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

125cc Motorcycles for the most part, can do pretty much anything you need a motorcycle to do, however there are a few things that you can't (or probably shouldn't do) with them. In todays video, I explain the practical limits of a 125 and whether they can actually do more than meets the eye.

Please be sure to leave a Like, Comment, and Subscribe if you enjoy our content, and would like to support the channel.

Instagram: @goblinrides

End Credits:
Rip & Tear - Mick Gordon (DOOM 2016 Soundtrack)

Thanks for watching.

[kosta]

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

[GregTheCamper]

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

[kosta]

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 ;)

[steviewonder]

My wee daughter has just bought one of these and just turned 19 and I know naff all about bikes.
It is a 2021 with 0358 on the clock yes 358.
After I watched your video I have taken your advice and fitted an Oxford anchor in my driveway for her with alarmed disc lock and ring doorbell.
So the security is sorted and thanks very much for the theft advice.
I was terrified of her riding it when I saw how mean it looked sitting on it in the showroom picture.
watching you handle this little bike with professional ease and seeing how small and light it is in the video and its lack of power, you have made me feel more relaxed now about riding it.
I do watch the TT and the Irish skerries and I follow Michael Dunlop and know the history of his family, but that is the extent of my bike knowledge.
I was terrified the bike was going to be like Clark Kent on the driveway and superman on the road, my wife watched your video too and feels more relaxed now.
TYVM for a superb video and all the best to you and your wife.

[Steve_Greening]

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,

[TommyBee]

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 😄

[jjmt]

Weridly enough, in Australia (NSW), you can ride upto a 660cc bike on a Learners license, which i gotta admit is pretty wild

[bradleystannard]

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

[Bob-tstu]

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

[neilbrailsford]

Totally agree with your comments. Just got my A license and traded in the 125 duke for a 790. If anything the 125 was better around town but for the open road there's no comparison. Any headwind or gradient and the 125 really struggled to keep up.

[robfallon]

Bro come on I'd wheelie any 125cc out there.

[LoneWolf-Uk]

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?

[hotboxedCS]

Wheelies are possible just very difficult 😂 have to go to many different lengths to bring the front wheel up - a lot easier to wheelie a 125 moped only due to the weight difference

[pinacokolada]

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

[fonziebulldog]

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. 👍

[GhostRiderUK]

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

[SlapshodWingnut]

At 47, all I'm going to do to my 125cc (when I work out which one I'm getting lol) is crash protection. Maybe a screen, too.
I don't see the point for myself as I intend to have the bike less than a year before I move on.
For people who plan on keeping their 125cc for a few years, though, maybe...

Also, have you seen the 2023 Yamaha YZF-R125?
£5.5k, and comes with traction control, colour tft screen, and is pre-wired to accept Yamaha's quickshifter system.
Looks like a baby R7, unsure if I'd be willing to pay that much, but if you've got the money, and really like it...

[kelvinseine]

Bro talking about not being able to wheelie under 250cc. Me doing wheelies on my 65cc tomos moped.

[SkeletonGuts]

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.

[axe]

In Asia like Thailand and many other south east Asian countries, they have a very rich culture on modifying small 125-150cc motorcycles. They managed to tune and take it up to a much higher topspeed than stocks, some of them notably can push a madly tuned 150cc to run up to 210+km/hr ( over 130mph ) while the stock can only run at 120-140km/hr ( 74-80mph ). Some of them also add in turbo or do a big bore kits and new gearing with additional turbo which makes it even more more powerful. You’d be surprised of how much they can juice out of that tiny engine. The cost is about an additional 2 150cc motorcycle worth. So the usual price of a 150cc new around 2.2k usd and with 4-5k usd high performance mods and tunes. Some would say why not just use that money and buy a 2nd hand bigger bike instead but they don’t, it’s just what they like to do, is make small thing powerful.