£2700 2017 YAMAHA YZF-R125
124cc | 14.6bhp | 818mm seat height
Dealer price: £3500-£3800 Private price: £2600-£3250 This one: 1250 miles, light scratches
This stylish 125 is designed to appeal to every red-blooded teenager and it hits the mark. Wring precisely as much power out of an engine as the law permits, drop it in a chassis with R6-style bodywork, save cash on a steel frame and basic unadjustable suspension, add digital dash, underslung exhaust and Brembo brakes and watch the sales graph line go vertical. Honda did it before Yamaha with the CBR125, but that bike was designed around a hobbit. Yamaha recognised that a lot of teenagers are lanky. Small isn’t always better. For 2017, it got a new fuel injection system, revised engine internals, updated styling and new instruments. It does 80mph and 100mpg.
Buyer beware
It’s a learner 125, so will have been abused. Check the condition of brakes, chain and sprockets, as well as tyres. The chances are all these items will still be original and perhaps showing their age. Finish isn’t top-notch and the paint has been known to bubble. But it is otherwise solid. Many come with an Akrapovic exhaust and Power Commander fitted, which is fine if the work’s been done properly.