Honda’s learner legal PCX125 scooter sells in vast numbers for several very good reasons. It combines a solid specification with lively performance, the reassurance of the Honda name and a price tag that’s naturally appealing. It’s cheap to run and super practical to boot, pretty much inventing the ‘premium economy’ sector when first introduced in 2010.
During that time it’s sold close to 10,000 units a year in Europe alone, and the latest version ups the game with a few tweaks and the addition of this more upmarket DX variant, which offers an easy-to-read TFT dashboard to make for an even more practical commuter machine.
We’ve always been fans of the PCX and it appears the public agrees. The PCX125 has consistently been the one of the best-selling powered two wheelers in the UK for as long as we can remember. The only other scooter to really challenge it at the top of the sales charts has been Yamaha’s similarly equipped NMAX. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and the NMAX was Yamaha’s answer to the PCX.
It arrived five years after the Honda and the two have been fierce competitors ever since. They also say that competition improves the breed, and these two have evolved over the years to become the supremely well rounded machines we can buy today.
Like Honda, Yamaha has also updated its scoot for 2025 (in large forced by the need to meet Euro5+ regulations) and they’ve also introduced a TFT dash equipped version alongside the base model, proving that they really are both aiming for the same audience. You can read Phil West’s review of the 2025 Yamaha NMAX on our website.
But back to the PCX, where it is very much a case of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The headline change for 2025 is the new bodywork, which still looks unmistakably like previous versions but is sharper and more contemporary. It also gets some new colours, with the carry over black joined by metallic grey, white and dark blue options.
All the single colour liveries are devoid of graphics and look ever so classy, even though none could really be described as particularly bold. That’s always been the case with the PCX though. It’s a vehicle which moves the body rather than the soul, even though it is surprisingly fun to ride.
The frame and engine are carried over, although there are tweaks for 2025. The DX’s chassis gets plusher suspension than that found on the base model (which is still available in some countries, although not in the UK) with remote reservoir rear shocks now fitted, while there’s also a welcome change to the rear brake set-up on both models.
The old drum brake was one of the few real criticisms you could throw at previous PCXs, but now it’s gone and replaced by a 220mm disc. Welcome to the 21st century, Honda PCX125! FYI the ABS is only on the front wheel, meaning a big handful of rear brake can lead to skids like we used to do in the old days.
Engine-wise there’s a new oxygen sensor to comply with the latest Euro5+, while there’s a revised ECU tune as well – both changes which mean little-to-nothing to the everyday customer. It still makes just over 12bhp, meaning it's learner legal and ideal for those who are happy to run around on L plates after completing the compulsory basic training (CBT). That’s what many (if not most) PCX riders do in the UK. It’s a very accessible machine.
To ride, the PCX125 is as friendly and easy going as ever, indeed it’s even friendlier thanks to the better brakes and improved interface.
That TFT dashboard is clean and easy to read, and if you download Honda’s RoadSync app to your phone, and connect to the bike via Bluetooth, you get some neat features which only enhance practicality. You can use the little joystick on the left hand switchgear to control turn-by-turn navigation, music, phone calls and messages, or you can see the weather as you would on your phone.
It works best if you have a comms system built into your crash helmet, and while it’s not as sophisticated as something like Android Auto or Apple Carplay, it’s adequate all the same. With the handlebars smartly faired in these days, it is quite difficult to mount a smartphone to use as a navigation device, but for most of the people, most of the time, the Honda solution will work well enough.
I also liked the smart key, which unlocks and activates the bike when in proximity. No need to fumble around for the key, just make sure it’s on your person and off you go.
Performance of the PCX has always hit a sweet spot, not quite having the 14.75 gee gees of the range-topping Forza 125 but easily outgunning cheaper designs like those found on Suzuki’s 125 range and the various Chinese manufacturers on sale today – not to mention Honda’s own basic-as-it-comes Vision 110.
Around town it’s lively and on the open road it has enough to safely tackle dual carriageways. My personal performance barometer from a 125 scoot is ensuring enough go to out accelerate traffic from the lights, while having a 60mph top speed to be able to keep ahead of trucks and buses on the open road.
The 2025 Honda PCX125 DX can more than hold its own in these environments and continues to deliver the VFM that keeps buyers coming back for more. It’ll comfortably cruise at 60mph and can add 10 on top when conditions are favourable. It’ll deliver over 130mpg which, combined with a large 8.1 litre fuel tank, gives over 200 miles between fuel stops.
If your commute includes some stretches on the open road, the PCX won’t let you down, although I wouldn’t want to rely on it (or any 125cc scooter for that matter) to do much more than a dozen motorway miles each day.
It's nippy though, thanks to its light weight and agile handling. It’s brisk enough away from the lights, and even though the fuel saving stop-start technology cuts the motor at a standstill, it comes back on instantaneously when you touch the throttle. It feels a touch wheezy at around 45mph, but it’s more a criticism of 125cc twist and gos as much as having a go specifically at the PCX.
The practicality continues with a big underseat storage area, claimed at over 30 litres and giving enough space to store your riding gear when you park up. Add in an optional top box (which works with the bike’s central locking) and a small glove compartment it is little wonder these are commonplace in city centres and train station car parks around the commuter belt, not to mention being so beloved by delivery riders.
It's comfortable too. The seat is well shaped and well padded, while the improved rear shocks handle all but the very roughest roads with aplomb. It might sound too good to be true, but the hardest part of this review is trying to balance the praise with some negative points.
Sure it could make a little more power and come with a little more spec, but then Honda will sell you a Forza 125 for that, albeit for a not insignificant extra chunk of money. The only real negatives I could really throw at the older generation PCX were the slightly weak rear brake and the lack of dashboard connectivity.
Now that these have both been addressed with the latest DX version, it’s really hard to pick any kind of nit. Yamaha’s NMAX has slightly longer service intervals, and a better dash in Tech Max spec, but that’s about it really. Compared to the Yamaha, a PCX claims slightly more power, a bit more torque, better MPG and a lower seat height although, in reality, there’s nothing more than a cigarette paper between them on almost every single metric.
On probably the most important one, price, the DX-spec Honda also undercuts the equivalent (the NMAX Tech Max) by around £100 too. It is worth saying that the Yamaha has a higher level of connectivity though, offering a full Garmin sat-nav system that’s better than Honda’s turn-by-turn navigation. If that’s important, it might be a reason to consider the top spec NMAX over a PCX.
Indeed the most difficult decision for any buyer is going to be choosing between the Honda or its great rival, the NMAX. A few years ago the choice was easier: if you fancied a more dynamic riding experience then the Yamaha was best, but if you wanted a more practical proposition then the PCX was boss.
These days even that decision is more difficult, as both machines have improved their weaker spots and the PCX is now a more engaging scooter to ride than it was, say, five years ago. With its more generous underseat storage, I’d say the Honda is still the more practical of the two but, really, there is little to choose between these best sellers. They’re both five star products and it is more about personal choice than a standout best in class.
What Honda has done with the PCX125 is to give it incremental steps over the years, moving with the times to deliver a better product each time. Compared to the same model a few years ago, it looks sharper, has improved brakes, higher quality tyres and a better overall spec, which includes traction control and a USB-C charger in the glove box.
At the time of writing (June 2025) it costs £3799 in the UK, or €4999 in Ireland (where the non-TFT version is also available at a saving of €300). For 2025 it adds a bit more spec and class while remaining the premium economy option. Sales figures don’t lie and it’s still one of the most significant powered two-wheelers on sale today. The reason is that it’s just so darned good at delivering what it was designed to do – and at a very competitive price too!
2025 Honda PCX 125 specification
Price: From £3799
Engine: 125cc single, SOHC, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled
Power: 12.3bhp (9.2kW) @ 8750rpm
Torque: 11.7Nm (8.6lb-ft) @ 6500rpm
Transmission: V-belt automatic
Frame: Tubular steel underbone
Suspension: (F) 31mm Telescopic forks, (R) twin shocks.
Wheels: Cast aluminium, 14”/13”
Tyres: (F) 110/70 x 14, (R) 130/70 x 13
Brakes: (F) 220mm disc, dual-piston caliper, (R) 220mm disc, single-piston caliper. ABS as standard equipment
Weight: 134kg (kerb)
Wheelbase: 1,315mm
Seat height: 763mm
Fuel tank: 8.1 litres
Fuel consumption: 134.5mpg (claimed)
Service intervals: 4000 miles/six months
Warranty: 24 months unlimited mileage
Contact: www.honda.co.uk
