YAMAHA WR125X (2009 - 2017) Review

If you are a taller rider, the Yamaha WR 125 X (or the WR 125 R in its more off-road guise, which has a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear where the Supermoto X has 17-inch front and back) makes for an excellent 125 motorcycle ideal for learners.

• Related: Best supermoto motorbikes
• Related: Learn to ride a motorbike with MCN

Thanks to its off-road styling the XR is a roomy bike and while on paper the tall seat height may seem intimidating for shorter riders, the reality is that soft suspension and a narrow bike negate this and reaching the floor isn’t generally a problem.

Released in 2009 to replace the XT125X, which ran alongside the WR 125 until 2011 while stock cleared, the XR’s four-stroke motor can generally shrug off the abuse suffered by small capacity bikes and as long as you keep on top of a few notable areas is reliable, frugal and likely to start every morning, which is all you can ask of a 125.

As you would expect on a 125, it’s not the most high-tech of bikes and from its single overhead cam motor to its steel frame and telescopic forks you are talking about a bike built to a budget, however there is nothing wrong with that as long as it has been done well and on the WR, Yamaha have ensured a decent level of build quality. It went off sale in 2017.

If you're after a bigger bike, you might want to consider the Yamaha WR 250 X instead.

Watch: Supermoto 125 group test video featuring Yamaha WR 125 X

There's a private group on Facebook catering for owners of this bike. Be sure to check out Yamaha WR 125 X/WR 125 R owners club.

The X is the sportier WR model and it isn’t a bad handling 125 at all. The 17-inch wheels mean you can get fairly decent rubber and while the forks lack any adjustment, you can up the shock’s preload to give a bit more support. With a seat height of 920mm (the R is even taller at 930mm) shorter riders may be concerned but most will be able to get both feel flat on the floor due to the narrowness of the bike’s waist.

In or out of town the WR 125 X is fun to ride and nice and manoeuvrable, which is always handy. Although some owners find the single two-piston caliper a bit lacking at the front (ABS was never an option) you can go a long way to remedying this through a set of higher friction pads and the X has a bigger diameter disc than the R (298mm vs 240mm) to match its on-road focus. Although it does have pillion pegs, restricted licence holders are barred from taking pillions and to be honest, the 125 does struggle to carry two adults.

Although more than a little basic in its design, the Yamaha WR 125 X’s single is liquid-cooled and more than gets on with the job in hand.

As it is restricted in its performance you can’t expect too much from it but a claimed 15bhp and 8.9ft.lb of torque puts it in the right ballpark and given a decent straight you can hit an indicated Yamaha WR 125 top speed of 65mph.

What’s more important, however, is the fact even at this rate you should see around 90mpg. With a SOHC maintenance is fairly basic but on a 125 even basic maintenance is often skipped and that’s where you need to be wary.

The WR only carries 1.15-litres of oil in its motor, which means that while a basic service is nice and cheap (an oil and air filter kit, spark plug and oil costs just £25 and is easy to do at home) if the engine is showing any signs of wear and drinking a bit of oil, damage can occur quite quickly as owners aren’t generally great at keeping an eye on the oil level.

When buying used, always check its oil level, see if the owner has any idea when it was last looked at (or what oil was put in...) and listen for a rattle or smoke on start-up that might hint at damage within. The issue that 125s suffer from is that generally they are hammered from cold and not given the chance to warm up and that can lead to issues. As there is only a single cam, checking the valve clearances isn’t too expensive but it should be done at every service, which is every 3500 miles, and seldom is.

Owners report that incorrect valve clearances can lead to poor fuel economy, so it is worth paying a professional to do it as it should only be about £100 in workshop costs. It's also worth noting this bike doesn't have a tacho.

So much of a 125's build quality and reliability depends on the mechanical sympathy of the previous owner but it seems the WR can shrug off a lot of abuse. As on most budget 125s the exhaust rots through (check it for leaks) but as replacement systems are just £200 this isn’t a huge drama (unless the studs are rusted solid) and the frame and wiring are quite robust.

Major engine issues are few and far between however the big issue is crash damage, which can manifest itself as anything from bent bars and forks twisted in the yokes to scratched plastics and a damaged radiator. Always have a good inspection of the bike to see if it has suffered.

Unlike the R model, it is unlikely the X will have been off-road so you don’t need to be as wary of damage on the bike’s underside, but check the wheel rims for dents and the spokes for rust. The two-piston sliding calipers can seize on their sliders, but a rebuild kit is only £35 and they are simple to resurrect and you can add stainless steel brake pistons to reduce the chances of their seizing. As on any 125, watch for damage due to theft so inspect the frame numbers and see if the steering lock works and that one key fits all the bike’s locks.

Our Yamaha WR 125 X owners' reviews show overwhelming love for the bike, with just one reader giving it fewer than the maximum five stars. It only really gets marked down for the tall seat height.

Even for a newer rider, insuring a Yamaha WR 125 X isn’t a huge drama as its age makes it affordable. Economy figures in the 90mpg range and annual servicing costs of less than £150 make it a very cheap bike to run and there are loads of aftermarket parts available online to help cut running costs should anything fail. If you are prepared to do a bit of basic home DIY (oil and filters), the WR 125 X is a cheap bike to run. Although not necessarily that cheap to buy.

Prices vary from about £1300 for a tatty bike to £4000 for a late model, which is quite a lot for a 125. Although that said, they do hold their value and are popular buys so as long as any major new-rider tumbles are avoided, selling it again for a minimal loss is quite likely.

Its main competition comes from the Moto Hispania Duna and Suzuki DR125SM, plus the Aprilia SX125 and the SWM SM125R.

The WR is pretty basic but the fact it is water-cooled and fuel-injected is good and also the LCD dash having a fuel gauge as standard is excellent. The X comes with spoke wheels, which is cool, and even a tool kit, which by now will probably be missing so invest in a proper C-spanner to adjust the shock rather than attack it with a hammer and drift.

Loads of owners fit aftermarket exhaust systems, so check its legality as you will need an MOT at some point, and with complete bodywork kits costing just £500 from China, these are also common.

Although due to the 125’s price, £99 decal kits are even more prevalent so if you see one with an obvious aftermarket decal kit (Red Bull, Monster, etc etc), assume it has been crashed and inspect it well for signs of damage. Other common extras include wheel rim tape, small licence plate hangers, new levers and sometimes chunkier bars.