All Tests – J125 test: the small Kawasaki scooter for the general public – A small Kawa for everyone

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J125 test: the small Kawasaki scooter for the general public

All Tests - J125 test: the small Kawasaki scooter for the general public - A small Kawa for everyone

After having entered the niche of mid-displacement scooters with the J300, Kawasaki is tackling the segment of 125 GT scooters. Like its predecessor, the J125 relies on Kymco’s know-how. Site participated in its European presentation. Test !

A little Kawa for everyone

Two years after launching its J300, Kawasaki offers in 2016 a second scooter intended for more people: the J125, which can be driven by motorcyclists (A1, A2 or A license) as well as by motorists (B license, with 7 hour training compulsory for novices).

J125: availability, colors and prices

  • Availability: January 2016 in the

  • Colors: Black / Green (+150 €), Black or White

  • Price: € 4,599 (Launch at € 4,199)

"Our J300 was a great success in Europe where it sold 3,500 copies, more than the Z300", congratulate the Greens of Akashi."We are therefore embarking on the 125 scooter, a more competitive sector, because it has many more opponents.".

In France in particular, the 125 GT segment is the most competitive on the market. The Yamaha Xmax 125’s preserve for ten years, this year it is dominated by the all-new Honda Forza 125. Finding a place alongside them promises to be difficult….

Like the J300 based on the Kymco X-Citing 300, the J125 is derived from the Dink Street 125. Rather than starting from a blank page, the Japanese engineers have chosen to rely again on the expertise of their Taiwanese colleagues.

"Our resources in terms of new product development are currently exclusively focused on motorcycles, which will always remain our core business.", explains Antoine Coulon, Marketing Director at Kawasaki France..

Started in the quad sector with the KVF 300, the cooperation between Kawasaki and Kymco therefore continues today in the 125 scooter. "The choice of the basic model is simple: it met the specifications set by our engineers", continues our interlocutor.

Produced by Kymco, the J125 is under close scrutiny by Kawasaki: "a Japanese team is present on the Taiwanese assembly line to ensure that the manufacture of our scooter complies with our guidelines".

Mechanically identical to the Kymco (see technical sheet on the last page), the Kawasaki scooter is distinguished by its aesthetics … modeled on that of the J300! Like its predecessor, the J125 thus evokes the sports Ninja thanks to the very tapered front double optics, and mimics the roadsters at the level of the rear light … but without the "Z" signature. !

We note in passing that if Kawasaki has opted for LEDs for the brake light and daytime running lights, it has selected traditional bulbs for the indicators. But what displeases the most on this specific point is the excessive exposure to the impact of the front indicators….

The J125 not only shares the lines of the J300, but also its – more or less – practical aspects. Thus, the retractable hook of the apron is renewed as it is: very convenient to fix a bag (3 kg maximum), it sins by its plastic of raw appearance and its rudimentary mechanism.

Same remark about the gas hatch, whose material and hinge do not correspond to the GT class claimed by Kawasaki, no more than the black and green "Special Edition" decoration (charged € 150) which consists of simple stickers that must be taken into account during cleaning !

The storage compartment is in keeping with it: its locking is basic but effective and the standard presence of a 12V cigarette lighter socket is to be emphasized … as the fact that we would have preferred a less bulky USB connection and more suitable for modern smartphones and accessories.

Despite the small size of its engine, the J125 does not offer a larger trunk than that of the J300 … Inside, you can easily slip a full face helmet, a pair of gloves and rain pants. A small A4 document holder also finds its place in the front part.

The clever LED activated automatically by a photosensitive cell is always present in the hold, while the carpet covering shines by its absence … The degree of opening of the saddle is not gigantic, but we appreciate that a jack keeps it in the open position.

Behind the original saddle throne a large luggage rack unfortunately without hook and not openwork: not great for securing a net, but essential for attaching a top-case that can accommodate a second helmet. Three Givi models are offered in the Kawasaki catalog: 30, 39 or 47 liters.

Also original and whatever the color (black, white or black / green), the gray stitching of the saddle elegantly dresses the J125. The double coating also gives it a certain class: that of both sporty and GT 125 scooters. But let’s see on the next page what this small consumer scooter gives in dynamics…

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