CRF125F Top Speed: How Fast Does It Go?

If you ride a dirt bike, even a trail bike like a CRF125F, you’re almost guaranteed to want to know how fast it goes. As dirt bike riders, we need to know how fast our bikes go. In this article, we’ll be covering the top speed of CRF125F.

CRF125F Top Speed

Honda is known as one of the main dirt bike brands in most people’s eyes, but did you know Honda was actually one of the first companies to popularize dirt bikes in the 1900s?

Today, you don’t usually think of Honda as having the fastest machines. Honda is more commonly known for its reliability. Its woods and trail bikes are some of the most popular in the industry, with Yamaha’s trail bikes, like the TTR 125 and TTR 230 right alongside Honda.

If Honda is more known for reliability than pure speed, and the CRF125F is a trail bike, not a race bike, what does this mean for the CRF125F top speed?

The CRF125F top speed is about 50-55 mph.

This is about the same as the TTR 125 top speed, and it’s also about 5-10 mph faster than the CRF110 top speed.

Why did I pick these two bikes to compare the CRF125F?

First, the TTR 125 was chosen because it’s essentially Yamaha’s version of Honda’s CRF125F that we’re discussing here. People are often interested in the different speeds between similar bikes from different brands.

The CRF 110 was chosen as a comparison because it’s a similar bike to the CRF125F, both are trail bikes from Honda, but the CRF110 has a signficantly smaller bike size and a slightly smaller engine (only 15cc).

(Most people know the CRF110 as a “pit bike” not a “trail bike,” which it is also a pit bike, but Honda has it as part of their trail bike lineup.)

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There are several factors at play when it comes to the CRF125F top speed. Let’s take a look at them.

What changes the top speed of CRF125F?

It can be tough at times to calculate the true top speed of a dirt bike because there are quite a few different items that can impact it.

Modifications

This might be obvious to some, but engine work and aftermarket parts are going to impact the CRF125F top speed. Arguably, most of anything.

If your CRF125F has engine work (especially a big bore kit) and a pipe, that’s not really comparable to the top speed of a stock CRF125F.

The top speed of CRF125F that hasn’t had any work done to it will be significantly lower than the top speed of CRF125F that has undergone mods.

The more work you do to the bike, the greater the difference in speeds will be.

There are other factors at play here too – such as gearing, riding conditions, and more.

Gearing

The second most important factor in determining the CRF125F top speed is its gearing. Gearing refers to the size (and ratio) of the front and rear sprockets.

For reference, the stock gearing for this bike is a 13-tooth front sprocket and a 46-tooth rear sprocket (depending on the year of your bike).

Riders normally pick different gearing depending on the situation they’re riding. If the rider is racing supercross, they would typically want more acceleration (referred to as more bottom end). To achieve this, they’d use either a smaller front sprocket or a larger rear one. This is known as having a low gear ratio.

If the rider is racing motocross, they may want more top speed (known as top end). To do this, the rider would use a larger front sprocket or a smaller rear sprocket; in other words, they would be changing to a higher gear ratio.

Riding in the woods can require an entirely different gearing combination than that of supercross or motocross.

This might not sound like much to some people, but it has a large impact on the top speed of CRF125F (or any dirt bike, for that matter). Depending on the gear changes made, it can increase or decrease the CRF125F top speed by more than 3-5 mph.

A CRF125F with a 8-tooth front sprocket will have a different top speed than one with the stock 14-tooth front sprocket (I made the difference wide to make a point — no one is running a 8-tooth front sprocket on their CRF125F….).

Additionally, a change to the front sprocket has a great effect on the CRF125F top speed and bottom end than changing the rear sprocket. Going up or down one tooth on the front sprocket is not equal to one tooth on the rear sprocket.

Rather, changing the front sprocket by one tooth is equivalent to 3-4 teeth in the rear.

Rider

The top speed of CRF125F is going to be slower if the rider weighs more because it takes more work from the bike, while the bike and engine maintain the same ability/capacity. The heavier the rider, generally the lower the CRF125F top speed is going to be.

In addition, an experienced rider can make the CRF125F go faster than a beginner who is just learning. A rider who knows how to quickly and smoothly shift gears can hit a higher top speed than someone who is just learning how to use a clutch.

Check out this video of Carson Brown on his CRF125F:

The reality is, he can probably reach a higher top speed on the CRF125F than someone who is just learning how to ride. The difference won’t be as big as it would be if they were racing on a motocross track, but there is likely still going to be some difference in top speed.

Conditions of Riding

The CRF125F top speed can also be impacted by riding conditions, including both location and surface.

For example, a dirt bike’s power output is generally higher closer to sea level than at high altitudes. So if you’re planning to ride your CRF125F in the mountains, it will likely have a lower top speed than if you were riding at sea level.

Or, even if you’re not in the mountains necessarily, but you’re just riding in Colorado, you’re much higher above sea level than the coasts of the US. That will cause your CRF125F top speed to be lower.

Smaller-size bikes (bikes with small cc engines) are more impacted by elevation changes than larger bikes, too. For example, a CRF125F or a CRF110F is going to be impacted more than a CRF450R.

Are you riding in the woods, on a motocross track, or on a paved road? If it’s in the woods, your top speed might be limited. If you’re racing motocross, you can only go so fast while remaining safe and within bounds (and, don’t forget, sometimes slow is fast).

Apart from the elevation and location, another factor that affects the CRF125F top speed is the surface on which it is being ridden. The top speed of CRF125F ridden on flat pavement will be different than if it were driven on a tight, sandy motocross course; even the type of tires can make a difference.

A Few Other Factors that Can Impact the CRF125F top speed

Your CRF125F top speed can also be impacted by a few more things, including the condition of your bike, the weather, and how you’re recording the data.

A bike that is regularly maintained will run faster and more efficiently than one that isn’t. For example, a CRF125F that has had consistent maintenance done to it will be able to reach a higher top speed than one not taken care of properly.

The weather and temperature can both affect a bike’s top speed. If it rains, the pavement will be wet and your top speed will probably be lower than normal.

If you want to get an accurate reading of the top speed of CRF125F, use an onboard GPS device rather than relying on someone pointing a speed gauge at you as you zoom past. This doesn’t mean the bike will actually go any faster or slower, it just changes what you end up seeing on paper.

Waving the White Flag on the top speed of CRF125F

As we pass by the white flag of this article and enter into the last lap, we want to summarize what we’ve covered so far.

Ultimately, most people want to know their bike’s rough top speed. Yes, mods and other items impact a CRF125F top speed potential, but at the end of the day, people just want to have an idea of how fast their bike is.

With that in mind, a CRF125F top speed is about 50-55 mph.

Frequently Asked Questions About the CRF125F top speed