Junior race rep: Revised Yamaha R125 gets new tech, mobile connectivity and R7 styling

Yamaha are rolling out the red carpet for their new look R125 sportsbike in 2023, with a new R7-mimicking nose, a TFT display, and even traction control.

The R125 has been entertaining tearaway teens since 2008 and got its last major refresh in 2019 to receive a new steel Deltabox chassis with revised geometry, plus a SOHC 4v single cylinder engine, complete with variable valve timing.

Both these elements remain for 2023, however the front styling has changed from an R6 lookalike to an R7 wannabe – sharing the same central LED headlight with symmetrical strips flanking on both sides.

The aerodynamic design also sees the bike get new vented tank covers – just like its more powerful siblings. Nestled behind the front screen sits a new five-inch colour TFT dash, with Yamaha gifting new displays to much of their range ahead of the new year – including the MT-125 naked.

As well as being nicer to look at than the outgoing LCD unit, the rider can select two different display designs – including a ‘Track’ layout featuring a lap timer that can house 25 laps. Just how many 14.8bhp four-stroke R125s will be venturing onto racetracks remains to be seen…

More useful is the programmable shift light for snatching gear change at the optimum times, plus smartphone connectivity that can inform you of calls and text messages – all very important stuff for bike buyers of the iPhone generation.

But the new tech doesn’t stop there, with the bike now also pre-wired for a quickshifter – making life easier for the service department when you decide to dip into the optional extras catalogue.   

You also get traction control, which works with the slip and assist clutch and the ABS system to give new riders more of a safety net as they get to grips with the bike.

Yamaha say the new electronic aid “enables the R125 rider to experience a high degree of controllability especially during full throttle acceleration.” With the A1 class capped at 14.8bhp though, it’s hard to imagine a time when it would ever need to intervene.

Outside of the electrical upgrades, the R125 also rolls on quality Michelin Pilot Street rubber, with a 100 front and 140-section rear allowing for a good choice of decent hoops when it’s time for a replacement.

There’s also a new triple clamp that gives a nod to the rest of the sporty R series, plus new switchgear based on the R1 superbike to help riders navigate the TFT dash.

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Watch MCN’s 2019 Yamaha R125 video review below: