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• Looks mature and harmonious
• Single cylinder became easier to turn and livelier
• Stable chassis with little comfort

Yamaha

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The new Yamaha MT-125 can look forward to numerous updates in 2020.

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The first thing you should notice is the new look of the naked bike.

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Following the current design trend, the rear of the MT-125 was cropped.

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That makes the manufacturers of accessory label holders happy.

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In general, the optics are now based on the design of the more powerfully motorized MT models.

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The chassis was taken from the YZF-R 125 and modified.

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The seating position has become more compact compared to its predecessor.

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Pilots now sit closer to the handlebars. In addition, the handlebar has become wider.

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An anti-hopping clutch is now also on board.

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Only 10 liters fit into the tank. The previous model had 11.5 liters.

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Another new feature is an LCD display.

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The new MT-125 will initially be available in three color variants.

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It will cost 4,799 euros (plus additional costs).

Driving report Yamaha MT-125

Looks mature and harmonious

Yamaha has redesigned its entry-level MT-125 naked bike. We were already able to drive the 15 hp 2020 model in Malaga, southern Spain.

Since its publication in 2014, the M.T-125 has over 36,000 buyers in Europe alone, which means an average market share of 25 percent. In view of this success, Yamaha could take it easy, but the competition never sleeps. And so the little one has been heavily revised for the 2020 model year.

The most obvious change concerns the front mask, the design of which is somewhere between skull, transformer and cheap retrofit Streetfighter mask. During the first ride, it was not possible to check whether the fully-LEDized design piece is at least functional, i.e. convincing with good light. The rest of the design has also been completely turned inside out. The visual focus moved forward. Thanks to the shorter but wider tank, so does the driver. The stern was also sacrificed, i.e. cropped, to the current ideal of beauty. It now ends just behind the rear axle and lets the passenger move much closer to the driver. The full LCD cockpit is also new and much clearer than before.

Single cylinder became easier to turn and livelier

The engine has changed even more than the shell. The Bonsai-MT has always had the permitted 15 HP output, now Yamaha wanted to improve the torque. The volume of the airbox grew from 2.9 to 5.5 liters, the air flow passes through a throttle valve that has grown from 28 to 30 mm in diameter and enters the cylinder head through an oval instead of a round cross-section. Because of the better supply and disposal, the two inlet and outlet valves each grew by one millimeter. The highlight, however, is the variable valve control: at 7,400 rpm, a servomotor changes from the tame to the sharp cam. The combustion chamber, pistons and the entire crank drive have also been optimized in the direction of lower friction and pumping losses. After the outlet channel, however, the red pencil took over again. The entire exhaust is made of steel and is also one-piece. Which makes the assembly of accessory mufflers an expensive proposition.

The above measures made the single much easier to turn, which enabled the secondary transmission to be shortened by four teeth on the chainring, which in turn helps the performance on the jumps. You don’t really notice that the cooling circuit has been modified in everyday life, but the anti-hopping clutch, which prevents the rear wheel from punching when downshifting brutally. The six-speed gearbox is inconspicuous in the best sense of the word. It does what it should. Basta. The Deltabox frame made of steel and the cast aluminum swing arm have been subtly revised in terms of geometry and dimensions to make the MT even lighter, more manageable and yet stable.

Stable chassis with little comfort

Obviously there was no talk of comfort, because the set-up is sporty and tight. At slow speeds it stalks pretty roughly over edges, bumps, potholes and the like, at higher speeds the set-up begins to fit. Brisk driving is not an issue for Michelin Pilot Street or for the brakes. The rubbers offer plenty of grip and behave largely neutral even when braking in an inclined position. The radially hinged four-piston fixed caliper on the forehand gets to work with the right pull and brakes better than the larger MT-03. But be careful: When you are firmly anchored in the ABS control range downhill, the rear wheel can easily come up.

Yamaha

The new Yamaha MT-125 has been thoroughly revised for the 2020 model year.

All in all, the Yamaha 125 MT is an extremely adult-looking and coherent package that is sure to find numerous fans in the future. It is now available in gray, blue and black for 4,799 euros.

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