2007 Yamaha YBR125 from United Kingdom

Summary:

Best times with Dad, EVER!!

Faults:

Nothing that wasn't my fault.

General Comments:

What a fantastic bike! I passed my CBT on this machine, and after my Dad broke his leg on it, showing me how to ride 'safely', he and I rode it on a camping mission! I'm a fairly big lad and my Dad's a complete pork hound... Dad had to ride it as I wasn't qualified for taking a pillion. We decided to go 'tarping' (extreme camping)... It was May, so the weather wasn't too cold. Before we 'went for it', we did our homework. See what the little bike could do. We went on a little ride with a full expedition load... Oh dear!

My little Yam struggled, really badly! But my Dad's a clever bloke. He's a teacher... and fat... and busted his leg showing me how to ride safely (idiot). But he is, actually, a very clever man. "Two up, with all this gear, this mission is suicide!"... He said. I asked if that meant it was off... "No!"... he said... "We must use our brains!". Dad suggested that we leave home before 'God got up' and caught the 'grim reaper with his pants down'... So we did!!

We left home at 05:30... Filled my bike (it was on vapor) with £9:00 of petrol and pottered off... Dad riding and me as pillion with an enormous Bergen on my back! Dad was SO chuffed... His plan worked!! We got behind a big Polish lorry and stayed there, 50MPH... We pottered along for 50 miles before diving off onto 'slower' roads and on towards the campsite.

Wonderful little weekend away, 'hard core' camping with Dad. He's such a lovely idiot. I love him SO much... And I love my Yamaha YBR 125 too! Mum rocked up to 'save' Dad. He's not in the best of health, bless him. I ROARED (110 miles) home at 60 MPH behind Mum's 2.2 Astra. I've a feeling she wasn't 'gunning' it!

Best bike EVER!!!

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th March, 2017

2005 Yamaha YBR125 from South Africa

Summary:

An honest real workhorse doing an excellent job!

Faults:

I bought the motorcycle when it was brand new.

The engine's cylinder head was replaced when the motorcycle had done 4000 kilometers, due to an oil leak resultant of a faulty aluminium casting.

The cylinder head was replaced free of charge courtesy of Yamaha, South Africa.

Afterwards for 33000 kilometers, I had no problems whatsoever, apart from replacing 2 spark plugs and 2 chains (doing routine servicing), as well as changing the front disc pads!

When sold during May this year, the motorcycle still had its original tyres.

General Comments:

The motorcycle was used doing approximately 30 kilometers of highway driving every day, 5 days a week, come rain or sunshine, winter and summer.

I must stress that it didn't had an easy life, because most of the time, it was driven flat-out and against a heavy South Easter wind (I live in South Africa, in Paarl 50 kilometers from Cape Town).

The speed the motorcycle was driven at, was approx 110 kilometers an hour most of the time (about the fastest as it would go), and the engine never ever overheated or missed a beat (even during summer with temperatures in excess of 38 grade Celsius)!!

It didn't use any oil (approximately 50ml) during service intervals, and its fuel consumption was excellent (33 kilometers per liter driving at top speed).

The motorcycle isn't fast compared to a superbike, but then it's only a 125, and it really does what it was designed to do very very good!

It's a comfortable motorcycle, but heavy winds take their toll as the motorcycle is very light, and this was the main reason why I sold it.

Maintenance costs are extremely low!!!

Driving in heavy traffic and on quiet windfree days on the highway, the motorcycle handled extremely well, and I would much rather drive this motorcycle on such days, than a superbike (for that matter). OK... I'll still prefer a superbike...!

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th July, 2007

17th Mar 2012, 19:27

I agree! The YBR 125 is a little gem! A superb 'pet lamb' of a motorcycle. The brakes are adequate and the handling, light. Being a four stroke, good 'engine braking' means less 'gear bashing' and brake grabs/stamps than on two strokes of similar capacity. It's well put together and sounds more 'mature' than it's CCs would suggest. A dependable little commuter/learner and comfortable too.

It will do 70mph, eventually, but you can't keep her there (if you weigh as much as I do). That's not the point though. She'll cruise at 55-60 very happily indeed, and has the 'guts' to go up hills without fretting too much either. A solid little bike!

10th Jun 2014, 17:29

I bought my sons YBR125 from him two years ago, and apart from an ignition module problem, it's never let me down. It's one solid reliable little bike, and I've taken it from the UK to France and Belgium, but I do agree with it not liking wind... especially headwinds. I would definitely buy another one, but envisage having this one for a few years yet.

13th Mar 2017, 00:19

My son and I went 'tarping' (no frills camping) on his little YBR... Wonderful experience... We're both beefy chaps, so we were asking a lot from the the little Yamaha. 50MPH was about as much as we could realistically cruise at and we did! For a 110 miles (we calculated the little bike was hauling around 220KG, which is a lot for a 10 horse power engine). We tucked in behind a big lorry and pottered along handsomely!

Two big-ish blokes, all our camping gear, and well over 60 to the gallon... The little YBR never skipped a beat.

My wife arrived at the camp site the following day to bring me home (I'm not a well man, so biking isn't easy for me) and my son rode the Yam' back... Well, the wee bike fair flew!!... With just him on it... He was banging along at 65+ MPH no prob's at all, all the way home.

Excellent bike... I've since followed my 'Boy' in my car... Strewth!... Now he's got some experience... He hangs it over like a pro' and I struggle to keep up!!... Sort of. Tremendous fun! Top bike. :-D