Things You CAN NOT Do On a 125cc Motorcycle (feat. Kawasaki Ninja 125) 

exhaust and intake on my Grom has made a huge improvement. I got plenty out of it

I did feel my front wheel lift off on numerous occasions while I rode a 125, but that was with a 25kg tail bag strapped on and only pulling away from traffic lights. I used to do pretty decent stoppies though ;)

I used to take my little Honda CB125F (10.8 bhp) on dual carriageways. She managed 60 for the most part, though that brought the buzz out of the engine. 50 was definitely preferable for that reason alone. On a couple of downhills I managed to get more speed. Turns out the rev limiter cuts off fuel at 70mph :P

I used to love tuning the old 2 strokes. Imo that's worth it. Plenty you can do to squeeze a bit more out of them although your reliability goes as fast as your rev counter and your hearing 😄

Biking for the last 40 years i often wonder about the purpose of a 125cc and 250cc more than learning to ride a bike when they are sloooow beyond inagination. I once started on a 12 hp Honda CB125 K5 and i couldnt overtake anything normal on the road with that bike. These days i try to stay behind them on my Hayabusa from time to time just to make them feeling happy. They are often new bikers and need some uplifting feeling while reaching their redmark rpm while still going sloooow. 👍

I’m a month into my 125 riding experience, loving every second, Iv got a 55 mile commute, luckily 50mph is the fastest I need to go, looks like you live near me, see you on the road, il be the one with L plates and a hi viz helmet,

i was going up a 1:3 hill in 2nd, and had to really slow almost to a stop for a bend with broken surface. as the bike started chugging i dropped it into first and scared myself shitless when i pulled an unexpected wheelie lol, but no damage done and a lesson learned. GL

Bro what mic are you using? That's so crisp with the helmet open 😳

I think u can actually do a whellie on a 125cc, cuz i do whellies on my 50cc bike, but it is true that u cant hold them for very long

I've taken my 125cc yamaha yzf-r from Reading to Oxford. It's doable, not pleasant. You can (somewhat) comfortable sit at 70+ (and by plus I mean 75 top speed on flat ground) all the way on dual carriageways. I bought mine with an aftermarket exhaust on, and it sounds like a pop pop boat. That being said, I would not want to take it any further than maybe a 300km roundtrip

it's utterly baffling why we were relegated to 50cc and 125cc as learners. I'm a big boy and heavy set with the added weight of being a bit over weight and 125 are barely tolerable. I actively have to take routs that cut more steeper hills out of my journey. the learner legal limit should have been 250 restricted to 80 to 90mph at like 20 to 25bhp. Yes, there are idiots out there but for the most part, 125's are just not fit for purpose when we're talking non urban travel and most riders, no matter disposition, tend to be pretty road savvy. I also think it plant seeds of fear of the bigger bikes in some way too. and fear leads to hesitation and on motorcycles, that can be a detriment more times than it isn't.

for a 125 maintinence means alot you can get more speed from just taking care of the bike and also get a yammy yzf 125 will happily sit at 70

idk man, I loved my cb125f, did wheelies, did stoppies, I even had it up to 70mph with a little downhill. Such a good starting 125

I remember when I was in my early 20`s I had a Yamaha Rd125lc and had problems keeping the front wheel down. My friend who had a DTR125 was always pulling wheelies. What happened to the 125 2 stroke wheelie machines of yesteryear?

ive been zipping aorund on a yzf r125 for a few years now. love it. you can use 100% of the bike almost all the time lol

Looks like a fun bike. I rode 250Rs from Kawasaki that were a ton of fun and could easily handle most freeway situations, with the exception of passing while going up hills, which they weren't good at as their main weakness. But everything else, they were good at. They could do a wheelie from a stop, pulling in the clutch, revving to 7500+ RPMs and then completely letting the clutch go instantly, which was not fun at all and highly not recommended due to the sudden jolt from 0 to fast and the bike's front end going far up. I wonder if the 125cc could do that, but not really worth trying IMO. I avoid wheelies on my '21 Ninja 650 too.

I used to take my 125 on the motorway. It shaved 5 miles off my journey. It was ok tbh. Only did 60 on one stretch but lorries can only do 56 so i was fine in the inside lane. Mostly though it would hold 70-75.

So glad that here in Canada we don't have any laws of what you can get. You pass your learners then you can get anything you want. As long as when you take your road test you can handle the bike (or use one smaller when you take the test) you are good to go. My first bike was a 1987 Yamaha FZ600. Road for many years. After I sold it, then it was over 20 years since riding again. And yes I jumped to the great ZX14. Couldn't imagine having to ride a "moped".

I used to take my little Honda CB125F (10.8 bhp) on dual carriageways. She managed 60 for the most part, though that brought the buzz out of the engine. 50 was definitely preferable for that reason alone. On a couple of downhills I managed to get more speed. Turns out the rev limiter cuts off fuel at 70mph :P

fully pin it and dump the clutch while shifting weight to the back when it's like 70% to rev limiter it will wheelie , can do it on a 10hp YBR :D anyone reading this be careful, only try and push it in small increments. Get used to using the back brake as soon as you get the front up even if it's like 1ft because that's what's going to stop you crashing if you over do it. Going slightly downhill makes it easier too. also from what i've been told it's a good way to fuck up your fork seals & clutch so keep that in mind

125cc = Top Speed Mission 👌

Still riding the cagiva mito mk2 Lawson bike I bought in 1992, still the most fun bike I've ever owned,

I started on a ex650, never felt that it is too powerful. In my opinion it's a sweet spot. Next season I would get 600cc sportbike I think, I want a little bit more power

My Brother has done a small wheelie on His 125 city fly - He said it was about the height of a yellow pages stood on its end, and that there was'nt enough kick to get more without sending it fully. Cheers for the ride around and the reveiw 👍

I have a Bajaj Pulsar NS 125. I used to push that little thing to its limits, riding at 5th gear at 9k rpm just below its redline, and for 4500km as well. I even did 120 km/h on it, even though it was rev limiting. Blew a spark plug a few weeks ago, got it repaired, turns out the MAP sensor is also fucked, just an electrical issue though. So glad to be back on the road, I ride it a little more calmly now though, at about 80-90 km/h.

I had a full power Kawasaki AR125 in 1987... 22bhp and more speed than I needed as a youngster.

They can do some things quickly, like very tight roads and down hills especially twisty ones.

My first bike was a 1984 AR 125 , I was 17, I'm soon 57 & still riding Kawasaki ✊️

I’m starting with the ZX6R as my first motorcycle 😊

Ain't nobody gonna talk about the 15 minute detour?😂

10k revs dump the clutch its easy

The mk1 full power Yamaha RD125LC (21bhp) would lift the front wheel off the throttle no problem even when you were not trying!

i have accidentaly wheelied my cbr 125 so it is possible to wheelie a 125

My first road bike was a yamaha dt 125 trailie. It would do 60mph(head tucked in behind the clocks, down hill, and with the wind behind You). I then bought a 1991 yamaha tzr 125 YPVS. That little bike got me to 110mph. It was a little rocket. Handled like a dream. However. It fused the ring onto the piston. TWICE!!!!!. I wonder how that happened .I always regret selling that little beauty.

KTM EXC 125 will wheelie in every gear once you hit the powerbands.

That was a nice R8! Good video, really informative!

it was fun watching this review.

I currently ride a 50cc Reiju, and in it i find it best to sit in the position 3 to the left. Towards the middle, but to the left, because i can do 30 flat out in 5th gear. She struggles to go up the hill to my house at speeds above 20, and never in higher than 2nd or 3rd gear.

You say about exhaust but i have a yamaha xsr 125 ane just fitted a scorpion full system just for sound change and to me sounds 100 times better and now will be heard when filtering etc. And if others dont like the sounds who cares i enjoy riding even more now and will even more when i eventually move to a bigger bike

I run a 230cc dual sport as my daily, she will wheelie now, but I'm not sure if she will still do it once I swap out the rear sprocket for more top end and less torque 😅 Edit: i mean without rocking her up or redistributing my weight to the rear. Just referring to popping up through sheer torque without repositioning 😆✌️

Back in the 2stroke days a 125cc would be a viable option, but the modern gutless 4strokes are not theyre only for getting yourself ready for a licence. Get an a2 at least so you can ride a sensible 500cc.

I would definitely modify your moped to do 72 mph, mine does, its two stroke and makes all current 4T 125s seem boring.

I rode a 125cc at 17 that had 27 ish BHP. Good old two strokes. You could do wellies on that , and more than 90mph

I don’t know what kind of 125s you have been riding but there’s endless mods you can do to a 125…

my honda cbf125 from 2011 traveled 500km NO STOP, along 12 hours + 30kg of sidebags and STILL MANAGED over 50KM/L

Always keep in mind a 125 is better than every other bike in every aspect other than power if its light.

old 2T Aprilia RS 125 can do 99 mph ...an other point of view ...125cc at the islands in Greece (Corfu, Rodes etc) are popular & so many, even older people here getting them, because are cheaper, economic (4T) & can do anything up/down hills, corners, city traffics, any roads (at islands are small any way) and even with 2nd person on it...enduro or on/off 125cc bike can go even at crappy road farms, easiest than normal cars many people use here to rich their olive trees or summer plants... also when was younger no one will go get new exhaust to have better noise or speed, they just was cutting them in half ... thanks for the video

Engine swap? Not really in the spirit I could do wheelies on my 50cc moped I rode an nsr125 at 17 that had 25bhp apparently. It was a friend's and could do over 90mph. Being back two strokes. They were great although the new electric bikes although legal create max power all the time so are blisteringly quick compared to a four stroke 125

I used to wheelie my 50cc scooter so im sure the 125 will! Ninja 650 is really torquey!

Nice to see someone local pop up on RU-vid

I rode this bike around for a year. Most fun I had on a bike. Got to 70mph with an exhaust and air filter 😂. A bafoon can corner it like motoGP hero and that’s why I loved it

One of my friends can do wheelies on a 125, he's got a Honda Grom. He also got his license taken away for a couple months for doing a wheelie while the police were close lmao

Dump the clutch at 6k rpm and that front wheel will be up😁

I popped a wheelie before I crashed on a 125 and wasn't intentional at all 😂😂

Use your gears for the hils my bike it's 60mph up any hill

You can get a malossi upgrade kit up to a 180cc.

i might get flak for this but tbh I wouldn't consider buying anything below 250cc, to me below that is hitting moped territory

When 15 min zones and cities come.. 125 is tha thing

My Honda CB125R i put a new can and got some pretty decent performance increase out of it. Was able to top out at 79-80 mph going downhill on a good day ;) whereas before i would never get that.

On my training days on the runup to my big test one of the guys i was out on a road ride with accidentally pulled off a wheelie and got a bollocking. Its more than possible lol

Wheelies are hard on 125 sport bikes yeah, but not all 125s. For example duke 125s are pretty easy and supermotos are even easier. Once I even got a duke to go 60mph on one wheel :D

dude haven't seen a modded 125cc bike in southeast asia reaching 200kmh

As a driver for 46 years and having owned a Honda CB 200 on L plates years ago had no accidents at all,had my HGV and Bus licences as jobs it annoys me when i see modded or illegal E-Bikes and Scooters even on pavements by me that are faster than the rubbish Moped i can only ride without L plates and a passenger i do think a 125 like i think Potugal allow certain car drivers to ride with a passenger too is something that would get older couples more interested in a Motor cycle a 50cc is no good for 2 people,ive had Quads and many 125cc bikes abroad in the past with my wife on the back with just my car licence if you can understand a manual shift car and took a car test only a cheap short type CBT should IMO let people like me back on at least a 125cc bike i mean give us back the old grandad rights we used to be able to ride up to 250cc on a provisional when i was younger you never forget how to ride a bike is an old saying that's very true.

Well about the top speed i disagree with you because i have 125cc keeway 2019 and i do 70mph with it so...

You can't do wheelies on a 125cc?? Dump that clutch and it will come right up boyo

i have been very 50/50 about getting the big-mc-license (above 125cc) or just getting the 125cc, cause a monkey-bike seems pretty fun and enough :S

Almost all 125 cruisers end up with panniers on. I'm sure you could find an aftermarket seat that replaces the pillion with a top box mount, if wanted. Would look pretty ugly and cramped though.

1:54 NO! Only on 4 strokes !

if you know how to properly wheelie at balance point then you can wheelie pretty much any bike 125cc included

The problem is they switched from 2 Strokes to 4 strokes but the 2 strokes are way faster and the good thing about them is you could mod them and make them seriously quick for a little 125 CC. It broke my heart when they did because the 4 strokes can not compete with the power of a derestricted 2 stroke. When they switched to 4 stroke the fun and joy of riding these rapid little 125s was gone, they became lawn mower engines basically over night. Not responsive, totally wet in terms of power bands and no power valves that put a smile in your face when they opened it was like a turbo in how they went just crazy. The 4s are just flat as a fart and they killed the 125 power bike market over night just look at the data it says it all. The 90s were a wonderful time for small bikes. It actually forced me to go get my full licence instead of riding in a CBT provisional licence when the stopped the fun. I still own 3, 2 stroke 125s from the 90s and I’m never getting rid of them because they leave the modern 4 strokes standing there and it shows what we lost.

70mph . And two touring of the Alps,

I don't really comment on videos but I feel this is a perfect place for me to share my views going from a 125 to a 650. 1) exhaust I completely agree to the bigger the cc the better it sounds. BUT, When I would ride my 125 the amount of times I would get cut off or get run off the road was insane. I then added a nicer sounding exhaust. It wasn't so loud that you couldn't hear anything else but it was loud enough so others would acknowledge my presence. But since getting a 650 I have now adapted a defensive Riding style and it has saved my life to people who don't like bikes. 2) wheelies I could wheelie my 125 and in the process I damaged my forks because I couldn't control the way down and my clutch needed to be replaced as I was revving it to get all my power to lift it up. 3) keeping up with traffic 100% agree. I noticed a massive difference when going up. In national speed limits I had to tuck in and slipstream in order to keep up but as a 650 I can do it with no effort. Overall in the UK I think its a perfect idea for people to start off with a 125 because it can't really speed and its got enough for people to learn how to ride. You can't get carried away with just twisting the throttle and hitting triple figures. The most fun I had was on my 125 and had some great memories but my 650 makes it easier to go longer distances and take a pillion without struggling.

I love how the community promotes wheelieing while denoising aftermarket cans, because it doesn't do anything. But wheelieing is the safer option lol. Its all so backwards.

For anyone watching, if you buy a bike from somewhere quite far away and would need to cross a motorway to get it back home, how would you manage to do that? Get it delivered or something?

wheelies is defnetly possible on a 2 stroke 125 supermoto

That stupid sound will keep you alive , all accidents were because you wasnt heared by car drivers

my Hoodlum loves A-roads.

fun fact: you can wheelie a 125. it isn't hard. if your bike has ABS like mine, simly take the ABS fuse out of the box. all you do then is either rev it to fuck while stationary then dump the clutch. or the same again but while going at a very slow speed

Wheelies 100% wrong. I mean yeah, you can't do a powerwheelie, not going to happen. But either you just don't know the technique or you're on the wrong SORT of bike. I bop wheelies on my Kymco Agility 125 scooter all day every day, and it's the easiest thing in the world. Safe too, cuz ya can't go that fast. Super duper fun too. A gy6 type scooter, to which I just ordered a 150cc big bore kit. So yeah you can modify them, and it's entirely a different ball game of course. But yeah, you can corner, accelerate, ride, do everything but as you said, not fast.

Where can I get one from

They are defo tunable mot much out but some is better than nothing you can either tune for bhp or torque thats about it one or the other

i ride varadero 125 as my daily and kawasaki zzr1100 for smiles and giggles

Can you bore it up to 150cc?

You can do loads to 125 idk what your on about saying you can’t do anything

I can wheelie my honda cbr125r in normal sitting position and normal gearing

You've definitely not had experience on 125s my ybr 125 little 10 hp bike was cruising at 70mph and you only do that on duel carage way sooooo yeah no issues with traffic or hills even in Wales then the xsr125 I've had used to wheelie when I wasn't even expecting it stock 125 gearing as well and pillioning well I got a girl and she was desperate for a lift so I just took her on the CBT license and after that it was pretty much every weekend I would take her out on the back

Mate the ninja 125 must be terrible. I had a Honda Varadero 125. Massive bike 160kg and I could wheelie that and it did 82mph. You're saying the ninja struggles to do 60. There must be something wrong with it surely

I wouldn't waste my money on a 4 stroke 125 I'd go on ebay and pick up an aprilia rs125 2 stroke. Handles better than a skinny 125 4 stroke and can hit 110mph with mods quite easily

I do think your videos are quite nice and the explaining is quite good on what can and can't do but one thing I did find a bit not alright but not for experienced rider but for those that just started. The thing that you didn't use 2 hands on the bike. You shouldn't encourage those youngsters to do that.

I do wheelies on a sinnis apache 125 and aprillia 125 super moto

Well the newer 125 fore strokes are good looking but gutless(get a older Aprilia rs 125 two stroke unrestricted 100mph +) you can get more HP out of them they race them in the freetech class get rid of the parts that are not necessary (reduce weight)free flow exhaust no air filter high lift cam remove the rev restrictor with a after market ignition unit .Lock wire all the nuts as its now going to vibrate , scrap the fairing for a light weight one change the sprockets, sticky tyres and now your pushing 90mph but you might find it hard to get insurance LOL .

You obviously not talking about modding a 2stroke my Aprilia hit 115 mph after changing exhaust jetting carb

Look up " I wheelied a suzuki gsx s-125".

I mean... brakes count as a performance upgrade, no? Though I'd say the best performance upgrade for ANY bike will be the rider.

Can make it a lot faster big bore kit taking it to around 170cc add a full decat pipe performance filter and mapping lol will take that 15hp to 21 that doesn't sound alot but is actually enough on a motorcycle that's ways less than 150kg plus will sound awesome too

Back in the 70’s, you could ride a 250 on ‘L’ plate, it was the interference of the EU that changed things. Now we are supposed to be out of the EU, they should change it back to a 250.

Guys can you install a quickshifter on thw ninja 125 i looked everywhere i cant find anything

I sometimes hear 125's with louder exhausts than my Fireblade, i don't think they know, their bikes sound really shit.

I wouldn't buy a 125cc sportbike unless #1 I was going to race it. Or #2 I got a crazy good deal on it. At which point I'd sell to buy a 125cc supermoto/dual sport or scrambler. Something that can be used on or off road...A 125cc sportbike is lame because they want it to look fast & exciting like a liter bike (look at me on my fast cool 😎 sportbike) but almost every boring economy car on the road is faster than you. 😂 Plus it has the uncomfortable sportbike riding position. So despite getting good fuel economy. You won't want to ride a long road trip.

hi, I want to know what you think about an Aprilia rs125? I Have been driving mine for 3 years now (I am 16yrs old) from my experience with 125cc bikes the rs125 is a really quick bike. I have ridden it 140km/h before and have been enjoying ridding it for as long as I remember. I hope you would do a review on a rs125 and give me your thoughts about it.😶‍🌫