The Honda SH Mode 125 exists for riders who want the look and feel of the SH - Vietnam’s status scooter - without the full SH price tag. It is a genuine premium city scooter in its own right, and this review uses only specifications published by Honda Vietnam on the official Sh mode 125 product page (retrieved 23 September 2026). Anything Honda does not publish is left out rather than estimated.

Engine and performance

The Sh mode 125 runs a 124.8 cc single-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled engine from Honda’s eSP+ family with four valves per cylinder, meeting the EURO 4 emissions standard. Honda lists maximum power at 8.2 kW at 8,500 rpm and maximum torque at 11.7 Nm at 5,000 rpm. That torque arrives low in the rev range, which is exactly what you want in stop-and-go Hanoi traffic - strong pull away from lights without working the engine. For what these figures mean in practice, see our scooter power and torque explainer.

Size, weight and comfort

Honda publishes a kerb weight of 116 kg, a seat height of 765 mm, and dimensions of 1,950 x 668 x 1,110 mm on a 1,304 mm wheelbase with 151 mm of ground clearance. The low seat is one of the reasons the Sh mode suits smaller riders and riders who want an easy flat-foot at lights - compare it in our scooter seat heights guide. The 16-inch front wheel (80/90-16 tyre) adds stability on rough streets, a trait we cover in the 16-inch wheel scooters guide.

Fuel economy

Honda’s published figure is 2.16 litres/100 km from a 5.6-litre tank. Real-world consumption varies with load, traffic and riding style, but this is efficient for a liquid-cooled 125 - see the scooter fuel economy comparison for context.

Features and safety

Honda equips the Sh mode with a 4.2-inch TFT instrument display, full LED lighting, an eSAF pressed-steel frame, smart key with a key-left-on warning, a USB-C port in the front box, and 18.5 litres of underseat storage. Front-wheel ABS is fitted on the The thao (Sport), Dac biet (Special) and Cao cap (Premium) versions. If ABS matters to you, read which scooters have ABS in Vietnam before choosing a specific version.

Who it suits

Riders who want premium-scooter comfort, a low seat and big-wheel stability mainly for city use. It is not a sports scooter and not a cargo scooter; it is a style-led premium commuter. Retail list price on the Honda page is 66,361,091 VND for the versions shown - a real commitment compared with mainstream 125s, which our premium scooters overview puts in context.

Nguyen Tu does not publish a rental rate for this model. Contact us to confirm current availability. Before committing, sit on one and run through our rental motorbike inspection checklist.

What to check before you ride one

Tyre condition, brake feel, and whether the version in front of you is an ABS version. Licence rules in Vietnam depend on engine capacity - the 125 cc class requires the appropriate licence class, covered in our licence guides.