Real world racer

Yamaha's YZF-R125 is the perfect introduction to sport riding, with all the looks and none of the bite of its big brothers. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

Picture the scenario. Junior wants a bike licence. Has dreams of burning up the track, lithe leather-clad limbs issuing a potent come-hither and the promise of excitement - speed-oriented or otherwise.

Mum wants something safe. Two wheels, perhaps, after all a bike is cheap to run and park. But nothing too fast, mind ...

Those two images may seem mutually exclusive. But there is an answer - and it's the likes of Honda's CBR125, or this Yamaha YZF-R125.

Despite its racer looks and full-size dimensions, this is not a rocket-ship. Yet ride it with commitment and it certainly feels like one. So Junior gets those boasting rights along with learning the importance of momentum, of selecting the right gear and conserving revs - all useful on this bike's bigger siblings. And Mum knows it won't go too far over the open-road limit.

This 125 was created by the engineers responsible for the mad-as YZF-R1 and R6 supersport bikes. It has an all-new liquid-cooled, fuel-injected four-stroke engine, a twin-spar Deltabox frame and basic suspension that'll cope reasonably well with ordinary roads, though it prefers smooth ones.

It's got R6-inspired bodywork, and a hunched-over racer riding position you need the flexibility of youth to maintain for long.

And it's got very little actual power - the 12Nm torque peak arriving at 8000rpm, the 11kW power a brief 1000rpm later, soon capped by the rev-limiter. Change at 9000rpm and you're in second by 35km/h, third at 51. Peak power arrives at 101km/h in fifth - and sixth won't do much more.

Brisk progress requires constant awareness of gears and throttle; let your attention wander for a moment and she's all over, rover.

But concentrate to make the most of this 125's light weight and agility. For given a tight and twisty road you can keep the throttle wound wide open, flicking through the gears to sit in that sweet spot and hurling her through bends with the sort of joie de vivre long forgotten by riders of litre bikes which don't hit their best until well over illegal speeds.

That's why this Yamaha and its Honda rival make a great introduction to sports riding - with the Honda better suiting shorter riders - for both will supply a race-rep challenge at everyday speeds.

Yamaha YZF-R125

We like
Grown-up looks and dimensions; great fun at real-world speeds; teaches the importance of gears, revs, and maintaining momentum

We don't like
Needs tight bends (and a limber body) to get the best of it

Powertrain
125cc liquid-cooled four-stroke single, 11kW at 9000rpm, 12.18Nm at 8000rpm, six-speed gearbox, chain drive

Performance
0-100 not available

Price
$8999

Vital stats
2015mm long, 818mm seat height, 138kg wet weight, 13.8-litre tan