2021 Honda Trail 125 ABS, First Ride Review

Nostalgia is a powerful thing and the folks at Honda know it. With the kind of rich history that Big Red has, we can hardly blame it for periodically plucking an iconic model from Honda’s extensive back catalog, tarting it up with modern technological fixings and using it to tug our heartstrings. And my, oh my, does the 2021 Honda Trail 125 ABS give those yarns a yank with its $3,899 MSRP. Dating back to the early 1960s, these lovable motorcycles initially became popular with outdoorsmen, much lauded for their user-friendly semiautomatic transmission and centrifugal clutch combo, as well as their off-road capability. What also helped propel these bikes into the limelight was their affordability, and many Honda CTs and Trails saw duty as faithful grocery-getters strapped to the back of RVs, or as stout compatriots on the farm and ranch. They were everywhere and many still are. During its nearly three-decade tenure, the CT/Trail series saw several revisions and sold more than 725,000 units in the U.S. before being discontinued in 1986. Globally, the CT/Trail lived on in many other markets, further solidifying its grand legacy. Mention the CT/Trail to anyone hailing from New Zealand or Australia and they’ll recognize it as the “Postie Bike” of their neighborhood postal carrier. More than 30 years later, the Honda Trail 125 has come home to the States. What better way to welcome it back than with a collapsible fishing kit strapped to the rack and Lake Cuyamaca in our sights...