Blata Motard 125 first ride

If you’re 17 and looking for a first bike, it has to be cool. Big name suspension parts like Marzocchi USD forks and a Sachs shock would be good. So would radial brakes, tasty spoked wheels, digital clocks and a funky exhaust. But it can’t break the bank.

Thankfully Czech motorcycle manufacturer Blata are offering all this on their new Motard 125 for £2,800 OTR. That’s just a bit more than the on the road price of the good but comparatively basic Suzuki DR125SM and much less than the Yamaha WR125X. Blata also offer an Enduro version with bigger wheels and knobblies for an extra £100.

Swing a leg over the Blata Motard and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the seat height. It’s learner-friendly low for a supermoto 125, which combined with the light weight makes it very managable in the car park.

Look down and you’ll be greeted by comprehensive digital Acewell clocks with the time, wrap-around digital rev counter and a speedo that reads your velocity to 1 decimal place. Nice.

Fire it up and pull away and the Blata Motard’s 125cc 4-stroke single requires quite a lot of revs to get off the line, making it feel a bit like a 2-stroke. It has a nice sound for a 125, but it doesn’t have the same spread of power that you’d get from a Japanese motor. It needs to be revved, which is probably no bad thing for your average teenager. It tops out at about 65mph.

But the Motard 125 is primarily a town bike and for 30 limits its 13.6bhp (claimed) is enough for the job. It handles and stops nicely enough too, with a very tight turning circle and enough bite to lock the rear wheel easily if you’re not careful.

The beauty of the Blata is that it offers a lot of trick bits and nice detailing for a very competitive price. Isn’t that what we all wanted from our first bike?

Check back soon for the full Blata Motard 125 review.

THE FACTS
Blata Motard 125 – £2,800 OTR / Blata Enduro 125 – £2,900 OTR
Engine: 4-stroke, air-cooled 125cc single cylinder, 6 gears, chain drive.
Power: 13.6bhp (claimed)
Torque: 10.6Nm (7.8 ft.lb)
Chassis: welded steel tubular frame
Suspension: 40mm Marzocchi forks and Sachs rear shock
Wheelbase: 1345/1365
Claimed weight: 118kg/122kg
Brakes: 280mm disc with radial four piston calipers. Rear: 220mm disc.
Fuel capacity: 10.5litres