Wave 125 Versus 125i

[markg]

My local Honda shop is selling the wave 125 for about 36k and the new injection for 43k or something like that. I guess they are selling off the last of their old stock of 125 before everything becomes fuel injection.

Is it worth paying the extra money for injection? I noticed that the injection gubbins takes up some room under the seat, so there is less stowage area.

Does it make the bike any faster? (not bothered)

Any more fuel efficient? (worthwhile - fuel keeps going up)

Any help would be appreciated as i m in the market for another new Honda.

[nikster]

I have a Wave 125i with FI from last year. According to some promotional material, it's more fuel efficient. I get nearly 50km/l even though I drive like a pig. I am not sure if it makes a huge difference though since the normal 125s are pretty fuel efficient as well.

It's _not_ more powerful.

I think they are selling them off because everyone wants the new hot automatics. I drove a mio yamaha when on vacation. I liked driving it but that thing had god-awful fuel consumption. I sure hope newer automatics are better at that...

BTW I bought the 125i last year simply because I liked the looks, found out it has FI later (big red "FI" light on the speedometer and a whining sound when starting up).

Edited September 11, 2006 by nikster

[markg]

I have a Wave 125i with FI from last year. According to some promotional material, it's more fuel efficient. I get nearly 50km/l even though I drive like a pig. I am not sure if it makes a huge difference though since the normal 125s are pretty fuel efficient as well.

50km/l..........Nikster are you sure? That seems like an awful lot more than i get on my standard 125.

Anyway, the bottom line, are you happy with it and would you buy another?

Yeah i have noticed the automatics that everyone seeems to be on. I dont like them.

I am a brit. We are suspicious of these things.

I like the control going up and down hills that a manual gives me.

Automatics sound like hairdryers and are generally for girls.

[nikster]

I have a Wave 125i with FI from last year. According to some promotional material, it's more fuel efficient. I get nearly 50km/l even though I drive like a pig. I am not sure if it makes a huge difference though since the normal 125s are pretty fuel efficient as well.

50km/l..........Nikster are you sure? That seems like an awful lot more than i get on my standard 125.

Anyway, the bottom line, are you happy with it and would you buy another?

Yeah i have noticed the automatics that everyone seeems to be on. I dont like them.

I am a brit. We are suspicious of these things.

I like the control going up and down hills that a manual gives me.

Automatics sound like hairdryers and are generally for girls.

Yeah, pretty sure, went 140km, refilled, just under 3l. I have not checked this in a while now but I was very aware of it in the beginning when the odometer was < 1000. What is the gas mileage of a normal 125?

I am happy with it - rides smooth and nice. It could have a bit more punch uphill. I am not sure if it has to do with the FI or if it's the set-up but I feel like some 125s I was riding before were going faster uphill. But those were all rentals, might have been tuned. Straight speed tops out at 100km/h, which is really enough for Thailand and actually unsafe most of the time. I appreciate very much that I can get around town so cheaply. And that it has been working flawlessly ever since I bought it. Love the electric starter, too.

It was 50,000 new so if you can get these for 43k now that's a pretty good deal.

If you really want control get a sonic - you get a lot more power out of these, too. Don't know about fuel consumption though. Mine is a family motorcycle so the wife has to be able to drive it as well

[nakhonsi sean]

I bought a 125i for my wife year ago, paid 50,000. Had a Yamaha Mio and a Honda Dream 125 before. The Wave is a good bike, very frugal, but not much different from the Dream. When we bought it they told us to use gasahol as it was designed for it. 3 months ago we had it re-tuned for 91, runs much better now, more power and smoother. I have had 115 kmh out of it. Not as good as the Dream (125kmh) but still to fast!

The Mio was great but thirsty as hel_l and no good for a farang on the back, just to small.

While I like the Wave i, I still think the Dream was a much better bike. Felt more stable, comfortable, less vibration, smoother and stronger. If I was buying a market bike for myself its the only one I'd buy at the moment.

[markg]

I bought a 125i for my wife year ago, paid 50,000. Had a Yamaha Mio and a Honda Dream 125 before. The Wave is a good bike, very frugal, but not much different from the Dream. When we bought it they told us to use gasahol as it was designed for it. 3 months ago we had it re-tuned for 91, runs much better now, more power and smoother. I have had 115 kmh out of it. Not as good as the Dream (125kmh) but still to fast!

The Mio was great but thirsty as hel_l and no good for a farang on the back, just to small.

While I like the Wave i, I still think the Dream was a much better bike. Felt more stable, comfortable, less vibration, smoother and stronger. If I was buying a market bike for myself its the only one I'd buy at the moment.

Interesting stuff. Like i said - dont fancy the Mio etc as i dont really care for automatics. I m in Phuket and we have quite a lot of hills. I also carry a small surfboard to the beach so being able to drop it down a gear and use the engine to brake, whilst still being able to use the front and back brakes is a must for me.

I think i get about 30km to the litre but i m not sure. I know it was as frugal as hel_l when i was running it in. (Bought my wave 125 about 18months ago) Not sure what it does now that i ride it like a Thai teenager.

There are 2 things i dont like about the dream. As far as i know, they only come with drum brakes, whilst the wave can be had with a disc brake up front. Its important for me. Good stopping ability is rather important over here!

Yup - top speed is unimportant for me. I ve had it up to 90 kmh and it still felt like it had plenty of go in it - but like you said, thats just toooo fast for here.

I think i might just go for the cheaper one though - i.e. the none Fuel Injection version. There doesnt seem to be any benfit in paying the extra money for the Fi.

Thanks.

[PeaceBlondie]

Nobody's mentioned this difference between one carburetor and fuel injection:

Do all the Thai mechanics know how to diagnose or adjust FI?

Nothing is simpler than a single carburetor, and even that can be done wrong.

[nikster]

There are 2 things i dont like about the dream. As far as i know, they only come with drum brakes, whilst the wave can be had with a disc brake up front. Its important for me. Good stopping ability is rather important over here!

30 km/l is still good, but FI is a lot better. BTW mine was set up to use 91 from the beginning. On the other hand, I think blondie is right when thinking about maintainance. Not that you will have to for at least another few years.

You can get discs front and rear, but being as it is that most braking power is needed up front the rear one is more or less for showing off. And I agree that they are a lot better for a variety of reasons.

I think that the Dream is bigger though - the seat is more flat, and you can kind of pack a whole family of five on it easily, at least if you are Thai. The Dream is kind of the family-minivan under the scooters whereas the Wave is the entry level sedan.

[nakhonsi sean]

There are 2 things i dont like about the dream. As far as i know, they only come with drum brakes, whilst the wave can be had with a disc brake up front. Its important for me. Good stopping ability is rather important over here!

After driving around on both the Dream and the Wave, drum - disc. I never found the discs to be much better. Sure on a big bike you need the discs because of the weight. I found the dreams brakes very good, never found them to be an issue, even heavily loaded around hills. I have however found that, especialy in the wet, the Waves discs can lock-up, not a good thing and something I never experienced on the Dream.

[Gary A]

I have been watching this thread with interest. A good friend of mine had a 125 Wave that he gave to one of the kids. He then bought a new 125i. According to him there is a world of difference. The one with the carburetter was cold blooded, stalled a lot and took a while to warm up. He says the Fuel injected one starts and runs perfectly with no stalling of hesitating. He is quite pleased.

[nikster]

I have been watching this thread with interest. A good friend of mine had a 125 Wave that he gave to one of the kids. He then bought a new 125i. According to him there is a world of difference. The one with the carburetter was cold blooded, stalled a lot and took a while to warm up. He says the Fuel injected one starts and runs perfectly with no stalling of hesitating. He is quite pleased.

I can confirm that my 125i always performs. When it's cold in the morning - I am in the mountains here - and I start and then immediately stop the engine can die. Strangely there is no choker. But if you just start and go it always works, it warms up in the first few meters.

The 125i has been flawless so far.

A friend got a 125 and had lots of problems with it FWIW (statistical sample of 1, so beware).

[Sir Burr]

I bought my Honda Wave 125i over a year ago for 52,000 Bt (the first version that was two-tone blue).

I'm very happy with it. It starts first time every morning, no fiddling with a choke lever.

It's more frugal than the the bike I had previously, an ordinary Wave 125 and I like the front disk-brake.

Whether it's worth paying several thousand baht more for fuel injection, probably not.

[moonoi]

I have been watching this thread with interest. A good friend of mine had a 125 Wave that he gave to one of the kids. He then bought a new 125i. According to him there is a world of difference. The one with the carburetter was cold blooded, stalled a lot and took a while to warm up. He says the Fuel injected one starts and runs perfectly with no stalling of hesitating. He is quite pleased.

I can confirm that my 125i always performs. When it's cold in the morning - I am in the mountains here - and I start and then immediately stop the engine can die. Strangely there is no choker. But if you just start and go it always works, it warms up in the first few meters.

The 125i has been flawless so far.

A friend got a 125 and had lots of problems with it FWIW (statistical sample of 1, so beware).

erm thats because you only need a choke with a carb the FI takes care of richening or leaning the fuel mixture so you don't have to!

EDIT: And it normally does a better job too

Edited September 13, 2006 by moonoi

[Hog Head]

FI is the way to go, and cars have not had carbs for years several reasons - primarily fuel economny and emissions. My BMW K-100 bike had FI in 1895

Reliability of the FI syspem is usually a non issue, however if the brain or fuel pump dies you are knackered - but thankfully this rarely happens.

FI is install and forget, so you local Thai Mechanic while knowing SFA about it does not have to touch it. Having said that he will attempt to dick with it anyway. I have been known to dick with perfectly fine FI systems in attempts to make the bike/car go faster, but this is not something to enter lightly, and without a dyno to fine tune your filddling.

I would go FI, and the incremental cost is worth it for ease of starting, compensating for barometric changes, air temperature/density changes, perfect fuel/air mixture, and idiot proof operation.

I would ask about E-20 compatability with both systems, but primarily about the carb version. Take the dealers comments with a grain of rice, and see if you can get a definitave statement from Honda.

robert

[nikster]

FI is the way to go, and cars have not had carbs for years several reasons - primarily fuel economny and emissions. My BMW K-100 bike had FI in 1895

In 1895??

Man, BMW was way ahead of its time!

[tigerbeer]

so eerr, honda dream not a good bike??? better than wave? heard the parts on the dream are all fully imported from japan whilst the wave is completely thai made? i have ride both wave and dream and find the dream to be a lot more stable and solid.

also just out of curiosity, is it possible to get financing for buying a bike? i mean as a farang. i have monthly income with work permit, a one year non immigrant visa.

[PeaceBlondie]

FI is the way to go, and cars have not had carbs for years several reasons - primarily fuel economny and emissions. My BMW K-100 bike had FI in 1895

In 1895??

Man, BMW was way ahead of its time!

And that's 1895 on the Buddhist calendar!!

[Hog Head]

[

LOL

They had it in the Fatherland in 1984, but did not arrive in Canada until 85. Surprising when HD had just introduced the Evo engine as their great leap forward from the Shovelhead that I had at the time.

In 1895??

Man, BMW was way ahead of its time!

And that's 1895 on the Buddhist calendar!!

[markg]

[

Man, BMW was way ahead of its time!

And that's 1895 on the Buddhist calendar!!

Yes that really is how old BMW twin engines are!!

Its become quite interesting this thread because i have never really considered the Dream at all............i always thought they were the Mary Poppins equivelent of the Honda world.

I m pretty sure they are cheaper too eh?

I will have a look tomorrow.

I m still not sure about having drum brakes all round - though this might be a hang over from my biking days back in the west.

I always thought drum brakes were made of Camembert cheese and wood.

[Gary A]

I don't know how many people are into racing but I do know that drum brakes are more than adequate for any NORMAL bike riding. Drum brakes will lock up the front or rear wheel and cause you to bust your ass. In all my years of riding I NEVER had a problem with brake fade. The disk brake options are a marketing tool that costs more money and offers NO benefits to the average rider. The fuel injection version is worth the money unless you like to play with the choke and wait for the engine to warm up.

[Hog Head]

Gary

One could make a weak case for disc on the front and drum on the rear on a dinky bike, but drums all round are a cost cutting wennie accountants idea with no basis in either engineering or physics. Go for at least a front disc.

Note that performance bikes have 2 discs on the front, (or in the case of Buell one great big honking one) as the majority of braking is done by the front wheel. I rarely use the back brake, and then only in emergency stops, or to set up the chassis when cornering. As you say a little Honda is not a performance bike, but the same physics apply, and even more so when carrying a family of 5.

With good brakes the tires then become the limiting factor. Never skimp on brakes, tires, and oil.

Robert

I don't know how many people are into racing but I do know that drum brakes are more than adequate for any NORMAL bike riding. Drum brakes will lock up the front or rear wheel and cause you to bust your ass. In all my years of riding I NEVER had a problem with brake fade. The disk brake options are a marketing tool that costs more money and offers NO benefits to the average rider.

[PeaceBlondie]

Granted, a decent drum brake would be suitable for non-mountainous normal driving. But have you looked closely at the front hub? There's hardly any drum inside there; there couldn't be more than a few square inches of friction surfaces. At least on the Dreams I usually see, the wire spokes are skinny, the tires are cheap, the tubes are cheaper, and there's no design quality, just build quality.

The average bike in Thailand seems to be about on par with my 1957 Husky motor scooter, a funeral looking for a place to happen. But, life is cheap here, and with a four speed backward transmission, we're not talking "sport bike."

[markg]

I don't know how many people are into racing but I do know that drum brakes are more than adequate for any NORMAL bike riding. Drum brakes will lock up the front or rear wheel and cause you to bust your ass. In all my years of riding I NEVER had a problem with brake fade. The disk brake options are a marketing tool that costs more money and offers NO benefits to the average rider. The fuel injection version is worth the money unless you like to play with the choke and wait for the engine to warm up.

The trouble is, once you ve had disc brakes, its harder to go back to drums. I m sorry to have to disagree with you, but drums just aint as good. And i ve been on disc brakes for a long time now and cant imagine going back to wood and cheese drum brakes.

As for the choke.............erm, i live in Phuket. It is NEVER ever cold enough for the use of a choke. Ever. As a brit, i think i pretty well know how and when to use a choke too..........for me in Thailand its just not an issue. My choke lever is in the off position and has never been used.

If someone can convince me that injection is worth the money in fuel economy or some benefit to the environment then i might be persuaded, but to me at the moment it looks like being nearly 10k more and you seem to get less space under the seat. Plus its one more thing to go wrong that the local grease monkey will have no idea how to fix.

I like having a Honda wave cos its agricultural technology and anyone (except me it seems) can fix it!

Edited September 18, 2006 by markg