YAMAHA XV125 VIRAGO (1997 - 2004) Review

If you're starting out on two wheels then the Yamaha XV125 Virago V-twin is one of the best made little motorbikes you can choose. Reliable motor, solid chassis, nice low seat and wide `bars give a feeling of confident control on the machine. Later XVS125 models have an extra 3bhp in the V-twin motor and the bike is 4kgs lighter than earlier Yamaha XV125 Viragos.

The Yamaha XV125 Virago's chassis design is ideal for learner riders, with a low seat height, fairly long wheelbase and slow steering. The Yamaha XV125 Virago feels like a much bigger motorcycle and many novice riders like that. Suspension is soft, but this is a cruiser type machine.

The Yamaha XV125 Virago's SOHC V-twin is just that bit smoother, less buzzy than a typical 125cc single cylinder unit, although the XV125 engine only makes a sluggish 10bhp, so it struggles to crack 60mph. The Yamaha XV125 Virago is very good on fuel however, and 80mpg should be about average.

As soon as you sit on a Yamaha XV125 Virago you feel like the baby Yammy is a cut above many of the `internet bargain' cruisers currently available. The exhausts on the Yamaha XV125 Virago can corrode fairly easily, but otherwise it's a very durable bike.

Our Yamaha Virago 125 owners' reviews indicate nothing too concerning other than coils that can fail when wet. That's not too expensive to fix if it's a problem, however.

The Yamaha XV125 Virago was an expensive motorcycle brand new, but they make an excellent used buy in the £1200-£1700 price range. At that price you can learn your biking skills on the Yamaha XV125 Virago for a year or two, do some commuting, then probably sell it on for a few hundred quid less than you paid. That's a sweet deal.

The later 2000 onwards Yamaha XVS125 Virago models have a bigger front disc brake, a larger fuel tank, nicer seat and generally look more polished, more modern cruisers than the earlier Yamaha XV125 Viragos.