Sporty learner bikes aren’t as popular as they once were, but that doesn’t mean there’s no market for Suzuki’s funky little GSX-R125.
There was a time, not so long ago, when Honda’s CBR125R and Yamaha’s YZF-R125 topped the sales charts month after month but, in recent years, the learner market has swung towards scooters and more basic machines like the entry level Honda CB125F and offerings from Lexmoto, the Devon-based company which imports a wide variety of small capacity Chinese made machines.
When it was first shown almost 10 years ago, the Suzuki GSX-R125 (and the similar but unfaired GSX-S125) followed the format of the then best-selling CBR125R – being sporty but not too sporty, and well-priced against the higher spec offerings from Aprilia, KTM and Yamaha. Kawasaki used the same formula a year later with the Ninja 125 but, today, Suzuki is the last man standing in this once thriving ‘inbetweener’ class.
Don’t be fooled by the GSX-R moniker. Once reserved for Suzuki’s most aggressive sportsbikes, it’s more a ‘GSX125R’ than a GSX-R125, but the naming is line with most manufacturers’ strategy of giving their entry level bikes designations previously reserved for their top line models. It’s a strategy which arguably diminishes the aura of those ferocious flagships, although it probably adds to the desirability of the smaller capacity models and creates a family of machines for riders of all ages and experiences.
But, enough of all that marketing nonsense. Put simply, the Suzuki GSX-R125 is a sweet little learner bike with a fairing, rather than a full-on race replica. Performance is as good as you’re going to get from a 125. The twin-cam engine makes bang on the maximum 11kw (just under 15bhp) allowed under A1 licence rules, but the real USP of the Suzuki is its lightness and agility. Suzuki claims it weighs 137kg fuelled up, and it feels it.
While it doesn’t look as substantial as other sports 125s on the market, it’s a decent bit lighter than them – and a good chunk cheaper too. At £3999, the GSX-R125 is over £1000 less than a KTM RC125 and £1500 less than the Yamaha R125. That’s a not insignificant amount of money to anyone but, especially to a new rider with all their gear to buy, it’s potentially the difference between being able to buy new or second hand. That said, you can buy a sporty new Lexmoto for £1400 less. If you’re on a budget, looking to China can be very tempting indeed
But back to the Suzuki, and the first impression you get is just how small it is. The seat height sits at 785mm, but the narrowness means the straddle is a doddle for pretty much anyone. The kids won’t get it, but it made me think of an 80cc Grand Prix bike from the 1980s. It feels absolutely tiny and, while that’s appealing to a lot of novices, it might put off some taller riders – who will find many other 125s better suited to their dimensions – or those who prefer the image of a bike which looks more substantial.
And it is light too. Light to move around and light to ride. The keyless ignition system is a neat touch and works well, although I’m not sure it’s enough of a selling feature to warrant the slightly naff sticker on the upper fairing. The clutch, six-speed gearbox, throttle and controls are as easy as you like and the complete opposite of the intimidating ‘racer-for-the-road’ GSX-Rs we grew up idolising. It is a learner bike, after all.
For all its easiness, I was well impressed by the willingness of the engine. Legislation means that 125s all play more or less the same game, squeezing 11kw (around 15bhp) out of a single-cylinder four-stroke motor. Some can be wheezy and some can be vibey, but I found the GSX-R to be pretty smooth and as lively as you could have hoped for. It’s a good choice for the young rider who aspires to a bigger sports bike, as it really teaches you good riding habits.
It doesn’t really bounce off the rev limiter like some small bikes can, and keeping it right up the top end of the rev range in third gear equates to an indicated 60mph. It can be good fun to thrash down B roads, and riding a bike like this means you have to really use the gearbox and focus on good habits to keep momentum up. Unlike big bikes, you can really work a 125 hard without the bike taking you for a ride. I found it rewarding to ride, even if I still couldn’t imagine myself riding a ‘real’ GSX-R.
Back in 1985, when the GSX-R750 rewrote the production racing rulebook, the ace up its sleeve was its lightness. This featherweight 125 may not be winning world endurance races like its legendary uncle, but it is the weapon of choice in the Freetech Endurance Series, a fun amateur racing championship that takes place on small circuits using 125cc production bikes with only minor modifications. For all it may not look as racy as others in the class, it’s very possibly the best performing 125 there is – as the Freetech results prove.
It gets up to 60mph fairly quickly but flattens out in the higher gears. Top speed, as is the case with most 125s is a little over 70mph. How much over (or under) 70 it will do on any given day will depend on a number of factors, including how windy it is, how flat the road is and how big a breakfast you ate. The compact size of that fairing makes it largely redundant in terms of offering aerodynamic or comfort benefits at speed. You really would need to be a tiny and flexible jockey to crouch right down behind it, even if the ergonomics does encourage you to lean slightly forward.
The lightness does have some downsides though. It’s so light, so agile, that it tips into corners almost too quickly. It can feel a bit skittish over bumps and the brakes aren’t super strong, but then this is coming from an experienced rider more used to bigger and heavier bikes and not a novice who has just taken their CBT. You adapt quickly, but my recollection of the more premium sporty 125s, the KTM and Yamaha in particular, is that they feel a bit more planted.
But this is really missing the point of the Suzuki GSX-R125. For all it wears an iconic name, it’s not really a sports bike. The chassis components perform well enough but look dated, and it’s the same with the LCD dash too. It’s packed with info and does the job, even if it doesn’t look as swish as the TFT numbers starting to appear on more expensive rivals. As a first motorbike, the GSX-R125 ticks all the boxes and then some more.
Of course, looks and image is important for many young riders and it’s the area where (sorry Suzuki) this 125 doesn’t quite cut it. Simply slapping on some GSX-R stickers isn’t enough to give it the presence and desirability of those more expensive competitors, which look a bit bigger and have more upmarket components. The GSX-R looks skinny compared to its rivals, the conventional (not upside down) front forks look weedy and the tyres are a bit narrower.
Where the others could be confused for a 400-500cc sportsbike, the Suzuki is clearly a 125 with a fairing. It’s not bad though and, to be honest, anything more is overkill on a 125. If this was a review of a Yamaha R125, I’d probably be questioning why an 11kw bike needed all that tech and why you needed to pay over five and a half grand for a learner bike. Twenty years ago, when Honda’s CBR125R was in its pomp, we’d be heralding the GSX-R125 as a class leader, but the market’s changed, even if licence regulations haven’t.
Interestingly, Suzuki still offers the GSX-S125, which is essentially the same bike but without the full fairing. It costs exactly the same, at £3999, and I’d argue unfaired bikes make more sense for novice riders. With a 70mph top speed, you don’t really benefit from all the bodywork, and it’s just another thing to get damaged in the inevitable rough and tumble of L plate riding. Personally I think the S looks better proportioned and more contemporary. Both make worthy entry level bikes that perform with the best of them, but which will be overlooked by many, who either want cheaper or fancier.
And that’s a shame. The cycle parts are good enough to cope with 11kw, and the low-ish spec keeps the mass down and contributes to that class leading power-to-weight ratio. It’s engaging to ride and, if you’re a new rider with ambitions to get on bigger bikes in years to come, it’s a great way to learn and practice the fundamentals of riding geared motorcycles.
I’d argue that it sits in a sweet spot for entry level motorcycling. The Suzuki name and dealer network is reassuring and worth some kind of premium, and although you’re not getting a fancy TFT dashboard or a trick chassis, you’re getting a good honest motorcycle that does the job with a bit of style and no fuss at all.
For some it will be too expensive to be cheap and too basic to be the best, and that’s perfectly understandable, but the same could have been said of the Honda CBR125R, and that was a massive success for good reasons. Arguably the rise in popularity of cheaper Chinese bikes did for it, but that doesn’t make the concept any less relevant today. By all metrics, the latest GSX-R125 is a better motorcycle than the Honda which was Britain’s best selling geared motorcycle 20 years ago, and that’s good enough for me. Sure, if you want to spend a grand more for some bells and whistles, be my guest, but who’d have thought it? The GSX-R really is a sensible option in the sporting learner legal class.
Suzuki GSX-R125 specification
Price: From £3,999
Engine: 124cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve, single cylinder
Power: 15bhp @ 10,000rpm
Torque: 11Nm @ 8,000rpm
Suspension: Telescopic front fork. Single rear shock absorber.
Wheels: Cast, 17” front and rear
Tyres: Front 90/80-17, rear 130/70-17
Weight: 127kg (wet)
Wheelbase: 1300mm
Seat height: 785mm
Fuel tank: 11 litres
Contact: www.suzuki.co.uk
