Works Trials Bikes Owners Group, 100 member strong which includes owners; works riders; engineers; mechanics; journalists and historians of the sport of trials, (I was honored by the founders to be included as one of these 100 members) from all over the world (Europe, Japan and the USA).
Main WTB Owners Club is: Preserving the History of trials competition, Linking owners, former champions, historians, journalists and photographers, Giving expertise to event organizers, Ensuring traceability of bikes.
Here is short story of Sammy Miller Honda 125 Hiboy thanks to friends and collaborators of this website Norek family, father and son. Thanks friends!! Joan (The Honda Trials History)
Story of Honda 125 Trials bike starts around 1974, when Honda following marketing analise decided to enter into Trials sport with their bike. At that time trials sport was dominated by two strokes after famous Bultaco-Miller REVOLUTION that killed hudge, heavy and old big capacity four strokes in 1965 year. So now market was dominated by Spanish and Japanese two strokes.
Problem was that Honda filosophy was that they for various reasons were building FOUR STROKES BIKES AND SO WANTED TO DO IN TRIALS ! So there arised question, who from top trials riders could help them in development as Mick Andrews was working with Yamaha, Gordon Farley with Suzuki and Don Smith with Kawasaki, while Sammy Miller was tied by contract with Bultaco… But who could do better job that man who has killed four strokes, that Miller himself ? Thus they proposed contract to Miller, and Sammy was so attracted by this challenge, that afer few month of tension has obtained release from Mr Bulto. In this way another revolution in trials started culminating with 3 World Trials Championship titles and this being one of most interesting periods in Trials Sport ! First task when Miller joined Honda was to improve their TL 125 bike ready for US market while developing real trials weapon TL 250.
TL 125 was selling success, great fun and good clubman mount despite its limitations of engine size and weight too high, so these were areas of possible great improvement. Sammy had its own company selling accessories and various component for trials bikes so he decided to propose special frame called HIBOY becouse of increased ground clearence and done beautifully by British craftsmans, with bronze weldings of famous Reynolds 531 tubes saving weight of 11 kg when compared with standard production frame ! In addition this frame kit offered perfect geometry and weight Balance, fruit of Sammy Millers life long trials experience !
Now here is entering story of my bike. I was invited by my fathers good friend Stefano Bianchi, dedicated collector of important trials bikes, to visit his home close to Milan and shoot photos and have test ride of his works ex-Michauld Fantic 303. We were more than happy to do that as this as we are always keen to try and test different bikes not only trials but also enduro and motocross and shoot photos expressing beauty of those machines. After photo session we had great lunch with some nice local wines and Stefano has asked us if we want to see «some» bikes from his collection. We keenly accepted and I will not write you what we have seen, as we would fill up whole magazine, but just our eyes spotted Hiboy Honda and also Hiboy Bultaco ! Those were bikes we Always wanted to have, so guess with what we loaded our Renault Espace…. Yes this Honda Hiboy and Bultaco Hiboy with frame slightly cracked, so we will repair frame and put it to another test.
Justyn Norek Jr.
In the meantime please enjoy our SAMMY MILLER HIBOY HONDA TL 125 test. Thank you Stefano, and thank you Sammy for such GREAT SMALL BIKE !
Justyn Sr & Justyn Jr,
Honda TL125 HIBOY Riding Impressions
Here are riding impressions of Honda TL125 HIBOY Sammy Miller, To test this bike we have choosen Rubiana Trials Park close to Turin, with endless number of natural and man made trials hazards. One can ride for hours in woods and over stones without getting bored. It’s training ground for best trials riders of Piedmont Region. It was sunday, quite few guys training there on modern bikes, and I must say when I downloaded my Honda from trailer it has created general interest not only among parents but also teenagers and youngtrials riders, much to my satisfaction and obvious satisfaction of my daddy. Soon I dressed in trials trim (modern), and gave bike starting kick, as tires pressure, petrol, oil etc were already cheqed earlier at home. She responded eagerly as any true Honda for first kick with nice low frequency noise. Now it’s time to ride around slowly and adjust riding position, mainly control levers and handlebar. Engine already warm, I started to make uphil and downhill runs trying to get feeling of handling and brakes.
Justyn Norek Jr
Justiyn Jr
Of course being accustomed to modern disc brakes I found them not very impressive, while in contraty handling was excellent ! It must be another trick by Maestro SAMMY and his knowledge to design trials frames ! Bike was very stable, easy to control and easy to manouvre. Also in turns was razor sharp and precise. Much credit must go Also to good suspension as well as to geometry of frame with it’s short wheelbase and well positioned center of gravity makes bike so easy and pleasant to ride… So far so good, but how it will perform on rocks and stones ? Oh here are some that I know from rides on other bikes. First attempts are not so successful as my feeling Is lack of power…oh, I forgot it’s 125 !
Indeed with another cylinder addad on this would be almost ideal bike…I need a 250 ! I looked at web, seems biggest conversion of new cylinder is around 200…that should Be great improvement, so this is next step I am thinking about. In any case after some attempts I menaged to clean some considerable rocks and steps. Lifting front wheel for aerial manouvers was as easy as on bicycle and bike performed well also on slippery ground and on roots in forest. If I only could get more HP….I will ride it in serious competition. It’s an ideal bike for young riders, that can grow with bike as it’s engine can be increased to 150, 170, and eventually 200, making it very competitive, could be Kind of modern Triumph CUB ! Great Maestro SAMMY has done it again.
Sammy Miller in a Japan Magazin TL125 Ivatoho Advert
I would like to recomend it to ANY TRIALS ENTHOUSIAST, An ultimate FUNtastic FUN bike. I am so happy we have bought this bike…. And it’s also BEAUTIFUL !
Experienced by Justyn Norek Jnr.
Sammy Miller Hiboy HONDA TL 125 Technical Specification
Honda TL125 Hiboy Reynolds chrome plated tubular frame from Sammy Miller: Years of production: 1973-1982, Engine: Fourstroke ,OHC 2valve, air cooled, Capacity: 123cc, / 7.57 cub.in, BoreXstroke: 56.0×49.5 mm, Compression ratio: 8.0 : 1 , Carburetter: Mikuni VN 24 SH, Ignition: Flyweheel magneto, Max. Power: 9.3 hp/6.6 kw @ 8000rpm, Max. Torque: 9 kgf-m @ 4500rpm, Clutch: wet, multi disc, Gear box: 5 speed, constant mesh, Final drive: chain, Frame: Hiboy, Miller design, steel Reynolds 531, 11kg less than standard production frame, Front suspension: oil damped telescopic forks, Rear suspension: swinging arm, oil shocks, 5-way preload adjustable, Front tyre: 2.75 – 21″, Rear tyre: 4.10 – 18″, Fuel tank capacity: 4.5 litres,
The RS250TW from 1985 was based on the 1982 RS250T, painted Red, White and Blue colors, HRC engine TLR front forks and some improvements like oil cooler link. The RS250TW was also called Yamamoto because he was the rider of this official bike.
Yamamoto Masaya was the winner of Japan Trial Championship from 1982 to 1986!!
The three best Yamamoto Replicas
Nowadays some nice and good Yamamoto’s replica have been made. but one of the best I see is the Jean Pierre Pregardien from France, Justin Gaugh from Australia and Gabriele Milan replicas.
Following below, the amazing work done by my friend Gabriele Milan from Italy. A super collector and Honda trials fan. Thanks Gabriele to share these nice pictures.
Gabriele Milan Yamamoto replica
Next pictures below, the great job done by Jean Pierre Pregardien.
Jean Pierre Pregardien Yamamoto replica
Below the third replica made by Justin Gough from Australia. Absolutely great!!
Justin Gough Yamamoto replica
If you have any Yamamoto bike related information, please send to hondatrialshistory@onlytrial.com
Chris Mulhall, a friend of this website, built 20 or 30 years ago a Fraser Honda. He bought the frame kit in Birmingham from an advert in the Trials and Motocross Newspaper.
The frame kit was probably for an XL185. Chris built it with a TL125 engine with a Sammy Miller 150 kit and XL185 forks. The petrol was in the top frame tube like some of the bikes on your page but the large diameter tube is shorter, only the length of the hump in the seat and tank cover.
«Although it is branded as a Bill Head BH185 I was told it was a Fraser frame kit when I bought it. «
«I came across your website while trying to research a Fraser Honda trials bike that I built some years ago and sold. It is a great website that I visit regularly «
Bill Head was an off road Honda dealership in Birmingham. After Chris sold the bike he lost track of it and he never seen it again. If somebody know something about, please contact me. Chris and me will thank you any information.
Do you have interesting info to share? Please don’t wait, send me please what ever you think the Honda Trials History followers could valuate and enjoy.
Thanks to friend of this site Reio Ono «Reono» to share me these nice pictures from his latest project. This time a nice TLM restoration with a very special retro feeling from the seventies Honda Trials reinforced with the use of the sixties Honda wing logo. Congratulations Reono!! I love this job.
Thanks to Hiroshi Kondo to send me this nice picture
Hiroshi Kondo was the winner of the Japan Trial Championship at 1974 with Yamaha TY250 and 1977, 1978 and 1979 winner with Honda.
Kondo also rode at SSDT in 1976. Hiroshi rode at SSDT with a special Honda RS250T in 1984 inscribed with the number 154. Below you can see more info and pictures.
Hiroshi made some prototypes before the final Honda RS250T special, following and again thanks to Mr. Hiroshi, you can see the pictures of the first what he made, below these following 3 pictures you can see the numbered 154 prototype.
If you want to see extended information, you can also go to the «From 80 to 85 Honda Bikes» chapter of this site.
