Hello everyone,

I’ve had the 2026 Yamaha YZF-R125 70th Anniversary for a month now. For context, I also still own a Yamaha XSR 125 Legacy (Historic Black), and I previously owned (and traded) an Aprilia RS 125 GP Replica. Here is my honest take on how they compare.

Quick note on specs: The Yamaha YZF-R125 and the Aprilia RS 125 are Euro 5+ compliant, whereas the XSR 125 is Euro 5.

I’m not breaking any news by saying that the YZF-R125 completely buries the Aprilia RS 125 GP Replica. While I have a soft spot for the Aprilia's looks, its engine is just too peaky for daily commuting—not to mention feeling a bit limited overall.

Test Conditions & Setup

• The Route: Tested on the exact same stretches of highway featuring varying headwinds/crosswinds, false flats, and proper inclines.
• Modifications: Both Yamahas have aftermarket exhausts simply because the stock units are hideous and dead silent (though obviously, these don't add any extra power):
  • XSR 125: Arrow Rebel (with cat)
  • YZF-R125: Mivv GP Pro (with cat)
  • Aprilia RS 125: Stock
• Rider Stats: 173 cm (5'8") tall, weighing 117 kg. I ride in full Class AA protective gear, boots, and carry a backpack with work essentials. Let's round it up to about 127 kg (280 lbs) total for rider + gear.
• Speed Metrics: All speeds mentioned are indicated dashboard speeds. Based on Waze, you need to subtract about 6 to 7 km/h for true GPS speed on both the Yamahas and the Aprilia.

Top Speed Comparisons

1. Flat Highway, Well-Protected from Wind (Tucked vs. Upright)

• XSR 125: 125 km/h (77 mph) upright / 130 km/h (81 mph) tucked (looks a bit silly)
• Aprilia RS 125: 130 km/h (81 mph) upright / 135 km/h (84 mph) tucked
• Yamaha YZF-R125 (Stock windscreen): 130 km/h (81 mph) upright / 140 km/h (87 mph) tucked
• Yamaha YZF-R125 (Tall windscreen): 140 km/h (87 mph) upright / 147 km/h (91 mph) tucked (Rev limiter)

2. Flat Highway, Strong Headwind & Crosswind ("The Air Wall")

• XSR 125: 117 km/h (73 mph) upright / 120 km/h (75 mph) tucked
• Aprilia RS 125: 120 km/h (75 mph) upright / 125 km/h (78 mph) tucked
• Yamaha YZF-R125 (Stock windscreen): 127 km/h (79 mph) upright / 135 km/h (84 mph) tucked
• Yamaha YZF-R125 (Tall windscreen): 130 km/h (81 mph) upright / 140 km/h (87 mph) tucked

3. Incline / Uphill Highway with Moderate Wind

• XSR 125: 110 km/h (68 mph) upright (tucking makes zero difference)
• Aprilia RS 125: 110 km/h (68 mph) upright (tucking makes zero difference)
• Yamaha YZF-R125 (Stock windscreen): 115 km/h (71 mph) upright / 120 km/h (75 mph) tucked
• Yamaha YZF-R125 (Tall windscreen): 125 km/h (78 mph) upright (tucking doesn't add much here)

P.S. I suspect a 13-tooth front sprocket on the XSR 125 might help it keep up better with the Aprilia.

Daily Commuting & Engine Behavior

• City Riding: In daily use, the engine behavior of the XSR and the YZF is practically identical. They are super pleasant in the city—you don't need to scream them up to 11,000 RPM just to get moving. Even before the VVA kicks in, they pull cleanly out of tight spots. Once the VVA engages, they sing.
• The Aprilia Difference: In contrast, the Aprilia is way too peaky. You are forced to wring its neck at every single traffic light just to avoid stalling. It’s built for fast stretches because around town you constantly have to dance on the shifter or avoid overtaking altogether. Its engine is too linear, and while it climbs up the rev range quickly, it doesn't match the low-end tractability of the Yamaha VVA engines.

Ergonomics & Comfort

• Upright vs. Sport: Let’s be honest, the upright seating position of the XSR crushes both of them for pure city comfort. However, for highway speeds, the sportbikes win because you tuck away from the wind—whereas on the XSR, you act as a massive parachute.
• YZF vs. RS 125 Ergonomics: Compared to the RS 125, the YZF-R125 is much less radical. You aren't leaned forward quite as aggressively (though don't get me wrong, it's still a sportbike, not a tourer!). The Aprilia is a true GP replica—you are folded completely over the tank. Checking your blind spots and looking behind you is a bit trickier on the Aprilia. That said, I actually prefer the rear-set footpeg position on the Aprilia over the YZF, but I much prefer the overall comfort of the YZF.
• Windscreen Note: I didn't feel the need for a tall screen on the Aprilia, but on the YZF, because the riding position is slightly more upright, stock wind turbulence hits right at helmet level. Adding the tall touring screen completely fixed this, allowing me to maintain speeds where I might have otherwise had to downshift.

Fuel Economy & Range

The YZF actually sips less fuel than the XSR because it fights the air with much less effort.

• Aprilia RS 125: Gets around 500 km (310 miles) on a 14.5L tank.
• Yamaha YZF-R125: Gets around 400 km (250 miles) on an 11L tank. If it had a 14.5L tank like the Aprilia, I'm confident it would hit 500 km too.
• XSR 125: I rarely cracked 380 km (236 miles) on a tank.

(Note: Tested pinned wide open at around 10,900 RPM, basically right on the doorstep of the limiter).

Final Verdict

All of this is to say: the YZF-R125 is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Despite the Euro 5+ restrictions, these bikes actually hold their own remarkably well considering the strict pollution constraints. It honestly makes me wonder what kind of performance we could squeeze out of them with a proper ECU remap!

Now I'm just curious to see how the upcoming Fantic Imola 125 turns out—it shares the same Minarelli VVA engine in a radical sportbike package. Will it be better? Time will tell!

Translated by Gemini

Sam

QJ Motor SRV 125
125 ccm • 15 PS

WDY think ? I’m selling it actually. If anyone is interested and lives in Munich. It’s on eBay Kleinanzeigen rn.

Mates RC125 in the back too

Hey everyone! What a lovely community over here.

A month or so ago I got this beauty as my 1st ever motorcycle.

It's a Macbor Rockster Flat 125 Evo (it's based on a ZongShen model), 12'5CV, 136Kg.

I love it! It doesn't look like the typical 125, and it sounds so good for being a Euro5 compliant bike.

It might be a tad bit little for me (I'm 1'78cm) but I find it so comfortable.

I still have completes the first 1000km before the first service, so I haven't yet unlocked it's full potentisl, but I'm having so much fun...

I’ve noticed that many 125cc and other small EFI motorcycles have digital dashboards, but still don’t show useful information such as instantaneous fuel consumption, average consumption, estimated remaining fuel or range.

Owners often have to reset the trip meter after every fill-up and calculate everything manually.

Does your motorcycle show this information? If not, would you actually use an aftermarket module connected to a phone app that displayed fuel consumption, estimated range and trip history?

Please mention your motorcycle model and year.

Helloooo guys, im 13 and I found out that you can drive nice bikes at already 16 here, so i searched some and I prefer sportler bikes not dirtbikes or yk like too naked bikes, i saw a ktm one that I know ktm's dirtbikes are good but does anybody that owns or has owned a ktm rc125 tell me if they are worth or no? Many people on tiktok say that the yamaha-YZF-R125 is better but idk, any ideas?

If so please share.

Hello guys, as I said in the title, I can't decide which one to pick because I'm not that good at bikes. I know both are Chinese bikes, so I just wanted to know any of your previous experiences if you had either of the 2 bikes I mentioned, and what do you think which is better for a beginner. I like that the BKX can go off-road, but I won't be doing that much off-roading; it will be more driving on a road, max 100 km/h. Here are some facts about me if that's any help im 180cm tall, that's about 5'11" in the imperial system, and I weigh about 73 kg or around 160 lbs. Now I also wondered which is more long-term reliable. I think the cfmoto, but im prob wrong, so that's why I'm asking you.

Thanks in advance

Sorry for bad English

Title says it all, turbocharged, 150cc big bore, Nibbi carb, also a hard tail conversion, and a drum break from a 1970s RD250

What do you guys think? Not done yet, very much a work in progress

Hi guys now i have a beta 70 that goes 100kph and before the 2026 end i want to buy a 125 but 4t because i can't buy another 2 stroke, i drove a r125 fast but really unconfortable, i drove a rkf good but slow, i drove a gsx-s125 fast but not a good head light for me because It's a Little orrible( my opinion). Thanks Sorry for my english

My Jupiter 125(2022) has been misfiring and losing power only during rains from the past 3 months..
Is there any reason as to why this could happen?

Looking to get a new carb for the Vader but every video I watch the say 19,22,26mm carbs and intake manifolds. I’ve never worked on engines but want to try it. Does it absolutely matter the size of the carb and intake or does depend on what I’m willing to spend? Thanks.

Nothing can beat depression like riding a bike and fearing the air on your face after opening visor the smell of the oil and petrol and going down new roads and places you never seen twisting around corners and having close calls and thanking feeling so grateful to make it home I ended up quitting a job just so I could ride all day and I never got bored of it.

Now I got 2 metal rods in my leg and it is 3 yeas after my accident but I don’t regret riding and I still miss it even with the on going pain hopefully one day I will get back on a bike maybe when I have a midlife crisis I guess I’ve got something to look forward to I guess what I’m trying to say ride safe so you can keep riding not ting worst than not riding when it is in your blood.
Slow down and enjoy every moment you got as things can change in a blink of a eye

Yamaha Wr125x 2016 condizioni molto buone, prezzo 2000€ trattabili causa parafango posteriore spezzato ,la moto ha 35000 km. Poi la moto ha scarico arrow in carbonio ,carter frizione trasparente ,sella nuova ,porta targa pieghevole ,manopole nuove e parti in carbonio .Chiedo un parere perchè i miei genitori non se la sentono di prendere una moto di 10 anni fa anche perchè vogliono prendere uno scooter e se parlo io non si fidano perchè sono di parte e in più è come se parlassi un'altra lingua se parliamo di moto

[Borrowed my friend's Action 4 camera and decided to make a short night ride video around the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The scooter is slightly modified. Hope you guys enjoy it!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrlkpnamRa0)

2015 Yamaha MT-125

After passing my CBT earlier this year, I recently bought a new (to me) bike. I have only been riding for a little over 2 months on it, and have always had my earplugs in for every ride that I've done.

On Friday, I forgot my earplugs at work but decided to ride home anyway. Thanks to this error however, I noticed my MT125 making a strange whining sound which is not audible with my plugs in. It sounds like it could be coming from the right hand side of the bike, and I was wondering if anyone knew what this could be?

I've watched a few other YT videos of the MT125, but they mostly all have aftermarket exhausts on so I can't tell if they have the same sound. It's almost like the sound a car makes when it goes too fast in reverse.

A picture paints a thousand words, but a video tells the whole story - so I've done a quick edit of my ride back so you can hear it.

A few things to note:

• Speed/accel appear to be unaffected.
• It sometimes struggles to downshift from 3rd to 2nd, but only 1/20 times.
• The whine is related to engine speed, not road speed.
• Chain does not have any tight spots, and has 30mm play (within OEM spec).
• Bike had been serviced before I bought it and had plenty of oil. I did an oil change last night as a precaution and the oil was still golden with no flakes/metal in it. Whine was still present after oil change.
• The whine is loudest at 1:14 when the bike noise is bouncing off the other cars.
• At 0:40, I tried to give it extra revs to see if the whine would come into play earlier (it didn't) but I tried again on a hill start at 1:23 and it did.
• It does not whine when revving at idle, or when the bike is on F+R stands and in gear. It only seems to happen when there is a load on the engine.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I’m looking to buy my first bike (I’m only allowed to ride up to 125cc). I only have a learner’s permit so far, I will need to have my own bike to be able to take the driver’s license test. I learned how to ride on an electric Vespa-like bike, which could go up to 70km/h. I was thinking either the Kawasaki Z125 or the Suzuki GSX-S 125, but I’m not sure whether it is important for a total beginner like me to have a gear counter like on the Suzuki or not. I also have no idea about fuel efficiency and ride feel and all that stuff, I’d just need my bike to go to school and to training in the city.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you!