Yamaha YBR 125 - 2010

What model was it?

Yamaha YBR 125 / 2010 / Silver / 11k miles

When did you buy it and how much did it cost?

I bought it in May 2014 for £1,295. That was with 1 previous owner and a full service history from a main Dealer plus 1 years MOT and tax.

Good points?

- The styling. Ok It is a totally inoffensive looking naked commuter, yet it still looks modern and sporty enough to draw the very occasional appreciative glance. Personally I think a 125 with full fairings, a belly pan and garish paintwork is like a sheep in wolfs clothing. Under all that gear its still only got a 125 tiddler, the parts are still basic and cheap. The YBR is a bike that knows what it is and is trying to do it with just a dash of style, nothing more. This is entirely subjective though.

- They hold their value very well. If you’re mainly using it just to get some wheel time in between CBT and DAS and providing you keep it in good condition. You will likely get most of money back when you sell it on.

- Unless this is somehow the first review of a YBR you’ve read, you would have been told that its fuel economy is phenomenal. Well it’s true, you ride and ride and the needle just never moves. So much so you may actually start to think it’s broken. But no, this thing runs on fresh air.

- It’s Cheap to service and repair and easy to work on yourself. Since I’ve had it, I have cleaned, tightened and lubed the chain, replaced the headlight bulb and cleaned the air filter. Even with no previous experience I found these tasks very easy indeed.

- The ride. I find it very comfortable to ride. The sitting position is very upright and the seat is long and wide and reasonably padded. The foot pegs, clutch and brake levers are well situated and the same can be said about all the buttons, switches and levers on the handlebars. Put it this way, during the few hundred miles I’ve covered since I’ve had it, I haven’t had to give my riding position a second thought, it just feels fine. You can just get on and ride it. The engine on my model ticks over with a spritely purr and gives a wee bit of grunt on acceleration. Don’t expect much more than 60-65mph out of it but I’d say up to 50mph it’s got decent enough pull and isn’t too sluggish. Fine for the purpose it was built anyway– commuting. The bikes light and turns well with reassuring grip and balance. The brakes do their job, so do the front and adjustable rear suspension. I’m a big guy and the the mirrors are big enough for me to have a perfect view behind me. The side stand has a fuel cut off if you try and put it down whilst still in gear, which is a nice safety feature. Mine came with a chrome carrier rack that will fit almost every top box. None of this stuff is unique or of superior quality or anything like that but it all works and works well.

Bad points?

- Rust. The stringent and regular servicing this bike has had and the great condition it’s in for its age tells me the previous owner took care of it. So it surprises me to see little rust patches mottling the chrome parts, exhaust, frame and the stands. It seems to be the utmost surface level that’s effected so it’s not like the bike’s being eaten away but it’s happening in the centre of the surfaces not in the usual nooks, crevices and soldering joints where water gets trapped and you would expect it. And this is a bike that’s been cared for remember, who knows how bad it would get if left. So I guess the paint work could have been a bit thicker and the chrome better. Lather the bike in water repellent as I plan to and I’m sure it will be fine.

- The gears change well generally and slip into place with nice satisfying clicks but every now and then it slips into neutral. Usually when around gears 1 or/and 2. Very odd and more of a quirk then a fault. It has happened to me twice in a hundred or so miles.

- Headlight may as well be a match. If you drive at night as I intend to, change the bulb to something better.

- Overall feel. As much as I like the bike the general quality and feel of everything makes it hard for you to forget it’s basically a cheap 125 learner. It rattles a bit as you ride and the suspension is not great and the plastics tend to creak or groan if you press them. And the black rubber sleeve around the clutch lever has faded to almost white and has split in places after only 4 years. It seems to get scratched very easily to. Ultimately it is what it is, most of the annoyances and quirks are easily remedied and none of this stuff detracts too much from the overall joy of owning it.

Would you get another?

If it broke down tomorrow I would not hesitate in replacing it with another YBR

Any other comments?

They YBR is a reliable, hardworking and forgiving fit-for-purpose commuter, that does what it’s told without any fuss, drama or making a scene. What more were you expecting?

As a learner you could maybe get something a little bit better but you could definitely do a whole lot worse!