Yamaha SR125

The Yamaha SR125 has received a lot of stick from some people, while a lot of praise from others, during this review i will attempt to give as unbiassed an opinion as i can on this bike, having owned mine for around a year and covering over 10,000 miles i feel that i am fairly qualified to give a good review. I purchased my bike back in august 2006 when i needed something not to expensive to get me to work, i had yet to pass my driving test and i needed something with cheap insurance... I also wanted a bike that woul be fun to ride as well. My SR had 5000 miles on the clock when i bought her ... more

My experience with the Yamaha SR125 took place a few years ago when I was sitting my bike test. Under current regulations, after completing a CBT course, at 17 years old you can take a test on a 125cc bike restricted to 12bhp after which you can ride any bike as long as it is restricted to 33 bhp, and after 2 years you may ride any bike you wish. At the riding school there were two fleets of 125s, the Honda CG125 and the Yamaha SR125. Being a bit of a shorty I decided that the smaller Yamaha with its lower mounted seat would be a better bet. Sitting on board, everything seemed fine, all ... more

The Yamaha SR125 is a small, custom-style bike. Being 5'3", it was a good choice for my first bike. It's reliable and easy to ride. Over the 5 years that I owned one, all I needed to do was give it an annual service, apart from topping up the oil and replacing the headlight bulb. The bulb needed replacing, on average, about once a year. It uses the same 12v type as a scooter so there was no lack of supply. ( Scooter shops seemed to offer it cheaper than dedicated motorbike shops). The other cosmetic items that occaisionally needed replacing were the clutch and brake handles. Also pretty ... more

For most new bikers on the roads, the SR125 was possibly the first bike they rode, as it's used a lot in CBT training. I am a motorbike instructor with a school that uses the SR125, and I have nothing but praise for them! A very simple, cruiser/mini harley styled machine with a single cylinder, 4-stroke engine. Over the years, the SR has evolved, with tiny touches such as clocks updates and so on, but has essentially remained a 'get on and go' bike for the masses. It's low seat/high bars position is very comfortable for riders of all sizes, and the lightweight build means that the bike is very ... more

Bought a cheap 1994 reg SR for £475, 26K on the clock. Perfect for learning & gaining confidence for the test. Certainly not the fastest bike you'll ever ride - struggles to mid 50's (but quite pokey at 0 - 25 mph) Nice & comfortable, good for short people as the seat is pretty low. All the controls are easy to reach with gloves & the minimalist speedo unit is ok - wish it had a fuel gauge though. Holds itself quite well at slow speeds, so will be ok for U turns & cone work in the test. Does around 70-90 mpg round town, tank will last for approx 100-120 miles. Less than a tenner to fill up too ... more