In many ways, Lambretta’s new J125 scooter has a lot to live up to. It carries one of the most famous names in scootering history and its styling unashamedly leans heavily on those iconic designs made famous by Mod culture in the 1960s.
But beneath the metal panels lies a thoroughly modern scooter, so rather than reflect on the past, we review the J125 as a contender in the highly competitive 125cc, learner legal, twist-and-go category. Does this newcomer with a grand old name have what it takes to compete against some really well-established alternatives? We spent a few weeks with one to find out.
At £3499 plus on the road charges (expect to be paying around £3700 once you’ve paid the road tax, registration fees and so on) it’s priced on a par with top quality, best-selling, modern twist and gos like the Honda PCX125 and Yamaha NMAX. There’s a lot of options out there for buyers of 125s, both cheaper and more expensive, and the Lambretta needs to appeal to more than just the few looking for a retro styled scoot with a famous badge if the brand is to get back into the mainstream.
I approached the J125 not really knowing what to expect. Subconsciously, I probably wasn’t anticipating it to be especially good. In reality, I found it a charming and very usable scooter – even if it’s not without its flaws.
Those flaws, let’s get them out the way first, are arguably linked to its USP – that authentic Sixties styling.
As with Vespa, Lambretta have fitted 12” alloy wheels front and rear to the J125. These are a bit smaller than you’d find on most modern scooters – the NMAX has 13” front and rear, while the PCX has a 14” item up front – but they help create the signature look and have their plusses and minuses. It’s super agile around town, but that roller skate handling can make it a bit nervous at higher speeds. Ultimately it’s a city bike, so arguably more a positive than a negative for most, but worth knowing. Where those wheels really frustrated me were when it came to trying to secure the J125 in bike parks, but more on that later…
While we’re on the less good things, I found it a bit tricky to get the Lambretta up on its centre stand, primarily due to the foot of the stand being a bit too close to the engine, and then there’s the mirrors. They fit the retro looks perfectly but are a bit small and not particularly useful in their primary role… but nothing an aftermarket modification wouldn’t sort out. I mean, Lambrettas are well known for having aftermarket mirrors all over them, aren’t they?
But back to the good stuff. It’s powered by a well-proven 124.6cc twin cam, four valve, engine which is good for a claimed 12.2bhp – not quite using all the performance allowed under learner laws but smack bang up there with the aforementioned NMAX and PCX on the spec sheet. Top speed is around 60mph (although we saw an indicated 68mph tucked in and on a long downhill section) which is around the norm for this category of scooter. Town is its best environment, where the performance is instant and accessible.
Open roads aren’t really the best place for any 125cc scooters but, for short dual carriageway blasts, it is a reasonable performer and able to stay ahead of HGVs. It’s fun down backroads too although, as we previously alluded to, those diddy wheels mean it can feel very sensitive on bumpier surfaces. Overall, it is simple to ride. At 139kg, it’s light and the flat footboards and narrow bench seat make it accessible to riders of all shapes and sizes.
Specification is good and what you’d expect from a modern scooter. The keyless ignition works well. You get a remote control fob which is good for popping the seat or fuel cap open, but it also works on proximity to the bike and unlocks the big ignition switch when you’re within two metres of the bike. It took a few rides for my befuddled brain to work it out properly, but really its simple and after a day I found it easy and intuitive to use. Approach the bike and try to move it without the fob and the alarm will sound. It’s a good system.
The TFT dashboard is neat and can be customised with various themes changing the way it displays information, and you can connect it to your phone through Bluetooth. Phone connectivity is only basic though. You can control incoming calls, but there’s no option for turn-by-turn navigation and that feels like an oversight on a machine designed for taking on the city streets.
The small glovebox under the handlebars isn’t lockable but has enough space for a phone and a wallet, and has not one but two USB charging ports (one type A and one type C) which is a small but really useful feature. Safety features include two-channel ABS brakes and traction control, and there’s also a decently sized storage compartment under the seat. It’s not as big as some, but I was still able to get a full-faced helmet under there.
But one of the biggest draws is the styling and I think they’ve done a great job in taking cues from the classic sports Lambrettas of the Sixties. From the long, narrow, saddle to the metal side panels and the distinctive lines, it does feel like you’re not riding a run-of-the-mill twist and go. The headlamp design is distinctly Lambretta (albeit with a modern LED light) and the traditional horn cover, above the heavily sculpted mudguard, is an additional LED light.
There are loads of neat little design touches with the quality badging and embossed logos which give it a premium feel, something that can often be overlooked on scooters in this price bracket. You also get the choice of four colours: white, red, grey and the black of our test bike. Black wouldn’t have been my choice of colour, but I couldn’t fault the finish of the bike. It’s a new model, but I would expect a bunch of official accessories like windscreens and racks to appear in the Lambretta brochure fairly soon, allowing owners to modify their scooters to enhance the looks and practicality – just as the Mods did back in the day.
That big beaky mudguard also looks the part but (along with the moped sized wheels) did cause me a few issues when parking up at my local train station. Where every other scooter and motorbike is easy to chain up, the Lambretta’s mudguard design meant I couldn’t get right up to the rail upon which I am meant to secure the scoot. My bigger gripe was with the tiny wheels and their spoke design, which makes it difficult to chain up.
Sadly we all know that scooter thefts can be a problem and I couldn’t get my heavy (but fairly standard) security chain through the closely spaced spokes of the wheels, while the very enclosed bodywork made it hard to find alternative points where I could get the chain through. I’m sure if I owned one I would find some products but it’s definitely something to be aware of and to think about before buying one.
In the end I found myself using the front suspension struts to chain the bike up, but it wasn’t ideal and would have given bike thieves easy access if they wanted to use an angle grinder to cut through the chain.
That double arm link front suspension, what I grew up calling leading link forks, is another classic Lambretta feature. It does dive under really hard braking but works well enough under normal riding conditions. It has five different preload settings, which is quite a novelty on a scooter, although it’s hard to say whether or not the arrangement is better than a more contemporary telescopic fork set up.
The J125 is quite twitchy, but whether that’s down to the suspension set-up, the small wheels or the CST tyres – or more likely a combination of them all – is open to debate. As we’ve mentioned already, this agility can be a positive around town – which is its natural environment anyway.
Take away the retro styling and the historic name and the bottom line is that the Lambretta J125 is good enough to stand on its own two wheels. The spec, build quality, performance and practicality are all in the right ballpark, while the look and badge will be an added bonus for many. Sure, there are areas where it doesn’t quite match up to the more established brands. Some of the switchgear feels a little cheap, the brakes and tyres aren’t quite at the same level and the connectivity, particularly the lack of an integrated navigation option, isn’t as good as you’d find elsewhere.
Arguably the J125 also lacks a little of the NMAX and PCX’s practicality, but it’s not likely to be appealing to the delivery rider market anyway, while the reputation of Lambretta’s dealer network, aftersales back-up and long-term reliability has yet to be really established, although they are distributed in the UK by MotoGB, who have been around for over 30 years.
It’s also worth noting that Lambretta’s powertrain comes from Taiwanese manufacturer SYM, who generally have a good reputation for reliability. Running costs for all 125s are usually pretty low, and this should be no different. There’s no official fuel consumption figure, but bank on around 80-90mpg under normal riding, which should give over 130 miles between refills, while service intervals are also in line with other manufacturers.
Comparison naturally will be drawn towards Vespa, the other great Italian scooter brand. The Lambretta is a good chunk cheaper (the Vespa GTS125 costs around £2,000 more than the J125) and feels like a bargain in comparison. It’s definitely worthy of consideration, as a classy, distinctive and affordable new option in this most hotly contested category of powered two-wheeler. My expectations may have been quite low, but I’ve come away a convert. It’s a more than credible contender.
Lambretta J125 specification
Price: £3,499 (+ on the road charges)
Engine: 124.6cc, liquid-cooled, single cylinder, double overhead camshaft
Power: 12.2bhp
Torque: 11.5Nm
Transmission: Automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT)
Wheels: 12” front and rear
Tyres: CST 120/70-12
Seat height: 780mm
Fuel tank: 8 litres
Weight: 139kg
Contact: www.lambrettauk.co.uk
