We’ve been hearing hopeful rumors about a possible Honda ST125 Dax revival for well over a year now. Back in February, 2022, Japanese publication Young Machine published some speculative renders about what its designers thought a new Dax—which they believed was just around the corner—could look like. You know what? They were, for the most part, pretty spot-on with their guesses about aesthetics. (Not 100 percent, of course—but you know, they wouldn’t want to make us suspicious that they’re a front for Honda PR or something.)
Anyway, it’s now March 14, 2022—and Honda officially dropped the cover on the 2023 ST125 Dax for the European market. Some of the details differ from YM’s earlier speculative renders, but the broad strokes are, by and large, correct.
As you’d expect, the 2023 Dax boasts the powertrain out of the most recent iteration of the Super Cub 125. An air-cooled, single overhead cam, 124cc single with a bore and stroke of 50.0 x 63.1mm makes a claimed 6.9kW (9.25 horsepower) at 7,000 rpm, and 10.8 newton-meters (or 7.96 pound-feet) of torque at 5,000 rpm. It is, of course, fuel-injected, and is fully Euro 5-compliant. You’ll find the same semi-automatic centrifugal 4-speed clutch system in the Dax that you do in the Super Cub, with a left-foot shift and no clutch necessary.
The pressed steel backbone frame is the centerpiece, of course—and it’s also the fuel tank, with a fuel capacity of 3.8 liters. The Honda Dax’s long history dates back to the late 1960s, with different variations appearing in different markets, including the U.S., Europe, and Japan. However, they all drew design inspiration from dachshunds—hence, their appealing retro shape, which Honda sought to enhance with its adorable new Dax 125 dachshund-on-wheels logo. (Note to Honda: You’re making shirts with this logo, aren’t you? Pretty please?)
As is the case with most successful retro-modern designs, the 2023 ST125 Dax is a captivating combination of vintage appeal paired with modern, improved underpinnings. The suspension consists of a telescopic 31mm USD fork with 100mm of axle travel, and twin rear shocks with 120mm of axle travel. A pair of 5-spoke, 12-inch cast aluminum wheels keep you rolling, while disc brakes with ABS stop you all around. LED lighting brightens the way front and rear, and an LCD display communicates the necessary information to the rider up in the cockpit.
Gallery: 2023 Honda ST125 Dax
Seat height is an approachable 775mm (30.5 inches), and curb weight is 107 kg (or just under 236 pounds). The saddle can fit two adults, and Honda claims it can manage a cruising speed of 90 km/h (approximately 55.9 mph) even with two people on board—but of course, that remains to be seen in real life. Even if it doesn’t quite hit that lofty speed, though, it’d be hard to stay mad at the Dax—which is probably what Honda is counting on.
Available colors for the 2023 Honda ST125 Dax in Europe will be Pearl Nebula Red or Pearl Cadet Gray. Pricing and availability will vary by market, and so far, there’s been no official information released on either of those topics at this point. It’s worth noting that Honda plans to host a big launch for the ST125 Dax across Japan as well, at all three of the upcoming major Japanese motorcycle shows that are happening in the coming months. Honda is bringing the ST125 Dax, Hawk 11, and Super Cub 110 to those shows as centerpieces of its display, according to Young Machine.
As for a North American release of the ST125 Dax, there’s no official word on that topic as of March 14, 2021, but we can live in hope. I mean, the Japanese launch hasn’t happened yet, so it’s pretty early on in this model’s public life cycle. Welcome to the world, newest Honda minimoto! We’re happy you’re here.
