the back. It also gets IMU-based ABS. The new Honda ST125 Dax features a circular instrument cluster with a negative LCD display, a chrome fender, LED lighting and an essential grabrail at the back. In Europe, the little Honda is sold in Pearl Cadet Grey and Pearl Nebula Red.
Related: Here's What We Love About The 2022 Honda Monkey
With the little Dax, it is clear Honda wants to bring back a generation that was once celebrated. A minibike is to Honda what the Copper is to Mini, and we don't see what's not to like about breathing life into an icon.
Rehan got published for the first time at the age of 17, having written a feature on a Triumph Herald in print. He uses his writing as a tool to express his fondness for all things automotive even today, aged 28. Collecting scale models is a hobby close to his heart, and he wishes to sprinkle pixie dust on them only to see them grow into full-sized cars. He now represents HotCars.com.