The other feelgood factor is price, for, at around £2,500 on the road, the little Honda is about £1,000 less than many other sporty looking 125-class machines.
So, what does your £2,500 buy? The CBR125R certainly looks good. In fact, it's very much a scaled-down version of the CBR600RR, which obviously has wide appeal for many novice riders.
The twin headlights, the six-spoke alloy wheels and the red or blue colourschemes on the bodywork all help build up the illusion that this is a much bigger bike than it is.
But, underneath the fairing, there's a basic 124cc, 13bhp four-stroke single cylinder motor, which is capable of about 65-70mph flat out and should eke out a gallon of fuel for about 70 miles - handy for the college commute.
The Honda CBR125R is extremely light at 115kgs dry, which means that even the skinniest of teenagers should feel confident parking, or turning the bike around, and this is a bike which handles well, thanks to its aluminium beam frame and monoshock, adjustable suspension.
The only consideration which might tempt a teenager to buy something like a 125cc trail bike instead, would be the compact size of the CBR125R - it is a physically small machine, which tends to make riders over 5ft 8in look a bit gangly.
Otherwise, it isn't hard to see why this Honda is top dog in the learner 125 market, as it offers outstanding value for money.
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