RIEJU MARATHON 125 (2009 - on) Review

The seat is unbelievably hard, but on the move it’s light and flickable and it’s a lot of fun. It’s softer than its hardcore looks would suggest and the suspension is on the bouncy side. The brakes lack bite too.

Powered by a liquid-cooled 125cc four-stroke engine, it has a learner-friendly 15bhp in standard trim, but is available in full-power (20bhp) if you have a full licence. Flat-out, head down, it does 73mph.     

Rieju may sound like a dodgy Chinese brand but this is a quality piece of kit, the engine is well finished, the styling bang-on and the quality of standard components high. There are a few cheap and cheerful bits that aren’t quite up to Yamaha standard, like the side stand, which flicks up as soon as you stand the bike up and the tacked-on starter button fitted to the left side of the handlebars. But overall the Rieju is an impressive package. You can also get the Marathon 125 Pro Enduro, which is exactly the same machine, but with bigger wheels and knobbly tyres for exactly the same price.

Three grand is a lot to pay for a 125, but it’s the going rate for these funky learner machines. Honda’s uber-successful £3070 and Yamaha’s own £3699 YZF-R125 continue to sell by the bucket-load, and proves there’s a big market for funky 125s, so there’s no reason why the superb Marathon 125 Pro Supermoto doesn’t deserve a slice of it. Find a 125cc motorcycle for sale.

The Rieju comes with a high level of standard equipment, like 40mm upside down Marzocchi forks, a wavy Galfer front brake disc, braided steel brake lines, an aluminium swingarm, Domino handlebar grips and a two-way height-adjustable seat. Weighing in wet at just 117kg, it’s a massive 20kg less than the Yamaha WR125X. Compare and buy parts for the Rieju in the MCN Shop.