Yamaha YTX 125

Yes, the Yamaha YTX 125 is built to a price. And yet you will never notice it. We have come so far into the evolution of motorcycles that even something so cheap looks so refined and stylish. In fact, it looks very much like a modern 150cc commuter bike albeit with a conventional circular halogen headlamp and missing some body panels in the rear section. It then carries a retro charm that does not look out of place on the roads today. There are three colors to choose from which go really well with the blacked out engine components. In fact the steel fuel tank is the only painted part on the bike. The tank comes with a tank protector that covers the entire top portion and keeps it from getting scratched and also keeps the heat away. The bike is 2040 mm long, 700 mm wide and 1070 mm tall. It has a wheelbase length of 1265 mm. 170 mm of ground clearance ensures that bike stays safe from potholes and speed bumps. At 800 mm the seat may be a bit high for some. There are 17” spoked wheels on each end with a 3.00x17 (4PR) 43P tire on the front and a 3.00x17 (4PR) 46P tube type tire on the rear. The seat is long and flat and thick. The bike is made well suited for rural use with a flat rear carrier and a tandem footrest. It even has a mounting point under the tank to attach your sidecar. Now which other bike gives you features like these? There is however one niggle with this motorcycle. There is no fuel gauge on the instrument cluster. Why such a decision was taken is beyond our thinking capacity. The tank at 7.6 L should survive for a long time though.

This bike is meant to be a rugged vehicle for rural conditions. The chassis is beefed up and reinforced for this very purpose. The rear arm is reinforced with a huge welded cross arm. There is a telescopic suspension in the front and a unique quadruple suspension setup in the rear. This is very useful for heavy riders or loads on rough terrain. The tires are grippy even on wet road conditions. The seat is especially comfy and bigger riders will love it.  

The engine is a basic air cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve 125 cc unit producing 8.2 PS at 7000 rpm and 10.2 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm. The engine delivers good performance and does not feel out of power on inclines either. The engine is quick to get to highway speeds and performs very well loaded up too. There is, however, a gripe with the transmission. The bike only comes with a 4-speed transmission. This means that it is harder to maintain higher speeds on the bike. It is better suited for traveling at 50-60 kmph and quickly accelerating with a downshift whenever needed. The Honda TMX 125, on the other hand, comes with a 5-speed gearbox and is easier to keep running at highway speeds. The engine is refined with very little vibrations and noise. The silencer makes the bike Euro 3 compliant.

The brakes are conventional too with a mechanical leading-trailing drum brake on each end.

At Php 49900 it is slightly cheaper than the Honda TFX 125. But at the same time, there are much better bikes available at the Php 52000 mark. So, is this bike worth your hard earned money? Only you can decide.