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 ... Read review
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A review by richpsurvery on Yamaha SR125 October 5th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Comfort
Good
Handling
Satisfactory
Looks
Good
Features
Satisfactory
Fuel consumption
Excellent
Advantages:
Economy, 4 Stroke Induction 'Roar ! ', Cheap to run, easy to maintain, its a bike !
Disadvantages:
A little too slow on dual carriage ways, Can be overpriced, Poor wet handling
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
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, and during my ownership i put on another 10,000 without any problems
Looks: The yamaha has been designed to have a custome chopper look while still retaining enough of a commuter look so that they are not a big fashion statement. When in good nick these bikes look great with a combination of polished steel and chrome parts, however much maintenance is required to keep it this way. The exhaust is prone to rust from the smallest of scratches, the upper end of the exhaust seems to rust no matter what you do to it! The plastic and paintwork stays neat easily which is more than can be said for the wheels, if you are running it all through winter like i did then putting some form of grease on the wheels to protect them until summer would be a good idea. All in all a smart looking bike with the provisio that you must put in the maintenance to keep it that way.
Performance: You don't expect to much performance from a 4 Stroke 125 Single, and to be honest you don't get to much! Its nippy enough to beat most cars up to 30mph, but after 40mph the power dies away. The early power is essential if you filter to the front of a queue of traffic as drivers seeing the L plates try to blow you off, usually they fail because you change gear so much quicker! Top speed on a flat is around 65mph, but i would recommend 55 because at 60 the engine is screaming a little! Downhill i have reached 80 but would not recommend it, the bike really struggles with steep hills, often dropping below 40, but thats what you expect with this sort of engine. Fuel economy is fantastic, 100mpg round town or if you constantly run at top speed of 60mph like me then you will get more like 70, around £7 to fill the tank from the reserve which should give you around 150miles. Cornering ability is uninspired to be honest! I have had some scary moments trying to 'push it' on this bike! Don't try and be a hero in corners sometimes you can lean till the pegs scrape the ground, usually the bike will start drifting outwards before then! The stock tires are absolute rubbish in the rain, be very careful in wet conditions, think ahead and no sudden moves!
Reliability: I have nothing but good things to say! In 10,000 miles i only had to replace the chain once, the back tire, and the speedo cable. You need to carry out regular maintenance, Oil changes, Chain lubrication, tire pressures etc. It can be annoying re-tensioning the chain as its usually jammed solid, a tip that you don't get in the manual which makes it 100 times easier is to undo the drum brakes support bar, this will let it move easily, just remember to put it back on before you set off!
Overall: Providing you maintain it well, and give it some stick you should be satisfied with the performance of your bike as a daily driver or first bike.
Advantages: easy to ride, cheap to run, comfy about town Disadvantages: total lack of power, dodgy cruiser styling
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 ... ...electrical connections to break. The Yamaha however didn't seem that bad to me, and was certainly a lot better than the two stroke dirtbikes I was used to. Unfortunately, along with the lack of vibrations was a distinct lack of power. Most machines of this capacity, even restricted ones, have a distinct powerband, an area in the rev range where the engine seems to pick up and come alive, but not on this bike. The drive, although smooth and quite ...
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Advantages: Perfect learner bike! Disadvantages: Not very much power
I bought one of these bike at the age of 17, ready to lean on and go for my bike test. This bike without and doubt is one of the easiest 125cc motorbikes to ride with a low seat height and very comfortable rider position. The bike is not the most powerfull 125cc, but as a first bike power is your last need! This bike sailed me through my test and now i have a big bike! I think this bike is perfect for a lady or a person of smaller build. My own bike ...
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Advantages: Comforable, light on fuel, easy to repair Disadvantages: Sluggish on cornering
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 ... ...needed replacing were the clutch and brake handles. Also pretty inexpensive, about £12, depending on where you buy from.
The rear brake is a drum brake which is quite old-fashioned now, but easy enough to work with. The petrol consumption is very good. I rode from South London (Waterloo) to North London (Hampstead) 6 days a week and spent about £4 weekly on petrol. The electric starter was appreciated but did give a few problems after standing in ...
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Advantages: Simple, easy, reliable and fun Disadvantages: lacks a bit of power
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 ... ...is very comfortable for riders of all sizes, and the lightweight build means that the bike is very maneuverable at low and high speeds, though high winds and bunpy roads can occasionally be a problem!
The key feature of them though, is their convenience. There is no worries of detonation of the engine from abuse (it's not a 2-stroke!), theres not any gadgets to break on you, it's just a bike. One you can jump on in the mornings, ride all day, and ...
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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 ... ...Does around 70-90 mpg round town, tank will last for approx 100-120 miles. Less than a tenner to fill up too!
Only real downside is the lack of speed & the 'trying to look like a cruiser' styling, though if you aren't bothered about looking like a boy-racer, this bike is great. ...
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Advantages: Small, light, cheap, cheap to run, comfortable Disadvantages: low powered and parts may be harder to get
...This will be an ongoing review as I have just passed my CBT and bought one of these little commuters. The longer I own it the more I will add.
~ CBT ~
For those who don't know, anyone wishing to ride a moped or motorcycle has to sit a CBT to ride on the road. It stands for Compulsory Basic Training, if you don't pass it will be because they think you are not fit/safe to ride on road.
There are two types of bikes you can ride, a moped or a motorcycle, Majority of people learn on a bike up to the engine size of 125cc but if you are over 21 you could do it on a larger machine.
After completing my training on a YamahaSR125 I picked up my little Suzuki GS125 and drove it 180 miles back to my house (so this is where most of my review will come from).
~ The bike ~
At first glance it's nothing special but...
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Advantages: Honda excellence and reliability Disadvantages: Pillion position
...I passed my test on a YamahaSR125 in 1996 before all the rules changed. I promptly brought a GPZ500, but having dropped it 4 times, I decided motor biking was not for me.
Then 6 years later a new colleague recommended that I try the CBR400 NC29, as I am only 5’ 2” most sports bikes having me tippy toeing, not so with this bike. I can touch the floor flat on both sides in my bare feet! I decided to risk all and try again.
I brought a 1989 version, which comes in Red White and Blue. I could have chosen a later year, but thought spending less was a good idea based on my history.
All the controls were manageable without any adjustment, and I find the riding position bearing in mind my height absolutely excellent. The weight does tend to rest on your wrists, but after a few journeys this is not an issue.
The bike is a Grey Import...
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