Motorcycle Repair: CB 125 s 197??, weird bikes, metal swing

Question
Hey Bill

Thanks for the time. I am restoring an old CB125, (great Little Bikes) My problem is locating a year of Build. ENG# CB125 SE 101--. It has a pressed metal swing arm as opposed to the normal moly tube. The bike is in Australia and was sold here. Im assuming it is a 1971 or 72. Any idears

Cheers Brenden Smith

Answer
Brenden, you got me stumped here. I have never seen a CB125 that had a pressed steel swing arm in the back. Only the SS125 is similar in that regard. Sure someone didn't do some parts swapping? Not a CG125 is it?

I went here: http://www.cmsnl.com/search.php?s_name=cb125 and couldn't find anything that matched?

Is this an OHC single? I know Honda makes a lot of weird bikes that we have never seen or heard of in the US, though, so I am not doubting you and your bike. The base model for CB125S singles was the CB90 sold in Japan in 1970.

If yours starts with 101XXXXX then it is probably first generation from 1970-71 at the latest. The wiring harnesses used to have dates on them, back in the 1960s, but they stopped that later on. If the harness does have a ID tag, tell me what the part number code is on the tag.

Bill Silver