Yamaha YBR 125 (2005-2020) Review and used buying guide

Version: ESD

Year: 2015

Annual servicing cost: £20

The Yamaha YBR125 is a brilliant little motorbike for anyone interested in a small displacement , lightweight motorcycle. Having owned and ridden 19 motorcycles (70cc - 1200 cc) over the past 53 years, the YBR is one of my all time favorites. I am 69 years of age; the light, maneuverable YBR will surely extend my riding career well into my golden years. It has been a great little bike, and I rate it highly for fuel economy (40+ km/litre = 113mpg), cruising range (525 km = 325 miles per tank or more), and reliability. People complain that the YBR won't keep up on the motorway. It is a 125! Align your expectations and the YBR won't disappoint. Evaluate the YBR against other motorcycles of like displacement, and it will excel. After four years of ownership, I could not be happier with my YBR, and expect to keep it as long as I am riding.

Buying experience: Initial purchase was problem free. On my 1000 km initial service, I had them fix an errant turn signal and a wonky neutral light. I also had them install a battery strap. They over tightened the chain and sent me home with mismatched tank air scoops. Beyond these initial hiccups, the bike has performed flawlessly in my four years of ownership. Dealer service in Morocco has been a disappointment; nobody seems to have much interest in supporting the YBR. I needed tires, but the dealer was unwilling to assist me at all. I finally found a suitable tire at a local shop, but the effort I had to expend seemed excessive.

Year: 2013

Annual servicing cost: £30

recommend this bike 100% best balanced bike for learning every time new rider makes a mistake the bike just corrects its self bad point every time it crashes it will brake the clocks it crashes often but it well still be good to ride home

Buying experience: got it from a trader asking price £1200 payed £1100

Year: 2010

I have a 2010 YBR 125 and I changed the oil every 1500-2000 miles; I use Castrol Power 1 Race .. my bike has 18,750 miles on it and I've abused it somewhat - yet the engine does not burn oil or have any issues whatsoever. I also take my bike offroading and I do wheelies ... the YKR is absolutely bulletproof! Fact ... my friends have Hondas and Suzukis and Chinese bikes, and all theirs have had issues except mine ahaha ... how does a bike that cost less than £3000 new survive all this abuse? .. oh yeah, YAMAHA that's why.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £50

Unless this is your first bike, performance is almost non existent. It is however a perfect short range commuter that is cheap to run.

Buying experience: Bought privately for £800 with 12000 miles on the clock. I also bought a second as a spare.

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £200

Fido (named for the last 3 digits of the registration; FDO) is the only bike that I never want to sell. She had 30,000 miles on the clock when I bought her for £825. I've, since, added 10,000 miles to that and she's running fine. She's fantastic fun on twisty roads and can hold her own against most 125cc bikes, the YZF-R and CBR included, there is no better feeling than overtaking that one cocky bugger on his CBR who was laughing at you all day for having the "slow bike". All in all, I'd say that the YBR is a fantastic all rounder and is almost certainly better than almost any other 125 available now. I've used Fido in all weathers and I have to say; not once have I wanted more grip, I have had times when I've wished for a little more power and another gear, often when using A roads and dual carriageways but generally Fido keeps up with traffic well.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £70

well what can I say about the Ybr 125, well its not the fastest and its not the best looking, but wow what a bike. I bought mine in 2010 and in the hopes it would see me through my test, well 5 years later, the old girls still going strong, 30,000 miles later, I will explain more below.

Buying experience: dealer £1300

Year: 2013

Annual servicing cost: £75

Brilliant first bike. I bought mine brand new (3 miles on the clock), and have put 14k+ on there in under 2 years. Its comfy, reliable and cheap to own. The only downside to this is that it's a small engine (124cc), and I'm a big bloke, so not quite as nippy on open roads as I want.

Buying experience: I bought this from HGB in Ruislip, and would go back there for any bike in the future. The guys know what they are talking about and were happy to advise and give me tips.

Bought my 07 black fuel injected version recently. Also have a GSXR750 and was looking for a little workhorse to see me through commuting and generally getting from a to b which the ybr does well. Unlike so many of the more modern 125's it doesnt pretend to be anything it isnt. I can see the appeal of the YZF's for the younger folk but as now headin for 50 that isnt a priority. It isnt going to win any beauty contests or drag strip duels but hey it was never designed too. The little motor starts on the button everytime, pulls along happily and if any of of my prev 6 Yamahas are anything to go by then shouldnt be issues with reliability. The rear tyre width does make me smile and at the same time harks me back to my old '76 Fizzy. Smashin little thing, great economy and on the plus side it doesnt come with a Honda badge attached.. recommended

Very good value for money bought 56 plate with broken signals a dent on the tank and broken clutch lever for £600. 30 minutes and spending about 50 pounds later I've got it fixed including the upgrade of the head lamp with better one. I am 6 foot and six and a half stones and have to say it is a little low for me. However it handles perfectly and the ride and the sound are big fun. Cheap and reliable plus on A road is a real joy to ride. The engine is stretching itself over 60 mph. And I like the classic look as well. It is a fair bike not pretending to be something else.

The YBR is a great learner or commuter bike. Handling is comfortable and forgiving, great for learning. Really nippy at low speeds and will ride comfortably on a straight road at 65-70 MPH. It's also a lot of fun to ride, because of its ease and smoothness. Have personally gotten ~127 MPG myself, so great on fuel efficiency. Had a problem with the fuel pump last summer (manufacturing fault - wont start on hot days / under the sun) but replaced the pump with an aftermarket part for around £30 and has worked perfectly ever since! Stock headlight is quite dim, but it's a simple job to replace the stock bulb with a equivalent wattage (35/35w) halogen or xenon bulb which is much brighter, and costs £5. Great value for money, you won't be disappointed!

After cbt i purchased an 06 ybr to learn on, used regular and was impressed by everything. Totally reliable, great fun, very cheap to run and easy to ride. Have now passed test and got a 600, but refuse to part with my ybr. Highly recommend.

Brilliant first choice, great condition second hand one can be picked up for under £1200 if you look hard enough. Very reliable, great handling and cornering, recommend Michelin Pilot Sporty tires or similar for better grip and stability. Highly recommend for any learner or A1 licence holder.

My third bike and 2nd 125, nippy around town and out on the big roads, bit of a sticky neutral gear( can be false sometimes),great value and really forgiving. not as much pull as a twin 125 like a Honda varadero but once up to speed pulls well.

My third bike and 2nd 125, nippy around town and out on the big roads, bit of a sticky neutral gear( can be false sometimes),great value and really forgiving. not as much pull as a twin 125 like a Honda varadero but once up to speed pulls well.

Haven't got a bad thing to say about this bike, no point calling it slow as most learner 125's are but what a fantastic learner bike it is. Cheap to run, insure, fun to ride and looks fairly stylish for a naked bike. Upgrade the rear tyre as the factory fitted one is a bit cheap and nasty however

I bought my 09 plate YBR125 when I passed my CBT. I was entirely new to biking at the time (I am thoroughly converted!) and didn't have any expectations. The bike is extremely forgiving on the rider and the pocket! Zips through the traffic, turns on sixpence and solid brakes. Roughly 260 miles to a tank. I put in £8-9 every six weeks and that is without riding efficiently! Easy to maintain! I was scared to do anything at first (so got stung by the dealers). Doesn't drink oil, rubber & chain last forever. Don't worry about dropping it! Nothing really breaks unless you hit something solid! Due to the age, parts are easy to obtain (not that I've needed any!). The only fault is the bulb supplied! UK winter time that bulb is as useful as hilding your phone! Recommendations: Michelin Pilot Sporty (If you want grip or speed) Sava Tyres (Will last longer! Only slightly less grip) Iridium spark plugs (lasts longer and increases range) Bosch Cap bulb (unless you don't ride at night!) Tutoro Oiler (if you go far enough, otherwise get down on your knee's and spray!) Holds it's value better than the YZF-R125 and (in my opinion) matches it for performance!

I bought a 56 plate YBR125 when I passed my CBT to get used to commuting into London with gears prior to taking/passing my DAS 8 months or so later. Ideally I wanted a Honda Varadero 125, but these are incredibly expensive for a 125, so not worth it unless you plan to keep for a long time. Also considered Honda's CG125, however, as these are no longer made, there were hard to come by + prices were over-inflated. Firstly, worth noting that I'm relatively large for a bike of this size (6'4" +16.5/17stone) and my YBR was the carb model, not the later fuel injection one. Predictably, I looked like a toad sitting on a matchbox when riding it, but what was more of an issue was the lack of power. Not sure how much this was down to my size, but the YBR was slower off from the lights than everything bar London cabs and pizza delivery bikes! Whilst you don't buy a 125 for its speed, I found the lack of acceleration got me in a few sticky situations where I didn't have the grunt to get out of the way of tight spots created by some of London's less competent drivers! I also never managed to get the bike over 50mph (my 50cc Aprillia scooter from 10+ years ago did 60mph!). Also, as others have mentioned, the very narrow wheels/tires and unsubstantial suspension for my weight made the bike very unstable over bad road surfaces and pot holes. This, coupled with the bike's light weight, made it pretty hard to hold on to in strong cross winds too. Having said all of the above, the YBR was peanuts to insure, would do 90mpg around town and never really let me down. Maintenance-wise, it just needed a couple of oil changes and regular drive chain adjustment. Finally, if you're going to by a YBR, make sure you take it out for a long test ride to check the clutch operation. Many of them have a common idiosyncrasy where the clutch cable (which goes over the engine) stretches when warm causing a snatchy take off in 1st and 2nd gear. Although I replaced the cable and frequently lubed and adjusted it, this issue was never fully rectified. Again, this issue may have been exacerbated by my weight. In summary, I would say that this bike is fine as a stopgap between CBT and DAS or if you’re a lot lighter than me. They also don’t seem to lose value – I practically got the money I spent buying it from a dealer back when trading it in against a Yamaha MT-03. I wouldn’t, however, recommend this bike if you’re large and planning to ride it for a long time – if this is how you’re intending on using your 125, it’s probably worth stumping up the extra cash for a Varadero.

Had the bike for little over 6 months now after passing my cbt. Starts every time, enough poke to get away from the lights, if you want to rev it hard. But at the top end there is nothing, always wishing I had a quicker bike to be able to pull past the open backed truck which is limited to 60 mph. Cornering is good, stock tyres aren't great, would recommend changing them for Pirelli city demons for a load more grip. Servicing at regular intervals when brought with low mileage can be an unexpected cost, but insurance is v. Cheap. Long distance riding isn't bad. Once engine is warm will do 70 mph on a straight, 60 if not. Does really struggle up hills though, but it's a 125. Would defiantly recommend getting one if 17 and passed cbt. Lots of fun to be had.

No wind protection so a slight breeze and your on the edge of the anorexic tyres, cheap build quality(Three out of four indicator caps fell off(£15 x 3 bill!), and I personally belive that anything that forces a lorry to overtake is dangerous on A & M roads and I faced atleast ten daunting overtakes a day!. 5 Weeks of hell! Only buy this bike if you plan on the occasional ride to the shops or low speed riding!

After about a 25 year break from motorcycling (family life took over) a change in my work circumstances meant I needed to look for an inexpensive commuter vehicle. Having spent my younger days on Honda's CB125 and then the legendary CB400F I was a little hesitant to get back on a lesser machine. Common sense took over, however, when I stumbled upon the YBR125. Not being a fan of scooters, and most of the larger bikes recently looking more like racing machines, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bike which "looked nice". Whilst it was second hand, with only 823 miles on the clock it was the closest I have ever come to a brand new bike. I find now that whilst working has become tedious, this is offset significantly by a fun journey at each end of the day. Not to mention, of course, the absolute convenience of using bus lanes..... DISLIKES - As I was originally after another 400F the power is somewhat limited. But that's about the only thing LIKES - The whole experience of biking, including wearing all the gear. Also it seems to be getting me close to 130 mpg. Sweet. Not had it long enough for any meaningful maintenance report, but judging from the things that other people report it would seem I have got myself a nice little workhorse. I have a strange feeling though that my lust for more power will fester inside me.......

I bought this bike after taking my CBT last year, and rode around for a year before finally taking my test. ive taken this little bike everywhere doing 200-300 miles in one go and it was my behind that suffered, the bike never put a foot wrong. its best cruising around 55mph and it struggles up hills, but then its a 125 what do you expect? the only major issue i had was when the battery died, luckily the kick start was easy to use. i loved this bike and would recommend it to anyone starting out it was so cheap to run and i had a lot of fun on it.

I have been riding my YBR125 here in Manila, Philippines for about 1 year right now and did not encounter any issues with the bike. I have changed the sprocket and chain, used a combination of 15 teeth for the engine and 48 for the wheel sprocket and it hits about 115-120 kph, carburetor version. I also removed the foam filter and the throttle response is great! Changed tyres for more confident riding. It's now 11,500 kms and it is still running great! Oil change and tune up is the key for higher mileage.

Mine's an 07, 5000 miles and still going strong. Just had the original tyres changed, which has improved it a lot. It's my first bike, so admittedly I don't have a lot to compare it to. I sat on this in a showroom after doing my CBT on a CG125 and was amazed at how much more comfortable it was, and particularly how my legs seemed to fit it where they were supposed to, as opposed to along the tank ridges on the CG. The only trouble I've had with the engine is where I've stalled it, then it likes to be turned off for a few seconds sometimes. And sometimes it wont't change gear when I've stopped at traffic lights, but rolling it slightly or getting into the right one before hand gets around this. I don't know if this is common to other bikes or not. Overall though, I'd definitely choose this bike again. My mate's just bought the new Honda 125 which he keeps telling me is better, but I don't believe him.

absolutly floorless i am riding around 1500 miles a month and it has neveer broke down never put foot worng well worth it

Bought mine back in '06 when they were still a carb engine, it ran fine up until the first service, but had a major issue with eating chains & sprockets despite keeping in perfect operating condition, a good learner bike, maxxed out at 60mph down a hill with the wind behind me, generally average middle of the road learner kit, but not so good for higher mileage as expected.

Had the bike for 8 months and never had any problems with it really, it's a city bike to be short and simple, it's mostly happy at speeds below 50mph but will get to 60 if there's no hill/head wind. Had to do some very heavy breaking (about 50mph hardest i've ever done) at the weekend and the front tyre locked up a couple times on a very nice warm dry day so brakes are good but stock rubber not so good (but at least it stayed upright while the front locked up and didn't just skid out). It's a good learner/commuter bike, it can go out at weekends but just make sure it's with other 125/250s anything bigger and it'll slow everyone down, that said it put a smile on my face when i went skeggy (leicester to skeggy took three hours on it). Never had any problem with rusting but it's an 07 plate so the manufacturer obviously got that problem sorted

I've had the YBR125 about 8 months now. Have been communting approx 250 miles a week on dual carriageways and NSL roads and completed 6000miles in total. In all that time only problem has been a blown rear bulb. I have the 2008 model, which is fuel injected and has an auto-choke. Starts 1st time, including all through the winter, and cruises at 60mph without a headwind. Had 75mph with a tailwind. I've commuted through rain and shine (though not snow) and the bike hasn't put a foot wrong with 100+mpg. Only negatives are short mirror stalks, although when set up right you can seen behind clearly enough, and stock tyres don't inspire complete confidence. They've never let me down, but equally I've never felt tempted to push them. Have used FS365 and then ACF-50 over winter, and bike has come through with just small amount of corrosion on the exhaust. Looks practically brand new. As a learner and cheap commuter the bike is highly recomended. The number of cheap Chinese bikes with fewer miles and covered in rust that I've seen make me feel the YBR is a worthwile investment. Highly recommended.

I have had my YBR 125 for a year now and its works good as a learner bike as I find it very easy to ride and confidence inspiring in the bends. It is however slow as I struggle to get it past 60mph, I also find the gearbox to be sticky with it falling into neutral alot!

Well the YBR is no missle and most people i know with them struggle to get the bike up to the magic 70MPH top speed, in fact anything past 50 feels like a bit of a strugle. I am not a particular fan of the YBR i never really feel safe when sitting on one, they feel as if a gust of wind will carry it away to OZ leaving you with a sore behind. On a plus side they are cheap and the engine from what i know is bullet proof. For a commute around the town it gets the job done thats about it.

i've had my ybr for about 6 months now and its started to go wrong. The bike has been fine up until now but some of the facts are very wrong. It will not cruise at 55mph more like 50 and the top wack is around 60mph down a hill 70 but of course up a hill its alot slower. Back to the problems i've had to replace to back tire but that is mainly down to wear and tear. the front disc warped and its a case of a ful disc,pad and bolts replacement set. The biggy was the front spocket teeth have all but 3 come off. to me this is bad manufacturing quality and when i asked yamaha to use my warenty to replace it they did not want to know calling it a servicable part, eevn though stated in the service book the spocket isnt serviced. to sum up this bike yes its ok priced and runs but if anything goes wrong then you will be out on yor own as the warenty is not worth the paper its written on.

I've had this bike for 6 weeks now and quite honestly, at the price I paid for, I cannot really complain. I think it looks OK although the wheels are on the thin side betraying its low power. Furthermore, I have to confirm the problem mentioned by others with regard to the mirrors. Their stalks are too short and big guys like me wearing thick clothing could find it well nigh impossible to get a decent look. Some of my less charitable friends reckon my 6', 220lbs frame looks ridiculous on it which may be true. Certainly, the bike does not get your pulse racing - but hey, it was a commuter tool I wanted and were it not for the fuel filler cap staring at me all the time, I would forget where it is. It's strictly a town bike but does its job well.

does any one know the top speed of the 2007 ybr thanx

Well i didnt actually own this bike but had it as a tempary bike for 3 weeks. This bike felt great to sit on, and everthing seemed to be in the right postion which was very handy. The bike felt like sitting on an arm chair with such a nice seat compared to some other bikes out there. It also had a petrol guaze which i have never myself been able to have whilst riding which was really nice feature. This bike is meant to be for the commuter with good quality and reliablity and i hate to say but it actually broke down on me. I had to walk home for about 5 miles. The engine managment light just came on and cut the enigne out and it would not fire back up. This bike pulls away nicely to about 30 mph then it feels like a slug gettin up to about 55 mph and i stuggled to get anymore unless i was going down hill. Also i found the back brake very keen and used to lock up far too often. Its a great bike for commuting but nothing more.

great little bike, easy to ride ,good on fuel between 90-100 MPG depending on how you ride it a tank of fuel will last about 260-290 miles and most important reliable, top speed about 65 MPH

This bike is a great, lightweight run-about. I had mine for over a year, and passed my test on it and also crashed once (footpegs take all the damage). However, i'd get rid of the nylon tires straight away as in the wet they are just plain dangerous. If you can take the wheels off youself you can take em to most garages and get them replaced for 70quid!(fr and bk)The fuel consumption on this bike is unbelievable. I have had 120mpg on a long run and on my daily commute i got between 90 and 100mpg Insurance is v. cheap and when comparing it to its rival CG. The clocks are more modern and the bike feels alot better to ride. They both have a simalar top speed of around 60/63. However i found that the quality on the YBR in some areas was 'lacking'. I found the bike (after 1 winter) was showing signs of wear. If your planing to ride this bike throughout winter i'd advise you to wash it often and use a lot of WD40! The exasaust was the most susceptible to rust and you should watch it closely. Overall this is a great starter bike! Which is very forgiving and fun to ride. You can really throw it into the corners (put new tyres on first) and learn the basics of riding.

My YBR carried me until I passed my test, but I got shot of it pronto (at six months old). Why? Rust and pitted surfaces were erupting all over the bike. The forks were the worst, closely followed by most of the exterior metal surface. The Yamaha dealer took it back and gave me a fair price, but if large areas of a bike need to be replaced in the warranty period, you have to ask what the Chinese suppliers are making their bits out of. The dealer said that Yamaha are dealing with the problem. Watch those early versions.

had for over a year now without any problems. good reliable bike does what it says without any problems. great for city riding.